KitchenAid KHB100ER Hand Blender, Empire Red
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Our Price: $98.95 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $81.45 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of KitchenAid KHB100ER Hand Blender, Empire Red
Customer Review: A great blender and bling bling too!
Summary: 5 Stars
You have to admit, Kitchenaid did right when they released their line of color coordinated products. Two years ago when mom wanted to treat herself to a nice kitchen appliance, she stockpiled her gift certificates and watched sales at our local department store (Where my brothers always give her gift cards at christmas). One day I took her over (she was in her mid 70's at the time and didn't drive) and we bought an Empire Red kitchenaid stand mixer. With her senior citizen discount, gift cards, current kitchenaid rebate...she barely paid[...]for the mixer out of pocket. For a [...] mixer, she was elated. Mom loved that mixer and used it heavy during the last year of her life. Now that she passed and I've inherited the mixer with the kitchen, I'm in the process of outfitting the kitchen with the rest of the kitchenaid lineup, including this immersion blender, the 12cup food processor, and the 5 speed blender. I'll pass on the color coordinated toaster, toaster oven, and beater for now. :P
This immersion blender rocks for a few reasons. It may be a plastic handle, but the immersed part is stainless steel, as is the blade. It's Perfect for using right in the pot to give that butternut squash soup the velvety texture you can only achieve while blending it hot, without needing to dig out the traditional blender.
The bottom attachment detaches making it dishwasher capable, although I only hand wash my precious appliances like this. I don't trust the plastic housing in repeated dishwasher cycles. The unit has 9 speeds, which allows you to achieve the right consistancy/texture for the right job. You also have the option of buying two attachments for the blender...a single whisk or a chopping container. Both are nice, but I'll stick with my spice grinder to chop (or food processor with mini-bowl) and my dual beater hand blender to...beat stuff!
Aside from my dislike for the attachments, the fact you CAN put attachments on it, and this stick blender is very high quality construction with a speed knob makes it a great value for the money. You pay a bit more for kitchenaid products, but you also get your money back in the longevity of the product. my old immersion blender was a hamilton beach plastic piece of junk that broke after a small fall...the design rendered it completely useless if a small plastic peg breaks in the top of that machine. The design of the kitchenaid is a lot better! Also I trust a metal shaft to tolerate heat better than a plastic one of cheaper blenders.
This blender also came in empire red to match mom's stand mixer. I reccomend any color variants of this blender highly!
Customer Review: Unsanitary - eventually may cause food poisoning
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought this to replace a Braun I had for 15 + years. This was to replace the cheap Braun on which the motor finally gave out after thousands of uses. I have the most expensive Braun and it is the best ever made, however Braun has stopped making hand blenders all together (I wrote to Braun and that is what they told me). I have always thought kitchen aid to be a great product and in the past they were, until they sold out to Westinghouse. The blender works well, although the slowest speed is higher than medium speed on my Braun.
The problem is the seal on the bottom of the mixing shaft under the blade. There is a rubber gasket or sealer that does not seal, but traps blended food under it. After a through washing and allowing it to stand and dry the food particles leak out and dry. I used mine daily, week days at work, to make a whole food/protein shake. Each day I washed it thoroughly and dried it. The next day I would take it to make my shake and note that particles of yesterdays shake had seeped out from under the rubber seal. I tried cleaning under the seal on the outside only to discover that the problem also appears to be in the center next to the shaft where it is impossible to clean. I could actually see food trapped half under the rubber seal and there is no way to clean it out. My shakes are green in color and I can see the green, gradually turn to brown, on the outer edge of the rubber seal and again whole food trapped under the center.
Amazon has been great about returning products that are defective and has assured me that they will get me a full refund for this product. My problem now is finding a quality hand blender equal to the top of the line Braun to replace this KA.
If i can see the very bottom where the blade and seal are it would make the purchase easier. Braun put a stainless steel plate with an O ring in the center and what appears to be a durable sealant on the base. That is how you make a quality product, not the way kitchen aid made this product. If they would fix this problem, the rest of the blender has worked fine 5 days a week for 4 months.
Customer Review: Handy, But Not Perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this on a whim when I wanted to make a soup that needed to be pureed. It pureed it like a dream, very quickly--whole cloves of garlic vanished. It was much more convenient than putting HOT soup in a blender, small quantities at a time. What a mess that made!
Whether or not this is a worthwhile purchase for you really depends on your needs in your kitchen.
That being said, here are a few thoughts:
1. It's a little bit heard to clean the underside of the blade by hand. Probably the best way would be to immerse it in hot soapy water and blend. I personally prefer cleaning things like this immediately rather than putting it in the dishwasher, but it certainly is dishwasher-safe.
2. No ON switch, just pulse. But I find that preferable, as the pulse switch is located on the grip, and considering the sharpness of the blades, it's a good safety feature.
3. Power levels go up to 9, but I find the lower setting to generally be sufficient. When the setting is too high, the blades create a powerful suction with the bottom of the container. This can grow annoying at times.
4. This doesn't replace a blender nor does it replace a handmixer. If you make shakes or smoothies, soups, or other foods requiring puree, and find your blender for some of these to be cumbersome, this product may be something to consider.
5. The cup it comes with seemed really handy when I opened the box, but so far I've used it for nothing more than a holding container for the appliance on my counter top.
Customer Review: Loved it while it lasted
Summary: 2 Stars
We too suffered from the burned out motor, or some kinda issue internally where the motor tries to spin, but it just makes a horrible squealing sound. So - calling Kitchenaid within the 12 month warranty they instantly advised it was out of Warranty after taking the serial number. Then I argued the fact with them that it should still be covered as it was only purchased within the last 12 months. Had to email them the Amazon Receipt, which was no big deal. A replacement is being sent as we speak.
While it was working, we loved this thing. No - It is not good for trying to blend a smoothie that has ice cubes in it. It just can't break the ice and the ice gets jammed in the blade, which is most likely what caused the issue with ours. But it is awesome for blending soups while still in the cooking pot, plus is very very good for home made Marinara sauce - where you don't need that perfectly smooth texture. Just throw the Tomatoes, Basil, Garlic, Mushrooms, Zucchini and anything else you wanna throw in there in a big pot with some brown sugar and a few cups of water. Then boil it all down and blend it - Perfect Marinara sauce.
Will be happy with the replacement arrives, but unfortunately reading some of the other reviews, this product definitely has some build issues.
Customer Review: great hand blender for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned this hand blender for almost a year now, and I really like the power that I get from it. I have mixed smoothies with frozen berries and peaches with it, and used it to do my mixing chores when I was on vacation last year, cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my friends. It worked wonderfully, and I really like how much reserve power I had with it when I was doing some major mixing jobs. I keep mine at speed nine most of the time, though I really like the variable speeds when I'm mixing delicate mixtures. I like how easy it is to clean, with the removable attachments. I have washed the attachment in the dishwasher and I find that it gets it really clean. I haven't had some of the breakdown issues that some of the other reviewers have had. I also like the really long cord, as I have a kitchen with a power strip that is the only way to plug in, and I can reach the counter really easily with the longer cord.
I'm glad I went with the KHB100, rather than the 300, because I didn't need all the extra attachments and clutter. I also liked the price that I got this for, ($34.99!!! :-) ) I was able to get my friend a great KA Christmas Present.....
I rate this a five for durability, and power....
Vernon