Design Engineer Tests $600 & $25 Blenders | Epicurious
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- Опубликовано: 8 май 2024
- Today product design engineer Vincent Valderrama joins Epicurious to pit a $25 Oster blender against a top-of-the-line $600 Vitamix blender in a series of common kitchen tasks. Vincent breaks down precisely how and why the high-priced option outshines the budget brand (and where it doesn’t,) whipping up smoothies, crushing ice, and even making fresh mayonnaise in both a $600 and $25 version of a common kitchen appliance.
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Director: Jeff Kornberg
Editors: Misa Qu & Kris Knight
Motion Graphic Artist & Animator: Léa Kichler
AE: Andy Morell
Director of Photography: Eric Brouse
Producer: Amanda Veitia
Associate Producer: Dimitri Lazarashvili
Culinary Producer: Kelly Janke
Associate Culinary Producer: Jessica Do
Camera Operator: Paige Wollensak
Audio: Austin Rumsey
Production Assistant: Sergio Santos
Post Production Supervisor: Stephanie Cardone
Associate Director, Post Production: Nicole Berg
Epicurious Video Team
Jonathan Wise
Ali Inglese
Dan Siegel
Maria Paz Mendez Hodes
Rhoda Boone
Carolyn Gagnon
June Kim
Holly Patton
Myra Rivera
Billy Keenly
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0:00 Introduction
0:28 Smoothie Test
3:01 Crushed Ice Test
5:20 Mayo Test
7:47 Nut Butter Test
12:13 Some Extra Thoughts
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I would prefer to see a range between $25 and $600 instead of just one of each.. that way I would know if there's a cheaper blender that works as well as the $600 one..
How would you rate the Ninja blender??
Yess, because a lot of people look for that sweet spot in terms of money and performance. I would never buy the cheapest blender, nor would I sell my kidney for the most expensive one.
My blender, the Ninja Chef 1500, is currently $340 at walmart , and I think it could hold its own against the vitamix. I only use it for smoothies everyday and the occasional daiquiri and it gets the job done!
Yes, a range would have been ideal. Or instead of Oster, compare to other blenders that has similar features.
@@SweetChicagoGator I have a Ninja Blender, and I am very happy with it! I use it for anything from smoothies bowls and ice creams to soups and sauces. It works great for all of them, and it is cheaper than a vitamix
The oster blender was cheaper than buying a different jug for the vitamix lmao
Sooo buy both 🤣 for $625
Vitamix for smoothies/cocktail parties and nut butters
Oster for homemade mayonnaise (and callaloo 🤭)
@@beezrow Also by buying both, you can pour the smoothie mix into the Oster so you can more easily pour it into a glass. 🤣
@@beezrow haha exactly
Yeah, this comparison is absurd. It's absolutely pointless. Nobody is trying to decide between these two machines.
@@Mohegan13 🤣😂🤣
You didn't consider that the 2 blenders have very different capacities. This was very evident when crushing ice and the nuts. The same amount of ingredients almost completely filled the Oster. This would make it naturally more difficult to process the ingredients as well.
Remember he is the "engineer"
Funny thing he actually consider the capacity in favor of the expensive device. (Edit: I mean in the mayo test)
Yes completly biased video
why should he consider that?lol
in a vs test you need to put the same amount in both, doing otherwise would be biased
@@wanded but he did with the mayo. It's biased to do the same amount because the test could make one better over the other if you don't consider capacity. Making it the same amount based on % of capacity would be the only fair way of doing this test
One amazing thing about the Oster is that the blade base fits a regular mason jar! This means when I make a smoothie each morning I can just shove all the ingredients in a jar, definitely make the right amount of smoothie, and only have to wash one part, before slapping a lid on the jar and tossing it in my bag to bring to work/class! I've been doing this on and off for about 8 years now (starting with my family's Oster blender from the 80s, which was still going strong when I used it in high school, and then with the cheapest Oster I could find when I went off to college), and this video actually made me feel like I don't want to get an upgrade, because I wouldn't have that awesome feature with a blender with a wider base!
That’s a smart feature!
oster also fits a mason jar
So you never wash the mason jars ? Ew!
The jar man
I bought a basic model vitamix blender at costco and it came with two single portion bottles. Exactly like you describe blend it, slap the top on and you're good to go
I'm actually impressed that a $25 blender has speed options written for its use like smoothie, ice crushing etc! Mine only has 1 2 3 buttons for the speed lmao
Does it have a pulse button at least???
Yours has numbers? Fancy! Mine has a line that gets thicker.
It's kinda like the same, it's just speed but with names
Mine doesn't even have that. Its just on and off button. Its a moultinex model which I don't think even exists now 🤣🤣🤣
Damn mine only has on and off
Pulse? Just turn it on and off quickly
Considering the Oster was literally less than 5% the price of the Vitamix I'd say the Oster came out on top here. The fact that it was able to compare with the Vitamix was surprising.
Yeah, and will let the smoke out in a year or two, even if you don't attempt nut butters, thus contributing even more to disposable society and the landfill. Meanwhile my old vitamix, purchased long before they thought about adding the fancy presets, is still going just as strong as the day it was unboxed.
@@laboulesdebleu8335 My mom Oster is 7 years old
@@laboulesdebleu8335 even if it breaks for the average person in 3 or 4 years with consistent, regular use, compared to say 10 years for the premium blender, the overall carbon footprint of buying four of those cheap lenders is still going to be less than that of the single $600 blender.
@@zacharyhenderson2902 actually it would be bigger since we'll you have four instead of 1
@@augustuslunasol10thapostle that's not how it works. Even four of the $25 Oster brand blenders have a smaller carbon footprint than one Vitamix.
In case you don't know, here's why: 1. Parts; Walmart's Oster brand blenders utilize thin, readily available plastic wherever possible. While this tends to give the blender a cheap look and feel, it saves both a lot of money, a lot of time, and a lot of emissions, compared to the thicker plastic and aluminum parts found on the Vitamix. Even when the Oster and Vitamix blenders used similar parts, the Oster's parts are much more efficient produced and are made on such a massive scale that the carbon output per part is minuscule, whereas the parts on the Vitamix blender are produced in smaller batches, because it's so expensive, and because the final product is so expensive the factories producing the blender are able to waste a little bit more and spend more time, more machine hours and man-hours on each part, which produces comparatively more CO2 and noxious gas emissions.
2. Labor; the cheap blender requires fewer man-hours to build and where human labor is required, workers in poor countries, where these things tend to be produced, themselves produce fewer emissions compared to the labor force of relatively wealthier countries.
3. Shipping; the Oster blender is shipped almost exclusively in massive batches through efficient and established trade networks, and it relies on Walmart's incredibly efficient distribution system, which results in fewer emissions per blender than Vitamix's smaller, less synchronous supply chain. Plus, they tend to be shipped to each person one at a time, which produces many times more emissions than simply going to your big box retailer and purchasing something alongside your normal groceries.
Worked as a prep cook. One of my preps was to make a 5 gallon bucket of mayo every day for chicken, egg & tuna salads as well as sandwiches. I used a Cuisinart food processor. So the smaller base is not what makes a good mayo. Adding small amounts of the oil at just the right times as you blend is the key to a nice thick mayo. The sous chef drilled that into me.
How long does it usually take to finish a batch of mayo for you? It takes me 30 mins just to finish one, and its not even that consistent...
@@sayanorasonic It may be your recipe. Too much oil makes it runny. The heat from your machine can make it runny too. I could make a 5 gallon bucket of mayo in about 45 minutes. You're going to have to play with your recipe or find a different one. You Tube is the best source for finding out new recipes and techniques. Time consuming but the best.
Sounds like the chef knew his emulsions 👍
That's kinda fair to say its possible-- but since it requires finesse where the other one didnt really require any effort, for the average user, might make a difference ^^
it is also partly due to the base
I can't believe 4 mil people including myself willingly watched a 14 min commercial .
😂😂 actually it was a really good commercial
For a blender no less... I need better hobbies 😴
it was unnecessary to go for the absolute cheapest option to versus the vitamix. a $100 ninja comparison would be more appreciated.
Why not all three to run the gamut?
Exactly. Obviously a $600 blender would perform better than a $25 blender….
It's to show the engineering differences between a cheap and expensive blender which they did here
@@HH-le1vi i know. the comparison i suggested would have been more useful tho.
They also could have shown the entry level vitamix. They start just over $300. Their focus was mainly to show the different features and potential for blenders to educate people on what to look for.
I used to sell all of them. The Oster is perfect for the price, and most people's needs. Really. The vitamix is necessary for restaurants and repeated, hourly use. I sold them to a new restaurant, whose specialty was sauces. They came back and ordered a couple more, and we usually handled parts for them. Extra blades and such. That's the only time I would recommend that kind of purchase. Kitchen-Aid and high-end brands were just basic and overpriced. Most people bought those just to match the rest of their appliances. All the pretty colors were the only selling point on those.
This is a commercial, right? "Buy Vitamix/Oster! It's good for you!"
That's what I thought industrial use and home use
If I want to replacea blender every 6 months yeah the Osters fine but I've had my vitamix for over 10 years and it's still going strong. Overtime all those cheap blenders you keep replacing will add up.
@@nocause5395 true. I've never used mine enough to worry about that. Most of the people who came in looking for them were only gonna use them for as long as their new diet lasted, or to try a smoothie recipe they saw on Dr. Ozzy one day. They would see the mess it made and put the thing away after the first use. Blender sales came in waves. They depended on whatever was on daytime tv at the moment. People who use them every day, and already understand cleanup and maintenance, are the ones who bump up to the vitamix.
@@mindyenglish5305 The Vitamix isn't messy. Add some soap and water turn it on the highest setting and then rinse, done. It's sad they stopped using a blender because of a bad experience with a cheap one. Also, I rarely cut fruit or vegetables more than 1/4 with the vitamix. So not much cutting either.
I literally have that exact Oster blender. It works great! Had it for years. With liquids it crushes ice really well and makes for some creamy delicious weekend piña coladas. Also works great for smoothies. I use frozen fruits because I feel like ice makes it watery and I get a smoother consistency.
At the end of the day the $25 blender is great for simple everyday things that most people would use it for, but not prolonged heavy use (like the nut butter) Vitamix is great for restaurants and the like that are getting continuous all day use. It's a workhorse. We had them at a cafe I worked at and they never gave out on us.
Same, it's a steal.
Stop being poor and buy a Vitamix. Some people have had theirs for 20+ years. You think a cheap blender is gonna last that long.
@@a-love-supremist thanks for the advice, i'll stop being poor right now
@@a-love-supremist Man this commercial must’ve really worked on you!
@@a-love-supremist consoomer
I have a Vitamix I purchased at Costco a few years ago. It is the same design as the one tested but does not have the presets. It simply has a speed dial and cost roughly half as much as the one tested. I have used it daily and never had an issue with it and might be a good compromise between the $25 and $600 options.
For anyone curious as to a good blender that doesn't absolutely break the bank - I own a coffee shop and we've used Ninja blenders since opening 4 years ago. They go through probably 50 pounds of ice each per day on average and have been going strong the whole time. Zero issues. I want to say I paid $100 for them.
Blenders are definitely one of those things that comparing something super premium to a bottom shelf bargain brand makes it seem a lot more reasonable to spend $600 on a blender. If you compare to something just a bit better I think you'll find that for $100 you can have realistically 90-95% the functionality and quality of the more premium product.
Agreed, to me, this feels more like a promotional video
Yep. Most people don’t need a Vitamix since they’re still not making multiple items every single day of the week with a blender. At a certain point it’s just a status symbol, and most things can still be done with a $100-$200 blender. Its like someone that maintains their own yards buying the most expensive tools just because they think “more expensive” = “best”. At a certain point, the ROI is negligible for the regular person who doesn’t use the tools for their profession.
As someone who got the original “consumer” model vitamix near 20 years ago on the cheap, I too would appreciate seeing it compared to something like a Ninja. I love how well my blender works but when something finally needs replacing I’m glad there are plenty of less expensive options these days (there really wasn’t 20 years ago). It still works like new, the container gets a little more dull and hazy as the years pass. The blades have to have dulled decently but it’s still blending like a boss. I certainly didn’t need the thing but it has lasted longer than some of my power tools and gets used more often than half of them.
Hello can i know which ninja blender model?
@@jhcoverdrive9287 I tried a ninja, it just doesn't blend as well as a vitamix. Cashew cheeze and smoothies just aren't as smooth in the ninja
The Oster's smoothy setting isn't meant to be turned on immediately. You didn't read the instructions. You have to pulse the products first, turn to low for 30 seconds, then turn to the smoothy setting. The Oster smoothy was wet because the blades were on high the whole time which heated the frozen waters into a liquid. It was just error.
I was thinking something similar, the guy didn't know how to use the Oster.
I wonder why it didn't just programmed that in for the smoothy setting. I mean how many of us actually read instructions on anything?
@@s87343jim if you use any technology without reading the manual then that's kinda your fault if something goes wrong.
@@s87343jim use your damn Brain wtf is wrong with people
@@s87343jim it didn't just programme cause
*¡¡IT'S ONLY 25 DOLLARS!!*
We've had a Vitamix blender for 2 years now and are very happy with it. We rarely have to use the stirring stick and like that it's not as loud as previous blenders we've had. Interestingly our last blender went up in a puff of smoke when I was making a smoothie using frozen fruit. I've glad we splurged on the Vitamix.
With cheaper blenders, you want to add the liquid and softer ingredients first before adding the harder ingredients. I got a Breville Bluicer on sale and its been my favorite.
I'd like to see more mid range items included in tests like these. Of course the $600 dollar blender is better but I'd like to see where the diminished margins come in.
The diminished returns are when you realize the Vitamix has a 10 year warranty and the headache free blending every day is worth it over the 10+ years you'll own it.
My family had a Ninja and I made maybe 1-2 frozen drinks in it and they were extremely subpar. (The ninja spends most of its time unused)
Just bought a Vitamix 2 weeks ago and we've made at least 50+ smoothies in it.(had family over and made smoothies for everyone several times) It's not even on the same level, it makes the kind of smoothies you get when you go out and buy them at a smoothie place. Made almond butter and it came out really nicely.
Absolutely pointless video, unless u were going out tu buy a 600 blender
@@Redemptionx666 nice try Vitamix salesperson, you can’t fool me! I see through your disguise!
@@Redemptionx666 I've made impressive smoothies with Hamilton Beach $18 blender. There's strategies you need to employee that make all the difference in a smoothie where the blender caliber is negligible.
@@vbgvbg1133 you got me, don't forget to use my affiliate link when you purchase.
In all fairness, to crush ice successfully in the lower end blender you could just do it in smaller batches. In that one instance the Oster could work as well as the Vitamix with only a little more user effort.
imagine making drinks for a party tho. that would be a lot of work for the user with the Oster
@@deepakbhatti155 but you save $600
@@chaoticevil1425 Exactly. You could buy a dozen Osters to do the job and still have $$$ left over.
And you can lift and shake the jug after a few pulses.
it also shorted out and died faster though.
loveeee this series! So appreciated 😆
I bought a the 5200 Vitamix about 15 years ago and still going strong. Great investment if you use it often.
I think I would be more inclined to use a food processor for making nut butters. It might be interesting to make some comparisons between blenders and food processors.
@Mia L - The food processor blade is also wider and flatter, plus my experience is that the partially processed food is less likely to get clogged.
@@aerocoaster3252 nothing gets clogged in the Vitamix.. it liquifies peanuts so much to the point that the oil separates and sits on top after you put it in a jar
I used my kitchenaid food processor making nut butter and I prefer my vitamin for nut butters.
@@addictofbrian - Thanks for the feedback. I have also used my food processor for making nut butter and I liked the results, but I prefer chunky, so I do not go for ultimate smoothness. My lower-end blender died a couple of months ago, after twenty-plus years of good service. I have considered replacing the blender, because my food processor is a bit large for some tasks, but the $600 Vitamix is beyond my realistic budget. Somewhere between $25 and $600 there must be a good-enough blender, but I wonder if I might get more use from a mini food processor.
"The Oster has an ice crush setting that is pulse based"
Proceeds to just hold the button down instead of actually pulsing it. Genius engineer.
Bruh…..u dont need to take ur whole hand off the button just to press it lmao
@@sweggs3599 Bruh..... they still didn't show him pulsing so its more likely he didn't lmao
@@Beepleg wouldn't have made a difference. I've used Osters for ice crushing and they pretty much are garbage.
True
Some pulse automatically when you hold button
That was superb, thank you so much!!
Vitamix recommends putting softer stuff in first, so I was surprised the spinach didn't go at the very bottom, closest to the blade. For long term durability, that's what you're going to want to do - starting with very hard or frozen stuff at the base of the blade can cause issues with binding (the orange juice helps in this regard, but the spinach being at the bottom would be even better).
Tip: if you're using a cheap blender & want more solid silky smoothies, use frozen fruit. It makes the smoothie more solid without the graininess of ice
I haven't used a blender in a long time, this video was well worth my time
Yes! The frozen fruit really improves the texture.
There was no ice in his recipe. I assume the mango was frozen.
Rewatched it, he says they are frozen.
@@dewilew2137 It’s not really about the video.
I never thought I'd see a biased blender review, and I'm glad the comments have really pointed out the absurdity of this comparison.
Me to that's what I was thinking 😂
Exactly.... You can get 24 Oster blenders for the price of 1 Vitamix....
@@mruncletheredge and none of those twenty would work as well as one vitamix
@@Walter-Anderson You're right... The Vitamix is a better blender...
But the smoothie he made in this video definitely WASN'T 24 TIMES BETTER...
Neither is the Vitamix...
Twice or 3 times better, I can accept....
24 times better???? Hell no...
yeah, vitamix is much better and worth the price, if you use a belnder regulary for a lot of different stuff. if you only use your blender once a mont to make a fruit-smoothie, you can buy the cheapest one you find ^^
I've had a Blendtec blender for 22 years. It is absolutely the best blender I have ever used. But now use the Vitamix inversion blender for just about everything ! I really love it.
The idea of making nut butter in a blender never occurred to me. This is life changing!
I’ve owned many blenders. I currently own a Vitamix and I’m pretty sure my first blender was an Oster. Oster blenders are really good for the price and most people aren’t making nut butter so they will last. You just need to add less ingredients to it, so as not to overload the motor. If you’re looking for something above the Oster but less than the Vitamix, try first a Ninja then a Blendtec. I still use a Ninja at work and I used a Blendtec until it burned out on me. You can buy them refurbished and they’ll last for years
My issue with "the Ninja blenders" are the blades and safe cleaning, as well as it's durability. Blendtec would have been my 2nd go to for high-quality as well, but never heard of one just burning out. Hmmm, guess Vitamix's shut-off mechanism is another good attribute. It's kicked in for me once or twice. Very grateful for that. 🌱
I have the original Ninja blender. Using the provided recipes, I never found it to liquify spinach for smoothies. They were always fibrous.
I just picked up a late 70s Hamilton Beach blender at a thrift shop. I didn't try crushing ice or making anything with frozen fruit but it made me pretty thick milkshake.
Thank you for this info. I was wondering where the others stand.
Never heard of Blendtec?
Are they reliable for making nut butters like Vitamix? 😀
This guy clearly knows his stuff, but must not have worked in a smoothie shop. Gotta put the ingredients in from softest to hardest. But still, what a great analysis and insight!
He was giving a worst case scenario for the blenders
Hmmm, so it's actually viable to make a smoothie at home 😅
Do you think that would've made a significant difference with the Oster?
@@kylovesart Yeah it actually wouldve same with the ice. The blender was working too hard because of its design.
@@gonzo191 I think the ice was just as hard throughout
It sure looked to me like the Oster blended the smoothie more completely, right down to liquid, while the Vitamix pulverized the fruit less completely, thus a thicker result. I don't see why the smoothie "holding its shape" is of any benefit. Personally, I would rather drink the liquid, not the thick goop.
Vitamix definitely makes a far more homogeneous smoothie.
@Chaos Ordeal,
Of course, personal preference is what matters__at the same time, smoothies are supposed to be 'thicker' consistency. 😺
@@GregJoshuaW in everyday life I could care less about how smooth my smoothie is💀
It was at this point that i suspected i was watching an ad. If the results were flipped im sure he would have deducted points from the cheap blender for producing a gooey smoothie that is hard to suck through a straw
My thoughts exactly😄
Definitely would love to see more videos like this from this guy!
I think they should’ve disclosed that this was an ad. When the expensive one failed to make mayonnaise he gave it another chance with double the ingredients. But never even once considered halving the ingredients when the cheap one failed. That’s bias
1.7k likes wow thanks
is it an ad?? genuinely curious since they didnt disclose it anywhere, so i assume it would not be?
@@kaemincha based on their tone I’m betting they are paid for it, which makes it an ad
@@kaemincha they’re trying to sell us a 600$ blender
@@kaemincha no i doubt. He was just biased bc he likes the product. More of a psychological thing
@@hirnfaser7245 it's a whole company behind this channel. He likely didn't write this. He's a presenter. The entire video stinks of #ad.
For the ice crushing, it was extremely clear that the ice to volume of the jug ratio was way off for the cheaper blender, so that’s why it had a really hard time crushing it
Also he said the Oster ice crushing setting is pulse based. Then he just holds the button. You are supposed to pulse it.
I would also note the the Oster had a HUGE chunk of ice in the blender, where as the Vitamix did not.
Its more important to put the same amount of ice
@@alexj.5207 no it's not, if the Oster isn't designed for that large of a serving and thd vitamix is, then it isn't a fair comparison
@@anthonymanzo9880Exactly! I said the same.
I own a high end blender I use a lot, and an Oster blender I almost never use. I also own a stick blender (Immersion blender.) I would definitely consider the stick blender with a slim vessel to mix in, a total replacement for the Oster blender.
Many people talking about price difference and design difference etc, this isn't about one uping blenders. It's all about what you use it for, how frequently you use it and how you want to use it. The video made that pretty clear.
Important to consider that the Oster is for 1 or 2 servings, the Vitamix for 6-8. Really qualifies the results. You consistently overloaded the Oster. It is literally the shape of the blades on the Oster that made the mayo better and thicker. The Vitamix is a chopping mixer not a blender.
Way more ice in the oster, this is SO biased.
THANK YOU!!! the test felt so rigged against the Oster. Had they done what they did for the Vitamix to the oster and lessened the amount put into the blender the result of both blenders would have been closer to each other.
@@pook6212 It's not way more ice, the Oster is just smaller
He messed everything up
Both of those jugs have a max fill line and he didn't go above it.
I mean hell, what was everyone expecting? The 30 dollar blender beating the 650 dollar one?
If you make a lot of Mayo, then buy a stick blender, pour all the ingredients except oil in the bottom of a narrow container, insert the stick blender and then pour the oil in. Turn on the stick blender, and lift it up through the oil slowly 😉
Or, if you don't make a lot of mayo, you can do the same with just a bowl and a whisk. It's a bit of an arm workout, but it ain't hard.
I make a lot of mayo and my 1956 Oster does it perfectly. Stick blenders are great, too, but the can splatter if you aren't super focused. Guess how I know that.....
My point was mostly, that if it is what you buy a blender for, then I think it is better to buy a stick blender 😊
Another addition I'd make is to place the stick blender just over the egg yolk. That way it blends quickly and you should be able to load all the ingredients first; no slow pouring of the oil. Egg first, everything else, oil on top. Stick in blender over yolk. Turn on high and slowly lift up the blender.
@@raccoonking7566 It can be hard. I've done dozens of attempts at hand whisking mayo and it never works, no matter if I drip the oil in slower than molasses. It either breaks or is too thin or comes out practically neon yellow instead of a gentle yellowish white. I can make all kinds of complicated emulsions but stupid mayo will never work by hand for me and the blender doesn't cut it either. On the other hand the stick blender makes it actually work.
I had gone through 3 kitchenaid blenders. they all quickly developed a serious leak where the blade shaft passed through the carafe. I could no longer tolerate sauces leaking out and making a huge mess, so I splurged and got a Vitamix. The Vitamix has worked well for several years and looks like it will be working long enough for me to hand it down to my daughters for another lifetime of use.
You should have tested the third option, namely to have a servant who will do whatever you tell him. That's very universal, eco friendly and pays off beautifully on a long run.
I think that the $25 one's problems could be solved with just patience. "Oh you can't crush all this ice? ok I'll add gradually." I understand that isn't the point of this video, but I feel like it is a great solution.
Letting the blades stop and using rhe spatula to move some ice would work too. This felt like an ad the way some of these contests seemed to lack the same standards (two attempts at Mayo)
@@JoshuaBost yeah, like bro, its a testing review, you don’t be biased and give second chances, especially when you change the recipe?
@@theharvinator I'm not suite sure if this is in agreement or being sarcastic. To be clear either way, giving up on the ice test for one, but providing extra opportunities for the other seems like it's trying harder to make one seem better. If the viewer was already wondering if they were watching an unannounced paid sponsorship this really doesn't help confidence.
"Here's how you might fix or mitigate this issue" commentary shouldn't be provided for one and not the other, especially when there seemed a good opportunity to provide that balance with the ice test, and instead it was "I just give up"
And you save $575 which can buy a lot of smoothie ingredients.
And thats how we save money over here, wey call it patience ❤️
As an engineering student it was really interesting to learn that some blenders intentionally induce cavitation. That's really clever.
Doesn't cavitation damage blades over time?
@@pauljones9150 Absolutely, but I think it's only a serious concern with pumps, since they often need to run uninterrupted for years at a time. Cavitation takes time to do damage. For a small consumer device it's probably not so serious since it only runs for a few seconds at a time. I guess eventually the blender will also show damage and fail, but it's probably got planned obsolescence anyway.
Also an engineer here, I think what really surprises me more is that shape has a lot to do with performance. Not necessarily quality, motor, or price for that matter. If the Oster had changed the shape of the plastic+blades to match, It would literally just be a cheaper Vitamix.
Cavitation is in fact the main mechanism all blenders work on. While I agree with his conclusion the vitamix has better blades/rpm for cavitation (and is a marketing point made by vitamix), I would be extremely surprised if the oster wasn't also producing cavitation. I would think the vertical angle of the blade has little affect on cavitation, as the cavitation is produced on the trailing edge. The main purpose of the blades is to cut up the food and release stored water for the cavitation to occur in. There are some good videos (including some good slow motion) which demonstrate the fact. This doesn't apply to chopping ice/crushing nuts. The force of cavitation gets the food to much smaller pieces than the blades can alone. If the oster wasn't producing cavitation, it should be classified as a food processor.
As a high school dropout turned heroine junky, I agree.
2:05 Cavitation.
Very educational. I had no idea about that; I thought it was all just slice it all into particles until it's a liquid. Thank you.
They are testing a fairly high end model of the Vitamix. There are other less expensive options. Mine simply has an on/off switch, dial to adjust speed, and a turbo switch for things that require more power to blend. I also got a reconditioned unit from an outlet store. This was 5 or 6 years ago, but I paid less than $200 for it.
The less expensive vitamixes are still just as powerful, but without the fancy settings. They do the same job, you've just got to operate it manually.
Two things:
1) He said the square base allows more material to reach the base, but completely missed the biggest design intent of it: to create more turbulence in the mix. Turbulence within the vortex makes mixing so much better.
2) The Vitamix couldn't make mayo more likely because of speed, not because of the larger base. The lowest speed setting on the Vitamix is for sure lower than the lowest speed on the Oster. Instead of doubling the ingredients, which helped a bit, if he used the next higher speed on the Vitamix I bet that would've worked.
Good product comparison video but I expected better technical content from a video titled "Design Engineer Tests ..."
It was no sandy Munro review but it was aight. Good comment
😆😆😆😆😆
actually the mayo part he was right. speed is not the issue here, the problem was vitamix had a wider bottom in which the igredients was thrown away and couldnt flow back in to the blades. speed has nothing to do with it
Anyone who is making mayo in their fullsize countertop blender, when that's what immersion/stick blenders are for :/
Perfect every time, never had a failure, done in seconds.
nobody makes a smal bit of mayo in a big blender. makes absolutely no sense and was the worst part of this video ^^
this is probably the first time I've ever seen a smoothie evaluated on how it holds its shape
Nobody brags about them being thin
Smoothie so thick, you can put it on a piece of bread.
This was very helpful. Thank you
Thank you! Been trying to decide which blender to buy.
I love how the crush ice setting on the cheo blender clearly states "PULSE" and this buffoon just held the button pressed and acted as if it wasn't crushing it. Because, you know, you're meant to PULSE IT.
God, i hate ads.
It bothered me sooo much that he didn't pluse!!! Like what, and give it a shake too. Lol.
Maybe he thought it pulsed automatically and you hold it down to use that setting. That’s how I would have used it, I feel like it should have said “manual” in that case. I mean buttons for machines tend to say what it does when pressed, not what you should be doing to it.
@@sionnfox6893 I doubt he didn't know, he probably tested them before filiming.
@@sionnfox6893 That is never how the pulse buttons on blenders ever worked. Pulse has always been on when pressed and off when released as opposed to the other settings where you have to push the off button to stop.
Also it says in the user manual to put max 2 cup of ice, and he used 4 cups of ice. Engineers typically read user manuals...
I'd love to see kitchen appliance designers talk about cleanability. I've bought some tools and appliances that were poorly designed for cleaning, some were fairly expensive.
I have a pan lid that is one of the worst offenders in my kitchen. Liquid gets trapped in the lid between the glass and the metal rim. You can see how disgusting it gets as oils get trapped and just go rancid. It impossible to properly clean.
I have a few other items that are also impossible to fully clean and some items I purposefully broke so it could come apart for cleaning.
I feel like many designers don't even think about cleanability, even for expesnive tools and appliances. It's infuriating.
Agree! I have a smoothie maker that takes about 15 minutes to clean properly after each blend... meanwhile the smoothie it made took 1 minute to drink...
I have to forget how difficult it is to clean before I make myself another smoothie!
For my blender which was about twice what that oster cost all you have to do to clean the carafe is fill about 1/4 the container with water and add a squeeze of liquid dishwashing soap. Then put on the lid and use the puree mode or just blend at a high speed to turn that mixture into very small bubbles of soap that cleans the entire inside of the container. Rinse well after doing this.
Ugh i hate that i hope they do too
Boil the lid (may add baking soda too), scrub off with brush under running water.
If you worry about plastic handle, just leave it unsubmerged.
Those types of lids you can clean with a soft or medium brush. This is how I clean mine.
I have an older Vitamix with the classic tall, narrow container. Although it's harder to scoop out the finished product, the narrow base keeps the ingredients together and cuts down on un-blended chunks better than the newer, wider containers. I've never tried to make mayo with it but I wonder if it would give the result Vincent is looking for.
Great review. But, I worked in a bar when I was young. We used to make crushed ice from commercial half-hollow cubes. But we used far less ice. This was faster, and gave each drink its own ice. I am not sure how your blenders would do in a bar test.
Honest question. Was he paid by the company that owns Vitamix for this video?
This video would have been better if he didn't skew the results so heavily in favor of the $600 one:
In the smoothy test, he added the ingredients in a way that gave the more expensive and more powerful one the edge allowing it to faster and more easily blend the ingredients. If he put the mango on top of the spinach, the weight would have pushed it down much better on the cheaper one allowing them to blend easier. I actually prefer my smoothies a tad more on the liquid side so I can drink them with a straw or out of a glass instead of needing a spoon.
In the Ice test, he put too much ice in the cheap one and didn't even use the pulse feature. He just held down the button. If he didn't use as much ice and actually used the pulse correctly, the results would have been more or less the same.
In the nut butter test it can be hard to tell when they speed it up, but when it goes back to normal speed you can clearly see he is using a lot of force on the tamp to push down the mix on the cheap one. Also if you compare how long each was running, the cheap one was in use at least 3x as long. I am honestly surprised the motor didn't completely seize up after running that long with that much force being applied to the blades.
I am so glad it wasn’t just me, it’s so fake and biased feeling!
I was looking for this comment.
Not even that, you can clearly see that on the nut test he put almost double the amount of nuts on the cheap blender. This test was rigged so they would fail because:
1: People would always add oil as the nuts start to blend
2: The ice setting on the cheap blender clearly instructs "PULSE" and he just straight up pressed the button and called it a fail
3: Even when the 600$ blender failed on the mayo he still gave it another chance, something he didn't do with the cheap blender
4: You can perfectly see in the way he talks about the Vitamix that he was using key words to describe it so that it would seem like 600$ dollars was a bargain when in fact it almost got outclassed by a 25$ product
Lmao this needs to be on top. He literally read the brochure for vitamix
@@alanwatts8239 He used 750ml almonds for both. It just looks like more in the Oster because the container is narrower. But pay attention to the actual markings on the container and you'll see it's the same amount.
Just a personal choice: If I were going to have a smoothie say prior to working out my preference would be something that has more of a liquid consistency as opposed to a thick- like soup consistency; the Oster blender looked more appealing (IMO)
You can just blend it a bit longer to thin it out. They didn't really mention how long they blended for
Glass pitcher is great, too.
@@torinblosser1575 There’s a point where the Oster can’t go-the Vitamix makes micro micro chunks. I have both and personally, for everyday normal stuff, I prefer the Oster.
Save the smoothie until post workout. Actually just fast all day and eat big before bed. You're welcome. -i don't have reply notifications on
Same. Was wondering why somebody would want their smoothie to hold its shape, when you are supposed to drink it.
With the Vitamix you have to do it in small batches, but it does a great job for things like mojito. Southern Spanish dishes like Gazpacho or Salmorejo, you get an incredible texture.
I bit the bullet and bought a Blendtec years ago for the family. Up until that point, I too had said "why is it worth it to spend so much on a blender".
I dare say that thing changed my life...it's (still, 5 years later) the best blender I've ever owned, and we used it all the time for everything from mayonnaise to soups to smoothies. You just can't really understand how much it makes a difference until you have one I guess.
When working with a cheap motor with tougher materials the pulse option should always be used.
Dunno about that particular blender but it says it in the manuals of cheap blenders in the UK.
This is to prevent overheating. 👍
He purposely overheat the cheap blender. It is like he never knows about the pulse option
I dont care if it can blend my deep rooted issues into a smoothie, im not paying $600 for a blender.
Thats insane!!
then dont do it. no ones forcing you.
I know, its crazy that theres people who have so much disposable income that they actually buy it
@@tomdragon3881 No it's not? Even if you make minimum wage this is 6 days of work. Most adults are making 2-3x that. Plus you're buying a product that will last far longer and works better and easier. It's just a product for a person with an established career, once you're comfortably saving for retirement and have plenty disposable income you get to buy things that make 10 minutes of your day just slightly more comfortable.
@@tomdragon3881 $600 for a blender isn’t that expensive at all. A vitamix is gonna last 10+ years if you’re someone who blends stuff 4+ times a week there’s no reason not to buy a vitamix. Take smoothies for example making a smoothie at home you may save $5 per smoothie. That’s only 120 smoothies before you’re breaking even.
As people have already mentioned, it's just a matter of needs. A chef (or just a cooking enthusiast) buying a $600 blender makes sense. If you're going to use something a lot, no matter what it is, it behooves you to buy the better, more efficient brand of something. It's not more expensive just because. There are features, better parts, etc, that goes into the pricing.
I'd love to see a three-way comparison between Vitamix, Blendtec, and Ninja blenders. That's a good range of price points.
BWAHAHAHAHA the classical soft music right when the blending started was icing on the cake! I busted out laughing sooo hard! 🤣
I smoked two Vitamix's making almond butter. Both time it was after nearly daily use for several months including making almond butter every week. I bought them at Costco, so they were replaced, but now with my third Vitamix, I avoid making almond butter.
Just a quick tip: use a high speed for nut butters to prevent the motor from overheating, the cooling mechanism works best when the motor is going fast. Bit counterintuitive.
@@vinny3144 Thank you. I didn't know that. I'll try that next time.
Also add some (healthy) oil, and do smaller batches. Same with any blender.
I'm glad he mentioned shape of the vessel as a factor in the performance of the blender. A lot of people simply overlook the shape of the pitcher/vessel or outright ignore it when it's perhaps _THE_ most important factor in how well a blender performs.
Also, the fact that he mentions cavitation is nice, but I believe he should also have mentioned that cavitation = shorter life for the blade.
Cavitation is such a powerful phenomenon that it literally eats away at the propellers of boats and ships. So the Vitamix's blade will need replacing quicker than the Oster's.
(By the way, Oster's blades will also create cavitation at those sorts of speeds. Just not as strongly as the other one.)
But I guess if you're paying $600 for a blender, that's not necessarily a consideration for you.
The "blades" on the vitamix aren't sharp and they are made out high quality steel, from what I've read. I know that you can run your finger across the blade and not get cut.
The first time I made a smoothie in my vitamin, I realized I had never truly made a smoothie before. I had made fruit salsa. It was amazing.
I love my oyster. The pitcher is made of glass so it won’t absorb any aromas. No hidden cracks and crevices so it truly feels clean! I’ve had mine for over 4 years.
I've made a lot of nut butter with an Oster. I don't know what you did to make it smoke. The Oster can definitely do nut butters to whatever consistency you want. Still, once I got a food processor, that was definitely better than any blender for nut butters.
You can clearly see he put double the amount of nuts on the cheap one so that it would fail.
Why don't you just tell the audience straight away that this was an AD for the Vitamix?
Also, i love how a blender that's 25x cheaper still managed to make better mayo. lmao
This isn’t an ad it just feels like one because they’re comparing two products where one is significantly better and he’s also reading a script which makes it feel really unnatural
@@kmradosevich is it significantly better though? I own a vitamix but it seems like he intentionally used the oster wrong and didn't read the instructions for it at all. To me the advantage of the vitamix is that it's sturdier and will last longer but this performance test was not fair at all. People think it's an ad because it's usually in ads that the competing product is used wrongly
@@khamjaninja. thats what a Vitamix employee would replay.
didnt see anywhere a sign of an ad, just a dumb comparation on a premium vs cheap appliance... you should do a walk or something to stop being salty lmao
@@user-qp5xh9ky4t imo the vitamin is significantly better, i’ve used both and smoothies made in a vitamix are way smoother and you don’t have to add as much liquid for it to blend
I'd love to see this same test with vintage blenders. I've always wondered how my Warring Commercial Blendor would do against a modern blender.
after years of wear and tear - the Vitamix sprocket does wear down... had to buy a replacement a couple years back. But again well designed to allow for a change, so you don't have to go out and buy a whole new unit, just replace the blade unit.
I have the Oster and honestly, the Ice function is mostly for making iced mixed drinks like blended margaritas. I think you would find it work much better with liquid, same as the almond butter; there should have been fewer almonds and some oil in the jug to give it a chance to work the way it was intended.
But if you wanna give me $600... I'll probably use it to buy my kids some awesome Christmas gifts. I ain't gonna buy a Vitamix unless I'm making 6 figures a year.
if i was given a vitamix id definitely use it, but id probably still end up buying an oster cus honestly who needs a vitamix, unless youre crushing rocks 😂
@@mike7546 sell it instead, free 6 hundos
If you want better nut butters the vitamix is like the only option. Smoothies taste better too. But i went with ninja, even though i know it is inferior.
@@SpecterNeverSpectator makes so much sense hahahaha
@@sprockkets im lucky my country has markets where you could buy pure and fresh peanut butter
Should have used less almonds for the oster since the container is a lot smaller
Love it. Thanks for sharing
When you described the ice crushing from vitamix as perfect I knew you were sponsored.
I have the oster one in red, works fine, but you need to read the instructions on how to use it in order to properly blend tougher things like ice. Youre not supposed to blend just ice by itself like that in any blenders, there should be liquid with it. I make great smoothies in my oster all the time.
Looks like he had too much ice in there, the smaller container should make you use less ice.
Sadly I learned this the hard way… once I was blending an icee I put in the freezer and it was like rock. The blender got cold and therefore fragile so the moment the ice hit the glass it all shattered and I cut myself.
@@ashleygovender815 exactly. He put way more ice in the blender than he did in the vitamix. The whole video was like a vitamix ad.
Who blend ice without adding a little bit of water ? I know that since i was 9
Getting very strong “I’m too stupid for logic/dumb infomercial vibes”. He did everything wrong on the cheaper blender on purpose to make the $600 one look better. If it was really that great you’d actually do things the same and give it a fair chance.
it was unfair too with the model of oster. Oster has a 14 and 16 speed blenders with the same 4 blade mechanism as the vitamix. and i think it would've worked better than the model he has.
What did he do wrong?
@@timm8998 man literally dumped 3x the amount of ice into the cheaper one than the 600$ one. Video reeks of bias
@@futurepastnull11 same amount of ice the Oster is just smaller
@@juts89 he also does not know how to use the "pulse" button. Also, the oyster isn't meant to make the same serving size it's a much smaller blender. So maybe he should have put 1/4th the ice since it makes only 1/4th the servings as a Vitamix. It's like getting a small cup and saying it cannot hold the same amount of water as a large jug so it sucks.
12:20 yeah, As a vitamix owner “5300 64oz (red)” I hate the spout. For a couple of months I tried to convince myself that it was a “premium design” but no. The container is great but the spout makes pouring the worst part of the experience. I don’t know how it got past QC. Still very usable but these blenders are expensive so I’m not cutting any slack.
Pretty sure my brother also have complained about that. Yeah, it's surprising that they didn't consider it.
We have a couple of Vitamix blenders at home for more then 20 years, only replaced a blender jar, we use them every single day in our lives, making sauces, smoothies, ice-creams, soups, salsas, nut milk, you name it we make it. A cheap blender will never catch up of what we make. Really worth it on the long road.
I got an $80 Philips blender and it does the job just as well as the Vitamix.
The key is to get a good value blender instead of underpaying for a blender that breaks or overpaying for a blender that's DEFINITELY not worth the price.
11:00 Missed opportunity to say "It's all coarse, and rough, and irritating. And it gets everywhere."
This is so informative!
Good review. I have a Vitamix Prep 3. It's a commercial work horse. You may not realise but you can get different blade sets for different jobs (eh Mayo!). Superb.
I think the biggest effect of the outcome is the shape of the container the blending is happening in. Larger objects seem to need more extra space on the sides for the powder to fall into while the larger chunk roll down the middle to the blade.
Agreed. Vessel shape and blade configuration.
I would've liked it if he gave the Oster a second chance on the ice. Idk if it was editing, but it felt like he gave up too soon on the ice challenge. When it came to the mayo comparison he gave that overpriced emulsifier another shot. The question was never answered whether or not the Vitamix was worth the $600 price tag.
Yes, he should have re-tried the Oster with half the ice. Also, take the pitcher off the base with lid on and give it a good shake, then replace and re-start, rather than use a spatula. Do this repeatedly if necessary, until the bigger pieces of ice crush.
He should have pulsed it on and off repeatedly as was symbolized on the blender below the button. In all fairness, it's not that obvious by looking at the machine, but may have been described in the manual.
Most blenders user manuals tell you must put the ice cubes one by one and wait for the last one to get crushed before you add another
Clearly biased
He kind of did answer the question, he said it's personal preference. I know how to crush ice with a cheap blender, but would I use it to make nut butter (or even Mayo)? No. My time would better spent elsewhere
I ran a donut/ice cream store for many years. Hamiltan Beech blenders overheated and failed many times. I saw an ad for Vitamix out of Florida and it was great. This was in the early eighty's
EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE!!
"The oster can shatter if dropped"
Test it, ive dropped mine atleast 3x nowhere near breaking, that glass is thick as oatmeal
"One comes out a bit more watery but thats up for you to decide :)"
For 600$ ill say no
“This showed me that the vitamix blade moves twice as faster” the way he talks reminds me of the way I’d write up my engineering course reports😂 bless him
Catching myself more than halfway through the vid wondering whyyy am I watching this and enjoying it so much
wow, product placement at it's finnest! Thank you for telling us a $600 product is better than a $25 one :O
He is also saying why and what makes them better and what features make them what they are
Ikr. I can’t wait for the next video comparing a Toyota Corolla to a Mercedes S Class.
The heat produced by the Vitamix is also a huge factor in producing a smooth nut butter. Heat helps the oil release from the nut/seed. The Oster doesn't get nearly as hot as the Vitamix, oil wasn't released, and thus the nut butter stayed grainy.
Then how did The Oster smoke?
@@yoongs3878 the engine overheated - doesn't mean that the jug/blades got hot.
thank you...I have an Oster costing less than $50 which performs a heck of a lot better than the $25 you have...it has six speeds plus a ice crusher button and a separate hi/lo speed switch...when blending i can see the smoothie pulsating...never have an issue with ice added to my smoothie - all of it gets pulverized...and the design is quite similar to the $25 machine you show but the performance is more than acceptable for making a smoothie...and I make one at least four to five times each week...take care...just sharing my experience..
About 10 years ago my family had an Oster Master blender, it was a wonderful blender.
I have had other blenders but none have come close to the quality that that blender gave, too bad that due to a problem in my electricity it ended up being damaged.
But how me and my family loved that blender,Juices,Smoothies and crush ice. We are currently unable to afford another Oster Master Series blender, but every time we test a new blender we always mention it. (Now we have an old oster blender, it is repaired, but it only has one speed, it still works to make mango juice without problems)
It would be cool to see a comparison between the Oster and something like maybe the Ninja Blender. Both in similar price ranges to see if there’s really a difference by spending the extra bucks. This is pretty cool too, though!
I think the most important thing to mention here is to respect the design you're using, regardless of the price, and use it accordingly. The Oster has a gearing that slips: So don't hold the motor on for long periods of time on tough workloads. I'm sure the manual mentions that as well. Also don't overload the container. The Oster normally doesn't need a tamp for amounts it was designed for.
I've never had to use a tamp in my Oster and I use it daily. The only blender I've ever used a tamp on was a cheapie one I got as a xmas gift once that sold itself as a smoothie maker but it was plastic gears so not really sturdy...
I’ve played around with all sorts of blenders over the years, all cheapo models that have suited my needs at the time. Even bought an original Vitamix with the metal container (it made soup!) but nothing compares to my KitchenAid Pro Line Series. It’s a tank and should last for the rest of my life and my kid’s as well. It’s an amazing blender.
That is why I love my new Vitamix. I make delicious, healthy, hot soup right in the container 2 to 3 times a week.
Where was this video in 2016 when I needed it for my 2017 Leaving Cert DCG project?!
Loved this episode! More of these types, and Vincent is really cool as well!
Awesome video, really appreciate Vincent going into the technical details of the blenders' designs.
I have burned out some blenders and many people really said VitaMix was the best. I watched Americas Test Kitchen and did other research. I borrowed a VitaMix and ended up going with the Breville Hemisphere. It is still working fine, the only thing I don't like is the little finger pull on the lid because when it is on I can't slide it into the area where I store it. Important things to consider are the storage space of the item, replacement parts, and repair options. Cleaning, is the blade base removable and if not how will you clean the bottom of the jar/blades? I also own a Bullet Blender that I even use to chop soap chips. I have a couple different stick blenders that make soups and smoothies. They don't need to do ice since I put frozen peas in my smoothies instead. Really enjoyed your video.
There's actually a special container for the Vitamix that has a flat disc "blade" (aer-disc I think) and is supposed to work especially for emulsifying among other things. I've got one, but haven't bothered trying to make mayo yet.