Blender that isn't a vitamix?

[ihugtrees]

We bought a Vitamix on a whim, and although we like it, we are just not $400 blender people right now...we love what it does, but feel that for that much, it should make our beds and clean toilets! Maybe one day, when $400 is not such a huge deal to us, we will get another...We are still within the 30 day guarantee so are sending it back.

So, we would like a blender recommendation that is a bit cheaper (we are thinking $100 or so. We DO use a blender at least 1 or more times a day, so we want a good one.) Any suggestions?

[allnaturalmom]

We have the Oster professional blender w/all metal drive. It is great for us. Someday I'll get the vitamix, but honestly.... this Oster is just fine for us.

It comes w/a glass jar (no worries about bpa - like in other plastic jars... except the vitamix 5200 which I understand is bpa-free) and you can order different jars for it. I have a stainless steel jar, too (frozen drinks by the pool w/o worry of breaking the glass). Also, a 'to go' cup and a little glass jar for small quantities. Different blades for different jobs as well (like an ice-crushing blade and a milkshake blade), though I just use the regular blade that came w/it.

Ice comes out smooth, and strawberry seeds completely disappear in our smoothies/milkshakes.

Love, love, love it!

hth

[alllyssa]

I've busted the motor on every $100 blender I had. That's why I bought a Vitamix - we've had it for 5 years and blends the biggest pieces of frozen fruit for smoothies and the thickest milkshakes. Love it!

BTW, Vitamix makes just a blender and it is cheaper than the one that heats for soups, etc.

[bstandlee]

We love our Viking blender. I think it might have been closer to $150...I can't quite remember. But it's awesome. Glass blender jar, only 2 speeds and it pulverizes everything. It's excellent quality and made in the USA.

[ihugtrees]

Originally Posted by allnaturalmom

We have the Oster professional blender w/all metal drive. It is great for us. Someday I'll get the vitamix, but honestly.... this Oster is just fine for us.

It comes w/a glass jar (no worries about bpa - like in other plastic jars... except the vitamix 5200 which I understand is bpa-free) and you can order different jars for it. I have a stainless steel jar, too (frozen drinks by the pool w/o worry of breaking the glass). Also, a 'to go' cup and a little glass jar for small quantities. Different blades for different jobs as well (like an ice-crushing blade and a milkshake blade), though I just use the regular blade that came w/it.

Ice comes out smooth, and strawberry seeds completely disappear in our smoothies/milkshakes.

Love, love, love it!

hth

Amazon reviews say they break...no problems with yours? how long have you had it? How often do you use it? We do smoothies almost every day so we do need something heavy duty...

[gardenmommy]

I have an Oster blender. Can't remember which one at the moment. It was around $100 (I think we paid less, since we got it on sale). I've had it for at least 10 years, and it is going strong. I use it for smoothies, ice cream (just the mixture, not the freezing, of course), purees, etc. I probably average using it 4 or 5 times a week, sometimes more, esp. in the summer. I've never had a problem with it, except when I'm pregnant, I seem prone to breaking the glass jar. My mom and MIL have Oster blenders that are probably 25-30 years old, at least. They are still going strong, too, with a lot of use. My mom uses hers to turn oats into flour. I'm sure the Vitamix is a wonderful thing, but at this point in my life, if I have an extra $400 to spend, I can't justify spending it on a pricey blender, esp. when my "cheapie" works great.

[allnaturalmom]

Originally Posted by ihugtrees

Amazon reviews say they break...no problems with yours? how long have you had it? How often do you use it? We do smoothies almost every day so we do need something heavy duty...

I have had no problems w/mine (knock on wood). Have had it about 2 or 3 years, probably 3. It gets used anywhere from a few times a week to a few times a day... so it really varies - seems like we use it more in the summer since everyone likes frozen drinks (you have to follow the directions w/the ice cubes and not load up the jar by putting all the ice in at one time - makes a difference). I use it for meal prep, too, and also to grind oats into flour and organic evaporated cane juice into powdered sugar (can save so much money that way!). Great for sauces, too, as we're a smooth sauce family, lol. The motor has only one speed w/a switch for 'on' and 'pulse'. It is a bit loud, but it doesn't bother me because it is never on for very long at a time, probably because the motor is so strong.? My dh says that any time you have metal gears going together it will be louder than nylon/plastic ones. Another example is the kitchenaid mixer w/metal gears.... it's a bit louder than the ones w/nylon or plastic gears. It's a trade-off I guess for performance or durability. The price seems to have really come down now. I believe my mom bought mine at Costco and paid around 80-ish dollars for it and thought that was a good deal.

My mom has had her oster blender for about 25 years and it's still going. The parts are interchangeable w/my new one.

GL w/your decision.
HTH