35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Tribest Personal Blender Super Convenience Pack, June 26, 2007
This review is from: Tribest Personal Blender PB-200 Super Convenience Pack
For months, I've been weighing between getting this or getting a Magic Bullet. I wish I got the Magic Bullet.
I have an Oster Intuitive Blender with Blend'n'Go cups. It was extremely cumbersome and messy. Because my sister-in-law had a Japanese version of the Magic Bullet and it was sturdy and easy-to-clean, I thought I'd retire my blender and give in to the personal sized blenders. The Magic Bullet has been on my to-buy list for months when I perused the reviews. Most seem to be disappointed with its wimpy motor and short life span. Amazon's other suggestions lead me to Tribest. I bought Tribest based on three major factors: 1) the reviews, 2) the ease of finding replacement parts, and 3) ultimately (this particular model) because of the ability to blend straight in a Mason Jar, my preferred method of storage, with the extra conversion lids. Some who had previously purchased the Magic Bullet seemed to prefer Tribest, which they bought when their Magic Bullet died.
When the Tribest arrived, I was so excited. I thought it was going to look like my sister-in-law's personal blender. Unfortunately, it didn't. One of the reviewers described it right when they said that the plastic parts look cheap. The cups are fine. The plastic that holds the blade looks flimsy and cheap. It's made of an almost white, almost clear plastic that bends under slight finger pressure. It looks like it could warp very easily under hot soup or in a hot dishwasher.
I made my usual kefir smoothie, but made it with some strawberries I had. So I put the strawberries in first and blended them and then added kefir and honey. Despite blending them more than I felt they needed to be blended, there were still large bits of strawberries. It was fine to eat, but I didn't think the blender was that effective. And a previous critic (in another model of the Tribest Blender) accurately stated that you smell a burning rubber smell if you blend longer than a minute. But, hey, it's new. Many small electronics will smell like burning rubber when run for the first time. I have yet to find out what happens when I make TWO smoothies. I bought XL cups too, because I thought the 16 oz was too small, but I shouldn't have bought them. The 16 oz was a perfect size serving for me. Quantity control is key to every diet.
That said, the delivery was quick (but it was coming from California and delivered to California). It came nicely packaged in a box. It comes with extra amenities like a cutting board and a long handle spatula and of course, the mason jar converters. If you tend to use mason jars for storage, I recommend this model. Otherwise, don't waste your money.. buy the one without the extras, unless you think you're going to use them. I plan to make dressings and chop vegetables and garnishes with mine and store them in the refrigerator so I wanted extra small cups.
Cleanup is a snap. I hate cleanup chores so rinsing it immediately after the smoothie is not as cumbersome with the Tribest as the large blenders, even when the large blenders have the attachments for blending into travel size cups. I found myself cleaning the lid and the cup only, when I usually have to clean up the cup, the blade, the lid, the blender base and the counter -- my blend-n-go cups leak!
Pros:
Replacement parts are easy to find and you don't have to send a photo of the model in to get assistance.
Cleanup is a snap and there's less to clean.
It has a small footprint.
It's quieter than my Oster.
I can blend straight into a mason jar.
It blends my smoothie in a minute (but I don't use ice).
Cons:
The plastic lid that holds the blade looks flimsy and cheap.
The first use smells of burning rubber.
The plastic lids and sippy lids look cheap and feel cheap.
The spatula and cutting board are lame and you probably won't use them.
The cups don't have handles like Magic Bullet cups.
The blender base seems cheaply made compared to the asian personal blender models out there.
It's more expensive than the Magic Bullet.
Would I recommend someone to buy it? Hmmm... Having never bought a Magic Bullet, I don't know how it stacks up. But if I were to make the decision over again, knowing what I know now, I'd still buy a personal blender like this, whether it's Magic Bullet or Tribest or the Asian version, because they're A) easier to clean, B) my smoothies don't require a lot of power, and C) it takes up a smaller footprint and is quieter than my regular blender even with the blend'n'go cups.
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