Safety concerns follow reports of broken blades during regular use, overheating, fire, and melted charging cables
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer Reports (CR) is raising serious concerns regarding the BlendJet 2, a battery-powered personal portable blender, which is linked to reports of mechanical and electrical hazards. In a letter sent yesterday, CR calls on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to urgently investigate these reports and take all necessary steps to protect the public.
Following an analysis of saferproducts.gov reports and publicly available reviews, CR has discovered numerous complaints associating the BlendJet 2 with significant hazards. These reported issues include broken blades during regular use, overheating, fire, and melted charging cables. Some of the reports were publicly posted months or even years ago.
“These are serious hazards and we’re very concerned that not enough is being done to make sure people are safe,” says Ashita Kapoor, associate director of product safety at CR, who flagged the issue for CR. “One report describes a BlendJet 2 that caught fire while charging, leading to an explosion and a subsequent larger fire in the consumer’s kitchen. Another states that the tips of the blending blades broke off and one may have been swallowed. Although BlendJet has provided basic statements in response to some reports, we’re seeing a potential trend here—and if that’s the case, and there are underlying safety issues, then the company needs to take much broader action to address them.”
“If the BlendJet 2 is prone to broken blades or overheating batteries, then countless users could be at risk of injury or even death,” cautions Oriene Shin, policy counsel for Consumer Reports. “People deserve to know if there’s a problem with this popular blender. The CPSC should immediately investigate potential hazards associated with the BlendJet 2 and take all necessary actions to inform the public about safety risks and protect them from harm.”
The BlendJet 2 is not currently included in CR’s blender ratings, as all models in its personal blender ratings are corded, which is a current criterion for inclusion. However, CR has obtained samples of the BlendJet 2 for evaluation purposes and is determining the next steps to assess the product. In the interim, CR is raising awareness of consumer complaints to the CPSC due to the need for an investigation of the reported hazards.
Media Contact: Emily Akpan, emily.akpan@consumer.org