Hamilton Beach 58148A Power Elite Review – A Budget Blender With Power

So far most of the blenders I’ve written about have plastic jars. On the plus side these are lightweight and easy to carry but the big question mark is their ability to handle hot liquids.

Hamilton Beach 58148A Power Elite Review

This blender from Hamilton Beach used a different approached and utilized a glass jar instead of plastic. This jar is tested to withstand extreme changes in temperature.

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This blender is one of the cheapest in the market at a shade under $27, a big reason why this is a bestselling counter top blender in Amazon right now. And with that it also comes with a 3 year warranty.

A competing brand, the Ninja comes with only a one year warranty and their blenders costs at least four times more than the this one.

For the price, this machine has some versatility. Aside from making smoothies, it is capable of making frozen dessert, crushed ice, soup and salsa.

Features at a glance

  • Powered by a 700 watt motor
  • Comes with a 40 ounce glass container
  • Has twelve blending functions – mix, milkshake, easy clean, puree, smoothie, icy drink, dice, chop, salsa, grind, crush ice, grate
  • 3 year warranty
  • Container has a patented no-mess pouring spout
  • 14.69″ tall
  • 3 year warranty

Pros

  • One of the most affordable blenders right now
  • Comes with a pretty good 3 year warranty
  • Good enough to make smoothies, iced drinks, purees or blended protein shakes
  • Easy to use
  • Clear controls

Cons

  • Glass container is heavy
  • Motor will not be strong enough to blend dry/hard ingredients
  • Noisy
  • Will struggle with broccoli and greens if you don’t add enough water

What to expect from this budget blender?

This no-frills blender has one goal in mind, affordable blending and when used correctly it will deliver pretty good smoothies every day.

Small motor

It does not have the heavy duty motor found in the Vitamix or Blendtec so this will not do well going through dry stuff like peanuts.

Features

 

Glass pitcher

I mentioned that it comes with a glass jar, yes a glass jar so it will be heavy.

If you have problems carrying a jar with this much weight, you’ll have to look at models with plastic containers like the Ninja but these will be more expensive.

The base is removable if you want a more thorough clean. But this is risky due to direct blade exposure.

There’s an easier alternative would be to fill the jar halfway, add a bit of dish washing detergent then pulse for 30 seconds.

What can this make?

This multi-function blender is versatile but limited by a weak motor.

It is capable of making smoothies, frozen desserts, purees and diced vegables for salsa or soup.

But if read the manual, it says that you need to add some liquid to the recipe, around 8 ounces worth if it bogs down.

So this means the motor isn’t robust enough to handle recipes without water.

Smoothies

Let’s look at how it performed making a smoothie that contains spinach, banana, strawberry, milk, some ice and whey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHIvny2mTRo

It struggle a little bit blending spinach but with a little tugging using a spoon the blades eventually got to it.

This blender does not have with a tamper that you can use to push ingredients down. Vitamix and Cleanblend are the only two brands with this option right now but these are much more expensive.

Here’s another demo again in making a fruit smoothie – this doesn’t contain any leafy greens, a big reason why it didn’t stall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O21Ru-eICSs

Is it easy to clean?

While you have the option of removing the base and cleaning the blade assembly and jar separately, I wouldn’t recommend it because it is very, very dangerous and you could injure yourself, seriously.

It’ll be easier if you use a brush.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqF9V3bieAU

Another way would be to fill the blender half way, add a few drops of liquid detergent then pulse it a few times then rinse well. It works for other brands so it should work for this. Not only will it save you time but it’ll reduce the risk of injury.

Product Specifications

ModelHamilton Beach 58148A Multi-Function Blender
Motor700 watts
Jug capacity40 ounces (glass)
Blade Type4-prong steel
Max RPMN/A
Preset blending cyclesOff

Mix/Milkshake/Easyclean

Puree/Smoothie/Icy Drink

Dice/Chop/Salsa

Grind/Crush Ice/Grate
Tamper/PlungerNo
Crush ice?
Smoothies
Juice
Warranty3 years (whole machine)

Warranty

Hamilton Beach backs this up with a 3 year warranty which is unheard of in this price range.

Consumer Reviews

Even though this is a bestselling product, the review score doesn’t reflect it but still a lot of people have purchased this because it’s cheap.

Not as consistent as a Vitamix

In terms of blending performance, most are happy with the results even though it isn’t as smooth as a $500 Vitamix.

Consumers also liked how the cover doubles as a spout but some have complained about spillage when it’s full so the key takeaway is not overfilling the jar.

The blender did have a difficult time blending broccoli and when it did, there were some florets floating around.

Will struggle blending greens

It also struggle with leafy greens if you don’t put enough liquid. This is what the majority complained about when giving low ratings.

Don’t forget to add water

If you’re planning on buying this don’t expect it to blend dry ingredients like frozen fruit or ice well.

You will need to put liquid for it to function properly. This is the downside of all budget blenders that don’t have torquey motors.

Where can I buy this?

You can buy this budget blender from Amazon for less than $30. It’s a pretty good deal because it comes with a 3-year warranty. And you can purchase the optional extended warranty (up to 4 years).

Another reason to buy in Amazon would be the 2-day free shipping if you enroll in Prime.

To Wrap It Up

This blender would be a great option for people looking for a smoothie maker that will not cost hundreds of dollars.

When used properly, that means adding liquid to every recipe you put inside, it will be able to blend ice, fruit and vegetables though it will struggle a little bit if you put lots of leafy greens.

It should be able to make frozen blended shakes or puree vegetables without any problem.

It won’t be able to make nut butter, mix dough or grate coffee beans even though it has those options because the motor doesn’t have enough torque and will burn out if you try.

The key to appreciating this product is not expecting professional level quality from it or performance.

If you’re not particular with the consistency of your smoothies but just want something affordable capable of basic blending functions then this machine is a very good choice.

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