Help! Needing suggestions for a good food blender...

[Intheswamp]

I hope it's ok to post this here, I'm figuring all the good cooks frequent this forum so I figured it'd be the best place to ask for some help.

I've got a good friend who will be having some heavy-duty dental restoration done in the near future and will need her "chewy" food ran through a blender so that she can eat it. I guess the "chewy food" will probably be the meat group? If anybody has any recommendations for a good food blender we would appreciate it.

Here are some thoughts...

** Ease of clean-up is a must...I think if it is easy to clean then it will be used more often. If hard to clean...it won't be used often.
** Not exceedingly large in size...counter-top storage space is at a premium.
** Upper price range I'm guessing will be around $150...less is better!
** Good quality.

Thanks for your help!
Ed

 

[herfrds]

I got a Hamilton Beach after my last blender top broke.

it is a 12 speed. I just toss the top into the dishwasher. Sorry I can't think how much I paid for it.
I run leftover roast beef in it for sandwiches for DH sandwiches for lunch.

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
Thanks for the feedback, herfrds.

I'll take a look at th HB's.

Currently I'm looking at an Oster 4093. It seems to have good reviews and has several accessories (such as a small canister that replaces the OE larger canister).

Hoping for some more input while I'm gone to look at the HB's.

Ed

 

[Intheswamp]

In looking at the Oster 4093, it looks to have only a couple of speeds. Would having a bunch of speeds a good thing? Like I said in my first post, it will be used primarily for pureeing(sic?) meats.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me,
Ed

 

[NWChicks]

If you're just planning to puree meats and the like you may want to consider a baby food grinder. I haven't used one in years but I know they're still around. If it's suitable for making baby food it ought to work for pureeing for a grown up. I have a Bosch mixer that has a blender. When my DH had oral surgery I pureed a McD's Quarter Pounder with cheese and separately pureed fries and ketchup in it. It worked pretty well but I have no idea how well their stand alone blenders do. Now I have a Vitamix and could blend up a Buick if I wanted to!

 

[peeplessinNC]

I agree on the baby food grinder: much less expensive and does the job for this temporary situation. Consider pureeing tender cooked chicken with cooked potatoes and carrots for a sort of pureed stew. Season it well with salt and pepper and ground poultry seasoning. I think it will taste better than just pureed chicken. Foods like brunswick stew and homemade tomato bisque would also be good. You are such a good friend to do this! ((((hugs and pats on the back))))

p.s. and get yourself an immersion blender if you don't have one; they are wonderful!

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
I looked at the baby food grinders and they look very interesting. One description states that it removes seeds, bones, etc.,. which is pretty neat! I've got a new grandbaby coming (second one) the first of the year so that seems like something to consider. I think, though, that if my friend has to use the manual grinder for a steak that she will probably just do without it. I know that right now she's ordering/cooking things that are easy to chew...opting for hamburger steak over a ribeye, etc.,. I'd like to make it where she could enjoy what she wants.

Those Vitamix's *are* nice.

A Buick, eh?

Currently I'm looking at that Oster 4093...one of the options for it is a small canister to blend it, which will probably a good size for the use it's intended for. It's $68 which is kind of midstream in prices of regular blenders and it has good reviews. Only thing I'm wondering about is whether having only two speeds is a problem...???

Thanks for the feedback,
Ed

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
Hey, that chicken recipe is making me hungry!

I responded to NWchicks regarding the baby food grinder so I won't repeat myself here.

An immersion blender...sounds like something that I could make a BIG mess with as coordinated as I am.

But, I'll look at those, too.

I don't know about me being such a good friend, but I know that she is.

It looks like it will be a rather drawn out process...covering close to a year in time before she will probably be able to eat chewy things. The problem is I can't get her to start moving in that direction yet....gotta go get some matches and a pile of lightered and build a fire under her.

Thanks for the feedback!
Ed