An Affordable, High Quality Blender

        I have been in the market for a new blender for a while now.  I still had my personal sized blender, (the Bullet), but I needed a larger one that could make smoothies for more than one and do other recipes that needed a larger capacity container.  Over the years, I have gone through quite a variety of the $20 range blenders.  I wanted something that could crush ice, without leaving little chunks behind. I also wanted something that could chop up fruits and vegetables without burning up the motor.  I knew I needed something with  more power so, I started asking around and reading reviews on Amazon.  

Shopping

          Of course, my first choice would have been a Vitamix. I am always amazed by this blender and the fact that you can make ice cream or hot soup right in it!  But, while I was ready to pay a little more for a high quality blender, this one is still way out of my price range.  Maybe someday...

      My sister and my daughter both have a Ninja System blender/food processor.  They both love it.  The reviews on the NInja are excellent.  The stacked blades really power through ice and fruits and veggies.  This system is on for a great price right now at $94.79 on Amazon with free shipping!  If I had seen this offer first, I may have chosen it instead of the one that I did!  But, there are a few negative reviews, bringing the rating to 4 stars.  This system has an 1100 watt motor.

You can also get this Ninja blender only deal for $77.00.  I really considered this option as well. It  also uses 1100 watts and has a 4.5 star rating.

        Then, I saw this deal!  The Oster Pro 1200 with food processor for $88.28!  It has a 1200 watt motor, 100 more than the Ninja and an ice crushing system that all of the reviews promised works great!  It also has a 4 star rating, just like the Ninja system.  I could use a new food processor, but I also don't really need one.  It is a long story, but I have one that works if you stick a fork in it, Ha Ha, and my husband got it for me so I am kind of sentimental about it.  I know, weird, but true.  Anyway, I also found the Oster Pro 1200 Blender by itself! This one is $68.79 with free shipping on Amazon Prime! 

My Decision!

Here it is! The Oster Pro 1200! I was so excited to use it at this point! It also comes with the little smoothie cup.

Those are not scratches, it is packaging dust! But, I wanted to show you the really cool, preprogrammed settings that work amazingly well! I am having so much fun with this thing!

Oops! I almost forgot to take a picture of the first thing I made. See how it is partially blended at the bottom! This is salsa! I just threw in large chunks of the veggies I was using because I wanted to test this machine out! I set it on the salsa function and it was so awesome to see how the blades would work back and forth. The wide base of the blender pulls the food down into the blades easier.

       The salsa came out perfectly!  Not too pureed and just the right sized little chunks to pick up with your chip! ( If you want a delicious recipe for salsa, click here.)

Then I made this delicious strawberry smoothie! No little ice chunks here! I put about 10 ice cubes in this thing! It was so cool! There is a smoothie setting, and a milkshake setting!

I stored the left over smoothie in the small cup for later. It really holds a lot! You can also blend in this cup, but I don't know if I will because if I want just a personal sized smoothie, I might still just use the Bullet. But, I don't know, because the Oster crushed the ice much better!

Cleaning the Machine

Here are my best blender cleaning tips:

• Give the blender container and lid a rinse.
• Fill the blender about 1/3 of the way full with hot water and add a drop of dish soap.
• Put the lid on and blend away!  I usually start on low and then work my way up to high so that the water and soap get up into the lid. Just do this for a few seconds, it doesn't take long. (This blender isn't too loud until you hit high, then it sounds like a jet taking off!  All of that power, I guess!)
• Dump the soapy water down the drain.  Rinse out the lid, taking apart the top.  Then rinse out the container, removing the blade section and rinsing well. (Don't cut yourself on the blades!)  So far, all I have had to do is rinse and there are no crusty bits left behind, everything is clean.) 
• Personally, I don't like to put parts from these types of machines in the dishwasher.  Some of the reviews I read about all of the blenders I researched said that they put them in the dishwasher and the rubber gaskets started to wear out quickly or the blades rusted.  I believe that dishwashers add to that problem.  This cleaning method is quick and easy.  If you dry it all right away, you will keep the rust problem at bay.  

        I am having so much fun with my new big blender!  Going for a little higher quality was definitely worth it!  For me, so far it seems like the Oster Pro 1200 was the right choice. The price for the quality makes me feel like I did a good job shopping, saving and making a well informed decision.  I hope my work helps you out.  Now, I have a really good idea, using my blender, to share with you soon. I can hardly wait!