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KitchenAid is usually a great brand when looking for a decent blender under 200. The brand also has a line of mid-range blenders selling for around three hundred bucks. And that’s what we’ll be looking at in this KitchenAid K400 blender review to see if this lineup is worth it or not.
I’ve made efforts to go through the good and not-so-good parts of the blender. The idea’s to help you make a more informed decision before buying it for your kitchen.
Verdict: 6 Things I’ve Like Best in KitchenAid K400
- The KitchenAid K400 blender has a 1.5HP motor
- The KitchenAid K400 blender has Five variable speeds
- KitchenAid K400 blender has four preset programs
- The blender has a 16-inch low profile
- The KitchenAid K400 blender is compatible with a glass jar
- The KitchenAid K400 blender is compatible with 16-ounce cups
Kitchenaid K400 Blender Review: A Summary Of The Countertop Blender
Even before we dive into our detailed KitchenAid K400 blender review, you can see from the chart it has quite lovable features.
Say the power, 1.5horsepower is more than enough if you need a decent blender for ice and frozen fruits. The blender can actually pulverize ice cubes (without water) into the snow. Thus, very handy when you want to make shaved ice, acai bowls, and other frozen desserts.
KitchenAid also has some of the best blenders with glass jars if you’d want to keep your kitchen plastic free. The model K400 comes with a 56-ounce plastic pitcher- BPA-Free, of course. But the company says it can work with the 48-ounce glass jar (only available in UK currently).
More on that, let’s jump to the main review and see what other features you’ll get or miss on this mid-range KitchenAid blender.
KitchenAid K400 Blender Review: The Good & Not-So-Good of the Countertop Blender
- Pricing
The KitchenAid K400 blender is neither cheap nor too expensive. It has a price tag of about $300 to $360 when brand-new, which is pretty similar to the Vitamix E310. But again, is the amount worth it here? Let’s see…
- Accessories
KitchenAid has not been particularly generous in this model. The blender is compatible with the standard jar, tamper, glass pitcher, Citrus Press, plus single-serve blending cups.
However, $300 only gets you the motor base and the standard jar (without a tamper). If you want the other accessories, you’ll have to purchase them separately or choose a variant with the complete set. For instance, the set with a tamper included goes for $350 and $400+ with other accessories.
- Design & Style
The KitchenAid K400 is one of those blenders to go for if you’d like to match up your kitchen styles. It has up to nine finishes to choose from, including black, grey, silver, white, blue, green, red, and pinkish.
The blender also has a low profile, with about 16 inches in total height when the jar is on the base. Thus, can easily fit under most kitchen cabinets.
- Build & Durability
I’m not going to say the quality of the K400 is at par with Vitamix or Blendtec. But it’s better than other regular brands, such as Oster and Ninja.
The blender has a heavy-duty plastic housing, with die-cast metal plating. It makes the machine a little heavier than competitors. But it’s also a plus as the blender stays in place even when running at the highest speed.
The blender has a ribbed jar, with tough stainless steel blades, where you won’t need to worry about rust and corrosion. Then the coupler that connects the blade (or jar) to the motor is a steel-reinforced metal composite. And for that, it’s better than plastic, albeit you may notice the material starts stripping after years of hard work.
But if issues like that happen within five years, the company says you can get a comparable replacement FREE of charge. Just call the KitchenAid Customer Experience Center at 1-800-541-6390.
- Blending Power
As was mentioned, the KitchenAid K400 houses a 1.5HP (about 1200 watts) motor at the core. It blasts the ingredients hard, which is how the blender can pulverize the ice within seconds.
The motor also has five different blending speeds to work with when you want to achieve different textures. It also has a 2-second soft start, where it ramps up the speed from low to high speed. Hence, minimizing the risk of splattering.
- Blender Performance
In addition to the high-performance motor, the KitchenAid K400 has sharp blades in a patented, asymmetric design. And when the blades are spinning fast, they pull the mixtures in a tornado style, pulverizing them until done.
The blender delivers a smooth blend, smoother than when working with Ninja. Then don’t forget it also pulverizes frozen stuff for chilled drinks and icy desserts nicely.
Furthermore, the model does fit the bill if you need a blender for making butter at home. It chews on the nuts well, albeit still not as silky as what you would get with a Vitamix.
- Blending Capacity
KitchenAid will send you this blender with a 56-ounce jar, which you can blend up to 7-cup servings. The container is relatively wide and tends to struggle on small batches. But you could get the variant with the single-serve blending cups (or purchase them separately) for such tasks.
The company does have a 48-ounce glass jar with a profile that can work with small and medium-sized amounts. But this container is an optional purchase and is most available in the UK market.
- Ease of Use
KitchenAid K400 is straightforward to operate. It has a super-sized dial that you use to set all the functions: blending speeds, automated programs, and pulse.
As I’ve mentioned earlier, the blending speeds are five of them, which at some level are better than the three modes on Nutribullet. Then the automated programs bring you walkaway convenience for smoothies, icy drinks, and ice crushing.
The best part of all, you can blend in all these modes (with variable speeds & programs) using not just the standard 56-ounce jar. But also when working with the 16-ounce and 6-ounce single-serve cups, which isn’t the case when using Ninja Kitchen System.
Is the KitchenAid Blender Worth it?
Are you looking for a mid-range blender that handles ice well or makes a pleasurable smoothie and butter? If so, we’ve seen in our KitchenAid K400 blender review all this is possible. The model can also blend hot mixtures, which Ninja tends to fail miserably from the design of its jar.
However, I’d expect $300 is a fair amount for KitchenAid to include this blender with a tamper. It would have also been great if the company used a true metal for the coupler instead of the steel-reinforced composite.
But the blender can still last for quite a number of years if you don’t plan to perform ice-crushing and other tough tasks daily.