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Best Affordable Blender

I have a Black & Decker which worked fine until I became raw. It really has a hard time with my green smoothies. I can’t afford the Vita Mix, but want something under $100 that will work hard (is it asking to much to have it make hummus, too?) and is preferably glass.

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  • coconuttycoconutty Raw Newbie

    Well, food processors can do everything that a standard blender can do if not better. And they work perfect for hummus! I used to make hummus in my food processor all the time and it came out wonderful. So if you are looking to spend under $100 look into a food processor. I really can’t give you any advice on a blender though. I have a nice kitchenaid blender that I thought was a really good purchase (at the time) but when I went raw, the darn thing sure didn’t do me any good. Instead of getting a new blender I would MUCH RATHER encourage you to hold off and just keep saving your pennies so you can buy a GOOD blender. Or even check on Ebay or any of those sites. I make lots and lots of smoothies and sauces so I finally took the plunge and got a vitamix. Let me tell you it was worth every single penny!!! I definitely would advise someone to save up to get a high speed blender rather than to just get another cheap one.

  • I use this one: Blender

    It is made of glass and has all metal drive. It is not a vita-mix but for my purposes it is working fine.

  • I recently purchased Jack Lalanne’s HealthMaster 100 to replace my KitchenAid. The HM100 has the same max horsepower as a Vitamix at half the cost.

  • I was so happy to see Jack Lalanne advertise his blender. Zenpawn, let me know how you like it, I think that will be my next purchase.

  • It’s been great. It passed my “kale litmus test”. That is, it creates a chunk-free green smoothie with ease.

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    I have a BlendTec now which is super expensive but I just got it and before that I had an Oster similar to the one that Socal is recommending and it worked super hard – just be careful doing nuts in it (I killed it with Brazil Nuts unsoaked). But it lasted a year with all my “hard-core” raw food blending. The carafe is made out of glass too. I got it at Bed bath and Beyond for 40$.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    I’ using a cheap and cheerful one from ASDA (uk’s walmart) it was £14.00. Its got a glass jug and it is the best one I have used so far. I get cheap ones, which all have a year’s guarantee if they come from a big store. They usually burn out after about 6 months, so I get a new one with the guarantee! I will get a Vitamix one day but for now, I don’t want to spend hundreds of pounds when I can get a new one every 6 months or so for nothing.

  • Hi Zenpawn, this Healthmaster 100 blender seems great, and so much cheaper than the vitamix! Where did you hear about it? Did you hear about it from other people who were satisfied with it, or did you just find it on the net by coincidence? I’ve never heard about this one, but I don’t know anyone who’s in need for high speed blenders either, so..:) As much information about it as possible would be highly appreciated! :) By the way, what is the sound level like on this blender? Compared to a vitamix, or any other blender..

    Light and love.

  • Same her Zoe, I got the cheapest one I could find at £9!!

    Worth advetising through free cycle or whatever to get one. Or buying a cheap one for the time being.

    Does me fine, would rather spend the cash on produce!

  • jenny2052jenny2052 Raw Newbie

    The Cuisinart dual blender/food processor is a great deal at around $100 (amazon even has the “premier” version for $105). The blender container is glass, too. The food processor is on the small side, and it isn’t quite as flexible as a regular food processor (it’s pretty high speed even on the lower settings, so it’s harder to use for chopping and such), but I thought the set was quite handy. The blender tackles ice well and the food processor is the perfect size for hummus. Given that it is a model less made for heavy duty use (at least compared to the Vitamix), it’s nice to have the option to use the food processor for some of the tougher tasks.

    Also: Consumer Reports actually rates the Braun PowerMax as their top pick in blenders, and it happens to be one of the most affordable: $35 to $60 or so, depending on the seller. Good luck!

  • OK, I feel silly asking, but I keep reading and i don’t quite get it….do I need a blender for smoothies and a juicer for juicing? I wouldn’t think I could throw carrots, apples and, say, kale in a blender, right? Do people use the term “smoothie” to apply to juicing as well? Is a vitamix a juicer…or a blender? Right now, my main concern is making green drinks, smoothies, etc.

    Thanks! :)

  • Raw_ChocoholicRaw_Chocoholic Raw Newbie

    Right now I’m using a called Miracle Chopper 2000. I picked it up on a sale for $40 in a store called “Showcase”. It obviously doesn’t make things as smooth as a vitamix but it suits me well because I don’t usually make large amounts of food, and I find it much quicker to clean and work with. The Tribest Personal Blender would probably be similar. I want to get into making larger batches of food, and I like the look of the HealthMaster 100. Thanks zenpawn!

  • I have the KitchenAid 5-speed blender, which I got refurbished from Amazon.com for $29.99. They constantly run in & out of stock, & also frequently change the price. For the price, it’s a great deal & very reliable. However, it’s still not a $400 Vitamix. If Amazon is out of stock, they’re also at http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/

  • http://www.ultimate-weight-products.com/page/UN…

    Here’s a link to a side-by-side comparison of the Blendtec, Vitamix and Jack Lalanne

  • alpdesignsalpdesigns Raw Newbie

    I like my Oster Fusion blender. It has a two directional blade.

  • I use the Oster classic beehive blender and so far it’s been great. I only do green smoothies in it, no nuts. I do Kale, Chard, Dandelion, all sorts of greens with fruits etc. 4 months, no problems. I do not use a juicer, I hate to loss all the good fiber and bulk parts of the fruits and vegies. (But yes, if want pure juice a blender will not cut it, you will need both items.)

  • I also use the Oster classic beehive blender without any problems. I think smoothies are better than juice anyway, then you get your fiber! :)

  • willmizewillmize Raw Newbie

    I’ll third or even fourth the Oster Classic Beehive Blender. I use it for my green smoothies. I write about my experiences with it here

    http://tinyurl.com/27rdma

    and here http://tinyurl.com/2mzcdb

    Go get that blender and start making those smoothies!

  • kminty3kminty3 Raw Newbie

    Has anyone tried the blender Breville makes? I have their juicer and love it, and am considering getting their blender too. It’s about 200 dollars so a bit less than Vitamix, but I’d rather spend the extra money with the Breville is no good

  • Healthmaster 100s have some refurbished units if you call their customer support which is for 79 dollars and come with a longer warrenty 3 years on everything and 100 on motor, then they give with new ones which is 100 on motor and 60 days on everythin else. I heard a weakness is their jar? (leaking) it looks alot like a Vitamix and I was wondering if their jars might interchange, that woul be cool.

  • I am struggling with the jar weakness and leaking that whonnoswho posted about on the Healthmaster 100. The blade is loose and the liquid seeps slightly out and has made the bottom outside of the jar a horrible rusty mess and it takes about 20 mins to clean the darn thing every time I use it :( I spent $200 on it and only used it for like 8 months and customer service pretty much told me to deal with it.

  • michigan romanmichigan roman Raw Master

    havent read entire thread but a solid blender at regularly 80 , and about every month or 2 on sale at 60 is the sears kenmore ’ elite ’ .
    its 750 watts (most basic blenders are like 450) and guaranteed for 5 YEARS !!!!!!!!!! ive looked at them at store and theyre very well built , a nice looking brushed metal with glass jar . but bottom line is the 5 year warranty , ecspecially from sears whom you know you can trust . at www.sears.com go to small kitchen appliances and find the ’ ELITE ’ KENMORE BLENDER . btw , since going raw a few years ago i always look at blenders when at store and this kenmore is the best most solidly made unit ive seen . the oster ’ fusion ’ is my second favorite at around 65 here in detroit area stores but its not as powerful a motor , not anywhere as long an warranty , and ive read bad reveiws . its the combo of solid construction and the great sears stand behind there products mode that has me sold on the elite .

  • michigan romanmichigan roman Raw Master

    ps – i just came back from sears site and its on sale for 60 til like 23th , link to blender =

    http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_008900… .

  • i have the cuisinart blender/food processor. i admit it won’t pass the “kale litmus test” (i tried yesterday and chunky grossness ensued) but mostly it works great. but it makes a fine spinach smoothie. see link below:

    http://www.lnt.com/product/index.jsp?productId=...

    also, people make juice with their blenders by just straining the smoothie through a nut milk bag. check out http://www.juicefeasting.com for more info on that.

  • Over a year ago, I described my happy experience with the Health Master 100. It’s now basically dead. That’s the bad news. The good news is, they’re sending a new one based on the six year warranty. Just wanted to let you know, if you go to the old HealthMaster100 site, it’s no longer there. (That freaked me out at first.) So, I called support at his http://www.powerjuicer.com and they knew exactly what to do. (In fact, I didn’t even need to give them my info, since they pulled it up based on my caller-id.)

  • MOTHMOTH Raw Newbie

    Anyone like the Magic Bullet? Sure it’s small, but damn, that thing works well. My friend has one I use sometimes.

    If I ever get another “blender type” of device, it’ll be a Bullet. I like the fact it’s so small and seeing as how I don’t blend much, it’ll suit me well.

  • I wondered the same thing and bought a Cuisinart blender for $59. There was another one for $99 but decided against it. I made a green juice with kale and it worked fine. I used a juice bag instead of buying a juicer. It was a pain but worked.

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