Oster 6684 12-Speed Blender, Black
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Our Price: $29.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $19.99 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Oster 6684 12-Speed Blender, Black
Customer Review: works well, but manfacturer makes it difficult to fix simple problem yourself
Summary: 4 Stars
I actually own the Oster 6646 but am writing the review here because the 6646 appears to be no longer caried by Amazon and the 6684 is simply the black version of the 6646.
First, the good: This blender does a very good job of blending ingredients, including frozen ones, into drinks of consistent texture. No lumpy pieces of fruit or bits of ice hiding in the drink. It also does a good job of pulling the ingredients down the side of the jar and around the blades so that everything gets blended properly.
Now, the bad: Shortly after my 1-year warranty expired, I turned on my blender one day and it abruptly turned off after about one second. I actually think this was my fault as I didn't have the jar seated quite right and I had some ice cubes at the bottom of the jar right by the blades. At any rate, to make a long story short I was left with the option to either (a) pay to get the blender repaired, which would have cost over half what one costs new; (b) throw the blender away; or (c) try to fix the thing myself. I had a hunch that perhaps I could find a fuse inside that had blown, so I attempted to take apart the blender. I tried A LOT of different screwdrivers, both at home and at work, and I could not get any of them to grip the screws properly to remove them. I took the blender to my local hardware store and, after a lot of patience, was finally able to remove the screws. While I readily found a fuse, the hardware store said they didn't have a matching replacement fuse. A little frustrated but still determined, I went to yet another hardware store; a seemingly knowledgeable clerk there told me that I would probably have a hard time finding the proper fuse because of the filament design, even though the fuse is labeled as a 5 amp 125 volt fuse. Still determined, I went to Radio Shack. Though they did not have a fuse that looked the same in terms of filament, the guy there assured me that a slow blowing 5 amp 250 volt fuse should work just fine. And guess what -- he was right. So now I have an additional three back up fuses in case it blows again, for a total out of pocket cost of less than 10% what a new blender would cost. Now my search is on for replacement screws so I can attach the bottom of the unit to the base again.
I guess I can't totally fault Oster for not making a consumer level repair more easy. I think this is true across the board for consumer electronics today. Still, I hate to think of all of the perfectly good machines out there that get tossed in the garbage and end up in a landfill (even though there are toxic components inside) that just maybe would be put back into service by the people who owned them if the manufacturer gave simple instructions for something as simple as replacing a fuse and didn't assemble the device so as to discourage people from trying to take it apart.
Customer Review: Disappointed
Summary: 2 Stars
I had the same Oster for over 30 years which performed great until recently when it began to smell like plastic burning, so I decided it needed replacing and bought a new Oster because my old one was perfect.
First, I was very disappointed when I opened the box and saw turquoise buttons on the front. I did not notice the color of the buttons when ordering and just assumed they would be chrome like my previous blender. The color clashes with my kitchen decor and what is even worse, the speed labels are difficult to read in the turquoise on black.
Second, my old Oster blender had a button you chose for speed and then an on/off switch that I liked better than pushing the speed button and it starts immediately and then needing to push another button to turn it off.
Third, the jar does not sit firmly in the bowl and feels wobbly even when it should be locked into place. I read of only one other person who had this problem on the reviews. So, I assume I also received a faulty plastic screw on bottom as my old jar does fit in the blender base.
Third, I like the glass jar which my old Oster also had, but I do not like the wide shape with a curvy top. It makes pouring more difficult and the curvy top makes the lid hard to get on and off quickly. The lid is also a less rigid plastic which makes it harder to manage as well.
Fourth, It is much louder and strange sounding than my old Oster, and since the jar is not seated securely, I fear it will fly off the base.
Fifth, The base is taller and wider than my old Oster and I find it hard to pick up and move around on the counter.
It does seem to blend my smoothie okay, but I would return it except I don't want to pay for shipping it back. As someone said Walmart has the same blender for $29,95.
Customer Review: Look no further. This blender is AWESOME!
Summary: 5 Stars
First, let me respond to a few poor reviews that made me a little concerned about purchasing this blender. One reviewer said "The little plastic "plug" in the lid fell through into the blender as I was using it". He may have gotten a defective one, but the one that I got would have no realistic way for the plastic "plug" to fall through the hole in the lid. It is very well made and would have to be forced VERY HARD for it to even have a chance of making it through - regardless of the angle at which you put the plug. Another reviewer said "the one I received had a jar that did not sit comfortably on base." Again, if that happened I hate it for that guy. The jar I got sat on the base quite well. Another reviewer said, "You CANNOT get your goods back out of this thing without making a mess." The blender I got is very easy to pour from.
Now let me tell you how awesome this thing is. I had a Hamilton Beach blender for a few years that did okay. It would make smoothies and shakes, but would take quite a while and would ALWAYS leave chunks of ice that did not get blended. Even if I left it on for a full minute it would not get the job done. When I used this new Oster 6684 for the first time I made a shake the way that I normally do with some fruit, milk, and ice. After about 10 seconds I could not find a single chuck of ice in the entire shake. In two years with my old blender there were always chunks of ice - always. I could not be any happier with the Oster. Hope this is helpful.
Customer Review: Really good blender!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first blender, and I'm sure there are many other good blenders out there. However I would love to explain why I chose this particulare one and why I love it so much.
It's simple to use, easy to take apart for cleaning, although the base is plastic it is very strong and the gear for the blade in the base is metal unlike the higher end more expensive models which use a plastic or nylon gear. And still, the base is not flimsy and something that can easily break. It really is designed very well with a nice weight to stay put on your counter when blending. It won't be tipping over.
Actually, I would prefer the base made how Oster did this with the plastic/nylon instead of metal, keeping the cost way down instead of $90 to $100 just to have an all metal base.
When I got my Oster 12-speed Blender, trying it out I really liked seeing how powerful the motor is. Actually alot more powerful then I expected for what I paid for it.
Also I really love the fact that the jar itself is actual glass and not some plastic. With a nice heavy weight to it.
I can really see this blender lasting a very long time. Excellent design and construction. Powerful motor. Easy cleaning. Big enough to get the job done but not to big to take up alot of counter space. Metal gear to last a long time. Actual thick glass jar. And priced unbelievably low.
Enjoy!
Customer Review: pretty good for the price
Summary: 3 Stars
Overall, the blender is ok. If you aren't a heavy blender user but want one for the occasion when you feel like making a shake or sauce or something, then this blender meets that need.
The Pros:
It has a small footprint, so it won't be taking up too much counterspace.
It has a real glass jar, not plastic.
It does an adequate job blending most things, however you may have to stop and push the ice cream down a few times if making a milkshake
It's medium capacity is perfect for blending 2 good sized milkshakes without accidently making too much or having to make 2 different batches.
The Cons:
The jar doesn't sit exactly level, and if it's off kilt even a bit, it starts shredding the black plastic ring that holds everything on.
Doesn't really make thick milkshakes like we all dream of making. They are ok, but not the uber thick ones. If you try to make the uber thick ones, you are rewarded with the smell of burnt motor.
All in all, it's an ok product, and if you are a casual user of such an appliance, you'll find this one will meet your needs. If you planned on daily use, I'd reccomend something a bit stronger and better made, as the jar sitting and plastic ring could become an issue over time.