Braun MX2050 PowerMax Jug Blender

Now that I'm on a diet, I practically live with my blender. It helps me make low-calorie and nutritious beverages that are filling without being fattening. The key, however, is making sure the blender can do the job. This Braun blender tackles the job. Whether you're watching calories or enjoy creating delicious smoothies and shakes, this blender has got the professional power to mix and blend almost anything.

This appealing blender looks great, with a rounded triangular shape that marries form and function. It pours perfectly and cleans beautifully, but what we noticed first was the terrific grip on the handle: firm and comfortable, like a great handshake. The lid is also well designed, sealing easily and snugly, with tiny rubber tips attached on three sides to facilitate a smooth release and opening. This blender packs a lot of power, puréeing in seconds and turning eggs and oil into mayonnaise in fewer than two minutes. Five speeds let you whip up everything from chunky salsa to velvety soups; there's also a pulse mode when you need an extra surge to add solids or give something one last stir. As a bonus, this blender looks great on the counter or stores easily in two parts in the cupboard. --C. Whitney-Ward

Editor's Choice:Braun's PowerMax blender is an ideal first blender--not too expensive and still heavy-duty enough for many blending tasks--and is our pick for best blender under $50. It has five speed settings and a pulse feature. The blades are made of stainless steel, which makes them strong enough to crush ice (don't pack the ice too tight, though), and they remove easily for cleaning. The blades, jug, and lid go in the dishwasher, while you wipe the base by hand with a damp towel.

Customer Reviews:

Bought with Reservation
I recently purchased this Braun blender based on the recommendation from Cook's Illustrated and Consumer Reports, along with the customer comments from Amazon. I have used Oster blenders for 40 years, and now I am breaking out. The blender did an excellent job on my smoothie, which is my main reason for buying it. I had a reservation based on the comments that the blender broke down after a few months. I called Braun and talked to a representative about my concern. I was told that they know about the problem and that they will send new blenders if and when the blender breaks. Their design team is working on fixing the problem, and they will take care of customers until the problem is fixed. Based on that conversation, I purchased the blender. So far so good. Very powerful and much quieter than my former blender. The smoothie was excellent. I was told that putting frozen fruits into the blender causes the little teeth to break as it puts too much stress on the blender. They recommend thawing the fruit a little before putting it into the smoothie.
--2006-12-13

Good and problem resolution
This blender works great but I had the same problem others reported. After about 6 months of using the blender to make smoothies, the white plastic "teeth" on the blade assembly started breaking off. On 11/27/06 I called Braun (1 800 272 8611) and asked if this is covered under the one year limited warranty (I'd ordered the blender on 12/30/05 and it was shipped out to me by Amazon on 1/23/06). The customer service rep said it is covered and a replacement will be sent to me within 10 days.

The rep also reported that trying to blend frozen strawberries seems to be the "source of most problems reported". She recommended that strawberries be partially thawed before putting them in the blender. Interestingly enough, she also said that frozen strawberries are more dense than even ice! Finally, the rep reported that this plastic part of the blender has been redesigned and reinforced so that there should be fewer such problems in the future.

I'll withhold my final "rating" of this product till I see how well it lasts/works after the new blade assembly is received!
--2006-11-27

Don't
Mine lasted less than 3 months and I can't find a replacement blade assembly anywhere.
--2006-11-19

Another casualty
Discount any review of a blender that reflects only several months of use. As a smoothie addict, shoveling a dozen or more ice cubes into the jar daily, I'm still looking for a machine that can go the distance (is a full year's use asking too much?). The Braun burned out in the first 90 days, faster than my Black and Decker, Oster, even Hamilton Beach (though it lasted longer than Back to the Basics). The best thing I can say for the Braun is that it doesn't have the impossible-to-clean push buttons (always look for a single switch, a knob, or a touch-pad). Otherwise, their shavers have served me better, mowing down whiskers more dependably than ice cubes.

I'm going back to the beginning and giving the classic single-switch Oster another try, though I'm beginning to feel guilty about cluttering the landfills with more broken machinery and useless glass jars.

[Update: I decided to give the reconditioned Kitchen-Aid sold by Amazon, currently at a drastic price reduction, a try. So far, so good. It's solid and heavy, built like a fortress.]
--2006-11-18

Lasted Less Than 5 Months
I purchased this blender to make smoothies. It worked great for about 5 months and then the plastic piece that connects the motorized base to the blender pitcher broke off during useage. I generally use this blender once a day 5 times a week for smoothies. After the reviews that I read on Amazon and Consumer Reports I had expected this item to last longer. I purchased the small appliance warranty from Amazon also, big mistake. The blender didn't even last long enough for it to go into effect. I have heard the Braun is impossible to deal with on repair issues and that the cost of shipping is around 20 - 30 dollars. For that price I will find another blender. This blender is great if you are looking for something to take up space on your coutertop, but if you are looking for something to use 4 or 5 times a week it probably wont last long. I noticed that most of the good reviews for this product are from people that just recently purchased it. I wonder how many of them would give it a 5 star review after the first year...my bet is very few. Too bad 0 stars is not an option.
--2006-11-18

- Braun, Inc.