[Badger]

Looking to buy a blender that can handle turning veggies- carrots, cukes, broccoli, etc.. into puree. Went by a restaurant supply store but cheapest they had was 600 bucks. I figured a budget of 200-300. Sears didn't have anything sturdy enough. Well, that was the clerks opinion.... Thanks in Advance. side note: would like to pick up today/tomorrow.

[DIYSteve]

1(tie): Vitamix, Blendtec Costco usually sells Vitamix or Blendtec

[Ranger Smith]

Buy an old one from the 50's or 60's when they were made to last and do their job.

[Tom]

We have the Vitamix. I would probably get the Blendtec as it's a little cheaper. One thing that annoys me with the Vitamix is the plunger doesn't really work as well as advertised to break up the air bubble for smoothies. Also, it's a royal PITA to remove the plunger to pour without the plunger dripping everywhere.

[Snowday]

Consumer Reports (Sep. 2012) has a lab test on blenders. They rate the Vitamix ($450) as the best. In second place was the Ninja Master Prep Professional QB1004 (only $60); its the CR best buy.

[DIYSteve]

I hope that holds up for him. Every non-VM/BT blender I've had through the years broke within a year or two. Blendtec and Vitamix are commercial quality, high horsepower, good bearings, stout construction, lifetime purchases. I haven't see the CR tests but most tests rate the Blendtec and Vitamix as 1 and 2 or vice versa and everything else miles behind. Your brother might have fared better with the Blendtec, which has programmed settings for numerous functions, e.g., puree, chop, ice crush, smoothie, etc., etc. Push the button, walk away and the Blendtec changes speeds at the right time. Ours works great. OTOH, the Vitamix requires more operator control, and that's why it works great for the trained demo guy in the store but not for the consumer until he or she gets trained via lots of trial and error. Craigslist is your friend.

[Bogart]

Have the new generation Vitamix. Very nice, very powerful, and easy to clean. Take a look at the Vitamix web site for refurb units to save some $$$ if you decide to go the VM route.

[nuclear_eggset]

When faced with this question as I killed another motor coupler on my 12-yr-old KitchenAid (which I did like!), I went with the Ninja. The Blendtec and VitaMix would have been my preference, but they were out of budget. I should be receiving it tomorrow, and I'll let you know how I like it.

[GeoHiker]

Check out Goodwill and the Thrift stores. I see old blenders(heavy duty), juicers etc all the time for less than $20. My mom bought several expensive juicers about 20-25 years ago that were all the rage. She paid like $300 for it. Those are probably the ones I see at Goodwill. I'm still looking for a meat grinder attachment, so my search continues.

[Blue Dome]

I have an Oster blender that purees and that I've had for a number of years. Nice six-cup glass container. Probably paid less than $50. Works like the day I bought it.

[LewisGoes]

Vitamix!

[wolffie]

What's red and white and green and red and white and green and red and white and green and red and white and green and red and white and green? .rednelb a ni gorf A

[Treehugger5]

Bass-O-Matic.

[kingtermite]

+100000 to Vitamix or Blendtec (they are about a tie). I've had a Vitamix for about 8 years. I puree veggies/fruit every day for a daily juice/smoothie.

[Hiker Chick]

I just bought a Blendtec on the Costco website. It came with an extra pitcher for free and the shipping was free too!! It was a lot cheaper than the Vitamix and made in the USA.