There is one tiny part that will make your blender stop working right, and that is the blender gasket.  If you have a GE blender, chances are that sooner or later you will need to get a new gasket for it.  Things happen to these little rubber seals over time.  Sometimes they get misplaced when we take the blender apart to clean it.  After lots of use, a GE blender gasket will often just wear out.  Once this happens, whatever liquid you put into the blender will start to seep out at the base, making quite a mess.

The solution to this problem is not to get a whole new blender.  The best and cheapest thing to do is to replace the little rubber gasket itself.  There is one problem though.  It seems as though replacement GE blender gaskets are nowhere to be found.  If you take a look here on Amazon.com, you can find blender replacement gaskets that will fit on blenders made by most of the other manufacturers.  Unfortunately, GE blenders are nowhere to be found.  It seems as though GE has decided to sell its blenders exclusively at Wal-Mart, and nowhere else.  I had a look on their website as well, and they don’t sell the gaskets either.

The more you look, the weirder it gets.  I had a look on GE’s own website, and had a look at the “parts” page.  When I typed the model # that I got from Walmart’s site into the search box, it can’t find anything.  It is almost as if GE doesn’t even know they make these blenders!  If you try to sort by products, they don’t even list blenders among their items.  I have a big suspicion that they just contract with a cheap blender manufacturer to put their name on the blender, sell it at Wal-Mart, and leave it at that.  This is there contact page if you want to contact them yourself.

The GE Blender Gasket Solution

So what’s the solution?  You have a couple of choices.  First, you can take out a ruler, measure your old gasket (or where it is supposed to fit onto the blade if you lost it), and order one made from another company.  This page from Amazon.com has blender replacement gaskets made for the other companies like Oster, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, and Black & Decker.  Most of them cost less than a buck. Unfortunately, there are no measurements, so you just have to take your chances and hope it will fit.

The second thing you can do is write emails and call GE, pestering them until they can track down a blender gasket for you.  In my opinion, if they are going to put their name on the blenders, they have an obligation to provide service for it.

Tags: Blenders by Jeffrey
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If you have a General Electic blender, sooner or later you might need a part for it.  Blenders break once in a while.  Sometimes the jar gets accidentally dropped.  Sometimes the cutting blades break off.  Whatever the reason, you will either need to get GE blender parts or get a whole new blender.
While other appliance manufacturers sell individual blender parts online, GE is an exception.  They have an exclusive contract with Wal-Mart to sell their blenders.  You won’t be able to find them on Amazon right now or other vendors.  Here are the most common GE blender replacement parts that you might need:

• Blender Jar:  These come in either glass or plastic.  Glass jars are better quality, but they break easier when dropped.
• Blender Blade:  Sometimes one of the blades breaks off when blending hard things such as ice.  You can get a new blade to replace the old one.
• Blender gasket:  There is a thin rubber gasket that fits between the jar and the blade. This gasket is what keeps the blender from leaking.  When the gasket is missing or worn out, the blender jar may start to leak.  These gaskets are very cheap, and are simple to replace.
• Blender Coupling:  This seems to be very popular for people searching for a GE blender part.  I have read some reviews of these appliances, and many people say that there is a plastic part that attaches the blender base to the blade.  What happens is the blade spins around very fast, heats up, and the plastic piece wears out.  Sometimes it happens within a few weeks of purchasing the unit!

Some other blenders have metal couplings, and they don’t have this problem.  If this happened to you, either take the blender back to the store you bought it from or go the company’s website here and have them send you a replacement part.

Tags: Appliances, Blenders by Jeffrey
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Oster is one of the leading blender manufacturers, with its wildly popular Osterizer line of products.  Accidents happen, and sometimes parts of your blender wear out or break.  There are a few Oster blender parts that are very common and easy to replace.  Here are some of these:

• Blender Jar:  This is the jug of the blender, and is either made of plastic or glass.  Glass jars are generally better.  If your blender came with a plastic jar, you can easily replace it with a glass one.  This is the most common Oster blender part that needs replacing.
• O-Ring Gasket Seal:  These are little rubber gaskets that seal the area between the blade and the jar.  If this seal wears out, whatever you put in your blender may slowly leak out onto the base.  This little Osterizer blender part is available for only 99 cents.
• Jar Assembly Sets: You can completely overhaul your blender if you want to by getting a complete assembly set.  These come with either a plastic jar or a glass one.  If you only need a gasket or a blade, you can get those by themselves, but Osterizer blender replacement parts sold together are a great deal.

Some of the other small Oster blenders parts that you can easily find are blades (either normal or ice-chopping), a metal square drive pin, a jar lid and center cap, and a jar bottom cap.

Tags: Appliances, Blenders by Jeffrey
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Blenders are great appliances, but they don’t last forever.  Many people choose to just throw their old blender in the trash and buy a new one when trouble arises.  While in some instances that might be the way to go, there are plenty of times when you can easily pick up a blender part to get your appliance working again.  There aren’t that many components of a blender, and nearly all of these can be purchased easily on the internet.  While most of these parts are readily available, if the motor breaks down, you will probably have to get a new blender if you aren’t skilled at do-it-yourself appliance repair.  The type of part that you need depends on the brand of blender that you have.  Here are the most common blender replacement parts for each brand.

Osterizer Blender Parts

You can buy pretty much any Osterizer blender replacement parts that you may need right here on Amazon.  From a pack of 3 o-ring gaskets for 99 cents to a new drive pin, it is all available.  If your jar cracks or breaks, they are available cheaply as well.  A plastic one is just $6.99, and you can get a whole new set with glass jar, blade, ring, and sleeve for only $14.99.  Even the cheapest new blenders cost a bit more than this, so if your blender motor is still running strong, it makes sense to buy Oster blender parts.

Kitchenaid Blender Parts

If something on your Kitchenaid blender breaks, you can easily replace them as well.  While Oserizer parts seem to be really cheap, Kitchen aid blender parts will cost you a little bit more.  They are still a good deal though, much cheaper than buying a whole new blender.  A glass jar will cost you about $15, and little things like seals and couplers only cost a couple of bucks.  Kitchenaid blender replacement parts cost more because their blenders are more expensive themselves.  There are a couple of cheaper models, but many of them reach into the hundreds of dollars.

Hamilton Beach Blender Parts

If you have one of these blenders, you’ll be happy to know that Hamilton Beach blender replacement parts are very inexpensive as well.  They cost about the same as Oster blender replacement parts (see above), with a new plastic jar going for only $6.95, and a glass one for $9.99.  If you need a complete set of replacement parts, you can pick one up for $16.95, which includes a blade, jar, seals, and a top.

Of course, there are some other appliance manufacturers that make blenders.  If you need Cuisinart blender parts or Waring Blender parts, these are readily available on the internet as well.  You can look directly on the company’s website, or get them all in one place at a place like Amazon.

Tags: Appliances, Blenders by Jeffrey
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Kitchenaid blenders are among the most common appliances that sit on kitchen counters around the world.  They are good quality blenders that are built to last for years.  But like all good blenders, they sometimes need a little fixing and care after years of faithful service.  You can find a full line of Kitchenaid blender replacement parts that are available for much, much less than the cost of buying a new one.  Here are the most common pieces that you might need.

• Cutter Blade Assembly: This is the blade that spins around and chops up whatever you place into your jar.  After a while, these blades sometimes break.  Sometimes one of the ends breaks off after hitting something hard like ice.  You can get a blade assembly kit with a gasket for around $14.
• Coupler: This is the plastic part that attaches to the base and spins around.  Because it is a fast moving piece that is made out of plastic, it sometimes wears out after a while.
• Jars: You can get a replacement jars that are made out of glass, which is superior to plastic.  This is one of the most common Kitchenaid blender repair parts that consumers buy.  I once had to get a new jar after a screw somehow fell into it while fixing the kitchen cabinet.  When I went to use the blender, the screw spun around and cracked the glass!

There are a few other Kitchenaid blender spare parts that you may need, including gaskets and top assemblies.  You can get pretty much everything you need on the internet, but make sure that you get a part that will fit your model.  Have the model number handy so you can make sure the numbers match.

Tags: Appliances, Blenders by Jeffrey
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It’s no secret that Cuisinart makes some of the most popular blenders available.  They are a solid company with a good reputation and a line of blenders ranging from simple and inexpensive to models that can handle heavy duty action.  They offer a number of different styles, including handheld models and large multifunction appliances.  Let’s take a look at some of these units.

Cusinart Hand Blender

One model of Cuisinart blenders that is popular these days is the handheld version.  Their most successful unit is the Cusinart Smartstick hand blender.  This is one of those handheld mixers that you stick the end into the bowl of whatever you want to blend.  It is powered by a 200 watt motor, which is pretty strong for this type of appliance.  It will work fine for mixing drinks, batters, soups, and making whipping cream.  If you are looking for something you don’t need to plug in, they conveniently offer a Cuisinart cordless hand blender.  It also has the Smartstick name, and features rechargeable batteries that are good for 20 minutes of use at a time, and it features a whisk and a grinder.  The Cuisinart Smartstick blender line is priced from $30 to $80, depending on accessories that are included with the model and whether it is a plug-in unit or a cordless.

Cuisinart Smart Power Blender

The most popular line of Cuisinart stand blenders is the smartpower line.  There are many different models that feature this name, and they range from inexpensive and basic to heavy duty and more expensive.  On the cheaper end of the spectrum is the Cuisinart Smartpower blender classic.  This classic model is great for anybody who just needs a basic blender.  It has a 500 watt motor that is strong enough to handle nearly all normal kitchen tasks.  One great bonus that comes with this unit is a Cuisinart blender jar that is made out of glass.  Most cheap blenders use plastic for their jars, which makes this model a great deal at only $37.

Cuisinart Duet Blender Food Processor

In my opinion, the best Cuisinart Blender that you can buy is one from the Duet line.  These units combine two great appliances in one machine:  a food processor and a blender.  I use this one in my kitchen, and it has been going strong for over 3 years now.   There are a few different versions of the Cuisinart Duet blender.  The exterior designs vary from white plastic to black to chrome.  Different models also have different sized motors, which range from to a rather small 350 watts to 600 watts.  Their most powerful and fully featured model is the Cuisinart Smartpower Premier Blender.  This one has a very powerful 600 watt motor, a very attractive stainless steel exterior, and even a timer.  This is a pretty good all around kitchen appliance that can take care of all kinds of tasks from chopping or shredding vegetables to making smoothies.

Cuisinart Blender Parts

Sometimes even the best blenders wear out.  While some people just buy a new blender, it is usually a lot cheaper to just get a replacement part to fix the one you have.  While they might be hard to find at your local store, you can get many Cuisinart blender replacement parts online.  When small parts like blades and gaskets wear out, you can easily replace them.  If your jug breaks, you can also get a new one of these as well right here.

Tags: Appliances, Blenders by Jeffrey
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For most people, a blender is one kitchen appliance that you just need to have.  They come in handy in all kinds of situations, from making breakfast smoothies to whipping up frothy margaritas at night.  Spare change is hard to come by for many people, so here is a guide to finding the best cheap blender that will whip up endless frothy beverages for your enjoyment.

When I say cheap, I mean cheap.  These days, you can find some good blenders for less than $20.  That is about as low a price as you can get for a full sized blender.  If you want one any cheaper than that, it will probably have to be a mini food blender instead of a full sized unit.  Here are the best cheap blenders available:

Cheap Blender Models

For $19, you can get the Proctor Silex 57171 blender.  It has a plastic base and a plastic jar, which is not as good as glass, but you just can’t get a blender with a glass jar for this price.  It has a 350 watt motor with 7 speeds and should be fine for faithfully performing your basic blending chores.

For a buck more, you can get the Oster 6640.  At 450 watts, the motor is a bit

more powerful, which will make chopping up ice easier.  The jar is also made of plastic, but it is “break resistant”.  One great feature this blender has is an all-metal drive

system.  Some inexpensive models use plastic parts that spin around, but a good cheap blender will use metal.  Rounding out the features is are 10 speeds and a top that has a removable cup for adding ingredients.

Another cheapie is the Hamilton Beach 54615 blender.  You will have to part with an additional $3 of this appliance, but in my opinion it is well worth it.  The motor steps up to 500 watts on this model, and it uses “revolutionary” wave action.  What this does is force whatever is in the blender down to be whipped up with the blades.  Have you ever blended something and had the bottom half spinning, while the top just sat there?  This feature is meant to do away with that once and for all.

I would say the best cheap blender is the Hamilton Beach.  The bigger the motor, the easier it will be to blend thick or hard items such as ice.  The price difference is really negligible, and the Hamilton Beach model even gives you a three year warranty, which is pretty generous for a blender.

If you are looking for a cheap vitamix blender, good luck.  These are top quality products, considered the cream of the crop in the blending world.  The cheapest new models cost over $400.  They are wonderful machines though, and can do things that normal cheap blenders can’t even dream of.  You can make your own peanut or almond butter, ice cream, guacamole, soymilk, and all kinds of other things.  If you try doing this with a normal blender, the motor will start to smoke after a while, and it might just break on you right there.  The motor and blades are top-quality, making it a great kitchen appliance.  If you scout around, you should be able to find cheap vitamix blenders at yardsales or used ones for sale online.

A cheap hand blender, which is also called an immersion blender because you stick the spinning end into a glass, costs around $15.  They are great for taking on the road, but since you can get a big blender that will do much more for a few dollars more, they aren’t really that great a value.

Tags: Appliances, Blenders by Jeffrey
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If you like to take your drinks on the road, here is one thing that is an absolute necessity.  Battery operated blenders are a magnificent idea.  You can use these blenders just as you would a normal one to make smoothies, milkshakes, margaritas, or any other blended drink you want.  It comes in handy in all kinds of situations.  Here are a few of them:

• Tailgate parties
• Camping trips
• Outdoor parties
• Barbecues
• Field kitchens
• Campers or Caravan use
• Anywhere that doesn’t have a reliable power supply

Coleman seems to make the best battery operated blender.  Unlike other models, the Coleman portable blender is powerful enough to handle whatever you want to toss into it.  It is powered by 2 rechargeable six volt batteries, and it can be used between 20 and 30 times before you need to recharge it.  That should be plenty for most situations, and it has a battery level indicator light that lets you know when it is time to recharge.  In addition, the lid also features a strainer, so you can separate out your drinks.

If you are content with a smaller, lighter, but less powerful model, there are other battery operated portable blenders to choose from.  Hamilton Beach makes a personal size blender, but it isn’t battery operated.  You can still take it on the go however.  All you need is an A/C adapter and you can plug it into any vehicle.  Most newer cars come with these adapters built in.  If you want to get really basic, you can get a tiny battery operated hand blender that you just stick into your cup. The Norpro Cordless Mini Mixer is a small hand held apparatus that you just place into a glass, and it mixes it all up.  While this might be fine for stirring things, or maybe even making a smoothie, I wouldn’t try it out on ice or anything else that is frozen.  But for a battery operated portable blender, it doesn’t get any lighter than the Norco, which weighs in at just one pound, making it light enough to stuff into your backpack and take hiking.

Tags: Appliances, Blenders by Jeffrey
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