Customer Reviews

KitchenAid KSB580NK Custom Metallic 5-Speed Blender, Brushed Nickel

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I have owned a lot of blenders and this one is very impressive. I was tempted to give it 4 stars as it is not the best blender I have ever owned. That distinction goes to the Vita-Mix which has a nuclear reactor for a base, sounds like a Harley and cost as much as a microwave but if you need a blender that can crush anything and make flour and HOT soup....well....but back to the KitchenAid.

First it looks great. As a home chef, having a sleek modern looking kitchen is important. Second it is easy to clean... I will never own a push button (i.e. old Oster-type) blender again. Nor one with a multi piece jar. One leak can and has ruined an evening or party, as you run to grab paper towel and dish clothes to control the margarita or soup that is running across your counter and down your cabinets. Then the fun of cleaning your blender nooks begin....grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Now the really impressive part. I have owned a Waring for years. Everyone always raves about it and if you have a thin liquid, it works great. But for crushing ice and making smoothies, it just flat out sucks. So I sought out an ice crushing (margaritas), sealed jar (gravies/soups), lightweight, large capacity (parties), easy touch (easy to clean), piece of art. The KitchenAid is all those things and has a logic built in that controls the blade speed. It knows how well it is crushing the ice and modulates the motor to ensure an even snow like texture that is incredible. The same system is also built into the other modes, measuring resistance to step the motor up, then back it down to ensure smooth results.

This is my first KitchenAid product, but it will not be my last. BRAVO

This is an excellent, high-quality blender. We replaced an inexpensive Oster with it and like this KitchenAid much, much more. Things I really like:

1) Power - this blender whips through hard-frozen fruit like nothing is there for wonderful smoothies.
2) Smooth, one piece control panel - makes for super-easy clean-up as there are no cracks or crevices to trap spills. Yet, the buttons behind the panel still have a nice tactile click response so you know you pressed one.
3) Brushed nickel finish - very attractive on your counter.
4) Polycarbonate jar - this worried me when considering this purchase as our old blender had a nice, thick glass jar. But, after using this blender for 3 months, I like this jar better. It is thick, yet lightweight, and hasn't scratched (although I only use rubber or silicone spatulas inside any way).
5) One piece blades & jar - our old blender had a screw-off base, resulting in 4 parts for clean-up - the base, the blade assembly, the jar itself & a rubber gasket. This blender's blades are permanently mounted in the bottom of the jar making for easy clean-up. I either just put it in the dishwasher on the bottom shelf, or I rinse it out, fill it up halfway with warm water & a small squirt of dishwasher detergent and run it on medium for 10 seconds or so.

Unlike another reviewer, I have experienced no leaks. There is a hex hut on the bottom of the jar that holds in the blade assembly & I am sure there is a rubber gasket underneath the nut. If I ever do get a leak, I plan trying to slightly tighten this nut with an adjustable wrench - I imagine it could possibly loosen over time due to vibration.

The bottom line is that while there are certainly many less expensive blenders on the market, this is an extremely powerful, well-built & attractive option. I think it is worth the price (I had a $20 rebate to lessen the sting), but others may not depending on their budget.

UPDATE after a summer of making daiquiris & margaritas - This blender makes FANTASTIC frozen drinks. It really pulverizes the ice & frozen fruit to make a killer frozen cocktail!

If you're into crushed ice and smoothie type drinks, this is easily the best one I've found. It reduces ice cubes to a smooth slush in just seconds. The "crush ice" mode pulses on and off to crush the ice quickly and few more seconds at a higher speed smooths it out and adds some air volume. It also looks very sleek, so won't mind leaving it out on your bar or in the kitchen.

This blender replaces a 20 year old Hamilton Beach that finally gave up the ghost (after being abused by my lovely spouse one too many times ;-) ).

I actually purchased the refurbished one direct from KitchenAid for $100.

Out of the box, the pitcher had a small leak, so a thin line of blended goodness and maybe a touch of oil were getting slung around the inside of the base of the pitcher (where the pitcher fits over the base). SOLUTION: Call KitchenAid Customer Service and voila, they are shipping me a new one (they said keep the old, leaky one--I may try to fix it). Now THAT is what I call great customer service.

There is some confusion as to the Watts (power) that this thing has:

120V x 6A = 720 Watts (the base simply says 120V, 6A motor)
but
0.9hp * 746W/hp = 671 Watts (the advertised spec on the KitchenAid site has 0.9hp)
or
650 Watts (according to JC Penny)

Let's call it 700 Watts and move on....

Regardless, this blender has plenty of power to crush ice (made smoothies for the kids) and make chocolate malts/shakes.

PROS:
1. The pitcher/base interface between the motor and the pitcher itself is intelligently designed (spouse proof?)--no more rubber gears that get ground down to tiny nubs.
2. The pitcher/base interface mechanically makes it essentially tip-proof--it's not coming off the base unless you lift it all the way off).
3. The pitcher is one piece, large (56 oz is nice), and shatter proof (I think glass is a bad idea--think breaking it in the sink while cleaning as it slips out of your hand)
4. The button interface is smooth--no cleaning between mechanical buttons
5. It looks good
6. KitchenAid has top-notch customer service (we own a stand mixer and a refrigerator as well of the same brand). They also sent me a new pitcher when I told them the original was leaking (at their expense).
7. At $100 for refurb (or $129 at JC Penny new), the price
8. A built in cord storage on the bottom
9. 5 year warranty=new), 6 month warranty=refurbished

CONS:
1. It is kinda loud...not as loud as my old Hamilton Beach, but you aren't going to have an intimate conversation with someone while it's going. This is not a big deal to me, though, because it blends quickly.
2. The jar base leaks a teeny tiny bit. Even the replacement they sent suffers from this.

Great machine for home use.

UPDATE a year later--added the two cons.
It's ridiculously powerful and I still enjoy using it.
To the person who has broken 3 jars, I hafta say--don't put it in the dishwasher, handwash it instead.

We registered for this blender loving it's small footprint and clean looks. Perfectly happy with having a plastic (polycarbonate) jar, since it's lighter, and offers 1-piece simplicity (stick it in the dishwasher, pull it out, done).

BUT, and this is a big but: the jar doesn't last. Our first one went after a few months of use (1-2 times a week ONLY). Even though it has an ice-crush button on it, I started pre-crushing the ice with our ice maker when we purchased our replacement jar (at $50!). The second jar didn't seem to take any longer to start cracking. The cracks seem to start around the handle, and work their way up and down. Slowly, but surely, the jar begins to leak onto your blender and the counter. And, of course, it's sticky and nasty, and annoying. I just ordered my 3rd jar and I'm grumpy about it. Another $50 to KitchenAid, in support of this failure of a product. I wish the glass jars would fit it, but sadly they don't. Your only choice is to replace with another doomed jar, or order a new blender... which I guess I'll have to do next time.

The jar is simply not going to last, even under moderate to light usage.

AVOID THIS BLENDER, and possibly any blender with a poly jar.

I received this as a Christmas gift in 2007. So I have had it for four full months and I have not had a single complaint. I read all the reviews about the sound of the motor but decided it was the best for the price anyway. I'm glad the reviews didn't deter me; I expected it to sound like a jet engine from all the reviews, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out it sounds like, you guessed it, a blender! The "Liquify" mode is the only one that is really loud, but you only need run it for a few seconds and Voila!

I love the "Crush Ice" mode. It's perfect for margaritas and smoothies with lots of frozen fruit. I use this blender just about everyday. No leaks, no motor problems. That's right...it's a Kitchen-Aid!

I hand-wash mine after every use. It's never seen the inside of the dishwasher. I'd be interested in hearing from someone who is brave enough. I don't want to ruin a good thing!

Buy this blender! You won't regret it! It's the same price just about everywhere, so no need to comparison shop.

We are now on our second KitchenAid brushed chrome blender. The first one quit. I suspect I worked it too hard, making my own peanut butter. Until it quit it was perfect. When I called for service on this 8-month old blender, KitchenAid had a very nice American service rep who mailed me a new blender at their expense, with a box to return mine, at their expense.
I have never experienced customer service of this quality, ever. It's KitchenAid appliances for me from now on. As for the peanut butter project, I think I was asking too much of a blender in this price range, so I'll quit. If you want really heavy-duty blending, probably the astronomically-priced VitaMix is your baby. I'll stick with KitchenAid for all my appliances. The appliances are good, but the service quality I received was fantastic. I sure hope they don't try to figure out a way to cut costs in that department!!

Over the years, I have had several blenders. Osterizer, Hamilton Beach, etc. I just came to expect that they would overheat, break down, leak, and need to be replaced every year or two. I also accepted how they underperformed with crushing ice or other frozen things. I finally decided to invest in the next level of blender and received the Kitchen Aid this week. I was amazed from my first use. This blender is the real deal. It has amazing power and great design. It makes frozen blended drinks or smoothies with frozen fruit in the "Crush Ice" mode. This mode automatically pulses strongly, pulverizing the frozen ice or fruit and blending it. No stirring or trying to fish out the frozen chunks that didn't blend. I love the design of the blender- you can easily wipe down the controls without worrying about junk getting caught behind push down buttons. The manual describes a great way to clean the blender. Simply fill halfway or so with warm water, add a drop or two of soap, place back on the blender, and "Stir." Then rinse it all out. Fun and perfect cleaning! I really appreciate that the blade is integrated into the pitcher so there are no fittings to worry about- no leaks. The brushed nickel finish goes great with my other stainless steel appliances. Don't hesitate to buy this blender!

I am one of those people who never wanted to spend hundreds on a blender. However, I drink green smoothies ALOT..so I use a blender two to three times a day. I am also busy and don't like to chop, blend, stir, squoosh all my ingredients up while holding down a button and watching it all go on. I have had this blender since January 2011 and I bought it from Macy's for $90 on sale. The style is georgous, handsome and beautiful so I REALLY wanted to keep this thing forever. BUT you know how this ends...with me taking it back to Macy's four months later. Sigh! It started leaking around the gasket of the blade..underneath. I tried tightening it several times but everytime I used the thing it wiggled loose and I had smoothie running down the side of the unit. Luckily, the design is made for the easiest cleanup.
Here are the pros and cons:
PROS: STYLISH, SLEEK DESIGN
EASY TO CLEAN
PUSH BUTTONS ARE FLUSH DESIGN SO NO LEAKAGE AROUND BUTTONS
NICE ICE CRUSH OPTION
ITS REALLY AMAZING TO LOOK AT :) GREAT GIFT IDEA
DECENT POWER..actually it rocks for normal useage..my useage isn't normal
CONS: LEAKAGE at rubber gasket
STARTED SOUNDING LIKE I WAS GRINDING NAILS TOWARDS THE END
CONCLUSION: I bought a Vitamix. Obviously, KitchenAid is a great brand. I misused it. This item is perfect for yogurt smoothies, crushed ice drinks, etc. Not greens, carrots, celery, beets, frozen veggies,on a daily basis.

I had the old Kitchenaid blender and it was okay but I did not like taking it a part to clean. Also the rubber thing at the bottom that caused the blades to turn wore down until they finally broke off.

I just got this blender today and it rocks! I made a super thick smoothie and it blended right up without any need for me to stir during the blending. The cleanup is also super easy since no disassembly required.

Finally, the brushed nickel finish looks fantastic with my stainless steel appliances.