knotheadusc's Full Review: Oster 4125 Beehive 2-Speed Blender
Christmas 2006 has come and gone. My husband Bill and I customarily buy presents for our house as well as for each other. I was getting tired of the crappy $20 Hamilton-Beach blender I had bought back before I went off to graduate school and felt we could use a new blender for our brand new home which we moved into just last week.
I was attracted to the Oster 4125 2 Speed Blender because it reminded me of the awesome old Waring blender my mom used for years when I was a little kid. I had vivid memories of delicious milkshakes and other creations made in that machine. The only thing that wasn't great about my mom's blender was the way it looked-- black and white and very beat up. Part of the reason why I bought the Oster 4125 is because it looks much nicer than my mom's old machine as well as my old machine, come to think of it. It's made of chrome and comes with a glass jar and lid, as well as a metal jar with a lid, a food processor attachment, milkshake blade, and a mini jar. And it has just two speeds which I can control with a toggle switch, just like my mom's old blender.
Back in December, Amazon.com was selling the Oster 4125 2 Speed Blender for $109.99. With a $20 rebate, the new blender would ultimately cost $89.99. I wouldn't normally want to spend that much money on a blender, but this one comes with a lot of attachments that are actually useful. And again, I love the way the blender looks with its retro style and chrome color that would go with everything in our new house.
Bill opened the box on Christmas morning and marveled at the way our new machine looked. I think he was surprised to get a new blender, until he went to throw the old one away and saw that the base was starting to fall off! Even I didn't know my old cheap blender was in such poor shape! Since Christmas, I've used the new blender to make several ice cream drinks and I've been very pleased by how this machine smooths out the lumps until I have a shake of perfect consistency. The other night, I got to put the food processor attachment to good use when Bill made guacamole. We have a food processor, but I didn't feel like hauling the machine out just to turn a single less than ripe avocado into paste. Enter the food processor attachment, which is small and has a little blade at the bottom akin to the small food chopper I used to have. It's perfect for such little jobs! It turned that avocado into perfectly pureed guacamole in no time.
The Oster 4125 2 Speed Blender is not a quiet machine by any means, but because it's efficient, I don't really have to run it for very long. Better yet, when I pour out my drinks, I don't have big lumps of stuff that didn't get blended. I know that some people would be turned off of the fact that this blender only has two speeds. Of course, in my experience, I never really needed all those extra buttons on other blenders I've used. I always just had a favorite speed. With the Oster 4125 2 Speed Blender, I still have a favorite speed! As long as my blender does the job effectively, I don't care that I don't have a choice of speeds.
The Oster 4125 2 Speed Blender has a powerful 550 watt motor that easily and efficiently handles anything I throw at it. The jar handles about five cups, which is plenty sufficient for my needs. It's topped with a square lid that seals well as long as you're careful to make sure you press it all the way down. The blender weighs about 13 pounds and feels well constructed and solid. I have a feeling this blender will still be going strong years from now.
I especially love the fact that the extras that come with this blender are actually useful. That little food processor attachment was a very pleasant surprise! I like my food processor, but I hate the fact that it's so big and bulky. The little attachment for the blender is small and easy to clean. It's just the right tool for my smaller jobs. The milkshake blade is a nice touch, but so far I haven't needed to use it. The blender's normal blade does just fine by itself. I haven't needed to use the stainless steel jar either, but if the glass jar breaks, I'll have a replacement jar.
The only thing that I think could turn some folks off, besides the fact that the blender only has two speeds (a pulse function), is that it's a bit pricey. I mentioned earlier in my review that I spent about $20 on my first blender. The $110 that I spent on this one was a big leap in price for me. However, so far, I've found that I've gotten what I paid for and more. If you're in need of a new blender, you'd do well to consider the Oster 4125 for your kitchen. I bet you won't be sorry!
Edited to add (2/24)
The bottom of the glass jar screws off. This is only a problem if you don't know it screws off! I used the blender the other day not knowing that the bottom screwed off. It was loose and the contents of my jar leaked out all over the place. All was well once I cleaned everything up and screwed the bottom on tightly.
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Powerful motor blends, chops, grinds, grates, and crushes ice 2 speeds plus low-speed pulse function for just the right amount of control 40-ounce, ri...More at Amazon Marketplace
Powerful motor blends, chops, grinds, grates, and crushes ice 2 speeds plus low-speed pulse function for just the right amount of control 40-ounce, ri...More at Amazon
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