Artisan Bar Blender (56-oz.): Empire Red by KitchenAid

I ordered this along with the KitchenAid 12-cup Chrome Food Processor, thinking both pieces would match my stainless steel-themed kitchen. This blender is actually brushed aluminum or nickel, and does not look chrome or stainless like the FP. It looks very dull sitting next to the FP on the counter. I give this machine 4 stars based on its performance alone. It wouldn't be fair to rate it based on how it blends into my decor. I am dissapointed in the color difference, but I now have a blender that is second to none in sheer power. Crushing ice? Crushing isn't the correct term. Pulverizing is more accurate. You can make snow cones with this machine. I made the most perfect milkshakes for my kids this week....the straw stood straight up in the glass. I poured a boiling mixture of bell peppers, garlic, onions, brown sugar, honey, diced tomatoes, olive oil, etc. into the blender. 10 seconds later I had the perfect grilling glaze for grilled chicken. Frozen drinks are no problem, either. The one-piece design of the pitcher/blades is ingengious. It is SO EASY to clean. And reduces the injury risk to zero. Kudos to the design team on that one! The exterior is extremely easy to clean also, and I love KitchenAid's signature button covers that prevent dirt and grime from getting down in the buttons. Just wipe with a damp cloth and it looks new. I bought the model with the 56-oz. pitcher, and this machine is tall, but fits underneath my counters perfectly. It is very heavy, but has solid rubber feet that prevent sliding and excessive vibration during use. I do, however have 2 issues with this blender (hence the 4 star rating). 1. This blender is LOUD. Very loud. I read in many reviews where customers reported a quiet blender. I have a blender with an attitude! Since you only run a blender for seconds at a time, this is not a performance altering problem, and not one that would cause me to forsake KitchenAid. 2. On startup, in ANY mode (from mix to liquify), this blender starts with an initial jump that throws whatever you are blending straight up. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE LID ON ALWAYS!!! The description and manual state that the blender always starts slow and automatically increases to the set speed. Well, that's not quite accurate. It goes WHAM! for about 1/2 second, then blends at the set speed. I think the motor might be too powerful for the blades. As big as the pitcher is, I think a slight increase in blade or drive shaft size would eliminate the initial surge of power. Once again, it does not affect the performance, and the end results of everything I have blended have been perfect or beyond. This does, however, increase the risk of personal injury without the lid. Especially if you are blending hot liquids. Final conclusion: Awesome power for the money. Built-to-last. Solid, heavyweight construction. Ingenious design. Easy to operate. Easy to clean. Loud. Jumpy startup. Overall, I would say this blender is worth the money, and would buy again. It IS a well designed machine with much thought put into ease of operation and cleaning. I think the motor is a bit too powerful for the blades (or maybe the blades are a bit too small?) I would still recommend this blender, mainly for the price range.

I purchased this blender to replace a 19 year old Osterizer that I received as a wedding gift. I had been making smoothies for my boys and it took forever to chop the ice, fruit, and blend. This blender is great as long as you put in enough liquid. It can get that burning rubber smell if you let it run to the point of impending explosion.HA....and it is AS noisy or noisier than my old blender, but it blends so much quicker, that the noise doesn't last that long. I was going to throw away my old blender but I will keep for making salad dressings, etc. My brother advised me to get a blender with at least 600 watts, so that was one of the criteria for the purchase. My kids do like the smoothies better with this machine. I like the fact that it is all one piece and the blade doesn't come out. The pitcher part is lightweight and cleans up wonderfully. The base also wipes up quickly and is very easy to clean, as there are no nooks and crannies for sticky liquids to adhere to.

I have waited many years for this new blender. I have been waiting watching to try to find just what I wanted before purchasing. I saw blenders reviewed on America's Test Kitchen, and this one won. I have been pleased with their recommendations so far, so I went ahead with this one. It is AMAZING! I spent the first 20 years of marriage using the old Oster I got for the wedding. It was fine, but compared to this, a real pain in the behind to clean and not nearly as powerful and effective in blending. Then I used a blender attached to a mixer I had. Also a pain. This is a stand-alone and I have loved it from the moment I saw it's beautiful red base coming out of the box. The pitcher is light and plastic, very roomy inside, and still durable. Cleaning it is much easier than any other I've used. I am using it both as a food processor and a blender. I make a lot of pesto. I blend sauces. I make salad dressings. The kids and I make smoothies. It has been fantastic every time! I smile whenever I look at it. I love, love, LOVE it!!

This blender is amazing. The motor is extremely powerful and really gets the job done. Not much will slow this machine down!

Having worn the teeth off our old Kitchenaid blender, we knew we needed one that could stand-up to 4 teenagers who love to make their own smoothies, shakes, and other drinks. We loved our old Kitchenaid but it was a hassle to clean. It always had to be taken apart and then my teenagers usually didn't put the gasket in the correct spot. So we thought we would look around.

Having priced a variety of blenders, some costing over $500.00, I was happy to find the Kitchenaid on sale. That made me take a second look at the latest model. The re-designed Kitchenaid blender appeared to be well thought out. The pitcher was better designed, to allow for better, smoother, pouring. The pitcher was changed to be a single unit. The blades do not have to be removed! The whole pitcher is placed in the dishwasher, still in one piece. The teeth are gone on the bottom of the pitcher. The base and pitcher now have a much better fit.

Because of the disign changes, I chose the Kitchenaid blender. The cost was FAR less than $500.00. And with the newly designed base and pitcher, I believe this one will last longer than my last one which I'm happy to say was 7 years.

And Kitchenaid added a new feature for crushing ice better. My daughters LOVE this feature. The new Kitchenaid simply makes better smoothies than any other blender we've ever had.