Review of Croma 500W CRAK4184 mixer grinder
In this in-depth review, we put the Croma 500W CRAK4184 mixer grinder through its paces to find out if this mixer grinder is the right choice for your home. You will also learn why the Croma 500W mixer grinder is so popular making it one of the top-selling MGs on Amazon.
The Verdict
With 3 stainless steel jars, a 500W hybrid motor, and an excellent price point, the Croma 500W CRAK4184 is an outstanding product. It is competent in wet grinding idly or dosa batters, it shines in dry grinding masalas and is brilliant in blending fine purees.
This nifty mixer grinder also comes with features seen only on higher-priced mixer grinders such as a hybrid 500W motor, stainless steel jars with a firm grip, motor overload protector, stainless steel blades, and a rust-resistant abs body.
Our review team liked that the white and purple color makes this mixer grinder stand out, nice touch! The Croma 500W mixer also comes with a two-year warranty that should give you a worry-free ownership experience.
Leaky jars (not always but at times during wet grinding), noisy (dry grinding) and underpowered 500W motor (does not always give you the finest paste), heating, and small-sized jars are a few things that we did not like. Overall, the Croma 500W CRAK4184 is a good choice for people looking at a budget mixer for their daily cooking needs. Remember, as long as you don’t push it to its limits, the Croma 500W mixer should serve you long.
+ The Good
- The 500W hybrid motor with the overload protector is one of the best at this price point.
- Tons of positive customer feedback with an excellent 4-stars rating.
- An affordable price. Less than ₹1500 for a 500W, 3-jar mixer grinder
- 3-speed control
- Attractive design, ok build quality, and ease of use are the Croma 500W CRAK4184.
- TATA product with a 2-year warranty.
- Surprisingly for a 500W motor, the Croma CRAK4184 can perform most kitchen tasks, from blending purees to grinding chutneys.
– The Bad
- Like everything else in life, with Croma 500W you get what you paid for; the build quality reflects its price.
- Noisy, and loud
- Not a juicer mixer grinder or food processor. A basic package
- Take the hands of the lid while grinding, and you will immediately decorate your kitchen.
- Not the greatest after-sales support and most definitely not the best warranty (2-year).
Ratings of Croma CRAK4184 500W mixer grinder
- Overall 64%
- Design 67%
- Performance 60%
- Ease of use 67%
- Customer Support 62%
Key features of the Philips HL7756/00
500W hybrid motor
Stainless steel jar
Stainless steel blade
Overload protection
ABS body material
Now a closer look at the Croma 500W mixer grinder
Our Croma 500W CRAK4184 review dwells deep into vital factors that are essential when planning a mixer grinder purchase. We want to present our findings to you (our reader) in, a factual and concise manner to aid you in your purchase decision.
- Design – CRAK4184’s build quality, life, jars, and other accessories
- Performance – Croma’s 500W hybrid motor’s ability to be useful around your kitchen and tackle tough ingredients. Grinding masala, chutney, and batters for idli & dosa.
- Ease of use – How easy is the mixie to operate? Should you be holding the jar lid while grinding? Is it easy to clean?
- Support – How is the product after-sales service? What about warranty claims?
Design
The white base unit with a purple finish makes the Croma 500W mixer grinder one of the best-looking MGs on the market. The unit has a refreshing look and the cylindrical body makes it easy to clean after daily cooking. The large 1L liquidizing jar comes with an ABS plastic handle with a touch of purple. In short, the Croma 500W boasts an exciting design much better than the Bajaj Rex’s design.
Build quality
The Croma 500W CRAK4184 boasts an average build quality (reflects its price). The ABS plastic body is robust and should last longer. The jars on the other hand are a different story. The “juicing jar” is not spill-proof. Also, when grinding tough ingredients, due to the thickness (or the lack of it), this Croma mixer grinder becomes noisy. On the plus side, the jars are SS.
In the box
Tata ships the Croma 500W with 3 jars, the base unit, a manual, and a warranty card. Since the power chord length is short, you need to find a spot that is close to the power socket.
Jars
Like most other mixer grinders in the market, the Croma 500W CRAK4184 also comes with the standard 3 stainless steel jars. For a mixie that costs less than 1500, 3 jars are a good deal. The jars come with polished blades that can dispatch any ingredients.
- 1ltr liquidizing jar – Use this jar for wet grinding, making tasty vadas and dosas, and grinding your chutney to the finest paste.
- 0.5lts grinding jar – The half-liter jar is useful in dry grinding masalas and tackling tough ingredients.
- 0.3lts chutney jar – The chutney jar is useful for making coconut chutneys.
Remember, none of the jars have lid locks and hence do not offer a spill-free grinding experience.
Base unit
The base unit of the Croma CRAK4184 has a cylindrical shape. The ABS body houses the motor. The base unit has non-slip feet to prevent wobble when the mixer is in use. The base also feels solid to the touch and should serve your kitchen for several years. The quality of the power chord is good, however, it is short.
Dimensions
The Croma 500W is compact and not overly large. It measures just 25 x 25 x 20.5 cm. It weighs a mere 2.5kg.
Performance
The Croma CRAK4184 comes with a 500W motor. In our tests, we found the 500W motor to be adequate. This mixer grinder also comes with an overload protector that can cut off the power supply when the motor is stressed. There is no heating issue with the motor. The burning smell after the first few uses is nothing to be alarmed about. This smell should go away in subsequent uses.
Control and Speed
Like most mixer grinders in India, the Croma 500 watts mixer grinder also comes with a 3-speed control knob and a pulse option. At full tilt (top speed) the motor becomes quite noisy.
Blending - Soups, juices, and smoothies
The Croma CRAK4184 500W does a fine job blending things together. Your purees will be silky smooth because the 500W motor dispatches purees with relative ease. Also, it does a fabulous job making coconut chutneys.
Wet grinding - Idli and Dosa Batter
The Croma 500W is not a great wet grinder. While you can use it to make dosa and idly batter, we recommend only occasional wet grinding. Also, the wet jar does not have lid locks, you will need to be holding the lid during the entire process.
Dry grinding - Masala
The Croma 500W dispatches whole black gram, turmeric, pepper, biryani masala, and masala for every other dish with ease. Have earphones or headphones or anything on your ears while grinding hard items. This is a noisy mixie.
Ease of use
The Croma 500 watts mixer grinder is easy to use. The jars fit the lids, but the lack of lid locks makes this a hands-on unit. Don’t take your hands off the lid while grinding.
Cleaning
The cylindrical body of this mixer makes it easy to clean and its lower center of gravity makes it stable in use. Ensure that you use a wet cloth to wipe the base unit after each use. The jars, too, are easy to clean.
Safety
The ABS plastic body offers excellent electrical insulation. The Croma 500W also features an overload protector, a feature that is not found on more expensive models like the Philips HL7756/00.
Support
Croma customer support, like all other after-sales support, needs improvement. Searching through online reviews, our review team found several unhappy and frustrated customers. We can only wish that the customer support improves.
Key differentiators of the Croma CRAK4184 mixer grinder from others in the market
The following factors make this one of the best-selling MGs in the market today.
Reliable motor
The 500W motor while not super powerful but does its job reliably
Affordable
At less than ₹1,500, the Croma 500-watt mixer is the cheapest
Looks
This MG is a looker, exciting, elegant, and tasteful.
Similar Croma mixer grinders, upgrades, etc.
Below are some of the other mixer grinders from Tata’s stable that you can consider.
Croma CRAK4183 750W
The CRAK4183 comes with a 750W motor and is a more powerful choice.
Croma CRAK4185
The CRAK4185 with 4 jars and a 750W motor is an excellent upgrade for the CRAK4184.
Croma Nutri CRSKAH402s
The CRSKAH402s is a mixer grinder blender that comes with 5 attachments.
Alternatives to the Croma 500W MG
Below are other top mixer grinders in the market that you can consider.
- Hamilton Beach 58770 – One of the best in the market.
- Sujata Powermatic Plus – Excellent JMG
- Bajaj Rex – One of the best-selling mixers on Amazon
- Other top sellers on Amazon
Alternate places to buy the Croma CRAK4184 500W mixer grinder
- You can buy this Croma from several online and offline retailers across India. Remember, when buying online, always choose a reliable retailer with returns.
Conclusion: Croma 500W CRAK4184 mixer grinder review
This Croma mixer grinder with its 500W motor, 3 SS jars, and sleek looks is appealing. That’s why this mixer grinder remains one of the top-selling mixers on Amazon.
We conclude that the CRAK4184 is a good multipurpose kitchen appliance for homes looking at within the budget plus a powerful mixie. It is simple, hard-working, and reliable.