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Breville Ikon BBL600XL

*Est. $200

Reviewed

October 2011

by ConsumerSearch

Pros

750-watt motor
Good ice-crushing ability
Large 54-ounce jug

Cons

Difficult to remove blade assembly
Expensive
Reports of leaks

Where to Buy

for $249.99

Our Analysis
Specs
247 Amazon Reviews

The Breville Ikon BBL600XL earns praise in professional reviews for its powerful motor and excellent ice-crushing ability. It has a large 54-ounce jar and special Ice Crush and Smoothie modes. In professional testing, the Breville Ikon blender ranks just below top-of-the-line blenders such as the Vita-Mix 5200 (*Est. $450) , which cost more than twice as much. On the downside, the Breville Ikon is much more expensive than mainstream home blenders. We read some reports that it's hard to clean, and some owners report leaks; at Amazon.com, one-third of owners give it 1 or 2 stars, mainly complaining of leaks. If you need a blender mainly for pulverizing ice, the Breville Ikon is a top-rated option. However, if you need a more basic all-around blender, the Oster Beehive Blender (*Est. $70) costs a third as much.

We found the most thorough testing of the Breville iKon BBL600XL in one professional review, where editors test more than 30 blender models on their ability to crush ice, make smoothies and puree soups. We also found an interesting test at Popular Mechanics magazine, where the Breville Ikon blender is pitted against two other blenders in three punishing tasks. Owner reviews at Amazon.com and Buzzillions.com round out the review picture, showing feedback on durability after long-term use.

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Where To Buy

Breville BBL600XL ikon Hemisphere LCD 750-Watt Blender
(247 reviews) Buy new: $249.99 4 Used from $109.95

Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.org

ConsumerReports.org testers crush ice, make frozen drinks and puree veggies with more than three dozen blenders, rating each on performance, ease of use and noise. The Breville Ikon BBL600XL is among those tested.

Review: Blenders, Editors of ConsumerReport.org, Updated Aug. 2007

2. PopularMechanics.com

The Breville Ikon BBL600XL blender is one of the three models included in this test. Editors emphasize ice-crushing ability here. The Breville "came closest to the real thing," blending frozen margaritas, shaving ice and chewing through whole fruit.

Review: High-Speed Blender Triathlon: Abusive Lab Test, Tyghe Trimble, July 1, 2007

3. Amazon.com

Two-thirds of the consumers at Amazon.com praise the Breville Ikon BBL600XL, saying that its ability to crush ice is impressive. They also like its quiet operation and the fact that its jar is dishwasher-safe. On the downside, nearly 40 percent of owners award this blender only 1 or 2 stars out of 5, mainly citing leaks.

Review: Breville BBL600XL Ikon 750-Watt 51-Ounce Blender, Contributors to Amazon.com

4. Buzzillions.com

Buzzillions.com relies on reviews from other websites to rate a variety of products. For the Breville Ikon BBL600XL, they come from diverse sites such as ABT Electronics and HomeClick.com. Most of the owners here are happy, with only a few isolated complaints regarding ease of cleaning.

Review: Breville Ikon Hemisphere Blender BBL550XL, Contributors to Buzzillions.com

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