Blenders: Reviews

We found mixed reviews for most blenders priced from $50 to $100, but ratings for the Oster Beehive blender are more consistently positive. While other blenders seem to have nagging durability problems, this simple Oster… blender holds up better than others. In fact, the main complaint we read is that it's loud. The Oster Beehive has a 500-watt motor and a tapered, stain-resistant 40-ounce glass jar that helps funnel food to the blades. The Beehive has just two speeds, but if you mainly want to puree soups and make smoothies, the Oster is a reliable, all-purpose home blender that's not overly complex.

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In this price range, lots of blenders get very low ratings from owners. The 12-speed Oster 6684 does a bit better than most $40 blenders. Owners say its fine for pureeing soups and making smoothies with soft fruits. The… complaints mainly come from people who had hoped for smooth icy drinks; they say this Oster blender can leave some lumps of ice behind. The 450-watt Oster blender comes with a 40-ounce glass jar.

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If you're going to use a blender frequently, especially for frozen fruit and ice, testers and consumers agree that the Breville ikon blender has the oomph to pulverize ice. In independent testing, the Breville ikon ranks… just a hair underneath models costing twice as much. The ikon has a beefy 750-watt motor, a 54-ounce jar and "Ice Crush" and "Smoothie" settings. If you mainly plan on more mundane smoothie-making and pureeing soup, the ikon is probably overkill.

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The Vita-Mix 5200 wins raves from owners, who say it never balks at pulverizing whole fruits and vegetables, turns ice to snow in seconds, and even crushes wheat berries into flour. This industrial-strength blender boasts… 2 hp of power, a huge 64-ounce, durable, BPA-free jar and a seven-year warranty. Owners say that if you use a blender daily -- particularly for tough jobs -- this workhorse is for you. The Vita-Mix's blades spin quickly enough to turn room-temperature ingredients into hot soup in about five minutes.

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