In Search of the Perfect Breakfast Smoothie Blender…

Is it too much to ask? A single serving blender that can crush large frozen strawberries, isn’t too difficult to clean, and will function for more than a few months without breaking down…

I’ve been going through blenders for years now, swinging from enthusiasm to disappointment. First I tried stick blenders from Cuisinart and several other companies, but they don’t have strong enough motors to deal with the frozen fruit (or ice cubes, if you use them), and I had to replace them over and over again as the motors died. I still use them for blending soups and sauces, though. Then I thought I’d found the answer: the Big Boss, a personal blender with a 300 watt motor and 4 cups, which I used, loved and recommended to my clients the past few years.  However (here comes the disappointment again), I recently replaced my old Big Boss with a new one – not because the base, blade or motor had any problems, but simply because I had lost and cracked a couple of the cups, and since I couldn’t find a way to only replace those, I bought a new set.

I don’t know when they changed the product, but I apologize to anyone who bought it on my recommendation and got what I just got. This was not the same product I have been using.  The base was different, and the new cups only fit on that, so I blithely threw out the original base. Big mistake. The new one started falling apart almost immediately. Little pieces of plastic broke off from the inside of the base, where the blades engage the motor, each time I used it, and within a month it stopped functioning. That’s junk, even at the low price.

So I went back to using my always reliable VitaMix. Nothing beats it for function, but it’s a lot less convenient to use in the morning, especially since I want to use it to whip butter and coconut oil for my coffee while assembling my morning protein shake. We’re all multi-tasking, right? Not only that, my son is home this year between college and grad school, he wants to make his shake in the morning, too, and there’s only one container, which needs to be cleaned by hand in-between each use. I know, I know, there are worse problems in the world, for sure, but still, it’s frustrating.

So when I got a notice from Amazon that Cuisinart had a new small 350 watt system, I jumped on it. Here’s what I like:
1. You need all 350 watts to stand up to those frozen fruits and ice cubes.
2. The plastic is all BPA free – yay!
3. It comes with 2 different blades so I can whip my butter and coconut oil for my coffee while assembling my shake in a different container.
4. Cuisinart is not going to disappear tomorrow, so I am not worried if I need to replace a part.
5. No leaking with hot liquids, unlike the Bullet products (another disappointment)
6. Comes with four 16oz cups, one 8oz cup and a generous 32oz container so you can multi-task, or just have lots of options.
7. Cups come with travel lids, so you can use them on the go.
8. Comes in PINK, as well as black, and white – FUN!
9. Base comes with cord storage, always helpful to keep the counter neat.
10. Dishwasher safe

Cons:
1. It’s pretty noisy, but hey just 20 seconds pulverizes large frozen-solid strawberries.
2. uh, can’t think of any others. so far so good!

So I’m really jazzed, and hope this is going to be as good as it seems. Right now it’s on sale for almost half-price at Amazon, so you might not want to wait.

March 2014 update: this blender is still crushing it, literally and figuratively! highly recommended!

The Smart Stick is still the best for blending soups and sauces, in the pan.