Kelli and I love spending time in the kitchen exploring new recipes and inventing concoctions of our own. Hands down the tool that we use most is our blender. Our friends know that it’s practically a member of our family. So we get asked about it a lot, particularly in regard to which is better when it comes to the Blendtec vs Vitamix debate, the two best blenders for smoothies and food processing. We’re going to add our two cents to the many blendtec and vitamix reviews that are out there.
Having used both, there are a few differences we’ve learned about the two and why we’re happiest sticking with our Blendtec.
Here’s the first thing we love about it: it takes some serious abuse and just doesn’t quit.
It really is amazing how much we use the thing. It’s almost a daily occurrence that we use it for making smoothies in the morning and continue to be amazed that it handles everything we throw at it. It barely even has to get out of bed to knock out a ten-ingredient smoothie, liquefying carrots and apples with a yawn.
When it comes to cooking, we owe many a meal success to the Blendtec…hummus, kimchi, soups, and the list goes on. It’s also perfect for making our own flours (almonds, flax, buckwheat, etc) and it doesn’t even flinch when it comes to nut milks.
Almost every raw food recipe requires blending or processing, all of which we can do with this one machine. And then there’s them crazy good desserts we love – chocolate pudding made from avocados, raw cheesecake from cashews, pumpkin pie – those are all one-machine wonders with the Blendtec on hand.
When we sold nearly everything at the end of 2010 as we were getting ready to head to Costa Rica, our Blendtec was the one kitchen appliance we kept, even beating out Kelli’s prized Kitchen Aid! Carrying the blender in my backpack when we were traveling got me some funny looks from the TSA folks.
Leaving Costa Rica to fly back to the States, and then flying to New Zealand, I was tired of it taking up space in my small pack, so from then on I jammed it in the suitcase. Not once, not twice, but at least a dozen times. So between the non-stop use in the kitchen and the severe beating I allowed it to take at the hands of the oh-so not careful baggage handlers, we’re blown away by how tough the Blendtec is.
To be fair, we haven’t put a Vitamix through that kind of workout, but I think it’d be hard pressed to live up to the Blendtec’s brawn.
If you want technical stuff, here you go. The Blendtec blenders have up to three horsepower, and the Vitamix peaks at two. Thirteen amps of power for the Blendtec; eleven and a half for the Vitamix. In size, the Blendtec pitcher is shorter and wider making it easier to store.
One thing we really like about the Vitamix is the plunger that you can control from the top of the lid. It allows you to stir the ingredients and push down chunks of fruit or veg that might be holding things up. But last year we got Blendtec’s relatively new five sided jar and have been amazed at the difference it makes. For some reason the fifth side allows the blender so pull everything down to the blades even better than before. Haven’t wished for that plunger since.
A drawback to the Vitamix for us is that it doesn’t run any pre-programmed cycles. It has speed and power control dials but both must be controlled manually. With the Blentec you can choose an appropriate cycle for your needs and then walk away. The cycles don’t always get it exactly right and you may have to push the pulse button a couple times to finish the job, but we really do like the programs and use them a lot.
We can also personally attest to the warranty coverage and customer service. Somewhere a couple years back when Kelli and I had one of our more “impressive” fights, someone, I can’t remember who, in a moment of frustration “accidentally dropped” the blender on the floor. Both of us stopped in our tracks with a look of shock on our faces. A line had just been crossed. 🙂 First we checked the ceramic tile; it was ok. Then we tried the blender. Not ok. Attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful. After repairing our relationship, we set off to fix the blender.
We told Blendtec what happened and they were amazing. Because it was under warranty, they simply agreed to replace it. Seriously. It was totally our (we’ll share the blame) fault and they didn’t care. On top of that, our model had been phased out, so they replaced our older, broken unit with a new upgraded model. Thinking about it now, that may have been what solidified our loyalty…to Blendec (and each other : ).
Or, maybe it was their commercials. I mean, come on. Who doesn’t love those “will it blend” videos on YouTube? Golf balls, iPhones, tools, brooms, holy cow. Here’s a fun one for you…
Alright, so there’s our take. If you have a Vitamix, you’re all set. Keep it, use it, love it. It will do everything you need it to do. If you’re in the market for a blender and are on the fence in the Blendtec vs Vitamix debate, we can definitely say you’ll enjoy the added features and benefits of the Blendtec.
You’ll see a lot of the recipes on our site calling for a food processor or blender. When it comes to serious (and easier) cooking, a serious blender is a must-have. So if you don’t have one yet do yourself a favor and buy a Blendtec!
Yes, that is an affiliate link so if you click on it and buy a Blendtec, we will get paid. And we thank you. After so many people have bought a Blendtec 
after we told them about it, we figured we might as well get a little cut from the sale from now on right? 🙂
Wow, I never even thought of a blender. I’ve been using my juicer and have been real happy with it. However, after reading your review, I’m going to put the Blendtec on my wish list.
You see, I have to keep an eye on myself for a period of time to make sure that I stay committed to my new way of eating. I tend to run out and purchase gadgets only to have them sit on the counter collecting dust (all except for my Magic Bullet).
The Blendtec sounds like a Magic Bullet on steroids. I’m forwarding this link to “Santa” and maybe he’ll bring me one for Christmas. 🙂
We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you. If you’re using the Magic Bullet enough to keep the dust off it, you’ll have a blast with the Blendtec. It’s Pee Wee Herman versus Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Yep — here in Costa Rica where the only peanut butter you can buy is pure crap (really!) my BlendTec is a lifesaver. In fact, now that we’re moving back to the U.S. (to Salt Lake City, ironically) I think my friends will miss my BlendTec peanut butter maybe even more than they’ll miss me. (Okay, probably not really, but I do know that they’re already starting to stash a stockpile to carry them over for a while when I leave.)
Great blog!
That’s awesome. To tell you the truth we’ve never tried making peanut butter. I think we have a little experimenting to do tomorrow! Our Blendtec was huge for us in Costa Rica. It was amazing when we stopped in Salt Lake afterwards for a visit. It’s no health food mecca, but it felt like it then. You should have a much easier time there. 🙂
Yeah, actually after Costa Rica SLC definitely *feels* like a health food mecca! Food is actually one of the big things I’m looking forward to there. 😉
If you want to get into nut butters and other really thick spreads, you should check out Blendtec’s Twister jar. No stopping or scraping, done in 40 seconds or less. Yum!
Thanks Bruce. Yeah we’ve seen that Twister jar on their site but haven’t tried it out yet. We’re definitely intrigued.
Nice blog! Ive been debating to my self if I will get a blendtec or a vitamix. I have an omniblend ( taiwanese made vitamix imitation) but Im not 100% satisfied with it. So Im planning to take it to the next level by getting a vitamix or blendtec. But if we are to compare the two, which makes the smoothest smoothie?
Thanks,
Gerald
Thanks Gerald. We really appreciate you stopping by and commenting. I think I know exactly what you mean by smooth. That’s how Kelli likes ’em! Just to give you an idea, on top of the fruit and veg I can add all the flax seeds and nuts I want, hit Go, and thirty seconds later I’ve got a smoothie that pours out as smooth as a McDonald’s vanilla milkshake that you can drink through your teeth.
That’s with our Blendtec, but I’ve made plenty of smoothies in a Vitamix and haven’t found much to complain about there, though. They’re both really powerful machines. But I do like being able to hit that start button on the Blendtec and using that time to put stuff away, where with the Vitamix you have to stand in front of it the whole time or somehow track how long it’s been going.
Our test kitchen where we test new meals has both the Blendtec blender and a Vitamix. The Blendtec gets more use and is definitely preferred for quick and complete blending – things like drinks, soups, sauce, etc.
Alright! That’s great confirmation right there. Thanks Mike.
I am new to the Blendtec vs Vitamix debate. I don’t know much about either actually, but everyone around me in a small valley in Costa Rica has a Vitamix and they love it. I am still on the fence. If I were to go with the Blendtec which model would I get? I want to make sure I can do both wet and dry goods. Can I do both with one setup or do I need additional pieces? Also, is it easy to clean and is the Blendtec noticeably louder than Vitamix? Cost is also a consideration for me.
As a Blendtec superfan, I can say that all the retail models will give you outstanding performance. The Designer Series is their most “advanced” model and is great if you prefer an illuminated touch surface (like a smartphone). It also allows for fine-tuned manual control. The Total Blender Classic is great for all the reasons discussed above.
As for dry vs wet, you can do both with a single jar. Note that dry grinding can create a cosmetic fog or haze on the jar, which isn’t covered by the warranty.
Most people find the Blendtec jars easier to clean because of the single-prong blade design. It’s easier to get under the blade to get the stuff out.
I think the Blendtec is somewhat louder than the VM, though the Designer Series is the quietest of the lineup.
Finally, the Blendtec generally costs less than VM, depending on models, of course.
Good luck, and happy blending!
I have been wavering back and forth on Blendtec vs Vitamix for 6 months now. Some friends have one and swear by it, then we hear from another how great the rival maker is. I’ve watched them both make a smoothie, but as simple as this kitchen appliance shop should be, somehow I find it very confusing to make this choice.
Did you know Vitamix has the new 6300 model, with 3 preprogrammed, auto shut-off settings for soup (heats to 160F), smoothies and frozen desserts, in addition to the on/off and pulse switches? It comes with 2 plastic pitchers, one for dry (seeds, nuts, grains) blending and one for wet/standard blending. It was just under 500 USD and includes 2 recipe books, an instructional dvd, and that plastic pusher/muddler wand you mentioned, to help push food around inside the pitcher from the top/lid.
Our family just this minute came home from Costco where the new one was being demo’ed and it was pretty amazing. We loved the green kale and spinach/orange/green grape/pineapple smoothie and the frozen peach/carrot/banana sorbet they gave samples of.
Do you or your sponsors at Blendtec know of any retailers which might offer Blendtec demos like that which we could see in person? I need to be able to say I compared both of these beasts in action, to convince the hubster it’s okay to spend 500 bucks on something smaller than a lawn mower. And I’m not going to be okay with it either, if I don’t get to hear the thing running through all its paces in real life, to know if it is overly loud in general, or only sounds strained when blending frozen pineapple with ice cubes occasionally.
Thanks for any advice you can give us. We only just found out about these two things, after living overseas for the past 5 years. Over there, Breville, Delonghi, Krups and Moulinex are The Kings of Appliance Land, and no one seems to know what either a Vitamix or Blentec even is.
Well first off, welcome back to the States.
Seeing a live demo of each is a great idea so you can judge for yourself. Honestly, you’re not going to regret buying either one. Each person has their favorite and finds arguments why there’s is the best, but I’ve never heard anybody complain about the one they own. Does that make sense? Both of them will open up a whole slew of food prep possibilities to you that you’ll have a blast with whichever one you decide on.
Blendtec actually does a lot of live demos as well, including at Costco and Sam’s Club. At Blendtec.com, right in their main nav menu, you’ll see a link for ‘Find a Live Demo.’ Just enter your zip code and you’ll be able to see if they have one close to you.
Hope that helps. Good luck, and have fun!
Thanks for the informative review. I have been considering purchasing one of these blenders for a while. My concern with both is that they are made of plastic, not glass. I understand the reason they can’t be glass. Do you know of any somewhat comparable (obviously not as powerful) blender made of glass?
The only blenders with glass cups we’ve seen are the cheap ones at the national discount stores. Don’t know of any quality ones. Blendtec jars (and I’m sure Vitamix too) are BPA free if that helps.
Thanks for the quick reply! I just did a little research, and found that an alternative is a stainless steel cup. Hamilton Beach and Waring both making commercial-grade blenders that use that instead of plastic http://www.webstaurantstore.com/35103/commercial-food-preparation-blender-parts-and-accessories.html?filter=Jar%20Type%3AStainless%20Steel&. I’ll be investigating that further, because BPA-free isn’t good enough for me, especially not for an appliance that I could very well use daily and that heats up (for soups).
Thank you for this great review! When I worked at Starbucks as a teen I LOVED using the blenders there which were all Blendtec.
That’s awesome! Starbucks, Jamba Juice…yeah, Blendtec’s got it going on! 🙂
I’m a big fan of the Vitamix. We do the green smoothie thing and shelled out for a new blender after burning out the motor on our cheap blender (it was literally smoking). The Vitamix works great and cuts our prep time in half.