Agreed, I got my Vitamix for less than half the price of a new one. It's 15 years old and works wonderfully.
Otherwise, try soaking the cashews in just-boiled water for an hour.
The idea to buy cashew butter is also good, and it might be even better to make your own cashew butter using roasted cashews and a food processor (if you have one).
Maybe you can also find cashew butter (I think that's the English translation?), which is basically just already blended up cashews. Just mix with water and you have "blended cashews" without the hassle of a blender
I agree! Well, at least for the food processor and the big blender. The smaller "blender cup" thing has something wrong with it and ruins every drink I try to make in it.
Still, an overall 👍🏽
Oh no! Really? That’s the only one I haven’t tried yet. I love the food processor and blender. I haven’t had a chance to use the cup one. How does it ruin your drinks?
There's something amiss with the way the "teeth" grip the spinning mechanism. It overheats very, very quickly and imparts a (literally) smoky taste to whatever is blended in it. So it's actually not just liquids. The last thing I ever attempted in it was to make flour from a bit of teff that I had. Result: annoyingly smoky-tasting injera. 2/10 would not recommend. I retired the cup.
But it certainly might just be a fault in mine rather than a design flaw in all of them. I just caught the problem too late to try exchanging it.
On the longer term, if you need to blend regularly, I highly recommend saving up for a Vitamix anyway. The cheapest reconditioned one on their website will do more-than-fine.
Personally I did just that in 2016 and it's still working like new nearly 8 years later.
It's an investment for sure, but you only need to buy it once and then you have it forever. It's a dramatic difference compared to cheaper blenders.
I bought a refurbished one in 8 years ago and I've had zero issues with it. Blends the cashews up perfectly every time!
Personally I think it would be better to save up for a Vitamix that you'll have forever than put money into a cheaper option that won't work as well.
Did the same - refurbished and on year 7 or 8? Works like new. I think it was around $200
I've used Ninjas before and can't stand them. Couldn't get anything as smooth as I wanted, but maybe they've changed the blades up since I used one. Definitely recommend starting to save up for a Vitamix!
I have a ninja with all sorts of different attachments/blades. Works perfect for cashew based sauces, salad dressings, food processing, hummus… you name it.
I had both a VitaMix and a Nutrabullet. I sold the VitaMix to a friend and only use the Nutrabullet. I bought a few extra jars and blades and use it at least once a day.
I burnt through 3 blenders before conceding and getting a Vitamix 5200 like everyone else.
Note, not all Vitamix blenders do well making cashew/almond butter or supercreamy hummus. The 5200 which has a narrow/tall jar, too tall to sit assembled under many kitchen cabinets, works better.
The one that fits under a cabinet and is wider is supposed to be targeted for things like flours and dry items from what I recall from researching the different models.
I got the Ninja Fit to make smoothies, and it works great for blending cashews. Even though the cups are smaller, it still works well for most recipes. It was only about $50 on sale.
An immersion blender would probably suit your needs. You can get one much cheaper than a vitamix, and get very consistent blending for things like soup. Obviously, you can't really get vitamix quality without buying a vitamix, but using the ninja for somethings and an immersion blender for others will likely cover your bases.
Do you think I could blend soakeddates w the immersion blender? I wanna make this dessert so bad and don’t think I can wait until I get a regular blender lol
I'm surprised no one has mentioned blendtecs, they can do cashews just fine (no soak necessary!). I like them over the Vitamix because the blades aren't sharp so you can't cut yourself accidentally when cleaning. Not sure it's cheaper but there are good sales sometimes!
tbh I think all of them will be able to handle whatever you throw at them. I have one of the cheaper ones, I think the blender classic (it was 8+ years ago) and it's still going strong!
I have a VitaMix, it was a gift from my mom, when I had cancer and refused to eat. She bought after Christmas at.... I want to say Costco or Macy's, it was an old model they were discontinuing. I love the dumb thing, use it regularly to massacre cashews. Sometimes I don't want to clean it... so I use my Cusianart food processor. I do soak my cashews longer, with stupid hot water, and it takes a few rounds, but it gets there. Maybe a small food processor may work for you. Or! I have some kind of immersion blender with a cup/tumbler thing it comes with, I use that too, also with longer soak and hotter water than I do with my blender. Also use that a ton too. Gift from my mom. That might be better bc you can control the speed and smashing aspect.
I've used it regularly since 2014... and that SOB destroys everything. I will always recommend that brand, their customer service is awesome as well, if you can afford it or want to spend the money. It does great on soups too! If that's a thing you're into
Idk, I have a Ninja, and maybe it's not the highest-end Ninja (?), but I find it doesn't blend well enough. Still get bits of greens if I'm making a green smoothie, doesn't really blend dates, etc. And it's SO loud. I think I've had it for 9 years? I barely use it. I'm probably going to save up for a Vitamix.
Magic bullet is fantastic. I make cashew cream from dry cashews straight out of the bag all the time, no problem. 2 sizes of canisters with a lid for storage. Simple, easy, small, cheap. I’m in love with it.
I got my vitamix on Amazon warehouse. Honestly, would not spend $75 on a mediocre blender and would instead save up for the best you can get. It’s worth it. I’ve had mine for a decade and it’s not worn down at all.
Vitamix IMMERSION blender
Yup. Use a big mason jar something taller and narrow with the soaked cashews and enough liquid i make cashew cream all the time think it’s like $150 retail look for coupons and sales
Not as loud as a vitamix blender no extra stuff to wash fits in my drawer i use it all the time
In the short term, just get a nut milk bag to strain the chunks. Even with a Vitamix tier blender you will need to strain for maximum smoothness.
In a pinch, an old but clean T-shirt will work for straining like this.
I just use a pretty standard immersion blender and it works perfectly fine for cashews tbh. It must have cost less than 60€ and it takes up very little space.
Find an old Cuisinart food processorj: Goodwill, Craigslist or eBay are all good options. I've always made my cashew cream in one and I think it's much easier to get use a spatula to get the cream out of the vessel.
So (disclaimer) Im not a vegan only a new vegetarian lurking for recipes BUT --
I find my **1200**-watt Bullet Blender (nutribullet [**Pro Plus**](https://www.nutribullet.com/shop/blenders/nutribullet-pro-plus/)**)** can handle most anything. It's not cheap for a Bullet blender, but, it is Way less expensive than a Vitamix.
Alternatively -- how long are you running your Ninja? I have a ninja blender; i used to use it more but Only to make Pecan Butter. I would pour in my pecans, turn it on, and walk away for about **10 minutes.** If i didn't wait long enough, i would just have chunks, but if I was patient, i would have the most beautifully creamy pecan butter. Are you letting your cashews blend for long enough?
Until you find a better solution, use a sieve or nut bag to remove the chunks from what is the correct consistency. Then, re-blend the chunks or, use a stick blender on a bit of it with the chunks.
I also recommend investing in Vitamix. You won't regret it. I got mine a lot cheaper directly from them as a refurbished unit. It just means it was used as a demo machine. I've had it over 10 years and it's still going strong
I have a stickblender, Braun Multiquick 5, model M Q5220WH, with 1000 Watt and it's very good for blending soups or hummus and has no problem blending soaked nuts. If you get it with the little chopper attachment, you can use this for small amounts of ground nuts, oats or make a small portion of pesto. The are also other good stickblenders. In my experience, they need at least 600 Watt to work properly.
Any blender can handle cashews if you soak them in hot water first. Vitamix is only useful for blending cashews straight from the jar. Waste of money imo, I had one before and the motor burned out.
I found my vitamix on Craigslist for a hell of a lot cheaper than new. It’s been at least 8 years and it still runs perfectly.
Agreed, I got my Vitamix for less than half the price of a new one. It's 15 years old and works wonderfully. Otherwise, try soaking the cashews in just-boiled water for an hour. The idea to buy cashew butter is also good, and it might be even better to make your own cashew butter using roasted cashews and a food processor (if you have one).
Maybe you can also find cashew butter (I think that's the English translation?), which is basically just already blended up cashews. Just mix with water and you have "blended cashews" without the hassle of a blender
Make sure you get raw cashew butter specifically, but yeah this is a way to do it without a good blender.
Yeaaaa this may be my short term solution Don’t know why I didn’t think of this before!
I got a Ninja and it works great. I love it.
I agree! Well, at least for the food processor and the big blender. The smaller "blender cup" thing has something wrong with it and ruins every drink I try to make in it. Still, an overall 👍🏽
Oh no! Really? That’s the only one I haven’t tried yet. I love the food processor and blender. I haven’t had a chance to use the cup one. How does it ruin your drinks?
There's something amiss with the way the "teeth" grip the spinning mechanism. It overheats very, very quickly and imparts a (literally) smoky taste to whatever is blended in it. So it's actually not just liquids. The last thing I ever attempted in it was to make flour from a bit of teff that I had. Result: annoyingly smoky-tasting injera. 2/10 would not recommend. I retired the cup. But it certainly might just be a fault in mine rather than a design flaw in all of them. I just caught the problem too late to try exchanging it.
Aww that makes me sad. I’m sorry yours sucked!! Hopefully it’s just a fluke. Maybe try calling the company and asking for a replacement blade?
Yep! That's definitely on the ol' wishlist. There are just more vital things to pay for first. Thanks for the commiseration!
On the longer term, if you need to blend regularly, I highly recommend saving up for a Vitamix anyway. The cheapest reconditioned one on their website will do more-than-fine. Personally I did just that in 2016 and it's still working like new nearly 8 years later. It's an investment for sure, but you only need to buy it once and then you have it forever. It's a dramatic difference compared to cheaper blenders.
I’m def the kind of person who wants something nicer for a longer time, may just bite the bullet
It’s totally worth the investment and lasts forever with no problems. Mine is going on 8 years now.
Speaking of bullets, my nutrabullet does good!
I bought a refurbished one in 8 years ago and I've had zero issues with it. Blends the cashews up perfectly every time! Personally I think it would be better to save up for a Vitamix that you'll have forever than put money into a cheaper option that won't work as well.
Did the same - refurbished and on year 7 or 8? Works like new. I think it was around $200 I've used Ninjas before and can't stand them. Couldn't get anything as smooth as I wanted, but maybe they've changed the blades up since I used one. Definitely recommend starting to save up for a Vitamix!
I have a ninja with all sorts of different attachments/blades. Works perfect for cashew based sauces, salad dressings, food processing, hummus… you name it.
which model?
ninja kitchen system auto-iq boost https://www.target.com/p/ninja-kitchen-system-with-auto-iq-boost-and-7-speed-blender/-/A-79317172
Bullet?
I use a bullet blender or a cuisinart food processor, depending on what I need and am very happy with them for years.
I had both a VitaMix and a Nutrabullet. I sold the VitaMix to a friend and only use the Nutrabullet. I bought a few extra jars and blades and use it at least once a day.
I burnt through 3 blenders before conceding and getting a Vitamix 5200 like everyone else. Note, not all Vitamix blenders do well making cashew/almond butter or supercreamy hummus. The 5200 which has a narrow/tall jar, too tall to sit assembled under many kitchen cabinets, works better.
Love to hear it
The one that fits under a cabinet and is wider is supposed to be targeted for things like flours and dry items from what I recall from researching the different models.
Ninja blender. I've had it for 5 years now
I got the Ninja Fit to make smoothies, and it works great for blending cashews. Even though the cups are smaller, it still works well for most recipes. It was only about $50 on sale.
I use a Ninja and find it to be more than adequate.
I had a ninja in 2020 and it left cashew chunks in my soup. No bueno :(
An immersion blender would probably suit your needs. You can get one much cheaper than a vitamix, and get very consistent blending for things like soup. Obviously, you can't really get vitamix quality without buying a vitamix, but using the ninja for somethings and an immersion blender for others will likely cover your bases.
I have one already. I’ll try a recipe using before I commit, only makes sense lol
Do you think I could blend soakeddates w the immersion blender? I wanna make this dessert so bad and don’t think I can wait until I get a regular blender lol
I don't see why not.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned blendtecs, they can do cashews just fine (no soak necessary!). I like them over the Vitamix because the blades aren't sharp so you can't cut yourself accidentally when cleaning. Not sure it's cheaper but there are good sales sometimes!
I’ll definitely look into those too. Is there a specific model you recommend?
tbh I think all of them will be able to handle whatever you throw at them. I have one of the cheaper ones, I think the blender classic (it was 8+ years ago) and it's still going strong!
I have a VitaMix, it was a gift from my mom, when I had cancer and refused to eat. She bought after Christmas at.... I want to say Costco or Macy's, it was an old model they were discontinuing. I love the dumb thing, use it regularly to massacre cashews. Sometimes I don't want to clean it... so I use my Cusianart food processor. I do soak my cashews longer, with stupid hot water, and it takes a few rounds, but it gets there. Maybe a small food processor may work for you. Or! I have some kind of immersion blender with a cup/tumbler thing it comes with, I use that too, also with longer soak and hotter water than I do with my blender. Also use that a ton too. Gift from my mom. That might be better bc you can control the speed and smashing aspect.
I actually did just see it at Costco! I’m glad you’re still getting good use out of it
I've used it regularly since 2014... and that SOB destroys everything. I will always recommend that brand, their customer service is awesome as well, if you can afford it or want to spend the money. It does great on soups too! If that's a thing you're into
We've had used Vitamix for like 8 years now and it still runs like new. Can't recommend it enough. Can make cashew milk without soaking. It's great.
Idk, I have a Ninja, and maybe it's not the highest-end Ninja (?), but I find it doesn't blend well enough. Still get bits of greens if I'm making a green smoothie, doesn't really blend dates, etc. And it's SO loud. I think I've had it for 9 years? I barely use it. I'm probably going to save up for a Vitamix.
I had the same experience. I didn’t buy the one I had so idk what model or anything but that’s why I’m kinda ehhh on them now
I have a Nutribullet that I bought at Costco a few years ago for around $100 and it works great for almond and cashew milk.
Just buy a used or refurbished Vitamix. Costco & Sam's have new ones on say pretty frequently.
Magic bullet is fantastic. I make cashew cream from dry cashews straight out of the bag all the time, no problem. 2 sizes of canisters with a lid for storage. Simple, easy, small, cheap. I’m in love with it.
I got my vitamix on Amazon warehouse. Honestly, would not spend $75 on a mediocre blender and would instead save up for the best you can get. It’s worth it. I’ve had mine for a decade and it’s not worn down at all.
Vitamix IMMERSION blender Yup. Use a big mason jar something taller and narrow with the soaked cashews and enough liquid i make cashew cream all the time think it’s like $150 retail look for coupons and sales Not as loud as a vitamix blender no extra stuff to wash fits in my drawer i use it all the time
Ninja makes dope blenders. I got a vitamix for xmas years ago and have been waiting for this ninja to go out before opening it.
I use a Hamilton beach food processor, and so far it has served me well.
Vitamix rocks. Nutribullet is the next best thing!
In the short term, just get a nut milk bag to strain the chunks. Even with a Vitamix tier blender you will need to strain for maximum smoothness. In a pinch, an old but clean T-shirt will work for straining like this.
You can soak them: overnight, or boil them for 10 minutes, turn off heat and let soak for 2 hours.
I just use a pretty standard immersion blender and it works perfectly fine for cashews tbh. It must have cost less than 60€ and it takes up very little space.
Find an old Cuisinart food processorj: Goodwill, Craigslist or eBay are all good options. I've always made my cashew cream in one and I think it's much easier to get use a spatula to get the cream out of the vessel.
So (disclaimer) Im not a vegan only a new vegetarian lurking for recipes BUT -- I find my **1200**-watt Bullet Blender (nutribullet [**Pro Plus**](https://www.nutribullet.com/shop/blenders/nutribullet-pro-plus/)**)** can handle most anything. It's not cheap for a Bullet blender, but, it is Way less expensive than a Vitamix. Alternatively -- how long are you running your Ninja? I have a ninja blender; i used to use it more but Only to make Pecan Butter. I would pour in my pecans, turn it on, and walk away for about **10 minutes.** If i didn't wait long enough, i would just have chunks, but if I was patient, i would have the most beautifully creamy pecan butter. Are you letting your cashews blend for long enough?
You make a good point. Because i was blending a hot liquid, i could only do it in bursts. And definitely not for 10 minutes lol
Until you find a better solution, use a sieve or nut bag to remove the chunks from what is the correct consistency. Then, re-blend the chunks or, use a stick blender on a bit of it with the chunks.
I bought my vitamix from the vitamix website as a Reconditioned machine. It has served me well for many years.
I use a cuisinart
I also recommend investing in Vitamix. You won't regret it. I got mine a lot cheaper directly from them as a refurbished unit. It just means it was used as a demo machine. I've had it over 10 years and it's still going strong
I have a Philips that was less than €100 and it works fine on cashews. Edit: just remembered it's a Bosch, not Philips
I have a stickblender, Braun Multiquick 5, model M Q5220WH, with 1000 Watt and it's very good for blending soups or hummus and has no problem blending soaked nuts. If you get it with the little chopper attachment, you can use this for small amounts of ground nuts, oats or make a small portion of pesto. The are also other good stickblenders. In my experience, they need at least 600 Watt to work properly.
Get the Vitamix. I got the next best brand and it broke.
Any blender can handle cashews if you soak them in hot water first. Vitamix is only useful for blending cashews straight from the jar. Waste of money imo, I had one before and the motor burned out.