Kitchen Blenders

Archibald :

We’ve had the Ikon for a couple of years. At first I was in love with it. It’s powerful and looks good.

However, the design flaw is in how hard it is to clean. Taking the base on and off is not that hard, albeit inconvenient.

But there are parts (where thick liquid leaks in around the bottom of the jar) that don’t come off, unless perhaps with screwdriver? There are 4 tiny screws there, but for godsake, do you have to take the entire thing apart with a screwdriver to get it clean? Major problem.

It just doesn’t seem all that hygienic to have old food stuck there. I have to remove the base for every use (and the solid pitcher is heavy for people like me with spinal issues - that would be a plus if i was 20 years younger before injury). Removing it is a bit of a hassle (if it’s tight there is a tool that comes with the blender) but that’s not what I’m complaining about.

The problem is EVEN WHEN YOU REMOVE THE ENTIRE BOTTOM MECHANISM (the part containing the blades and rubber gasket)and wash everything out, you can see the smoothie/soup/puree stuck in parts where the bottom doesn’t come off, between the glass and that big silver base of the pitcher. I have tried soaking it in the sink, running through the dishwasher, but this food is just in there. That seems unhygienic.

If it didn’t have this problem, I would love it. It’s a good machine. But why so difficult to clean? Not worth it. If they fixed this cleaning issue, I’d buy another Ikon. But as-is, I’m tired of trying to get it clean. Such a shame.

Last year I bought the newer big version (big plastic pitcher) and it had the same problem, so I returned it. Breville, have a home cook inspect your designs!

So to recap - no problems with durability or power, well-made with the exception of oops! - someone forgot that a blender needs to be cleaned. And the pitcher is super-heavy, so disabled/injured users take note.

Singman :

I bought this model blender from Bed, Bath & Beyond. I used it just about every day for two months with no problems, although, when making smoothies, I found it best to add a few ingredients, blend them, and then add more instead of trying to blend everything in one shot. At right around having the unit for two months, the motor stopped working. Because it was under warranty, Breville is sending me a new unit. I have to admit they made it very easy to do this, including emailing me a FedEx label so that shipping was free. So, yesterday, right after I left FedEx from mailing the broken unit back to Breville, I decided to go buy another blender at BB&B again. Exact same model as the previous one. I used it ONCE last night and now today the motor is not functioning again. Exact same problem with this one after one use as I had with the previous unit after two months of use.

Needless to say, I either have really bad karma with blenders, or Breville has a serious issue with this model! I’m taking the second unit back to BB&B to get my money back and I will be buying a VitaMix. No more fooling around with lesser blenders for me!

Luce :

I’m not one for writing reviews. I either have to be madly in love with something or have the following happen in order for me to take the time and energy to do this. Because of my experience with this product, I am compelled to warn potential buyers.
I bought this blender about 2.5 years ago. I did not get it from Amazon, but that’s beside the point. It began to leak from the base, at which point, if I did not clean it EVERY time, mold and mildew would develop. I would have my husband tighten it, because I thought I wasn’t making it tight enough. Well, that wasn’t it. Shortly after, the “chrome” base began to blister and peel. I thought that my protein shakes, which leaked, had caused the peeling. I started to think about what might have been in the shakes! The company did replace the entire unit, which I was thrilled about. I thought that the company was making good on a “faulty” unit. Well, the new unit arrives, and it leaks, too. So, this is obviously not just a one-time-only issue. (Now, I see reading other reviews, this is a common problem). A couple of months after that, the base blistered and peeled AGAIN. Great. I never bothered to contact the company, because what was the point - were they going to send me a new blender every 9 - 12 months??? No. So, I kept it and figured that everything else worked, and I would just deal with the cleanup and cosmetic issues for (what I was hoping would be) several years. HeHem, bottom line - I just ordered a Vita-Mix. Why? Well, last week, the blender began to make grinding sounds. I looked over to find that my contents had turned black and the kitchen started to stink of burnt rubber! The base beneath the blades was insanely hot, the blades loosened from the base, and lubricant leaked into the blender contents. UGH! I go to my computer, thinking that I now had to order a replacement part. Guess what? They DON’T have ANY replacement parts for this thing! So, if your glass jar should break - you’ll be buying a new $200 blender! Two hours later, I went and did what I should have done from the very start - invest in a Vita-Mix. It may be a lot more expensive, but I won’t be spending $200 every 2.5 years for a new blender!
I will NEVER! (repeat - NEVER!) buy another Breville product again (and neither will my family or friends). They look very nice and sleek, but apparently that’s about it for their products. Functionally, they aren’t worth the cardboard that they come in. Oh, and when I was researching juicers, I found that people had very similar problems with the juicer as well. Breville buyers, be forewarned! Either save your money and go for something cheaper that you don’t mind replacing or make a wiser investement and go for something more expensive that will last a lot longer.