Optimum 9400 - The Blender Review

I think I've found the one. My life long kitchen partner.

I've been through a fair few blenders in my time and there have been some highs and lows. There was the shall-not-be-named Briscoes blender that catapulted smoothie all over my kitchen as I lifted the jug from the base. The blender that obliterated my spatula. The one that shimmied across the bench when it was on so you had to keep all hands on it. These blenders suited my banana berry smoothie habit just fine, but when I discovered green smoothies, plant-based and raw meals, I felt an upgrade was in order.

Along came Omniblend in the summer of 2012. We had some pretty special moments, with daily  green smoothies, raw desserts and soups. It was cloud 9 at first, Omni could do no wrong and I was impressed by its power and reliability.  But as time went on our relationship was tested. I became more demanding, the mixtures got thicker, my expectations higher. It became apparent I was trying to make a Vitamix out of my Omniblend.  And who could measure up? So we parted ways. Don't get me wrong, Omniblends are a faithful, fairly priced, reliable kitchen companion, just not for me.

Cut to the present day, and welcome to the family Optimum 9400.

Now, this Optimum Blender review is purely my personal opinion. Like every brand, it has a list of pros and cons, which I'll cover. The reason I decided on the Optimum 9400(and subsequently decided to distribute it to you guys) is that after doing my research into price, quality, versatility, after sales service, warranties and guarantees, Optimum came out on top for me. This is not to say there aren't some amazing machines out there. Or that the old blender in your pantry isn't worth it's weight in gold. Because no matter what blending device you've got, even if it's an egg beater, if its helping you get healthier, then all power to you!

But, for those interested in buying a high speed blender, Optimum was my conclusion and I'll tell you why.

I use my Optimum 9400 every day, often twice, and I make smoothies, nut milks, raw desserts, soups,ice cream, dips, LSA, and flour out of grains like buckwheat, quinoa, and nuts. I can pulverise just about anything, from avocado pips (super high in potassium actually!) to raw pumpkin.

Furthermore, we recently bought another one to use at the Markets in Mount Maunganui, because these babies are more than capable of hacking the commercial pace of a smoothie shop.

PROS

Quiet and powerful
The first thing that got me about the Optimum was how quiet it was compared to my Omniblend. And yet more powerful - how does that happen? I don't know. Kind of like those cars that can go 1-100 in 6 seconds yet the engine still feels quiet and smooth. It seems to blend up the hardest frozen chunks with relatively quiet ease, and I rarely have to use the tamper for wet mixtures. It will blend your smoothie in 30 seconds or less, without leaving little bits of kale or anything else floating around. It'll make LSA, buckwheat flour and nut milks in seconds, and nut butters in a few minutes.

The Optimum is powerful because it's equipped with a self-compensating energy-efficient motor which can reach a power of 2,238 Watts, 3 horsepower and a staggering speed of 44,000 rpm. I was told that's pretty much the same as a motor for a runaround boat - wowza!

Affordable
Second thing I liked, was the price. Now the 'Rolls Royces' in blender land would have to be the Vitamix and the Blendtec. These machines start at NZD$1200 and can cost up to NZD$3500. That's because they are amazing, no doubt about it! But, for most of us that's just not practical. I wanted to find a blender that matched the quality of a Vitamix, and a blender that individuals and families could afford. The Optimum range is approximately 40% cheaper, at the time of writing my Optimum 9400 is $599NZD. That may still seem like a lot, but wait till you hear what it can do, and how long it will last.

Here's a quick comparison of the Optimum 9400 with the Vitamix 5200 and the Blendtec HP3A - at more than 40% cheaper, Optimum sure gives them a run for their money!

After sales support
I'm also pretty impressed with their after sales service. I have peace of mind, because my Optimum Blender comes with a 5 year (free) or 10 year warranty, a 30 day money back guarantee and a 24/7 support team - who you can call on a local number, for free.

Durability
The efficient carbon brush motor, overload protection switch, hammer-forged stainless steel blades, and unbreakable Eastman Tritan Copolyester (BPA FREE) jugs are a testament to the Optimum blender’s durability, designed to outlast expectations in both a domestic and commercial environment.

Do blenders over heat the enzymes when blending?
Not if you're blending for under a minute.  The Optimum breaks the cell walls of raw foods to make the enzymes more bioavailable, but they stay cool unless you are intentionally heating it up to make soup (this takes 5-7 minutes).

Soooo versatile
Here are some of the things you can do in an Optimum Blender

• Fruit smoothies The Optimum is designed to make the best fruit smoothies in both domestic and commercial environments, crushing ice and fruits in seconds
• Green smoothies Kale, lettuce, celery, spinach, mints, cucumber, bananas or carrots, the Optimum will make sure your green smoothie is smooth and not fibrous
• Grinding nuts and grains The Optimum's 6-Blade assembly allows it to easily grind whole grains, beans, rice and kneading bread dough ready for the oven
• Crushes Ice The commercial-grade 3 Horse Power motor allows the Optimum to crush large quantities of ice in seconds, perfect for smoothies, slushies and ice cream
• Nut butters Chocolate Hazelnut, Peanut Butter, Almond Butter... you name it! The Optimum will make the most delicious preservative-free nut butters, using only one ingredient
• Nut milks Mix the nuts with some water, blend, filter, and serve for a natural dairy-free bowl of milk and cereal
• Ice cream from frozen fruits The Optimum turns your favourite fruits into a fat free, preservative free, beautiful guilt-free bowl of ice cream
• Hot Soups The same blender which can make frozen ice cream can also make steaming-hot soups from all natural ingredients in less than 10 minutes! This is achieved with the Optimum's incredible speed of 44,000 rpm, allowing the blender to heat the contents through friction heat
• Spreads and dips Whether you prefer a silky-smooth hummus dip or a chunky tomato salsa, the Optimum is here to help, offering you a range of dips and spreads to choose from
• Fresh Fruit Juices The Optimum is able to easily blend whole fruits and vegetables, unpeeled and uncut, creating a healthy juice full of fibre. Best of all... nothing is wasted, so cleaning is quick and easy
• Cocktails Cocktails can be prepared shaken, stirred or blended with ice for a frozen treat in seconds

CONS

• Relatively expensive compared to standard domestic blenders - but worth it.
• Nut butters - the blender doesn't make small quantities of nut butter so well, because the butters sort of get flung to the sides of the blender, leaving the blades without anything to grab onto! The trick is to make bigger quantities at a time, so that the blades have a chance to really catch on and get things moving. Also on the subject of nut butters, I still recommend taking it easy - starting slow and working your way up. This way you get a cleaner butter and spend less time scraping down the sides! 
• The Optimum 9400 is powerful, but not completely invincible. The neat thing is,  if you do strain the motor with, for example, a super thick vegan cheesecake mix, the Optimum is going to automatically cut out on you. I've had people write to me and tell me that their blender has stopped working - but don't worry at all. This is the motor's self preservation mechanism - if it begins to overheat, it will automatically stop and allow itself to cool down before you can start using it again. 
• I'm sorry...  can't think of any more cons? Will let you know if I do.
  

So there you have it. My review was all good news. But honestly I can't see how a review of this machine could go any other way! It's awesome! But there's still the pressing question:

Do you NEED one?

I love my Optimum and I use it everyday.  I am so happy with its performance and it's a joy to use.

But, as with all kitchen appliances, your investment in an Optimum Blender is as good as you make it. It requires a bit of re-training in what you choose to cook and the way you cook. We've all gotta learn how to get the most out of this high speed nutrition machine! If you only make the odd banana smoothie in a blender, then a regular $200 blender will probably do you just fine. If you love your daily green smoothies and/or are looking to get serious about a whole foods or raw diet, then you will definitely realise the value of the Optimum Blender for many years to come.

The good news is, when you purchase an Optimum Blender you get a free (and amazing) raw recipe book, and you can follow Health Yeah  for heaps of free recipe inspiration!


Want to find out more? Check outFroothie's Optimum Models here (they also sell excellent slow juicers!). 

Own an Optimum? What do you think? Share your testimonial in the comments below!