IMPORTANT NOTE: To further increase the likelihood of you making the correct decision when buying a blender, keep in mind the following things I have noticed about this blender, based on my experience and the other reviews I have read on this web site: If you routinely need to liquefy coarse high fiberous foods such as carrots, broccoli, hard frozen ingredients, then do not buy this blender. It is designed for crushing SMALL batches of ice (which it does very well), and pureeing softer foods such as tomatoes, bananas, olives, etc. It is NOT for making any food have the viscosity of liquefied ice cream or chocolate malts. Tougher, harder foods will do better in a cheaper blender with staggered dagger type blades or a food processor. Also when operating this blender you should keep your hand on the lid. The lid will always get dirty when operating it, cause its power causes the liquid inside to splash up to the lid
Overview --- Man, I'll tell ya, the things we otherwise wouldn't know, unless we "step outside the box" and experience it for ourselves. Buying this blender was definitely "stepping outside the box" for me. When I was growing up and even before I was a chromosome, people in the United States used Oster blenders. Oster was the blender everyone chose to buy. My parents, all of my uncles, aunts, and their parents had Oster blenders. I bought an Oster too a while back, but now that I have a new Kitchen-Aid blender, I see how much I've been missing. I bought this blender because I juice fresh fruits and vegetables every day with a juice extractor. In order to complete the juicing experience a person should have a blender; after all bananas don't do well in a juice extractor:). I'm finicky and spoiled, so I wanted a good blender, hence the choice of a KitchenAid.
Can I tell you how much I love this blender? :) I think I'll take it to bed with me. LOL! This blender is QUIET and POWERFUL and good lookin'. It chops ice like a pro. Unlike my annoying Oster Blender (see my Oster blender review on Epinions.Com), it QUIETLY, UNIFORMLY and THOROUGHLY blends whatever is inside of it.
NOISE LEVEL ---This blender is quiet. It makes noise, but it is not the tire-screeching type loud noise of some less expensive blenders out there on the market (e.g. Oster). When I say the noise level of some blenders is of tire-screech level, I may be exaggerating, but NOT BY MUCH! The noise level of my KitchenAid is more than tolerable and it's low decibel, almost to the point where some may even find it pleasant. I actually find it pleasant, but then again, I'm weird. I find the noise of some dishwashers and clothes washers pleasant too.
AESTHETICS --- The color of this blender is white but I think it's manufactured in a variety of colors, including soft pink, eeeccchh :). I suppose that satisfies the Hello Kitty fans out there? ;) Its looks are somewhat modern and classy with clean lines and slightly rounded curves where they should be, and very little chrome. Too much chrome can sometimes make machines look gauche. The wide pitcher, Kitchen-Aid branding, and blade design tells the potential shopper or owner that this blender is a breed apart and means business.
LID --- Lid allows for a tight seal on the jar and is textured and made of durable soft plastic. There is a 2oz pull out cap in the center, so you can add ingredients while the machine is on. This machine is powerful, therefore I wouldn't recommend using it without the cover on.
BLENDER JAR --- This blender's 40 oz. (5 cups) jar is constructed of thick, sturdy, heat resistant, transparent glass. The inside is smooth and rounded for easy scraping and removal of foods. The jar has cup and liter markings, and a wide pour spout. Some blenders have jars made of different materials, so I'll explain the differences because it's important to know:
plastic blender jars ~~~ Although unbreakable, I wouldn't recommend plastic for a blender jar because they can crack, discolor and scratch. Also they may wear faster or warp in electric dishwashers because of their very high temperatures.
stainless steel jars ~~~ These don't allow you to see what's inside of the blender or to gauge by view what consistency the liquid is. Think about it. How many food processor containers are made of a non-transparent material? If you wouldn't want a stainless steel container for your food processor, why would a blender be any different? Unless you are a klutz, I would strongly advise getting a blender with a GLASS jar.
BLADES --- The KitchenAid blender blades are of wide, large quadrant, staggered height type. They are also made out of top grade steel. I just bought this blender so I can't advise on any rusting I might experience in the future like I have experienced with Oster blenders. The blades of this machine are not sharp. They don't need to be. Because the blades are not sharp, it may be why it produces such smooth smoothies? I don't know. Non-sharp blades are probably a lot safer than the pointed, sharp, dagger type blades of some blenders, because you don't want to risk cutting your fingers just to clean the blender, and you don't want to accidentally leave sharp blades on the counter where kids or toddlers might be able to get to it. The blade assembly design is patented. It does not leak and it's sealing and fastening type may be a little different than what you are used to.
CONTROL PANEL --- Control panel has no cracks or crevices to trap debris or scum. It is also what KitchenAid calls "clean touch" and smooth. It can easily be wiped clean with a sponge or paper towel when the machine is unplugged.
MOTOR --- The wattage of this blender's motor is 500 , higher than the standard power of many blenders. Most blenders have a motor of 400 watts. It doesn't bog down regardless of what you "throw" at it.
MOTOR SPEEDS --- There are three speeds on this blender -- Stir, Mix, Liquefy. This may not be enough for some people, however, I rarely find myself having to go beyond the second speed because of its incredible efficiency and power. Also if you're the kind of person like me who just needs to make smoothies, instead of chopping and pureeing a variety of foods, then this blender will do fine. Pulse feature can be used with any speed. Pulsing is manual, not automatic. Manual pulse is better 'cause you can pulse at a fraction of a second instead of a forced 5 second interval, etc. This blender's motor also has what Kitchen-Aid calls a "Step-Start" feature; meaning that if you select its highest speed when you first turn it on, it automatically starts at a lower speed then gradually but hastily moves to the highest speed you selected. This feature is supposed to minimize splatter.
PERFORMANCE---There are some people that have written reviews about this machine that complain about its performance, however they apparently didn't read the instructions. When blending stuff with this machine you don't put a lot of liquid in it at first. This allows it to liquefy foods that you put it in, otherwise because of the shape of the jar and the high power of the blender, a lot of stuff will just ride along the side of the jar and not get smashed and blended. It blends things in a hearty fashion and will not transform any food into the viscoscity of liquid ice cream. I don't care, I still like this blender after what I've been through with cheap blenders. It's an ice crushing pro, it's quiet, motor is made well, and it blends foods adequately for me. And hey...IT's A KITCHENAID -- built to last.
JAR BASE FASTENING --- Has gasket/rubber seal that should be disassembled, washed and dried after each use, although you probably don't have to do this. It's also very easy to disassemble. There is a large, threaded jar collar at the bottom, which helps keep the jar and blender stable.
BASE --- Some have complained that the base of this and it's "sister/brother" blenders are heavy. :| Of course it's heavy, it's made of strong metal, unlike other cheaper blenders. This is not a minus, it's a plus! A heavy base means that the machine is stable and less likely to tip over. It could also mean that the motor is more durably built that other blenders. If you have problems lifting it, use both hands or leave it on the counter as a stationary appliance, because you'll probably want to use it frequently anyway. The base has small rubber feet on it to keep it from slipping. There have been complaints that these wear out quickly. I cannot comment on the rubber feet at this time, because as of this writing, my machine is brand new.
ELECTRIC CORD --- There is a cut-away area underneath the base of the blender to store the AC cord. If you have a very large gourmet kitchen, its length might seem too short. KitchenAid says the blender is manufactured with a short cord to maximize safety, and decrease the risk of damage to the machine or its parts. Electric cord is white and adequately sheathed.
WARRANTY SPECS --- Kitchen-Aid blenders used to come with a 3 year warranty. People may think that since their blenders now come with a one-year warranty, that their blenders aren't made as well as they used to be. This may not be the case. The reason they now come with a 1 year warranty could be because people were abusing the 3 year warranties; doing whatever it took to be able to return the blender before the 3 year warranty expired, so KitchenAid would send them a new blender free of charge. This may "sound" cynical, but hey, I've lived a while and I know how people are. I am more than confident that my new KitchenAid blender will easily last more than one year. It comes with a no-hassle 1 year warranty, meaning that within the first year of purchase Kitchen Aid would send me a new blender if there was a mechanical defect. The warranty replacement blender would also come with a 1 year warranty starting from the day you receive it.
SUMMARY --- This particular model of blender seems to have been discontinued based on my experience shopping for it, and what I see flooding the internet and brick-and-mortar store market. Perhaps the 5-speed model of the same type has replaced it? Upon observation, I see very few of the 3 speed version available, but tons of the 5-speed version available. I first had my sights set on the 5 speed, but how could I pass up a deal like this? This blender's MSRP is $109.00 I got it for $15.00. Had I had a certain type of patience and strategy I could have gotten it for $10.00. Some reviewers of this model and the 5-speed version complain about the shape of the jar or claim that it doesn't blend well or that it's too heavy, etc. I don't know what these people are talking about. I love this blender, and I wanna kick myself for not buying it a long time ago. For me, it works great, looks great, blends great, chops great, it's quiet. What's not to like? And based on my experience with a deplorable Sears Blender and Oster blenders that I've had in the past, having this blender is like going from a Chevrolet Chevette to a Lexus ES350. (There was a Sears blender I bought in 1999, a moderately expensive one that was made by Salton. When my Sears blender died after 3 months of use, Salton refused to fix it, using the flimsy excuse that it was a private label blender, therefore exonerating them of any warranty liability; what a crock of cow manure. Sears had said the same thing and passed the buck to Salton. :| Why is it that as our status as consumers in the U.S.A. many companies think that this is also a license to rip us off? It's very upsetting. So please don't buy any blenders from Sears or any appliances made by Salton. You don't want to buy any appliances manufactured by Salton anyway, because they are crappy (of inexcusably poor quality) Sorry for going off on a tangent there, but I'm passionate about appliances and machines.
Another point I'd like to make is that you won't find KitchenAid Blenders at stores like Walmart or Target. They are found at stores like Macy's, Nordstrom, etc...Do you pick up on my implication?
This KitchenAid blender may not have enough speeds for gourmet cooks --- 5 speeds would be optimum. You probably don't need more speeds than that. I mainly use this model to produce drinks, so it's great for me.
QUIRKS Some have complained about the rubber feet wearing out. Yeah they wear out if you drag the blender across the counter. Don't do that :|.
The jar does drip when you pour stuff, so what. Turn the jar slightly as your finish pouring the liquid like you would wine, and this won't happen.
Also some have complained that the catch grip comes loose. Yes this does happen sometimes, however it's not a design flaw. Would you rather it stay attached so the gears can get stripped when the motor is over worked (Oster blenders) ? I don't think so So, while the complaints that others have had about this machine might seem valid, they aren't. Others just don't know how to read instructions and assume this blender is used like you would an Oster. You don't use it like you would use an Oster blender. It's not made by Oster. It's made by KitchenAid. Why is it many people don't read appliance instructions?
Cost versus value --- I am not sure I would spend $109.00 on this machine, however, I now know the difference between a blender that costs $29.99 and one that costs $109.00; (the suggested retail price of this machine) If I had to pay full price for it, I would be willing to pay around $79.00 or $89.00, not $109.00
People, "chuck" that Oster, oh my gawd.... Get yourself a real blender. ;) ;) :) from a company that has a history of producing machines of a higher standard. This machine is essentially a type of mixer, and you know what kind of reputation KitchenAid's mixers (machines used to make cookie dough, cake dough, muffin dough, bread dough) have --STELLAR!
