Oster Pro 1200 Blender Review

Founded in 1924, the Oster brand was named after John Oster Sr., and since, Oster has grown into a well-recognized brand. In 1980, Oster was acquired by Sunbeam and the merging led to a name change, Sunbeam-Oster Co., Inc. Today, the company manufactures a wide variety of household appliances and tools.

Puree Quality

We appreciate, and think you will too, a machine with the necessary power and performance to create baby food suitable for beginner eaters. Therefore, we challenged each contender to a blend competition for this metric, assessing how well it manages various ingredients. We tested not only soft foods but also those that are raw, rough, and frozen.

The Oster Pro's 1200 Watt motor (one of the most powerful among the competition) delivers enough power to blend a wide range of different ingredients. Most foods we tested with this blender created an acceptable puree result; however, food remnants can become trapped under the blade, which isn't ideal as it can lead to larger chunks in the final puree.

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Unlike some extra-large contenders, the Oster Pro's size isn't oversized but somewhat of a Goldilocks - not too big or small, but just the right size while still offering versatility to blend larger batches. As a reminder, if you're aiming to create larger quantities, be mindful not to go beyond the pitcher's capacity, as this can strain the motor and create disappointing results.

Ease of Use

It is essential to select a convenient product to use because you'll be more likely to make baby food and enjoy the process. For this metric, we evaluated how easy a product is to assemble, how many features it offers, and its potential capacity. The Oster Pro scores high in this metric and shares a leading position with other blenders in our review.

The Oster Pro 1200 includes one 6-cup capacity pitcher and one 24 oz to-go smoothie cup. The control panel is user-friendly and easy to navigate. It features pre-programmed settings for the most common blender creations, including Green/Frozen Smoothies, Food Chop/Salsa, and Milkshakes. It also has 4-speed settings with a pulse, low, medium, and high. The manufacturer claims that the blade creates a forward and reverse action when the programmed settings are used. While using these settings, the unit will shut off after running through the cycle. When working with hot foods, remove the filler cap to vent steam. When placing the jar on the base, there's no twist or rotation locking.

The Oster Pro does not offer suction cup feet or cord storage, like the come of the competition, and it is loud when blending on the highest settings. But, if you can overlook these factors, we think you may be happy with its design.

Health and Safety

To assess the health and safety, we focused on safety mechanisms, material, and if any areas on the machine raise concerns, like mold growth or potential steam burns. Among the competition, the Oster Pro has one of the highest scores.

The most obvious concern with blenders is the blade, which is sharp. We suggest exercising caution when removing and cleaning the blade and using a bottle brush if handwashing.

Blenders do not cook food like all-in-one machines; therefore, you can worry less about potential steam injuries, which increased its ranking. Plus, the blender's Boroglss pitcher bumped up its score as we consider this a health bonus. Given a choice between plastic and glass, we opt for glass, primarily due to the potential of plastic leaching chemicals. The properties of glass hold multiple benefits, including resistance to thermal shock, less likely to scratch, stain, or retain odors.

Ease of Cleaning

Making homemade baby food involves kitchen dishes and utensils, so whatever baby food maker you select, make sure it is easy to clean. We value a product that is swift to clean versus one that is time-consuming and inconvenient. To score this metric, we evaluated whether a product is dishwasher safe and if there's any ongoing maintenance.

Among the competition, the Oster Pro scored high in this metric. Unlike other blenders in our review, this blender's parts (pitcher, bottom jar base cap, gasket, and blade) can come apart, making the cleaning process more thorough and easy to manage. Plus, these parts are top-rack dishwasher safe.

After use, rinse the pitcher to loosen stuck ingredients. It can be helpful to add a small dash of soap with water to the pitcher and run the machine for 20-30 seconds on low to help break up food residue, then follow with a clean water rinse. For ongoing maintenance and the best blending experience, occasionally check parts for wear and tear.

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