Time to Mix It Up!

The long wait is finally over folks! Here is continuation to the review of Kitchen Aid handheld blender.

 Just by looking at the box you can't help but get a little giddy and think, "Sweet!" It comes with everything I need: heldheld (with multiple blending attachments), a pitcher with an opening in the top for the handheld to be insert for blending smoothies, sauces and other mixtures, a mixing container with its own designated chopping blade for chopping, dicing and mixing.

It even has a wire whisk attachment too. All this and neat case to keep it all nice and organized. No loosing parts in the kitchen draw to confuse or forget which actual goes to it or something else. 

 Here you can get a closer look at the tool and its various attachments. The attachment also have protective cover for all of them as well.

 The plastic cover was kinda give all the items a blurred and hazing look that was not very clear (and not good for the eyes either so here is another shot with the lid open; a must more sharper image, dont'cha think?

Alright, now that we have all puruved the eye candy that is the Kitchen Aid, let's get down to the knitting gritty and why we're "really" hear...or at least why I posted this little puppy. To share with you how I went through it and test it with a fine tooth-unbias-fault-finding-critism bearing eye.
"It's the only way to review...with sinisterism." Yes, I made that word up but its a good word for this particular arena. I define as to meaning that with an intent to find fault, to observant, bias (to a degree) but with a an agenda acutely aware to the point of creating or looking for flaws. In others words, I got it I like it but if I find anything wrong; no holds bar. My review will come down like a hammer. Okay? Okay. Seriously, one cannot be nice when reviewing, gotta look for or at least be observation of every thing in a real world scenario; using it...and bashing it (verbally of course). But I'm ranting
"...on to the review!"

Let's start with the positive, shall we?

• It comes as a package deal. It has more than just the handheld blender with two or three attachment to blend and mix with which usually is not a wire whisk. The whisk is more certain a plus of high mark for sure
• The pitcher for mixing liquid directly inside a container for easy pouring and lid with a build-in measuring cup that can be removed so the handheld can mix direct while minimizing spills That's nifty too
• The chopping container (I should know what Kitchen Aid actually named this items and it might even say so on the box but honestly, I am typing on the first floor and the box is stored away in the attic on the third floor, would you go get just read that only one minor piece of information that one will care about? Me neither...moving on) :P
• The storage case which is easy to store in a draw, cabinet or shelf
• The handheld has a nice contour shape with rubber grip wide enough for entire hand to easily hold onto the handheld with no concern for it slipping or sliding while working with it
• The handheld has five various blending speeds 
• The blending is done in with a push of a button meant to be always be done in a pulsating action
• While I have not used all the various attachments, the ones I have tried do blend fairly well.  
• I was particularly and pleasantly surprised at how well the chopping container broke down hard items like nuts. You have to aid some liquid when you do this to help with the break down process like you are require to do when putting ice in a upright blender. But the last time I check, you cannot put nuts in an upright. The broken down, chop up piece can get caught under and in between the blade would may slow or impede the function of the blender in a very bad way. This is not the case when using the container. So you can make things like homemade peanut butter or apple sauce.

Now on to the heart of the matter; how it did. Where shall we begin? Let just start by backtracking over some of those positives  bullets, shall we?

• All the attachments do NOT make a tight seal fit when attached. For something that has a primary function for being submerge into something liquid at least 90 percent or more of the time, you would think the manufacture would taken such a thing into better consideration because it is a pain to clean in those area where the attachment locks onto the handheld. There is this Z type grove that help the two parts lock into place like any other male and female insert connection. However, where the female connection is located on the lower on the top of the attachment, I have dried on pancake mix that "still" will not come clean! You may be like me and  do not even notice it right away from it being in there until after it has been cleaned and dried and you go to use it again then see it when you are attaching the two parts again. That inner part is plastic. Plastic is porous and hard to clean depending on what get onto it. To my surprise, dried-on pancake mix is one of those hard to clean substances.
• The pitcher I mentioned earlier? It's plastic too. If there one thing I do like when it come to my counter top appliance; it plastic. No blender or pitcher for blending should ever be plastic. Its porous, it can get scratch and over time, what ever it is made from can, does and will break down and get into your food, beverage, sauce and/or gravy made in it. I do not care what the substance is that it is made from, it is still "just" plastic. 
• The chopping container...yup! you guest it, its plastic too. So you know, if you are chopping up nut or frozen berries or anything hard, its hitting hard against and over time, scratching those inner wall of that container too.
• Not everything is finely chopped and blended and there is no consistency when it happens. It could just be a matter of trail and error but it seem pretty frustrating and bothersome to have to keep experimenting to get the right ratio of liquid to blending items right for them to well blended and not leave any chunks. A good quality blender, handheld or otherwise, either does or does not finely and with precision will do the job right every single time without being some form of rock science to figure it out. 
• The storage while convenient to keep all the handheld thing together in one place, is big or rather wide, I should say. So that draw, cabinet or shelf...will need to be a tad bit large in either width, depth or both.
• The five speed variation is hard to see on top of the handheld which is a nice glossy steely glow but with black small emboss number on a surface reflect everything like a carnival  fun room distorted mirror, make it a struggle to see
• The speed are adjusted by turning the top of handheld and it is also a struggle to do; thank in part to that slick shiny surface and rounded top make it hard to grip. The it is attached makes it ever harder to get it to turn once you think you might have a good enough grip too
• The push button pulsating way of mixing is good for something you blend but not always. There are some recipe you just want and need to be able to turn on the blender (handheld) and not have to constantly push the button, let go, push the button and let go again. The manual will actually tell you, you are not suppose to hold the button down, as tempting as it, you risk damaging the handheld I guess if you hold the button down. The manual does not say that but advise against holding it down. I found this extremely annoying.  It does and will affect the ability to use the handheld for making some items where you need a free hand to add items, while it is being mix. But since you have to controlling blending by pushing on and off the button while using your other hand to hold onto the bowl, pitcher or other container while at the same time, there is no way to add ingredient "while" mixing. You will have to stop
• Oh almost forgot this one. When you do use the wire whisk attachment. The connection is secure. The whole thing wobbles and shakes kinda violently when you use.  Not a whole lot but too much, since it should not at all.

In summary, the only reason why I still have this thing is because it was around the holidays (Christmas). I got caught up in the everything that was going on, couldn't send it back then because the post office is not open during the holiday and you have to go through the whole call the vendor for a Return Authorization and blah, blah. I got it online so there was also that; navigating the website to find contact information and hope you can actually talk to someone and not have rely on email where a lot of customer support is not the most responsive or cooperative...so yeah. It ended up being a kinda force procrastination and got stuck with it. It still is not that bad but is it something I would recommend; NO.

Well, there you have. My first review. If you have any questions or comment, please leave them below.

Note: All comments are review prior to posting so please be courteous and respectful. If not, no one will see it anyway. Just so you know, kay. 'til next time...

"Enjoy your day"