ecky did lots of research into finding a handheld blender that wasn’t crap. She eventually found an article in a consumer magazine that said that there are no handheld blenders that aren’t crap and to just buy the cheapest one available, expect it to crap out, and when it does, buy another one or use the warranty.

As absurd as that situation is, that’s the situation.

She bought a NZ$14 (about US$9.50) handheld blender at the Warehouse (the Warehouse is a New Zealand version of WalMart). Warehouse mostly sells garbage from China, and if you want a cheap appliance that you can count on to break down, or not work properly in the first place, Warehouse is the place to go in New Zealand.

She used that handheld blender for nearly a year and then it crapped out, as expected. She went back to Warehouse with the receipt and got another handheld blender (the same as the last one) for free. As crappy as that stuff is, Warehouse backs it for a year.

I wonder how many products have become commodified to the point where a quality version no longer exists at any price?

Cryptogon: The Crapification of Everything is Just Beginning

Alternatives: a) Buy a high quality used product from a thrift store, built 20 years ago and still going strong. Fix it if it breaks. B) Build one yourself.