In the battle of blenders, the two contenders that rise to the top are Vita-Mix and Blendtec. Both are exceptional products and have large, loyal fan bases in the raw food community. This makes it more challenging to compare and contrast these products, but fear not, the following information will help you make an informed decision based on your blending needs.
Blendtec Blender vs Vita-Mix Blender - Is One Really Better than the Other?
After researching this topic for an extended period of time, I have come to the following conclusion, you can't really go wrong with either of these blenders. As mentioned earlier, there are many passionate owners of both products so for every customer review that you find touting the fact that the Vita-Mix is the best blender on the market, you can find another review citing the same thing about the Blendtec Total Blender. My assumption is that once a person spends $400 on a kitchen appliance, they have a natural tendency to believe that they made the right choice and that their product is the best. So, with that out of the way, here are the key differences between the products that should help guide your buying decision.
Size
One of the biggest differences between the 2 products is the height. The Vita-Mix is 20.5 inches tall, which is 5 inches taller than the Blendtec. The height between the countertop and the cabinet in my kitchen is 15 inches, so the Blendtec would fit nicely. Most homes range from 15 inches to 18 inches, so this causes a problem with being able to fit the Vita-Mix unless you remove the container from the base, which takes up more room.
Dry versus Wet Blending
The Blendtec has a single container blade for blending both dry and wet ingredients. The Vita-Mix has 2 separate containers/blades for doing this. Both products appear to handle dry blending about the same. However, if you plan to do large amounts of dry blending, you should probably consider a food processor which enables larger quantities to be processed at the same time. If you use a blender, you have to limit the amount you add in order to keep the product from overheating.
Walk Away vs Stand Over
Another primary difference between the 2 products is that the Blendtec has pre-programmed cycles that you can select based on what you are blending. This allows you to select an option and walk away from the blender while it cycles through the right blending speeds. It will turn itself off when it is done. This is a huge selling point for many people who want to have their smoothie blending while they are getting ready for work. You should note that when blending heavier products that do not contain as much liquid, that you still need to stand over the Blendtec and hold the container down as it is known to jump off the gears. The Vita-Mix requires you to manually move through different blending speeds and manually turn the unit off. Some people who are serious about blending, prefer to manually control the speed so this is a plus.
To Tamper or not to Tamper, that is the question
The Vita-Mix comes with a plastic tamper that inserts into the top of the lid. This allows you to push the ingredients around and get a more consistent blend, especially when air pockets occur or when you are blending large items like whole apples. In addition, it allows you to easily add more ingredients while you are blending without having to take the top off. The Blendtec does not include a tamper and the lid must be removed if you want to add more ingredients.
Warranty & Price
Blendtec has a 3 year warranty on the unit and a lifetime warranty on the blade. Vita-Mix has a 7 year warranty on all parts which can be extended to 10 years for $120. As for the price, the Vita-Mix Super 5200 package which includes the wet & dry container costs approximately $100 more than the Blendtec Total Blender with the 4 inch blade/container.
Power & Blades
The Vita-Mix has a 2 horsepower motor which allows the blade to reach 37,000 RPMs. The Blendtec has a 3 horsepower motor which allows the blade to reach speeds of 28,000 RPMs. Both of these products generate extreme blending power. The Vita-Mix model has 4 blades and the Blendtec standard model has 2 blades. Recently, Blendtec has added a new container which is larger (3 quarts) and utilizes a 4 inch blade. The Blendtec blade is made from a single piece of material, whereas the Vita-Mix blade is made from 2 pieces of material.
Jar Design and Clean Up
The Blendtec has a square jar design which consistently gets better reviews as it relates to cleaning. The Vita-Mix container has a taller and narrower design which can make it a little more challenging to clean. In addition, the square design of the Blendtec has more positive reviews related to pouring and dripping.
The following links contain more information and reviews on these products:
Blendtec
Vita-Mix
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Published 2/21/2010 12:00:00 AM
Tags: Vita-Mix, Blendtec