Customer Reviews

Hamilton Beach 52254 12-Speed Blender with Food Processor Attachment

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm surprised by the negative comments some others reviewed because after careful scrutiny of all the models - balancing out their features, price, motor power, size details, with customer reviews, I went from a Kitchen Aid (my first choice), to the cusineart blender model w/food processor attachment(but read about the one part that breaks quickly on everyone that reviewed it so I moved on), to finally decide to try this model in the end, & I'm very pleased with my final decision.
- The blender is attractive looking, w/a nicely designed glass jug, which lists both US & metric measurements up the sides of the jug, has a cone shape rather than the kitchen aid cylinder shape, therefore moving the contents around for thorough blending & ice crushing (for those protein drinks), & lastly - the handle is large enough for the biggest hand, which makes handling comfortable. (I thought I'd include that & might be important for all the men out there.)
- The motor is powerful. After reading other reviews about not working at all for ice or processing, when I made my first protein drink I was upset when I didn't hear the usual racket after putting in the icecubes through the top. I thought "Oh No!!! I have to return it now!!!It doesn't even catch the cubes, much less make snow!!!", only to calm down long enough to open the lid, peer inside, & realize that if I didn't turn it off, I wouldn't have any texture left to my shake at all because the ice would be completely gone to water!
It is wonderful & powerful. (Read the booklet re: using the highest speed & pulse for ice crushing)
- Then I braced myself for something to go wrong w/the processor because surely this machine, at this price, can't be that good, right??? I'm glad to report - wrong! I read the instructions, washed all the parts, & assembled the food processor attachments on the blender base, ready to test it by using the shredder blade disk for shredding carrots, & turned it on. I was amazed at how powerful it was!
I don't own a food processor, but unless I'd need a large capacity one in the future, I don't see the need to ever do so. This machine is fantastic so far (if anything goes wrong I will definitely update)& I recommend it for a multi-purpose machine at a great price, for space saving use, to do all those little everyday jobs of food preparation, as well as those all important breakfast protein drinks too!
One Negative - cord is short so if your outlet is a distance down the counter just pick up a $2 white extension cord from your local drug-store. Not important enough to not buy.

This was a really bad purchase on my part... I thought I would be killing two birds with one stone, but the fact of the matter is, I only cripped one bird, while slightly injuring another...
The best thing about this blender/processor is how easy it is to clean the blender attachment and the thickness of the glass...
The worst thing? Where do I start? If you're looking for a machine that can crush ice, then pick something else. Whenever I tried to crush ice, the melting of the cubes in the blender causes any bits of ice that do get crushed to end up stuck to the sides of the blender, towards the bottom near the blades...
Also, this machine is obscenely loud, I never use it late at night in fear that neighbors will complain...
Hmm, what else? I consider the s-shaped blade for the food processor attachment to be a big embarrassment to the designers/engineers at Hamilton Beach... It is limited in its chopping ability but unlimited in its ability to push all the food you put in the bowl to the sides while chopping nothing... great work guys...
the disk is so so but I've worked with better. Seriously this blender/processor is definitely not worth purchasing. Save up a little extra cash and buy yourself a separate blender and food processor.

Although there are more powerful, larger capacity food processors and more expensive blenders, this appliance is a powerful little unit when properly used. And it takes up little space on the kitchen counter, making it convenient as well. I have another blender and a cuisanart, but hate dragging them out. I wouldn't ask this machine to do the same jobs, but I have now sliced carrots, shredded hard cheese, chopped cilantro and made dip in the food processor with excellent results. My son has used the blender for his protein and fruit drinks almost daily and is pleased with the crushed ice function. Directions say "use liquid" and the results are very good.

As for the food processor flying off, this only happened when I forgot to lock the unit into place...The unit does not replace a cuisanart, but does serve well as a everyday unit for smaller jobs. It makes an excellent first appliance when money and space are a premium!

I got this as a Mothers Day gift I tried to use the food processor to grate cheese and it does not work at all to grate anything. I am having a very hard time getting them to fix it too. The blender has a glass picture but is not any better at crusing ice then my $10 blender that isnt suppose to crush ice but I do. The blender also always smells like its buring rubber.

The blender part of this product is awesome. It crushes ice like nobody's business, it mixes, purees, stirs, and of course, blends. It's made of glass, so it's easy to clean and doesn't retain any weird odors. Great for making morning milkshakes. It comes apart very easily, so it's easy to clean. Also, the blender comes with a wide base, so when taken off the motor part, it stands surely on its own. The only downside is pouring - the lip does not have the little "beak", so the surfance tension doesn't get broken and you have to pour very carefully or you'll end up with a mess. With a bit of practice (and a paper towel below the edge), you shouldn't have any problems though. I recommend this blender highly for its ability to perform its function superbly. A+

The food process is also pretty decent. I was kind of weary of bying a combo because it might've been too good to be true. Fortunately, the food process does its job. It's made of plastic and it sits securely on top of the motor. It's pretty tight, so you can chop even tomatoes and there won't be any spills. You can control the speed at which you're cutting stuff in the processor. I wish though, that the processor came with additional parts, for example, for slicing. Overall, though, it's a pretty decen beginner-to-medium food processor. It serves me well in the kitchen (perfect for crumbling graham crackers for cheesecake crust!)

Overall, the product is definitely worth the money. For most people, a food processor is useful but not used extremely often, or at least not enough to justify a fancy [money amount]purchase for a separate machine. This combo is a great solution - even if for some reason you won't like the processor, at least you're getting a superb blender.

I have just purchased this model.. Its the newer model from Hamilton Beach, (as opposed to the 52204).. It has been improved.. and is wonderful.. I made a Frappachino today.(saved myself - mega bucks, at Starbucks.. LOL).. But seriously, the machine is great.. Chops ice, holds ALOT.. and I also tried the food processor attachment, I used it with some crackers, that I made into fresh bread crumbs. and they came out great.. I would highly recommend this product.

This is great for anyone, because it works well, but I'll get to that in a minute.

This is the best value for anyone with a small apartment/condo without much kitchen space. The more appliances you have, the less space you have. This is the perfect solution. One blender base that can swap tops for a blender or a food processor.

The blender has a good, strong motor, and chops through about anything I've thrown at it, and the food processor seems to work great (though I don't use it too often.) It also has a little extra safety attched. There is a "safety button" under the lid that will not allow the processor to operate if the lid is not on tightly.

That said, I might use the food processor more often if it actually had multiple blade attachments. There is only one, so you can puree or make things like salsa or guacamole(my favorite) but you can't slice your apples or tomatoes, because there is no slicing attachment.

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Final thoughts:

This is a great buy for anyone looking for a blender AND a food processor, especially if you have a small kitchen. BUT if you need a robust food processor, buy a cheaper blender and get a separate food processor that has more attachments.

I got this blender as a Bridal shower gift, and it was wonderful for a while. The blender itself works fine most of the time, but I did find that it made odd noises. After a while the plastic on the base cracked, just a bit, but then it cracked more and more to the point that there's only a tiny space now that isn't cracked. this creates quite a problem since it causes the entire blender to tip, meaning that the pieces that need to connect in order for the blade to turn cannot connect. Hence, I have a broken blender all because of cheap plastic. My advice is to spend a little more money and get something that isn't so cheaply made.

The quality of the blender is par for the course. The food processor on the other hand was very disapointing. We have tried slicing 3 different types of cheese that the manual said could be sliced, all of them crumbled. On top of that, it made a loud bang noise the 3rd-4th time we used it. Haven't used the food processor since. Just glad I got this on sale. Definately would not reccomend.

I have had this blender/food processor for almost three years and have yet to be disappointed. It is a wonderful product, and their customer service is fantastic! Twice I have had problems, and twice they have replaced broken parts - even after nearly three years. I highly recommend both the product and the company.