The KitchenAid kitchen appliances are renowned for their high quality and performance, and the KitchenAid 5‑speed Blender is not an exclusion. It comes in 3 models and is available in multiple colors, which also makes it incredibly attractive to consumers. However, to evaluate the real value of KitchenAid 5‑speed, we will compare to it another top-rated blender, the Oster 1200 Pro.
Thinking about the alternative option? Check here our article Best Countertop Blenders under $100.
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Table of Contents
KitchenAid 5‑Speed Dimond Blender
KitchenAid 5‑Speed Diamond comes in 3 packages that are identical but differ by capacity and selection of pitchers – (1) 60 oz. Diamond-shaped pitcher, a (2) 56 oz. simple rounded pitcher and (3) rounded 56 oz. rounded pitcher and 20 oz. milling container.
It is equipped with only 670 watts at peak and 550 watts of an effective power motor. The machine-based unit interior design looks nice and solid, but the motor-to-blade coupling system is not so reliable and partly made of plastic as a weak side of this gadget.
KitchenAid 5‑Speed Dimond gadget containers are made of heavy-duty and shatter-resistant plastic and are designed to handle liquids up to 180F. The blade system is irremovable and permanently inbuilt into the pitcher which makes this blender quite easy to use and clean. The blades are made of good quality stainless steel; however, the spline on the bottom of the pitcher that connects the blade system to the motor drive is made of plastic.
The KitchenAid 5‑speed control panel is equipped with 5 speeds, one Ice Crush pre-set program, and a pulse function. What makes this machine quite versatile and allows the user to create an array of various recipes.
Although this KitchenAid 5‑Speed Diamond machine comes with quite a low-power motor, its overall construction still makes this machine quite powerful, so it is designed to perform the following functions:
- It makes decent quality drinks, including greens smoothies but requires extra time for pulverizing hard ingredients;
- Crushes ice cubes for snow cones, processes ice in drinks but will not make ice creams or frozen yogurts;
- It makes nut milk, and with a lot of effort, it is possible to produce nut butter on this machine, but it also will require adding a considerable amount of water for this task;
- Chops veggies for salsa, marinades, and salad mixes;
- Pureeing food but requires a lot of liquid for smooth consistency;
- Grinds coffee beans and herbs into decent powder but can mill only soft grains like oats.
KitchenAid 5‑Speed comes with only a 1‑year limited warranty. The customer service is quite supportive and easily replaces the faulty units within the warranty period. However, the motor does not handle overloads well and is not very durable. The plastic parts in the coupling system also do not add strength to this gadget.
Oster Pro 1200 Blender
The Oster Pro 1200 is available in two packages – (1) with the main pitcher and single-serve cup and (2) with the main pitcher, single-serve cup, and an additional food processor attachment.
The Oster Pro 1200 is equipped with a 48 oz pitcher made from shatterproof and temperature-resistant glass, a 24 oz polycarbonate single-serve cup, and 5 cups of polycarbonate food processor container (the package with the food processor attachments). It also has a high-quality all-metal blade that serves both the main jar and single-serve cup. The additional food processor container also includes shredding and slicing blades.
This Oster Pro 1200 machine comes with quite a powerful 1200 watts at peak and 900 watts effective power motor that is well built and has an all-metal blade assembly and motor coupling system. The Oster 1200 control panel is equipped with low, medium, and high speeds, Green/Frozen Smoothies, Food Chop/Salsa, and Milkshake pre-set programs and pulse mode, which makes in total 6 speeds and pulse function and allows some flexibility over the blending process.
So, The Oster 12000 Pro is designed to perform the following tasks:
- Make smooth drinks, including the excellent quality green smoothies; it also pulverizes well blueberry and other seeds in the drink;
- Crushes ice well in smoothies, and iced drinks, makes snow cones, ice cream, and frozen desserts;
- Makes nut milk;
- It can process nut butter but requires some effort;
- Purees well raw or cook ingredients and even able to make smooth consistency humus without any liquid added;
- Handles easily hot liquids and process boiled temperature ingredients for soup or perfectly suitable for making bulletproof coffee;
- Chops food for salsa, marinades, and salad dressings, shreds veggies for coleslaw;
- Grinds and mills herbs, chopped nuts, or soft mill grains like but will not produce baking quality flour from wheat or other hard grains;
- Knead the dough with food processing attachment ONLY.
The Oster Pro 1200 comes with a 3‑year limited warranty on the blender and 10 years on the motor. It is also well known for its very polite and helpful customer service.
KitchenAid 5‑Speed Diamond Blender and Oster Pro 1200 Blender Differences and Features
| KitchenAid 5‑Speed Diamond | Oster Pro 1200 | |
| Motor | 670 watts at peak and 550 effective power with a partly plastic motor-blade connection; | 1200 watts at peak and 900 watts of effective power with the all-metal motor to the blade couplings; |
| Blades | Non-removable quality 4‑prong stainless steel blade inbuilt in the pitcher; | Removable all-metal blade assembly with high-quality 6 –prongs stainless steel blades; blade assembly is not necessary to remove after each use but advisable for thorough cleaning; |
| Containers | High-quality stress-resistant polycarbonates containers with temperature tolerance up to 180F; | Laboratory quality shatter and temperature resistant glass container, good quality polycarbonate personal blender cup and food processor container; |
| Using & Cleaning | Very easy to assemble/disassemble for operating, straightforward to operate; safe for cleaning in a dishwasher and with the self-cleaning procedure;
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Easy to use if not requires assembling the machine however, removing the blades system for cleaning or for using it with a single-serve attachment will need some effort; |
| Control panel | Equipped with 5 speeds (1) stir, (2) mix, (3) chop, (4) puree, and (5) liquefy), Ice Crush pre-set program and pulse function; | Equipped with 3 speeds (low, medium, high), 3 pre-programmed settings (Green/Frozen Smoothies, Food Chop/Salsa, Milkshakes), and pulse mode; |
| Warranty | 1‑year Limited Warranty. Helpful Customer Service with an easy replacement for faulty units within the one year warranty period;
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3 ‑year Limited Warranty for blender parts and ten years for the motor. Helpful Customer Service. |
| Performance |
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| Dimensions | It comes with a 7 x 9 inches footprint and 18 inches profile height with the pitcher on top of the base unit, so it will NOT fit under the standard cabinet. Weight is 9.4 pounds. | It comes with an 8.5 x 10.2 inches footprint, 14 inches profile height is 48 oz. pitcher on the top of the base unit. Weight is 13.4 pounds.
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How to Choose Between the KitchenAid 5‑Speed Diamond and Oster Pro 1200 Blenders
Although these two machines are both quite versatile and well-made, the Oster 1200 Pro outperforms the 5‑Speed Diamond Blender. The Oster produces slightly better quality smoothies and needs less blending time to achieve the best result than what requires the KitchenAid. The Oster also better handles ice and is able to produce iced drinks, snow cones, ice creams, and frozen desserts, while KitchenAid only processes ice in drinks and shaves it for snow cones only.
The Oster 1200 Pro handles hot ingredients up to the boiling temperature, so it will process soup veggies straight from the oven and is perfectly suitable for making bulletproof coffee. While the KitchenAid can handle only liquids heated up to 180 F.
The Oster Pro 1200 also has a much stronger and more powerful motor, producing smooth purees, hummus, and even decent nut butter. For KitchenAid, these tasks are so challenging that they often overload the motor and cause the machine to halt.
Besides, the Oster 1200 Pro has a much better built and strong motor and a reputation as a durable machine that is reflected in a 10-years motor warranty.
Summary
Although the KitchenAid 5‑Speed Diamond looks like a very solid and powerful machine in fact, Oster Pro 1200 is a better-built and much more durable machine. It is also designed to perform more tasks than KitchenAid. It is also, on average, 40%- 60% cheaper than KitchenAid and comes with a better warranty that confirms its durability. So the Oster is a better option when choosing between those two machines for customers looking for a durable, reliable, and versatile blender but do not want to break the bank.
Best Countertop Blenders under $100
