Oster Rapid Blend 8 Speed Blender Review

The Oster Rapid Blend blender is an affordable model that offers more features and setting options then you would expect from a blender in this price range. The powerful motor allows you to use this model for a wide range of foods, so it’s a great choice if you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford a fancy higher-priced model. Due to its powerful motor, it’s also one of the blenders for green smoothies. Of course, considering the low price, you’ll have to expect some tradeoffs in terms of extra features and setting options, but this model still somehow managed to surprise me, considering how durable and versatile it is.

Our Verdict: This model by Oster may not be the flashiest blender on the market, but it comes with plenty of features and speed settings that you need in order to blend a wide range of food types. It’s easy to use, offers eight speed settings, it includes a food processor attachment, and it’s covered by a ten-year warranty. While it may not measure up to higher priced blenders, it offers a solid, reliable performance, which is exactly what many buyers are looking for.

Overview and Features

Just because you don’t have the budget to spend hundreds of dollars on a blender doesn’t mean you can’t find one that comes loaded with some great features.

This model may not be as powerful as some competing models, but it does offer an impressive performance, especially when it’s compared to other blenders in this price bracket.

Power

The Rapid Blend comes with a 450-watt motor that’s designed to easily pulverize fruits and veggies, and crush ice. However, you may find that you need to give it a break or two when you’re blending a high volume of food.

Speed Settings

This model features a total of eight speed setting options. The speed setting should be chosen based on the type of food you’re blending. For softer foods, you can use a lower speed, while tougher foods, such as root veggies or leafy green veggies will require a higher speed. In most cases, a model in this price range would only come equipped with a few speed settings, so these eight speed setting options is a nice surprise and a feature that can make all the difference in terms of the types of foods this blender is able to handle.

Pitcher

The pitcher is durable, thick, and has a six-cup capacity, which is about average for a blender in this price range. The pitcher has been thermal shock tested and is made out of scratch-resistant glass. It’s also designed to easily withstand extreme temperature changes, so the blender can be used to prepare both hot and cold foods. The pitcher is also dishwasher safe and is made out of thick Boroclass glass. Since the pitcher can handle extreme changes in temperatures, you can remove it from a hot dishwasher and instantly use it to blend cold drinks, so there’s no waiting for the pitcher to cool down. The pitcher also includes measuring marks along one of the sides, a removable filler cap in the lid and a secure large grip handle.

Food Processor Attachment

Also included is a three-cup BPA-free food processor attachment. This attachment will allow you to create and blend a wide range of foods in order to prepare baby food, nut butters, nut and oat milks, dips, salsa, and more. It can also be used to grate cheese, shred onions and carrots, and help you prep for a meal by finely chopping all of the ingredients.

Blade

The design consists of four stainless steel blades, with a four-point design that can chop and pulverize with precision. These powerful blades can handle grinding pecans, peanuts, and almonds to powder, not to mention coffee beans, so you can always enjoy the freshest pot of coffee, without the need of an expensive coffee grinder.

Warranty

This model is covered by a ten-year product warranty, which is surprising for a model in this price range. It will also give people more of an incentive to buy, knowing that the manufacturer stands behind its products for a decade.

Design

The blender’s beautiful, vibrant red color will really make it stand out in your kitchen. On the front of the blender you’ll find the buttons that control each of its functions, including dedicated buttons for smoothies, puree, chopping, mixing, liquefy, and milkshake. The front of the blender is also where you’ll find the eight speed setting options.

Drive

The blender comes equipped with a Duralast all-metal drive that ensures lasting performance, power, and quality. This type of drive is said to last significantly longer than drivers that are made out of plastic. The blender has also been life tested to blend more than ten thousand smoothies, thanks to this powerful drive system.

Performance

This blender is very versatile. While it’s a dedicated blender, it also doubles as a food processor, so you can make your own baby food, hummus, or try out your favorite green smoothie recipe for weight loss. This type of versatility will give you more bang for your buck and also cuts out the need to use extra appliances such as a coffee bean grinder and a food processor. The included stainless-steel blade system can handle hot, cold, and icy drinks. The food processor attachment features a three-cup bowl design that makes it perfect for mincing, mixing, and chopping up fruits, veggies, nuts, garlic, and more, helping you save plenty of time in the kitchen that was once devoted to prepping for a meal. Because the blender includes an all-metal drive instead of a drive that’s made out of plastic, you can expect it to last much longer, due to the more durable drive design.

However, this model can struggle at times, especially if you’re whipping up a large batch of leafy greens for a thick smoothie bowl or pureeing tough root veggies. Because this is a low-powered motor, you will need to give the motor a break between pitchers to prevent the motor from overheating. You may also have to limit how many greens you blend at one time, since filling the pitcher too full can end up causing the blades to stick.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Oster Blender

Pros

Cons

Oster Rapid Blend Blender Versus Ninja Foodi Blender

This model has steep competition from Ninja. The Ninja Foodi blender is a high-powered model that comes with a larger sixty-four-ounce pitcher and a 1400-watt motor. If you’re familiar with the Ninja brand, then you know this is a model that’s going to come equipped with plenty of techy features that are designed to make life a little easier.

It’s also loaded with twelve auto IQ programs and a high-speed crushing and extraction blade. Basically, this is a model that won’t have trouble pulverizing pretty much anything you put in the pitcher. It also offers easier cleanup, thanks to the precision heating element that helps remove dried on gunk and will have your pitcher perfectly clean in a matter of seconds. These features add to the blender’s versatility and allow you to really get creative in the kitchen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a food processor blade like the blender by Oster does, although it doesn’t really need it since its blades are tough enough to handle the job. Not surprising, the blender by Ninja is offered at a higher price, but when you take into consideration all the fancy bells and whistles it comes with, and the more powerful motor, a higher price makes sense. But if you don’t need a blender with so much flash and you’re simply looking for one that can handle daily use, then stick with this more budget-friendly model by Oster.

Conclusion and Rating of Oster

Our Rating: (4.5/5)

Oster is one of those manufacturers that has made it big by offering lower priced appliances that can work with most budgets. But their appliances also offer some great features that you wouldn’t normally expect to find on a model in this price bracket.

Bottom line, the Oster Rapid Blend blender is a great buy for the family on a tight budget. Of course, given the lower wattage, this model can’t really compete with higher priced models, however, it does have the type of versatility and low price that most buyers are looking for. The eight speed settings and the all-metal drive alone will give shoppers more of an incentive to buy, as does the ten-year warranty. While it may overheat with prolonged use and depending on the type of foods you’re blending, despite these drawbacks, this blender is still a great buy and an appliance that offers a solid performance. I gave this model a rating of four and a half out of five stars.