The Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher 58164 is an earlier countertop blender package built around two separate jobs: a 40-ounce glass pitcher for blending and a 3-cup chopping bowl for small prep. It is not the three-vessel 58163/58163J set, and it does not add the 20-ounce blend-in travel jar found with 58161. That distinction matters more than the shared Wave Crusher name.
A small pitcher plus a small chopper
The primary vessel is a nominal 40-ounce glass jar with a hinged pour spout. That capacity can suit a few drinks, sauces or a modest batch, but it is not a 48- or 64-ounce family pitcher. The extra attachment is a separate 3-cup chopping bowl, described for vegetables, nuts, salsa, dressings and sauces. It gives you a small chopping setup without requiring a second appliance on the counter, but it is not a large food processor: the exact package page does not list a feed chute, food pusher, slicing disc or shredding disc.
Think of the jar and bowl as two independent plans. The 40-ounce pitcher is for liquids and blended mixtures; the bowl is for small chopping jobs. Their capacities cannot be combined into one batch, and the bowl is not a second blender pitcher. If you regularly shred vegetables or process large quantities, look for a full processor attachment or a standalone food processor rather than treating this small bowl as a substitute.
The closest related choices make the package tradeoff clearer. The 58165 family is the simpler 40-ounce glass-pitcher-only arrangement. The 58161 adds a cold 20-ounce travel jar instead of a chopper. The 58163/58163J adds both a travel jar and a separate processor bowl with additional tools; it is the more capable kit, but also brings more pieces to store and clean. Check the exact model code on an older listing, because these Wave Crusher packages look similar in product photography.
Hot blending has a much lower limit than the jar label
Hamilton Beach describes the glass pitcher for smoothies, shakes and icy drinks and permits hot blending under the linked guide's safeguards. The manual caps a hot fill at three cups, or 24 ounces—not the jar's nominal 40-ounce capacity. For hot contents, open the center vent, close the pour flap, protect the lid with an oven mitt or thick towel, keep exposed skin away and begin at the lowest speed. The guide recommends at least eight ounces of liquid per pitcher recipe for best performance, but that advice is not a universal minimum for every ingredient.
The manufacturer promotes Wave-Action and Ice Sabre blades for pulling food toward the blades and handling frozen ingredients. That is a design claim, not an independent test of smoothie texture, noise or durability. The manual's frozen-drink recipe uses ice with liquid mix, which supports ice as part of a drink recipe; it does not establish an ice-only crushing routine. Nor does the exact product page give a continuous motor rating: 700 watts is explicitly peak power, while the model-listed guide specifies a 120-volt, 60-hertz, 3-amp maximum supply. Those are different descriptions, not comparable performance measurements.
Button blending, not a documented timed-program system
The exact 58164 page describes multiple blending speeds plus Pulse, and the guide tells you to press the desired speed button. It says Pulse runs only while the button is held. The manufacturer does not give a count of hands-free timed cycles or establish a variable-speed dial for this model. If preset automation or precise speed adjustment is essential, do not infer either from the phrase “multi-function.”
The named Easy Clean function is useful as a quick rinse between compatible batches: the manual's pitcher recipe is two cups of warm water with a drop of dish liquid for ten seconds. It does not replace disassembly and regular washing, and the manual excludes mixtures with eggs, dairy, meat or seafood from that rinse method. The exact page says the pitcher, lid, blades and chopping bowl are dishwasher-safe; the guide warns against the Sani dishwasher setting and says not to immerse the base.
What changes the fit
This is a reasonable reference for someone who wants a glass pitcher and occasional, genuinely small chopping jobs from one corded base. It is less attractive when your kitchen already has a food processor, when counter storage is scarce, or when a separate travel drink is more important than chopping. At 14.69 inches high, 12.01 inches wide and 8.66 inches deep, the assembled blender also deserves a cabinet-clearance check. The U.S. warranty listed for the model is three years limited; the linked guide supplies the terms and exclusions.
Hamilton Beach marks the exact 58164 page “No Longer Available.” Treat this as an earlier-model assessment, not evidence of current stock or a promise that a replacement chopper part is still sold. Before buying any used example, verify the model label, glass jar condition, blade assembly and that the 3-cup bowl and lid are actually present. The package only makes sense when both the pitcher and small chopper solve jobs you will use; if you need one large vessel, a larger pitcher-only blender is the more direct choice.
