I have the blender attachment for my Electrolux 'Assistant' mixer. It's powerful! No problems & I don't have to store another appliance. Before the Electrolux, I had the blender attachment for my Bosch mixer...same thing...powerful & no problems in over 20 years' useage.

/tricia

Well I do, BUT it costs 10 x what you are paying. I have the Vita-Mix. I have had mine for 8 years, it works great, can do everything from making soup to ice cream, crushing ice, etc. It is on the countertop and we use it daily sometimes multiple times a day. Yesterday I made marinade with onion, garlic etc. Today we made breakfast smoothies and a raw smoothie.

If you decide to give it a whirl :), see if you can buy it at a Costco roadshow. It'll be around $350 there plus if you don't like it you can return it under Costco's return policy.

Otherwise buy a cheaper one from Costco, if it breaks, even after 2 years, they will take it back.

What happens to your blenders? I'm using one that's about thirty years old. Used almost every day.

I saw that $350 blender at Costco mentioned by loves2cook. The demo lady put ingredients for vegetable soup inside, turned it on, and in just a couple of minutes it was all blended and cooked. The sample I had was delish.

More than you are looking for, but impressive.

My guess with your blender burnout is that it seizes up because you use it rarely. Someone here may know a way to lubricate the mechanism before use so that it moves smoothly.

I have a 40 year old Osterizer. It works like a champ. It's one of my favorite kitchen items. Go to a thrift shop and see if you can find one! The container glass. I love it.

I too have an Osterizer I purchased in 1975. It is still going strong.

" Someone here may know a way to lubricate the mechanism before use so that it moves smoothly."

A typical blender has very simple mechanisms. Just a motor and a direct driven blade assembly. There are no gears or belts.

There is nothing to lubricate either. The motor normally uses sintered bronz bearings and so is the shaft to the blade coupler. Sintered bearings are permanently lubricated.

If you want, you can use food-grade silicone grease to lubricate the blade assembly.

There are two things which can malfunction:

1. The motor is generally a multi-tapped universal motor. Sometimes food liquid/stuff gets into the carbon brush assembly, and when the blender is not used frequently, the food stuff gets dried up and the carbon brushes can not make contact with the rotor and the motor will not rotate.
2. The speed selector switch is a mechanical device which can get worn out or break, in which case the power is not connected to the motor.

A universal motor if it is stuck or overloaded, can be burned out in a matter of 10 to 20 seconds. It requires the integral exhaust fan to cool itself down.

dcarch

We have an older ''classic'' Osterizer blender, with the conical ''beehive'' metal base and a single toggle switch. It appears ferocious and bulletproof. Looks like they go for very little on eBay, though you may end up buying the base and glass and lid separately. Look in thrift stores too. And a new one is only $65 - I don't know if they have been cheapened though.

Previously our cheap blenders had to be replaced every few years. I covet a VitaMix but can't justify buying one so long as this Osterizer works - plus they don't make the VitaMix in shiny copper.

I think the motors were made to last on those older machines!

After replacing blenders every year or two, DH (our smoothie maker) went to the restaurant supply store and bought a chef-quality blender: Vita-Pro by VitaMix. He's used this new blender almost daily for at least 7 years and only has had to easily replace the turning mechanism in the base twice. I use it too.

I originally cringed at the money he paid for it, but now feel it was well worth every cent.

My cuisinart just died a few months back..so last weekend I bought a Hamilton Beach 10 speed 550 Watt in red..:) It works very very well and quickly and rather quietly for smoothies.
It was onsale for $29...about 10$ off..

got it at Kmart

Thanks. I think I might go the Costco route. They do have a generous return policy compared to so many other stores. I guess I will have to make it a point to use it more often so it doesn't seize up. The one I saw was 1000 watts. Anyone know if more watts is better? Most of them are from 500 - 750.

I love my Vitamix! Best kitchen purchase I ever made. I make a green smoothie every morning and it turns it to silk in about 5 seconds. I used to use regular blenders but I would get tired of chunks of frozen fruit, ice or seeds.

It's also variable speed from 1-10 so I can use the lower speed to chop nuts or pulse salsa without it turning to powder/liquid.

I'm linking the one I have. It has a 7 year warranty.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vitamix 5200

I have an Osterizer that's 30 years old and still going strong. Darn it!! The thing is, I want a new one. It's a great blender in that it always has worked, never gave me any trouble, etc. However, it really isn't THAT good at blending things, especially when the container is fairly full. The stuff at the bottom gets blended and the stuff at the top just sits.

I don't use that blender very often but lately I've been using it more and I'm frustrated by the performance. I'm just not excited about spending the kind of money a vitamix would cost although I know it's the best out there. And I'm having a hard time justifying replacing a blender which works.

"The one I saw was 1000 watts. Anyone know if more watts is better? Most of them are from 500 - 750."

That would be plenty. My blender is 350 Watts and can chop up ice cubes with no problem.

"It's also variable speed from 1-10 so I can use the lower speed to chop nuts or pulse salsa without it turning to powder/liquid. "

I thought it has no pulse function.

"----especially when the container is fairly full. The stuff at the bottom gets blended and the stuff at the top just sits.---"

That may not have anything to do with motor power. It most likely is the result of the shape of the container and the design of the blade. I bend and reshaped my blades for my blender and it works much better than before.

dcarch

Reshaped how? If we use propeller terms, more pitch or less?

I sharpen my blender blades, but haven't tried reshaping them.

Actually, I did not bend the four blades to change the pitch, as in propellers. The blades are quit thick to twist. Instead I did the following:

The problem with most blade designs is that they are symmetrical, making the assembly less able to agitate. So anything you do to change the symmetry will help.

1. I bent one side of the blades up or down a little.
2. I also sharpened the blades. You will notice that the angle of grind is on one side only. So I sharpened the opposite blades on the other side. In effect, this gives it a different pitch, as in propellers.
3. I have several spare blades. I keep the extra sharp one for liquefying for smoothies.

One of the reasons why some older models last longer I believe is because they use inexpensive bronze bearings instead of expensive ball bearings. Most ball bearing motors are made for horizontal running. Motors used for vertical running require a different kind of bearing otherwise they may not last. I don�t know if those new high-power motors for blenders are actually motors made for vertical running. I am only guessing because information is not generally available.

dcarch

That may not have anything to do with motor power. It most likely is the result of the shape of the container and the design of the blade.

Ya, I agree. The container is tall and relatively narrow with small (short) blades way at the bottom. I'm not going to reshape or redirect the blades -- that's not something I want to mess with. I want to buy a blender with a shorter fatter container. But then again, isn't that just the same thing as a food processor?

1. I bent one side of the blades up or down a little.
2. I also sharpened the blades. You will notice that the angle of grind is on one side only. So I sharpened the opposite blades on the other side. In effect, this gives it a different pitch, as in propellers.
3. I have several spare blades. I keep the extra sharp one for liquefying for smoothies.

Ah. I do recall a blender test, maybe Cooks Illustrated?, which pointed out the advantage to blades that do not all rotate in the same path.

Well the Vitamix may not have a PULSE button, but it does have three controls: one turns it on or off, the other sets the speed, and the third sets the boost function. If you preselect speed and use the on off switch in bursts, you effectively are pulsing.

The machine has 4 blades, two bent up and two bent down.

"----especially when the container is fairly full. The stuff at the bottom gets blended and the stuff at the top just sits.---"

Well the Vitamix addresses that problem by having a lid designed to hold a "blending stick" which fits in the lid to a predetermined depth thus avoiding the stick contacting the blades.

You swirl it around to move your ingredients towards the blade.

If you google Vitamix video there are many videos that can help you see what I am talking about.

Actually May, that's exactly what I was thinking last Saturday while standing in front of the blenders/food processors, they're basically the same thing.

There must be some difference, no? Maybe it's a subtle nuance? I've owned a few large food processors in my time, and when I owned them, I never really used my blender. The last one that died, I replaced with a KA Mixer instead. I do have a small FP but of course, it's too small to do some of the stuff the blender does so I use the blender more now than I used to.

My small FP is on its last legs and I'm thinking of replacing the blender and the small FP with a big FP and have done with it. I don't think I'll miss the blender at that point.

I've seen the Vitamix in action and it's one cool dude. But I just don't need that much power and can't justify spending that kind of money on something like that. My needs, and budget, are smaller than that.

"Actually May, that's exactly what I was thinking last Saturday while standing in front of the blenders/food processors, they're basically the same thing."

Probably not. Although possible because there are a lot of overlapping in designs in the two categories.

Basically a blender uses direct motor axial drive to the blades. For a universal motor, that means a rotational speed of from 20,000 to 30,000 RPM. At this very high speed, it can pulverize grains and liquefy fruits and vegetables. However, the smaller blades and higher speed limits the blender�s ability to slice and chop.

A food processor while mostly also uses a universal motor to operate; it needs gears to slow down the speed of rotation and also to gain higher torque at lower speeds. Typically a food processor operates at 1,500 to 3,000 rpm. A food processor is better in slicing and chopping, not in making smoothies.

Let me say this, the Vitamix 5200 is a great machine, and I am not criticizing. I find it funny that they also promote the machine for kneading bread. To me it obviously cannot. Making batter? Yes. Kneading bread dough? Not really.

On the other hand, some processors can do a decent job in kneading dough.

Regarding pulsing a blender, normally I am hesitant to use the on/off switch to pulse a very high power motor. The huge surge current can kill a regular switch quickly. However, it may be OK with the Vitamix. It uses a soft-touch switch. Not having the specification to look at, I am guessing again.

Typically there are these ways for a soft-touch switch: Mercury switch, magnetic reed proximity switch, or a Hall Effect switch. They all can handle repeated high-load surges. I don�t think it is a mercury switch and I think we all know why.

dcarch

Most of the overlapping is the same. Basically. Not exactly.

:)

So, what you are saying is that a blender is better at pulverizing and liquifying, while a FP is better at slicing and chopping, right?

That doesn't mean the FP can't pulverize, just that it's maybe not as efficient. For my purposes, probably the FP will be enough.

The thing is, if I needed a LOT of pulverizing power, that would probably justify a Vitamix for me. Since I don't need that kind of power, a normal blender, I think, just translates into an extraneous instrument in my kitchen with the FP being good enough for both food processing AND blending functions.

"So, what you are saying is that a blender is better at pulverizing and liquifying, while a FP is better at slicing and chopping, right? "

Basically yes. A blender can't give you good slices and a FP can't make good smoothies.

A blender makes good powdered sugar, ground coffee.

A FP makes good shredded carrots. Very nice cucumber slices.

You need both machines in the kitchen. For a very small family, IMHO, a blender is more useful.

In looking at some of the FPs, I noticed that the designs do not lend themselves to gears and belts. I looked a little more into them and I realized that some of them do use induction motors, not just geared down universal motors.

An induction motor is a basic single low speed synchronous motor, with a typical max speed of 3,600 rpm, 1,800 rpm, or slower. With modern solid state electronics, it is possible to vary the speed of induction motors. Induction motors are longer lasting and less noisy.

At such low speeds, a FP will have a hard time doing what a blender can do.

dcarch

The Vita-Mix "kneads" bread by using the on/off pulse function. I'd rather make my bread by hand, since you can only do one small loaf at a time in the V-M, and it takes almost as long.

I've been pulsing and pureeing with my V-M for over 25 yrs now and haven't yet burnt out the motor. I still have a hard time believing what I paid for it, but can't imagine any other kitchen appliance lasting so long.

I have three different blenders I use for different tasks. I have a smoothy machine with a spigot at the bottom that I bouhgt at Walmart 8 years ago for about $40. It makes great smoothies and frozen drinks and we have worked it hard. I also have a Magic Bullet I use for quick things like salad dressing. I used to have an Oscar which is still working after 20+ years but it's up at camp. Lastly I have a Kitchen Aid blender for things like hummus. DH gave this to me 2 years ago for Xmas; it was not cheap. I am not impressed with it. It replaced a 25 year old Oster Kitchen Center. I wished I had that back. The Kitchen Aid can't even handle thick hummus well.

I go through blenders like candy. Since my last one burned out, I've been eyeballing the vita-mix. It's just really expensive to buy up here in Canada ($600 ballpark).

I have a trip to the US planned in March. Besides Costco, are there any US retailers that regularly carry this blender? I could pick one up for much less if I carry it across the border myself.

I ended up going with the Magic Bullet myself. I really hate cleaning up after myself in the kitchen so I got sold on the super easy cleanup. Unfortunately, I've had a margarita every night since I got it:). It's only been three days so no concerns (at this point anyways) re: the margaritas.

I find that the KA 250 Food processor has eliminated my need for a blender. I make smoothies (with big ice cubes) in it all summer.

Pouring is awkward and it doesn't hold as much as a large blender, but I can still do the same things.

My blender is also an old Oster, got it as a wedding present in 1974, so it's been going strong for 35+ years. I seldom use it, though it got a good workout when the girls were still home, making chocolate malts and power shakes and fruit smoothies and salad dressings.

Now I use the Kitchen Aid food processor for things like hummus and Jessica's lime chipotle marinade, it does a good job, better than the old Oster. I could go the rest of my life without a smoothie and I don't drink to speak of so the blended icy drinks the girls made in the summertime aren't an issue either.

the Kitchenaid is harder to pour a chocolate malted out of without spilling, but it can do everything that I used to do in the blender, plus some.

It's not that good at making bread or pastry, though I didn't do that in the blender either, and if I want big chunks of something like tomatoes for salsa, I still use a knife, the FP makes mush too quickly.

Annie

And then, like magic, look what appears at the top of my screen.....

Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: vitamix Reconditioned

Posted by annie1992 "And then, like magic, look what appears at the top of my screen.....
Annie"

Sorry Annie. It may not be magic. Check you computer firewall/security settings.

Do a spyware check/scan.

dcarch

My old Cuisinart always leaks when I do too much liquid in it. The liquid sneaks out through the center shaft opening. It is not a huge one though, if I had a big food processor maybe it would work better.

I vote here for the Vitamix. Ours was around $600 when we bought it around 20 years ago. We use it to crush nuts, puree everything and even take the lumps out of gravy. It is used almost daily and sits right on our counter top so it is convenient. Wouldn't be without it.

I bought a vitamix at costco a few months ago, and have literally used it every day for smoothies, soups, and hummus. It sits on the counter and is very easy to access and to clean. You just put hot water in with a drop of soap and "process" it a bit. Voila - clean. You don't have to unscrew anything unlike my old blender. In the past making hummus, I would use a food mill and FP to get the proper texture. I wish I could find a link to help me expand my use of the vita mix as I'm sure there are many more uses. I'm not a fan of their cookbook. I am trying to figure out how to utilitze it in my current recipes.

1954 Osterizer here...got in on ebay for 40 bucks, and the motor was just refurbished. Runs like a charm and gets tons of comments due to actual glass container. Probably good for another 30 - 40 years...lol!

It goes with all my vintage appliances:

- 1953 Roper gas stove

- 1955 Hamilton Beach toaster that was a wedding gift to my parents when they got married and has been in constant use since then

- 1957 Sunbeam Mixmaster 12 mixer...got on Ebay for 60 bucks, looks and runs like new.

- Waffle maker from the late 40s - still works fine.

I think they just flat out made stuff to last back then. All these appliances are way heavier than their modern counterparts.

The one thing I don't think I'll go actual vintage with is a fridge....considering one of the conversions though, where they restore an old fridge but use modern components so it is efficient and reliable.

Mkroopy, I think I would like to see your kitchen.

I have a Waring Osterizer (chrome beehive base) that we bought 43 years ago. We broke the original glass top and bought a replacement in plastic a good 30 years ago. I too use the blender for soups and smoothies mainly.

This machine was invented by the musician Fred Waring!