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5.0 out of 5 stars Osterizers rule, May 14, 2009

I've owned blenders for decades. I started with Waring but tired of their motors burning out and bought an Osterizer 10 speed with glass container some 25 years ago. That blender finally died this week, the motor burning out (what a smell!). Now, it was only 120 watts, so I suppose I was fortunate it lasted for around 25 years considering the punishment it got -- I often made peanut butter in it from oven roasted peanuts, and it died making peanut butter!

Soon after buying my 10 speed Osterizer, I bought an Oster food processor attachment for it for $10 at a local store, and I've used that exclusively for grinding meat. It does a very nice job. So, in replacing my burned out 10 speed I figured I'd get another Osterizer so I can continue to use this food processor as well as the two glass containers I have (I picked up an extra somewhere). I was pleased to discover that the present Osterizer line accommodates the old containers, etc.

Yesterday I made the rounds at the local big box stores and picked up the 6694 14 speed. The glass container is wider than the ones I had already, and I figure that's a very good thing. It will be easier to scrape out peanut butter, smoothies, whatever using a plastic spatula. Now, the glass isn't as thick, so I will have to be even more careful... I have no backup wide glass container, after all. I now have two sets of blades (the new one looks identical to the old one I bought 25 years ago!). The new one is incredibly sharp, but I'm sure that some day I will need to sharpen it, like I did with the old one (which I will hang onto, of course). I have used a small fine file to sharpen the blades on occasion.

Noise! Yes, I've read a lot of reviews of the Osterizers that discuss noise. Well, I keep ear protection handy in the kitchen just for this purpose. Used to be foam plugs, but now I reach for a $2 pair of earmuffs I picked up at Harbor Freight! Works like a charm and eliminates that painful sensation of too loud noises (I use this when using power tools around the house too, or anything else that generates excessive noise).

My 6694 is white and matches all my other kitchen appliances very nicely. I considered the Beehive and some of the other high power Osterizers (the ones I saw yesterday were 600 watts!), but decided that the 450 watt 6694, which cost 1/2 as much, might actually serve me better (assuming it doesn't burn out... have my fingers crossed). It's bound to be quieter, has high and low power toggle switch and thus two pulse settings. In other words, it's more versatile than the new 600 watt Osterizers, which evidently have only one pulse setting (with the exception of an electronic version I saw yesterday, which has two). My old 10 speed had 3 separate pulse buttons. When using the food processor attachment, a variety of pulse settings is important. The 6694 is also a little shorter than the 600 watt models, one of my considerations because it has to allow my kitchen cabinet doors to swing over it. The 6694's very tallest part is at about 15 inches above the counter, which is the same height as my old 10 speed.

I'm worried about the new 14 speed, though. I've read reviews about the base breaking and inspecting I find that indeed the plastic base is relatively flimsy. It's barely if at all more than 1/2 as thick as the plastic of my old 10 speed. The 14 speed's base weighs in at 2 lb. 12 oz. while the 10 speed is 3 lb. 6 oz. And the 14 speed has a much more powerful motor, which tells you that the construction of the base has been sacrificed on the alter of skimping on materials. Well, if the new 14 speed dies a premature death I'll probably spring for a high end Osterizer, and I'll do more homework next time.

This 14 speed Oster 6694 passed its first real test, making peanut butter. It behaved pretty similar to my old 10 speed. It was about the same loudness. I measured the power consumption during the process. Rated at 450 watts, it actually drew about 600 watts at the highest speed and maximum load (i.e. when it was laboring with a thick sludge of semi ground peanuts). When the peanuts were somewhat better ground, the consumption dropped to around the rated 450 watts and when things were pretty smooth it dropped down to around 260 watts, all this at the highest speed.Get more detail about Oster 6608 Blender, 14 Speed.