We are going to blend it up this summer! Smoothies - Milkshakes - Yum!
Written: Mar 02 '05 (Updated Mar 08 '05)
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Pros: Glass jar, Food processor, Oster brand
Cons: No slow speeds
The Bottom Line: Very powerful blender with an ice crushing blade. Also includes a bonus food processor. A good deal for the price.
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| xyzwyatt's Full Review: Oster 12 Speed Blender with Food Processor Attachm... |
I already had an Oster blender that I received as a gift when I turned 21 (for obvious reasons) and have had it every since which is well over a decade. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it but we have big plans for some fun treats this summer and wanted something a little more fun and stylish to make them in so went to the store to find a replacement blender or a smoothie maker.
After looking at the other brands it became clear that I would be focusing my selection to an Oster blender since they are visibly made better. There were several models to choose from and we really had no idea of what to look for when choosing. I just knew that I wanted a glass jar. My husband and I both agreed on the Oster 6870. I preferred the appearance and my husband was excited about the processor which was included. For $40 we figured that it would be a better value than a smoothie maker.
Uses
The blender sells itself when looking at the pictures on the box. There are pictures of items that were made with a blender such as a chocolate milkshake, a milkshake with candy pieces, a frozen mixed drink, a fancy meal, dips such as salsa or guacamole, and a parfait with chunks of cookies, finely ground nuts on a banana split, homemade salad dressing, and salad toppings.
Of course there’s tons more that can be done with a blender but drinks, desserts, and snacks seem to be my focal point.
All about the blender
There are two pieces to the black lid. The majority of the lid is made of soft rubber and shaped for easy grasping. The center is made of hard plastic and comes out to allow additional ingredients to be added while the motor is running. I assume is a safety feature to protect fingers. I have tried dropping things through the middle but find it to be difficult to get the middle piece off and just easier to lift the lid off. The middle of the lid can be used to measure an ingredient.
The jar of the blender is made of very thick scratch-resistant glass. One side of the blender is etched with cups; the other side is etched with liters. The jar will hold 5 cups. It has a bluish/green tint to the glass which adds to the appearance.
The blade is very sharp and designed to be used with ice. Most of my mixings with the blender involves ice and let me tell you this really gets the job done quickly without leaving chunks behind.
The base of the blender is black and is what houses the 450 watt metal drive motor. The cord is 2-pronged and is about arm length. There is an area under the base where it can be wrapped around during storage. It has a push button control panel with 12 speeds:
Low
Easy clean, puree, cream, chop, whip, mix
High
Grate, blend, shred, grind, liquefy, ice crush
The off button is the first button and is in white. The next button is pulse and is in gray. The rest of the buttons are black and the buttons get wider as they proceed which makes an attractive appearance and also helps in making a selection.
The bottom of the jar has a removable collar on the base which makes it more stable for when sitting on the counter. The collar is much wider than previous models.
All about the Food Processor
The white adapter sits on top of the blender base; it is needed to operate the blender. The processor bowl sits on top of this and is made of thin plastic. The chopping blade is an S shape and designed for chopping and mincing items that are 1 inch in size. The blade is extremely sharp as you might expect. It has a nice size handle that becomes par of the processor when assembled.
The cover must be in place in order for the food processor to work as an added safety feature.
There are some things that should not be processed in the food processor such as hot liquids, whole spices, or anything that can not easily be cut with a knife. It does not hold much at a time and should not be overloaded. It does not chop pieces bigger than 1/2" - 1" thick depending on texture.
Washing
The base of the blender and the base of the processor should not be placed in water but the rest of the parts are dishwasher safe. I don’t think it gets any easier than a dishwasher, but for an additional option it does have an Easy Clean feature. Easy clean is a short cut for cleaning your blender. Simply add three cups of warm water and a little dishwashing soap to the jar and blend on Easy Clean for 15 seconds then thoroughly rinse the jar out. The easy clean method should not be used when there was an ingredient in it that spoils such as milk or meat.
The manual
There are two instruction manuals with this appliance. I looked over the first manual for the blender and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. The cautions were common sense. The second set of instructions is for the food processor. This did have some recipes listed which I found helpful to get an idea of what I could do with it. Here is the list of recipes that are mentioned: Shrimp spread, Smokey Brie Spread, Nachos, Avocado Sauce, Bean Dip, Salsa, Guacamole, and Lemon Meringue Pie. Both instruction booklets have a chart that describes a food, and the recommended processing time which will be helpful if you’re new to blending.
My thoughts
I have been using this thing like crazy! It’s a fabulous new toy for the kitchen. I do not have a food processor so I am really impressed by the processing option. I am able to make dishes that I wouldn’t consider before because it took to long to cut up things. For instance, slaw! It also makes great dips. The processor looks bigger than it is. It doesn’t hold that much at once but it chops in an instant so even if chopping and emptying a few times it’s much faster than by hand. I’ve experimented with different speeds and every time the vegetables come out looking the same size so I don’t know what to make out of that. Although I really appreciate the food processor it isn’t the selling point of the blender. The container is very small and only one blade is included.
The blender blade is very sharp and durable and just pulverizes the ice in seconds. The ice never freezes up the blades or struggles with mixing. It makes a smoothie identical to a smoothie machine, in fact I think it was even faster.
The blades and rubber rings are replaceable and very inexpensive and can be found in the blender section.
This would be ideal for individuals who make their own baby food especially with the food processor attachment.
Here is an assortment of blender recipes from their website. I’ve already found some that I cant live without http://www.oster.com/recipeslist.aspx?cat=3&name=Blenders
I typically don’t leave appliances on my counter but I haven’t had the heart to hide this one yet. Even though all of my other appliances are white, I went with this black one because I liked it better than the white ones it was sitting next too. We had a hard time keeping the last white one looking clean but this one seems to be easier.
Cleaning is very easy by the easy clean cycle or by dishwasher. The easy clean is helpful when you’re in the middle of making a dinner and need it for another task. The food processor is easy to clean as well.
The only complaints that I can think of is that I tried wrapping the power cord around the bottom like the instructions say and I had to fight with it to get it back out. I’ll never try that again. I also think that it’s pretty powerful and the slowest speed isn’t slow enough for me. There are 12 speeds but I can’t always distinguish a difference in results between the speeds.
The other peeve that I have is that the jar doesn’t have an obvious area on the top to pour things out so liquids drip down the side. It really hasn’t been a problem except with thick things like smoothies and milkshakes.
Warranty
The blender has a 1 year warranty against defects and poor workmanship. The original sales receipt is needed for proof of purchase.
Company Information
Sunbeam Consumer Services
Website: www.oaster.com
Phone: 1-800-334-0759
A special thanks to Pogomom for adding this to the database so quickly!
Other appliances to consider:
Disney Smoothie Maker
VillaWare Ice Cream Maker
Rival Electric Snow Cone Maker
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 40.00
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Epinions.com ID:
xyzwyatt
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Location: Nashville, TN
Reviews written: 548
Trusted by: 172 members
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Be a coffee-drinking individual - espresso yourself!
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