The Oster Hand Blender

The Oster hand blender is designed to make blending less of a hassle. Because you can immerse this hand held blender directly into almost any container, you don’t have to manhandle heavy pots, pans, and kitchen appliances in order to achieve your blending needs.

You can use this handy kitchen gadget to make soups, purees, baby food, salad dressings, smoothies, mixed drinks, and more.

Oster 2 Speed Hand Blender

The Oster hand blender comes in several models. The most basic comes with a blending cup, in case the blender does not fit in your glass or you want to blend your food before you transfer it somewhere else.

You can get this blender in white or red, and it has an ergonomic handle, 250 watt motor, 2 speeds of blending, a durable stainless steel blade, and a detachable blending rod.

Oster 3-in-1 Hand Blender

Oster also makes a 3-in-1 hand blender that also works as a chopper and an electric knife.

Though this blender comes only in black, it offers a 350 watt motor, the same ergonomic grip, a stainless steel grinder and stainless steel blades, a plastic container, chopping blade attachment, blending blade attachment, electric knife blades, and a mini chopper container that has a lid. Its components snap apart easily and the jar and blades are dishwasher safe.

Advantages

The multiple speeds offered by this blender makes it stand out from some other manufacturer’s models, which only come with one speed. Having multiple choices allows you better control over the texture of your food, not to mention over any backsplash and mess that you might have to clean up.

The fact that most of the blender’s components are dishwasher safe makes it easier to use than models where all the washing must be done by hand. Being able to clean the blender’s parts in the dishwasher also means that they are germ-free the next time you use them.

The electric knife option offered by the 3-in-1 version of the Oster hand held blender is unique among hand blenders of this class. Having that option makes the whole thing even more versatile.

Disadvantages

The construction of this hand blender leaves much to be desired. The plastic in the handle cracks easily, and once it is cracked it is impossible to clean inside the motor casing. Eventually, moisture can build up in there and the blender will stop working. In addition, the blender is no longer hygienic to use once it has been contaminated by food this way.

The motor in these blenders also tends to have problems. Users report it burning out after one or two uses, or simply generating a burning smell that does not go away throughout the life of the blender. Either way, the Oster hand blender is not useful once its motor starts to deteriorate like this.

Summary

While this blender offers some unique features, its shoddy construction makes it a difficult appliance to recommend. It seems that there are better hand blenders out there that will last longer than the Oster and that are safer to use. Unless you have a specific need for a blender that can also function as an electric knife or you have some loyalty to Oster, check out other brands before you purchase this one.