any blenders actually blend?

ralevin
ralevin Posts: 131 Member
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
Good morning MFPals,
I'm now on my third blender, and am ready to return it. I'm not trying to blend ipods or anything like that, just want a blender that can break up some frozen strawberries, and blend them together with a tbsp of peanut butter, milk, and protein powder. Is it unrealistic to think I shouldn't have to spend more than 70 bucks or so on something that can do that?
Please help! Which do you guys use?
Thanks!
Ryan
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Replies

  • jane77
    jane77 Posts: 489
    Cant help because I dont know but I was wondering about the Nija new one out very pricie info commercial but the old ones in stores and round 50.00 Anyone know?
  • lookintolose
    lookintolose Posts: 7 Member
    I use the magic bullet for exactly that reason - frozen fruit, milk, powder... I've used it for salsa and cream cheese mixes too. get one and get blending!
  • mrandolph09
    mrandolph09 Posts: 4 Member
    I have a cusinart smart power duet. I bought it at Sams Club for around 50 bucks. I had the same problem w/ my smoothies. This one is the "poo" no chunks left in it and it's great as it comes with the food processor too. I LOVE IT, use it every day.
  • ralevin
    ralevin Posts: 131 Member
    I have a cusinart smart power duet. I bought it at Sams Club for around 50 bucks. I had the same problem w/ my smoothies. This one is the "poo" no chunks left in it and it's great as it comes with the food processor too. I LOVE IT, use it every day.
    That sounds interesting - might have to check that out..... "This one is the "poo"" Love it!

    I also have the magic bullet, but the containers are too small. I'm looking for about 24 oz. total shake volume.
  • erinjoy002
    erinjoy002 Posts: 55 Member
    I use my magic bullet, it works great!
  • bettyboop573
    bettyboop573 Posts: 610 Member
    i just have a cheap little hand blender since we mostly use it for soups and smoothies...works great and you can use it right in your cup!
  • I got the Ninja for Christmas and it is awesome!!! It blends everything COMPLETELY smooth in about 2.5 seconds!! Get it!
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    I've heard great things about VitaMix blenders. They are commercial quality and have a HUGE motor that should rip through frozen fruit easily. Pretty expensive, though.
  • ralevin
    ralevin Posts: 131 Member
    i just have a cheap little hand blender since we mostly use it for soups and smoothies...works great and you can use it right in your cup!
    What do you mean by "hand blender"? Like an immersion blender? Would it break up frozen strawberries?

    Also going to check out this ninja thing.... interested to see what that is/how much it costs.
  • currlygirrl
    currlygirrl Posts: 82 Member
    I have the majic bullet blender attachment that would hold the amount that you are looking for. I blend ALL kinds of things with mine ( ice cubes, frozen fruit included) and I absolutely love it! It also came with a juicer attachment if that is something that you ar in to...
  • jane77
    jane77 Posts: 489
    I got the Ninja for Christmas and it is awesome!!! It blends everything COMPLETELY smooth in about 2.5 seconds!! Get it!
    do you know if its the new one or the older model?
  • ralevin
    ralevin Posts: 131 Member
    I have the majic bullet blender attachment that would hold the amount that you are looking for. I blend ALL kinds of things with mine ( ice cubes, frozen fruit included) and I absolutely love it! It also came with a juicer attachment if that is something that you ar in to...
    This "blender attachment" that you're referring to - can that be found at bed bath and beyond (or somewhere like it). Is that what it's actually called? the blender attachment? I can look it up.

    I looked at the blendtec and vitamix ones..... I can't spend 400 dollars on a blender. I don't care how many vuvuzelas it can blend... If I had $400 laying around, I could think of plenty of better things to spend it on. :smile:

    Ninja seems a little more reasonable, might have to look a bit more into that.
  • I blend up my smoothies every morning in the VITA MIX blender. Amazing power. 5 years old and going strong. Crushes frozen fruit and ice with ease and I never have any lumps or chunks in the drink. Always smooth. Recommend even though it is an initial investment ($~350)
  • ralevin
    ralevin Posts: 131 Member
    I blend up my smoothies every morning in the VITA MIX blender. Amazing power. 5 years old and going strong. Crushes frozen fruit and ice with ease and I never have any lumps or chunks in the drink. Always smooth. Recommend even though it is an initial investment ($~350)
    I hear what you're saying, and can appreciate that. I jsut don't know if I can justify (to the wife) spending that kind of money.
  • dbosh
    dbosh Posts: 40 Member
    Go to the vita-mix website and show your wife the benefits of the vitamix. Only blender you will ever buy. I think you could blend rocks if your really had to.
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    I use my magic bullet, it works great!

    My dad gave me 2 of these (he ordered 1 and got 2 free or whatever) and they are horrible. They don't crush the ice up at all.
  • ajwall3
    ajwall3 Posts: 187
    Someone gave us a "Magic Bullet" Blender for us to make smoothies during the time my husband was undergoing chemotherapy and it works really well. Will blend frozen fruit, ice and whatever else you want to blend. Also works as a good food chopper (it has two different blade attachments) if you want to make salsa or dips. I love my magic bullet!

    http://www.buythebullet.com :love:

    Edit: Just read that you already have one! :) Good luck finding what you're looking for!
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
    I use a Cuisinart blender (it's a dual blender/food processor) and it works fabulously on everything I've tried in it, including some pretty "tough" mixes of stuff.
    http://www.cuisinart.com/products/blenders/bfp-603.html

    Edited to add: This one is about $100. Cuisinart may have some models that are just the blender (without the food processor) that is cheaper.
  • elainegsd
    elainegsd Posts: 459 Member
    i just have a cheap little hand blender since we mostly use it for soups and smoothies...works great and you can use it right in your cup!

    I use one of these too, it is amazingly strong. I bought it for about $20, it was the highest rated by America's Test Kitchen. That might be a good resource for a blender that actually works also... if you're not a member, email me and I'll look it up for you.
  • elainegsd
    elainegsd Posts: 459 Member
    Go to the vita-mix website and show your wife the benefits of the vitamix. Only blender you will ever buy. I think you could blend rocks if your really had to.

    OK, I've gotta ask. Why would you have to blend rocks? :wink:
  • bettyboop573
    bettyboop573 Posts: 610 Member
    i just have a cheap little hand blender since we mostly use it for soups and smoothies...works great and you can use it right in your cup!
    What do you mean by "hand blender"? Like an immersion blender? Would it break up frozen strawberries?

    Also going to check out this ninja thing.... interested to see what that is/how much it costs.

    lol sorry i wasnt very specific there...yes it is an immersion blender, you can pick tghem up fairly cheap....we use it everday and my hubby always has frozen fruit and strawberries in his shakes :)
  • kristiek7
    kristiek7 Posts: 198
    I agree about the cost..........I won a Blendtec...........and it is super amazing........whips everything to shreds in seconds.......but it is soooo much money!!!
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    Mine is a Cuisinart with an ice crusher button. I've never had a problem and I use it daily. I've owned it for about 6 years now, it was about $100.

    Are you using enough liquid? I know blenders can be strained if you use like a bunch of frozen fruit and a measly ½ cup of fluid. If you are cutting cals add water. I know it sounds gross to add ½ cup milk, 2/3 cup water, ¾ cup ice, ½ banana and chocolate protein powder together (the milk-water part not the delicious chocolate banana combo of course) but I've been doing that the past month and love it! It’s so cold and my smoothie is XXL size and for less than 250 calories!

    - Vita mix (sp?) ones are very expensive

    -Magic Bullet's do NOT crush ice. Trust me, I watched a cube go spinning around and around. Should grind smaller frozen fruit though as my sister loves her and never uses ice.


    2 votes for Cuisinart, you know what to do :)
  • Breville Ikon Hemisphere. http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&biw=1148&bih=678&q=ikon+hemisphere+blender&safe=active&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=11249714582642023801&ei=CE5ATeWyOMG88gbiormVBA&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDcQ8wIwAQ#

    It comes with a lifetime warranty. It was blender #8 in about 4 years and my friends went together for it for me for Christmas one year. :)
  • Gary6030
    Gary6030 Posts: 593 Member
    Magic Bullet for the win. If you have an ALDI's grocery store near you they have one exactly like it for $24.99 I bought one and love it. If not Magic bullet for sure.
  • Go to the vita-mix website and show your wife the benefits of the vitamix. Only blender you will ever buy. I think you could blend rocks if your really had to.

    OK, I've gotta ask. Why would you have to blend rocks? :wink:

    To make concrete?
  • fantm
    fantm Posts: 87 Member
    We have a Breville blender and it is freakin' awesome. I've never loved an appliance as much as I love this blender! It crushes ice like nobody's business, in practically no time at all. LOVE it and highly recommend it.
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,953 Member
    First let me say that I am a small appliance killer. I have committed small appliance genocide and when I walk down the blender aisle in Target you can hear them all rattling on their bases. They fear me!

    That said, my husband bought me a Vitamix for my birthday about four years ago and I have yet to even overheat it. I blend frozen strawberries, oranges, pineapples and bananas all the time with zero issue. Yes, a Vitamix (or a Blendtec which is another quality blender) is expensive! But my husband figured it was cheaper to buy a VM than keep replacing the blenders I was killing.

    If you use your blender a lot then it's worth the investment. VM and Blendtec (BT) blenders are the most commonly used in restaurant settings because they get the job done and they last. VM has a 7 year warranty and you can buy refurbished blenders from their site that will come with the same 7 year warranty. I use my blender every day, many times more than once a day.

    The VM is a tall blender and with the regular container it will sit high enough that it won't fit under your cabinet. The BT is lower profile from what I understand and will slide under with no problem.

    I use my VM daily for green smoothies but I've also used it for making soup, pureeing fruits, blender pancakes (pancake batter made with whole wheat (or other grain) berries and usually flax seed too.) I also make nut butters (almond is our favorite), flax meal, and even blend all the leftover skins and peels (including egg) into a nasty looking sludge that is awesome for composting!

    I should note, I am not a salesperson, just a happy customer. I have fibromyalgia and started the green smoothies in August. For the first time in years I am feeling good and have had a regular workout schedule. My pain is less, my fatigue is less and I feel mentally clearer than I have in a long time. I saw someone at Christmas who I hadn't seen in a year and she was gushing about how great I look. Not that I've lost weight since she saw me last, she told me I looked so healthy and that I was glowing! Just my plug for green smoothies! :)
  • ralevin
    ralevin Posts: 131 Member
    First let me say that I am a small appliance killer. I have committed small appliance genocide and when I walk down the blender aisle in Target you can hear them all rattling on their bases. They fear me!

    That said, my husband bought me a Vitamix for my birthday about four years ago and I have yet to even overheat it. I blend frozen strawberries, oranges, pineapples and bananas all the time with zero issue. Yes, a Vitamix (or a Blendtec which is another quality blender) is expensive! But my husband figured it was cheaper to buy a VM than keep replacing the blenders I was killing.

    If you use your blender a lot then it's worth the investment. VM and Blendtec (BT) blenders are the most commonly used in restaurant settings because they get the job done and they last. VM has a 7 year warranty and you can buy refurbished blenders from their site that will come with the same 7 year warranty. I use my blender every day, many times more than once a day.

    The VM is a tall blender and with the regular container it will sit high enough that it won't fit under your cabinet. The BT is lower profile from what I understand and will slide under with no problem.

    I use my VM daily for green smoothies but I've also used it for making soup, pureeing fruits, blender pancakes (pancake batter made with whole wheat (or other grain) berries and usually flax seed too.) I also make nut butters (almond is our favorite), flax meal, and even blend all the leftover skins and peels (including egg) into a nasty looking sludge that is awesome for composting!

    I should note, I am not a salesperson, just a happy customer. I have fibromyalgia and started the green smoothies in August. For the first time in years I am feeling good and have had a regular workout schedule. My pain is less, my fatigue is less and I feel mentally clearer than I have in a long time. I saw someone at Christmas who I hadn't seen in a year and she was gushing about how great I look. Not that I've lost weight since she saw me last, she told me I looked so healthy and that I was glowing! Just my plug for green smoothies! :)
    Quite an endorsement. I'll check out the refurbished ones.
    I have to ask - what's in a green smoothie?
This discussion has been closed.