Design Engineer Tests $600 & $25 Blenders | Epicurious

The oster blender was cheaper than buying a different jug for the vitamix lmao

I would prefer to see a range between $25 and $600 instead of just one of each.. that way I would know if there's a cheaper blender that works as well as the $600 one..

You didn't consider that the 2 blenders have very different capacities. This was very evident when crushing ice and the nuts. The same amount of ingredients almost completely filled the Oster. This would make it naturally more difficult to process the ingredients as well.

One amazing thing about the Oster is that the blade base fits a regular mason jar! This means when I make a smoothie each morning I can just shove all the ingredients in a jar, definitely make the right amount of smoothie, and only have to wash one part, before slapping a lid on the jar and tossing it in my bag to bring to work/class! I've been doing this on and off for about 8 years now (starting with my family's Oster blender from the 80s, which was still going strong when I used it in high school, and then with the cheapest Oster I could find when I went off to college), and this video actually made me feel like I don't want to get an upgrade, because I wouldn't have that awesome feature with a blender with a wider base!

I'm actually impressed that a $25 blender has speed options written for its use like smoothie, ice crushing etc! Mine only has 1 2 3 buttons for the speed lmao

it was unnecessary to go for the absolute cheapest option to versus the vitamix. a $100 ninja comparison would be more appreciated.

I can't believe 4 mil people including myself willingly watched a 14 min commercial .

Worked as a prep cook. One of my preps was to make a 5 gallon bucket of mayo every day for chicken, egg & tuna salads as well as sandwiches. I used a Cuisinart food processor. So the smaller base is not what makes a good mayo. Adding small amounts of the oil at just the right times as you blend is the key to a nice thick mayo. The sous chef drilled that into me.

Considering the Oster was literally less than 5% the price of the Vitamix I'd say the Oster came out on top here. The fact that it was able to compare with the Vitamix was surprising.

For anyone curious as to a good blender that doesn't absolutely break the bank - I own a coffee shop and we've used Ninja blenders since opening 4 years ago. They go through probably 50 pounds of ice each per day on average and have been going strong the whole time. Zero issues. I want to say I paid $100 for them. Blenders are definitely one of those things that comparing something super premium to a bottom shelf bargain brand makes it seem a lot more reasonable to spend $600 on a blender. If you compare to something just a bit better I think you'll find that for $100 you can have realistically 90-95% the functionality and quality of the more premium product.

I have a Vitamix I purchased at Costco a few years ago. It is the same design as the one tested but does not have the presets. It simply has a speed dial and cost roughly half as much as the one tested. I have used it daily and never had an issue with it and might be a good compromise between the $25 and $600 options.

I literally have that exact Oster blender. It works great! Had it for years. With liquids it crushes ice really well and makes for some creamy delicious weekend piña coladas. Also works great for smoothies. I use frozen fruits because I feel like ice makes it watery and I get a smoother consistency. At the end of the day the $25 blender is great for simple everyday things that most people would use it for, but not prolonged heavy use (like the nut butter) Vitamix is great for restaurants and the like that are getting continuous all day use. It's a workhorse. We had them at a cafe I worked at and they never gave out on us.

I used to sell all of them. The Oster is perfect for the price, and most people's needs. Really. The vitamix is necessary for restaurants and repeated, hourly use. I sold them to a new restaurant, whose specialty was sauces. They came back and ordered a couple more, and we usually handled parts for them. Extra blades and such. That's the only time I would recommend that kind of purchase. Kitchen-Aid and high-end brands were just basic and overpriced. Most people bought those just to match the rest of their appliances. All the pretty colors were the only selling point on those.

I think I would be more inclined to use a food processor for making nut butters. It might be interesting to make some comparisons between blenders and food processors.

I bought a the 5200 Vitamix about 15 years ago and still going strong. Great investment if you use it often.

We've had a Vitamix blender for 2 years now and are very happy with it. We rarely have to use the stirring stick and like that it's not as loud as previous blenders we've had. Interestingly our last blender went up in a puff of smoke when I was making a smoothie using frozen fruit. I've glad we splurged on the Vitamix.

I'd like to see more mid range items included in tests like these. Of course the $600 dollar blender is better but I'd like to see where the diminished margins come in.

I’ve owned many blenders. I currently own a Vitamix and I’m pretty sure my first blender was an Oster. Oster blenders are really good for the price and most people aren’t making nut butter so they will last. You just need to add less ingredients to it, so as not to overload the motor. If you’re looking for something above the Oster but less than the Vitamix, try first a Ninja then a Blendtec. I still use a Ninja at work and I used a Blendtec until it burned out on me. You can buy them refurbished and they’ll last for years

The first time I made a smoothie in my vitamin, I realized I had never truly made a smoothie before. I had made fruit salsa. It was amazing.

With cheaper blenders, you want to add the liquid and softer ingredients first before adding the harder ingredients. I got a Breville Bluicer on sale and its been my favorite.