23 out of 23 people found this review helpful.
This blender is not built to last and the manufacturer does not honor its warranty
Date of Review: Oct 5, 2003
The Bottom Line: Avoid this blender. While it makes great smoothies, it has serious design flaws and breaks easily. Back-To-Basics did not honor its warranty. Be wary of Back-To-Basics products in general.
I like to make fruit smoothies with fresh raw ingredients and ice. My trouble was that my old waring blender had trouble crushing all the ice and making a consistent thick smoothie. My solution was to buy a Back To Basics Smoothie Elite.
The smoothie Elite has a powerful motor with a very strong pulse button. The pitcher has a pyramid shape to force all contents toward the blender blade at the bottom. There are markings on the pitcher to measure the correct level of fluids (water, juice, etc.) and solids (ice, fruit,etc.). The pitcher cap allows for a stir stick to break up air pockets and increase mixing efficiency. Finally, there is a dispenser valve near the blades for dispensing smoothies while the blender is still running. The blender came with a smoothie recipe book.
While it worked, the Smoothie Elite met all my needs. I was able to make delicious thick smoothies of the same consistency every time. Clean up was a little tricky and mold tended to accumulate on the rubber o-ring near the blender blade if I wasn't careful. While the recipe book gave me some ideas, I was disappointed that every recipe required at least one processed food such as sherbet, yogurt, or Smoothie Elite fruit concentrates. I used the Smoothie Elite about 4 times a week.
Unfortunately, it turns out that the plastic gear that connects the pitcher with the motor base strips easily. After three months, that gear was stripped clean. I immediately reported the issue to Back-To-Basics, well within the one year warranty period. When I received no reply, I sent a second letter. Again, I received no reply. Consequently, I have gone back to using my original 2 speed waring blender that has lasted over 15 years now and is still going strong.
In conclusion, I do not recommend the purchase of the Back-To-Basics Smoothie Elite. My experience is that the blender is a shoddy knock-off of a quality product. The blender is manufactured by a Company that does not honor its warranties. I would be wary of any other Back-to-Basics products.
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