Want Blender (not Vitamix)

[Katsmeow]

I am wanting to get a blender. I lot of it will be to make hummus. I have a small processor so don't want to get a larger processor. I rarely use the one I have. But I think I would use a blender for more things.

I don't want a Vitamix because I don't want to spend over $300 when I don't even know if I will like the blender and like making my own hummus.

I want something with good reliability that is good for making hummus (of course, don't regularly blender stuff also). I have read so many reviews and everyone criticizes everything.

If I need to replace something in a few years that is OK so long as it works well now. Needs to be something I can either buy online or can buy for curbside pickup.

 

[njhowie]

There are many blenders out there and for the most part, they are pretty much the same. After reviewing features of half a dozen, you'll get tired of it and come to a similar conclusion. What I specifically required of the blender I purchased was that it have a glass jar. Plastic/polycarbonate gets pretty yucky as it wears over time. We've had our Hamilton Beach for almost 20 years now, it looks and runs as good as new.

 

[bmcgonig]

I love the NutriBullet. I have a Vitamix as well, but 99% of the time i use the Bullet. So easy to clean as well. Small, compact.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

We have a Ninja, which seems to me to be roughly the functional equivalent of a Vitamix at ~1/3 the cost.

 

[W2R]

Amazon likes this Oster blender, although I've never used one (I have a Vitamix).

 

[pacergal]

I use the NutriBullet primarily. I also have a small immersion blender.

 

[T-Minus]

I have one of those top-of-the-line Vitamix blenders and recently got sucked down the “make your own hummus” black hole. After much expense and effort (selecting highest-quality natural ingredients, etc.), I came to the conclusion that it’s easier, cheaper and better to buy it vs. make it. Here’s a similar opinion: https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/is-homemade-hummus-worth-the-effort

good luck.

 

[rodi]

I have too many small kitchen appliances. We have a hamilton beach blender - use it mostly for smoothies. Has a glass carafe - which I prefer strongly over the plastic ones. We have a big cuisinart food processor. It has an insert to make it smaller if need be. We use the food processor for humus and for pesto. Andafrican peanut soup (got the recipe from Colophon cafe in Bellingham, WA - one of my favorite soups). We have a hand blender thing that DH uses for making tapinade. We also have a kitchenade mixer (used for baking, pasta, and bread) and a hand mixer (used for mashed potatoes.)

But back to the orignal question - we've been happy with our hamilton beach blender. It's about 10 years old.

 

[OldShooter]

For ten bucks you can get a 1 month online subscription to Consumer Reports. IMO that's a good investment to get access to their test data. Last month I did it when we wanted to buy an air fryer.

Once they have your credit card they will keep billing you though, so near the end of the month you have to onto their site and cancel. Don't do it right away, though, because they cancel your "membership" immediately when you take that action. (Yes, I learned this the hard way.)

 

[Rustic23]

We have this:
https://www.amazon.com/Oster-4093-0...keywords=oster+blenders&qid=1596211620&sr=8-5

Works well, was highly recommended 10 years ago when we got it. I think Oster has been making the Beehive forever.

 

[cathy63]

I am wanting to get a blender. I lot of it will be to make hummus. I have a small processor so don't want to get a larger processor. I rarely use the one I have. But I think I would use a blender for more things.

I don't want a Vitamix because I don't want to spend over $300 when I don't even know if I will like the blender and like making my own hummus.

I want something with good reliability that is good for making hummus (of course, don't regularly blender stuff also). I have read so many reviews and everyone criticizes everything.

If I need to replace something in a few years that is OK so long as it works well now. Needs to be something I can either buy online or can buy for curbside pickup.

Have you tried making hummus in the food processor? We have both a blender and food processor and I just always use the food processor for hummus.

Our blender is an Oster that we got for a wedding present. It has a glass jar and it's still going strong after 33 years. This one has the most similar features: https://www.amazon.com/Oster-6812-001-16-Speed-Blender-Glass/dp/B0019MLLCO

 

[tmm99]

I have a Blentec blender with a twister. (Blentec is Vitamix' competitor at a slightly low price.) This isn't the exact model I have, but I use the twister jar to make things that are sticky, like peanut butter, hummas, etc. Hummas turns out great with the twister jar. Blentec offers a good warranty, like Vitamix.

https://www.amazon.com/Blendtec-Wil...ywords=blendtec+twister&qid=1596212493&sr=8-2


Other people mentioned different bullets, but can you make hummas with them? Do they turn out smooth?

 

[Boho]

What I specifically required of the blender I purchased was that it have a glass jar.

I wanted that too, then I saw Consumer Reports' high rating for the plastic Ninja so that's what I got about 6 years ago, but I'd get glass next time. Aside from the unconventional food processor style blades of the Ninja, which don't pull food to the bottom as well as a conventional blender (this matters when I'm trying to grind the seeds of tomatoes when making sauce), I don't like the scratching of the peanuts against the plastic when making peanut butter. I add oil where the blade rotates in the plastic hole, but still, I don't want to ingest any plastic if I don't have to.

 

[timo2]

For only making Hummus, DW says get a food processor. The blades are bigger then typical blender and it will work better for you if that's all you need it for.

For blenders, buy an inexpensive one, so when it breaks, as even the expensive ones will, you can easily get a new one. We've had the four or five top non-vitamix blenders and they all eventually broke or needed an expensive seal replaced. So we ended up with a vitamix anyway. QVC has good deals on them sometimes.

 

[Happyras]

We have a Ninja, which seems to me to be roughly the functional equivalent of a Vitamix at ~1/3 the cost.

+1 they even sell it for $50 at Costco now.

 

[T-Minus]

For ten bucks you can get a 1 month online subscription to Consumer Reports. IMO that's a good investment to get access to their test data. Last month I did it when we wanted to buy an air fryer....

Off topic: I’ve been considering getting an air fryer - which one did your research indicate was best?

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

By the way, do you all know of this life hack: The blade assembly of a good ol' Osterizer or Hamilton beach fits and screws onto a Mason jar. You can use it as a Nutribullet-type blender for essentially free.

 

[OldShooter]

Off topic: I’ve been considering getting an air fryer - which one did your research indicate was best?

I don't remember all the feature and tradeoff details, but we bought this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z6RHKFV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

One reason was that it rated high on "easy to clean." One slight surprise was that it is quite big. Similar to DWs 6qt. Instant Pot. It works just fine for the two of us; onion rings and tater tots, never crowded. All we have done is to use the air fry at 400deg. We'll probably never use any of the other bells and whistles, but feature count is the name of the small appliance marketing game.

I don't take Consumer Reports as gospel and my priorities are sometimes different than theirs, but they do a good job of bird-dogging good brands and identifying important things to be considered.

 

[CardsFan]

OK. A confession. When I first saw the title to this thread I read Waring Blender, not want blender.

Hence, I now have an ear worm of Linda Ronstadt singing "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me".

Yes he really worked me over good
He was a credit to his gender
Put me through some changes Lord
Sort of like a Waring blender

 

[eytonxav]

We have a ninja as well and it does a pretty good job. Not sure how much better the Vitamix blenders are, but at their price points, I have no desire to find out.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

For ten bucks you can get a 1 month online subscription to Consumer Reports.

CR is available for free from home via my public library's web site. OTOH, I've been burned several times by following the advice of Consumer Reports. YMMV, of course.

 

[braumeister]

CR is available for free from home via my public library's web site. OTOH, I've been burned several times by following the advice of Consumer Reports. YMMV, of course.

They have their subtle biases, just like every other review publication, print or online. On the whole, not bad. But I've learned to read between the lines and recognize their bias in a number of areas.

 

[audreyh1]

I have one of those top-of-the-line Vitamix blenders and recently got sucked down the “make your own hummus” black hole. After much expense and effort (selecting highest-quality natural ingredients, etc.), I came to the conclusion that it’s easier, cheaper and better to buy it vs. make it. Here’s a similar opinion: https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/is-homemade-hummus-worth-the-effort

good luck.

Interesting - I make my own baba ganoush in a small food processor. But I don't bother with hummus. We like the Sabra brand well enough.

 

[Doribe]

I use the NutriBullet primarily. I also have a small immersion blender.

+1

 

[zinger1457]

We have a Ninja, which seems to me to be roughly the functional equivalent of a Vitamix at ~1/3 the cost.

I had a Ninja, replaced it with a Blendtec, night and day difference between the two based on my usage. Never used a Vitamix but would expect similar results.