This is the best blender ever!

If you are looking for the end-all blender that will turn anything into a great shake, smoothie, soup, salsa, or whatever it is you need to turn into slurry, this is your blender. I have been looking for the perfect blender for a long time, and finally found the one I always knew I wanted.

I got it home a few weeks ago and was very impressed with the design of the blender. It makes a statement on the counter, and doesn't look like a sterile restaurant supply blender. I like it's somewhat Gothic/Art Deco design. It also isn't what I'd call a huge blender either, unless you are used to a tiny cheap blender. However, it does take up a bit of space. I only buy professional/commercial grade kitchen appliances, and this is definitely high quality.

I bought this Waring after giving my old Waring beehive blender to a friend and getting a Viking pro blender. The Viking had a light plastic body, and I was appalled to see that even the driveshaft on the Viking was plastic. No thanks. And, the Viking didn't impress me with its blending power. I missed my Waring blender but needed something bigger, so I found this Waring MX1000. I was pleased to see an all-metal driveshaft with about 16 metal notches for a strong, no slip grip on the blades, AND metal gripping teeth on the half gallon carafe blade assembly. These teeth won't sheer off. I plugged the MX1000 in, put in a bunch of ice and water, and the first press of the paddle control showed me that I had made a GREAT choice. The 3HP motor whirred to life with authority, and turned that ice to slush in only a few seconds. I've never seen such frenetic madness in a blender carafe. It is hard to impress me, but my eyes got big when this thing kicked to life.

Another reviewer on Amazon said that the blender registered 92dB on their meter, which is loud, but I didn't find it loud at all. However, it will wake the baby. This blender is so powerful and efficient at blending, you'll have it on less time to make a smoothie than you would a more conventional blender. So yes, louder than others, but it is on for less time...

I was initially concerned about the blender carafe being plastic, and was thinking about getting the stainless steel carafe. No need, the Waring plastic carafe is high quality and shouldn't break unless dropped onto a tile floor. Plus, I like seeing what I'm blending. Also, the lid is really interesting, sort of a soft rubber accordion design, which keeps cold liquids in very well. They aren't kidding though when they say to remove the center lid cap when blending hot liquids. I was making hot chocolate in the blender (which is a great way to get foamy smooth hot chocolate) and just to see what would happen, left the center lid in. Well, with blades that turn at 30K RPM, quite a bit of the hot chocolate turned to vapor instantly due to cavitation behind the blades. I had hot chocolate exploded out all over the kitchen. Whoops.

The other concern I had when I bought my original Waring blender was the fact that the the blade assembly is permanently mounted in the carafe and can't be removed for cleaning. It was hard with the old Waring because I couldn't get my hand into the 40oz carafe to clean the bottom of it. The MX1000 however has a wide carafe that I can get my hand in easily. The cleaning technique I use to clean the blades thoroughly including the little spots by the blades my sponge can't reach, is to put some cold water, ice, and dish soap in the blender, put the lid on, and blend for 30 seconds. That cleans the blades great.

One additional benefit of the blender carafe is its cloverleaf design, which forces all liquids and solids back to the blades so it blends everything quickly rather than on cheap blenders that just whirl everything around. For example, I was making margaritas for a party, and had 55 oz of margarita mix, tequila, and about 25 ice cubes in the blender. I flipped the paddle switch and it turned the mix to slush in 6 seconds.

There are only two downsides to this blender besides the somewhat prohibitive cost, and I'm really reaching here.

The cost isn't what I'd call a 'Con' because I feel like I got my money's worth here. For people addicted to Wal-Mart prices, this isn't the blender for you, but you get what you pay for. Cheap blenders offer mediocre performance, break after a year or two, and just don't ge the job done. If that is your cup of tea, you shouldn't be reading this review.

First issue, the carafe doesn't lock down, you have to hold it on the carafe when blending. I don't think this is a really big deal since blending takes only a few seconds. Just be warned, even though the thing is seated well on the base, what might happen if the carafe began to oscillate? That 3HP motor might throw the carafe across the room. I wonder if gluing a few neodymium magnets to the carafe and a few metal plates to the base might help hold it down... My only other suggestion, and this is related to my hot chocolate screwup, is, this thing kicks to life immediately. I wonder why blenders don't have a slow start to get the liquids moving. With this blender, it is like going from 0-100mph in a tenth of a second. But I don't think any blender offers this function, so no matter.

One amusing thing that gets attention, is that in old houses with older wiring, this blender WILL dim your lights for a second.

One last bennie I forgot to mention, the switches on the blender are nice and big. It was recommended to me by Alton Brown not to get those blenders with the soft touch buttons on them, like buttons on a microwave. If your hands are slippery/wet your hands will slip on them. They also have a habit of wearing out whereas the toggle switch style switches on the MX1000 are large and easy to use.

If you don't mind spending some real money on your kitchen appliances, and you buy things to last, this is the last blender you'll ever buy, at least for a decade or two, and everybody who visits your house will probably comment on it. Even if you aren't a serious chef, this will help you look like one.

Update: I've made quite a few smoothies since my initial review, and I stand by my words. Quick ice crushing power, and the 30,000 rpm revolving blades throws items around the carafe with robust vigor and pulverizes everything nice and smooth. Finally a blender I love!