PROS / This is one of the quieter options among high-power blenders.
CONS / There were some bigger chunks left in our smoothies during testing.
VERDICT / This unit stands out for being easy to use and quiet, but it falls toward the middle of the pack for most other features.
Oster Versa is a high-power blender for a modest price that does a good job of common blending tasks. With 1400 watts to apply to frozen fruit for smoothies, veggies for soups and ice for blended drinks, this is a contender, though there are blenders with even more power.
This is a nice option for you if you prefer something you can use right out of the box. Preset buttons for hot soup, smoothies and dips make it easy to adjust for what you want. You will not need an experimentation phase for figuring out how long it takes this blender to combine and heat soup ingredients, as you would with competing products. There is also a dial for finer tuning of speed settings.
All of the blenders we tested made soup and smoothies, but some were particularly good at it. The Oster Versa was not really a standout on any task. The smoothies that it churned out had a few larger pieces, but they were mostly smooth. The soup was equally adequate. It was very smooth and heated up nicely. Other blenders heated the soup up even more, though, and it is nice to have all of that – blending and heating – happen in one step. You could always microwave the fresh soup, but it is better to skip that extra step since simplicity is one major benefit of making soups in a blender.
One distinct benefit of the Oster Versa is the relatively quiet motor. This is the second-quietest blender in our comparison. The only one quieter has a lot less blending power, so this is a powerful, relatively quiet blender, which is a rare combination.
The pitcher is pretty easy to clean, but it would be even easier if you could throw it in the dishwasher. The rest of the machine is easy to clean because the controls are flat. You just wipe them off if something splashes or spills.
This unit is covered with an impressive seven-year warranty that applies to the motor and the rest of the machine. That inspires a lot of confidence in the product.
Summary
While it was not stellar on any particular testing task, the Oster Versa did a solid job on soup, smoothies and ice. This blender does stand out for being easy to use and clean, and it is pretty quiet. It might be a good option if you use your blender early in the morning with a house full of sleeping people.