22 minutes ago, paulraphael said:What I mean is, is there anything fundamental to the motor or the machining requirements that would explain such a huge price gap, or does it have to do more with economies of scale, different markets, etc., or does it have to do with technical requirements that may not be relevant to a kitchen? That kind of thing.
Not long ago the cheapest immersion circulator you could get was an $1100 Poly Science lab model. You can now get models for $400 that are designed to hold up better in a steamy commercial kitchen environment, and ones for under $200 that do anything a home cook could want. So that original high price for the lab gizmo did not seem tied to something fundamental to the task.
I'm wondering if homogenizers are similar. If so, there's a chance this ~$300 model is a great find. If not, it might just be a slightly glorified stick blender.
It's not so much the motor, though I'm sure there can be differences there, but the rotor-stator probes themselves which need to be machined to very precise tolerances to maintain the very small space between the spinning rotor and the stationary element. It's also their weak point as fibrous material can get stuck in those narrow clearances. None of the probes I used in laboratories came apart for cleaning. Once something got stuck, they were toast. Very expensive toast!
Ooops! Sorry for the misinformation. @JoNorvelleWalker has corrected me!
