blender ?

[bort]

Get a vitamix.

[Dan Schultz]

I have an old Sunbeam from Sears... about 1960, I think. Built like a tank and more chrome than '59 Cadillac. I'll be it would pulverize walnuts!

[Donn]

We have a Vitamix (I reckon this is what bort's referring to.)

I have had blenders before, and didn't have a lot of use for them because of frustrating failure to work effectively - they'd jam or clog, or the stuff couldn't be poked down into the blades. This is in principle likewise a blender, but what a difference size and horsepower makes!

The thing has enough power that you can throw in some asparagus and water and blend it until you have cooked asparagus soup - the blending action will heat it to near boiling. I don't particularly care for the results, but it does work.

Like many customers, we ordered ours from the factory, somewhere in the midwest. It has been a few years. Eventually something gave out in the blade unit, I forget the exact details but I'm pretty sure we were sent a replacement blade unit and container at no cost.

I don't believe in mushy daiquirís - it's a crushed ice and lime drink in my opinion, not blended ice and strawberries or whatever BS - but I've seen people burn out department store blenders trying to blend ice. Vitamix or Blendtec, no problem.

[iiipopes]

The original Waring Blender. Often imitated, never equaled.

[opus37]

Another vote for Vitamix.

[Uncle Buck]

We bought a Vitamix about ten years ago. Paid about $400. We've used it a TON over the past ten years, performance and versatility are both excellent, and I expect to get multiple more decades of use out of it.

[iiipopes]

The original Waring Blender. Often imitated, never equaled.

this...or something else...?

Yep.

[sliphorn]

We also have a Vitamix. I burned the motor out of the first one but they replaced it with no problem.

[adsteve]

I bought a pretty expensive Kitchen Aide a few years ago that I use primarily for smoothies. I haven't had a single problem and have been making 3-5 a week since I got it.

[MikeW]

I have an old Sunbeam from Sears... about 1960, I think. Built like a tank and more chrome than '59 Cadillac. I'll be it would pulverize walnuts!

Actually, it won't - at least not with the shells still on. The woman who lived opposite our local newsagent tried just that: the shells shattered the ribs inside the glass container, and then settled down and jammed the blades. The motor on that thing was so powerful, it ripped the coupling clean off of the bottom of the jug. I bought the remains at a rummage sale: It worked fine after I replaced the coupling (can't remember where I got the new one).

[bearphonium]

Vitamix. Had one for about 20 years.

[jon112780]

Don't get a wide neck blender, it can be more difficult to puree foods and get them completely smooth.

[Dan Schultz]

I bought this one at a rummage sale for $2 a while back.