Countertop Blenders, do I Need a New One?

[dragnlaw]

My old countertop blender bit the dust a while ago. I did not replace it as I have a stick blender plus my food processor and a mini processor that goes along with the stick blender.

But now I'm rethinking it - any recommendations? and let's not break the bank here, ok? I want a good one but don't need a Maserati.
Looking on Amazon.ca - see so many names I never even heard of and so avoiding them, thank you.
I'm leaning towards -
Amazon 1st Choice it's a Black n Decker, 6 cup, glass jar for $64 cdn. I like the only 4 speed, ice crusher pulse. I'm guessing that the jar base is a standard size that most come with? They are neat because you can screw a mason jar onto it for crushing nuts, etc for immediate storage. I don't do that a lot but have and I love it - saves you from having to clean out the blender jar in between or just a single "set aside" use.

 

[jennyema]

I got rid of my blender and got a Magic Bullet. Smaller for sure but I love it.

i have a blender at my other house but it only comes out of the pantry for summer cocktail making.

 

[Jusa]

No recommendations because I've got an Oster I was gifted by my stepkids in probably 2005 that I've not used since 2014ish. It works ok. I've also got a Nutrabullet still in the box in my pantry. Like you, I use my stick blender and food processors.

But I need to make some margaritas soon...

 

[Andy M.]

I use a stick blender more than my regular blender. I don't make smoothies so a big powerful blender isn't necessary for me. Years ago I bought a blender for around $50. and it works fine the few times a year I need it.

 

[dragnlaw]

Yeah, well it's mainly to chop, grind ice cubes and/or frozen fruit.

I also prefer the glass to plastic. Find the plastic gets "crazed" and always sort of found that worrisome. Plus plastic doesn't take kindly to grinding hard things like egg shells and kibble - not that I do that any more but at least I know I wouldn't get caught by surprise.

 

[Aunt Bea]

When my 70s Oster blender dies I won’t bother to replace it.

Like Andy, I use my little stick blender for most of my one person tasks.

My kitchen is so small that I’m used to improvising and making do.

 

[Kathleen]

I got rid of my blender when I got the Maserati blender with all the extras. I wish I had known you may need one as I had a terrible time finding someone who would take the old one. (I didn't just swap out for no reason. I saved space in my small kitchen as one machine could also be a food processor, blender, etc.

 

[blissful]

I replaced my years old oster with, an oster. I have the beehive model, glass. It's great and it wasn't terrible expensive. $89 US.

edited to add: I use it a lot, for smooth soups, like asparagus soup from dehydrated asparagus, cheese like sauce made with cooked squash, another with red peppers, another with potatoes and carrots, making oat milk, smoothies, pumpkin pie filling...I use it a lot.

 

[jennyema]

I use my stick blender and food processor but if I need something silky smooth I use the Magic Bullet. I also use it for smoothies with frozen fruit and yogurt.

 

[dragnlaw]

I asked upstairs, turns out DIL has a Vitamix. She says it is a bit sensitive and you need to work it slowly on up. Said I understood and would try it.

My son brought it down and said, Mom, I think the ruddy thing has been broken since day one but she won't hear it and defends the thing like a tiger.

... all I can do is try!

 

[caseydog]

I have a roughly 20-year-old Kitchen Aid blender with a glass pitcher. It does a pretty good job with ice. It can handle the stress just fine, but it does take a while to get really smooth frozen beverages (I've used it a lot for margaritas and piña coladas).

Certainly a lot more dependable than a Maserati (those cars are big-time money pits).

CD

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I bought a refurbished Cuisinart Duet with one base, a blender jar, and a food processor jar. I think I paid $59.95 American. I had the same one for about 10 years when the motor gave up the ghost, so now I have a spare everything except the motor.

 

[KatyCooks]

I asked upstairs, turns out DIL has a Vitamix. She says it is a bit sensitive and you need to work it slowly on up. Said I understood and would try it.

My son brought it down and said, Mom, I think the ruddy thing has been broken since day one but she won't hear it and defends the thing like a tiger.

... all I can do is try!

Oh I am looking forward to your report on this Dragn!!

 

[dragnlaw]

Yeah, I hear all of you who had a blender for years. I honestly don't know how old mine was. Trying to think backwards and I'm guessing it was from about when my sons were born mid 70's certainly by the late 70's. So that's ... umm I've run out of fingers... around 40+ years old?

Katy, I'll be sure to post the results! LOL

 

[GinnyPNW]

I asked upstairs, turns out DIL has a Vitamix. She says it is a bit sensitive and you need to work it slowly on up. Said I understood and would try it.

My son brought it down and said, Mom, I think the ruddy thing has been broken since day one but she won't hear it and defends the thing like a tiger.

... all I can do is try!

If it has the "wash" itself feature, you're going to love it!

 

[Kathleen]

My Vitamix (aka Maserati) has that wash feature. Yes, I love it.

 

[Jade Emperor]

I generally use my Kitchenaid stick blender with all the gadgets attachments and so on.
Saying that, I have two really nice blenders - a vintage Vitamizer which was my mother’s and I don’t use for fear of damaging it. I have damaged it in the past and trying to get it fixed was difficult and eventually eye-wateringly expensive.
The other is a Breville which is really powerful, cheap and cheerful.

 

[GotGarlic]

I bought this new Oster blender last year. I really like it. I use it primarily for homemade salsa and I can't remember what else lol. It has a glass jar and came with this smoothie cup. It's $99US right now.

 

[taxlady]

Personally, I would only get a countertop blender if I was getting something heavy duty like a Vitamix. I find my Cuisinart immersion blender does a great job and I don't really need something else like that, but I do have a Magic Bullet, which gets used for grinding and for chopping a lot of garlic at once. If I needed crushed ice, I would look for one of these. We had one when I was a kid. It lived in the bar cupboard.

 

[dragnlaw]

Ours was on the wall in the kitchen. I often wonder what happened to it.

I don't need crushed ice per se taxy. It is for the frozen fruit when I make ice cream. I'd be afraid to use the stick blender and the FP is too wide and awkward.