Vita-Mix or Blendtec?

[nmetkarujitgotgreen]

I HAVE TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH YOU GUYS!

I decided to buy the new Blendtec for these reasons:
- Smaller than Viatamix. It fits under cabinet.
- I like to look of it and the buttons.
- I like the pre-program setting and auto-shut-off.
- I bought it 20% off at Bed Bath and Beyond.

I had it for a week. I thought I did not care much about the noise. I was wrong! Let me tell you about the new Total Blender.
- It's way too loud.
- The pre-program does not do a good job. I had to run it manually to get a good ice cream, soup, and smoothie.  So what's the point of having this feature.
- Only good things about Blendtec are that it fits under cabinet and the shape of the jar but that's it.

SO I DECIDED TO ORDER VITAMIX 5200. I have both running for comparison for 2 weeks.
And here I conclusion:
- Vitamix is not as loud as Blendtec. Everyone in the family agreed. Vitamix produces less noise at any speed.
- Vitamix chops (dry and wet) veggies better than Blendtec.
- We made ice cream almost everyday. They both came out the same if you run Blendtec manually.
- Both make smoothie very smooth. We couldn't tell the different but again if you run Blendtec manually.
- Vitamix looks more solid built.
- Cleaning, Blendtec may be easier but is not a selling point any more.

BOTTOM LINE:
- I will trade my space limit issue to the noise. I can't hear it everyday.
- Since I got 8 years warranty on Vitamix and bonus items. It's worth to pay more for less noise appliance.
- I will return Blendtec even if I love how it looks and hate how tall the Vitamix is.

[msrenea]

Hello, I would like to know if the Blentec 13amp can handle frozen fruits such as strawberries/blueberries. I have looke at many on-line comparisons and no where does it tell me that frozen fruit can be placed in the Blentec.  I am planning to go back to Costo and purchase it from the Demo that is currently going on now.  I want to make sure before I buy the product. I freeze a lot of foods to keep them from spoiling and to save money, so I make a lot from frozen foods, but my previous standard blender could not handle it.  THX.

[green smoothie junkie]

I have had limited use of the Blendtec thus far but hope to get one soon. The Vitamix has no problems with frozen fruit and the Blendtec is supposed to be more powerful so I'd imagine it also would have no problems with frozen fruits.

It will most definitely do a much better job than your standard blender.

[mercury17_2000]

I have seen the Vitmix in action..and know that it can take whole uncut foods.  Can the Blentec handle uncut foods? 

The Vitamix has less power, but has more blades and comes with that stick to assist when blending uncut foods. 

Such a hard decisions..I wish I could buy both!

Thanks!

[John]

It's true that the VitaMix tamper can be very helpful and does do a better job at blending large uncut foods, and...

yes indeed the Blendtec can handle uncut foods for the most part. It does have a harder time with foods that are really large or frozen but with a little extra effort it takes care of them no problem.

[Grawman]

Thanks much for the review - most excellent. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with the Vitamix but I've been looking at the Professional 500 and like the looks of that. How does the Pro 500 compare with the Vitamix 5200?

Thanks.

[John]

The Vitamix Professional Series 500 is very similar to the Vitamix 5200.

It has the same motor as the 5200 so the same power. It also uses the same containers as well as the same warranty. The difference is in some added features. It has a pulse switch and 3 program cycles for smoothie, soup and dessert. The Pro 500 generally sells for $600-$650 and the lowest price we've found it for is $549.

So you need to decide if the added features and brushed stainless steel finish of the Pro 500 is worth the additional $150 or more. For most people, it probably isn't.

[mizqtpye]

Hi all,

I am new here and equally new to blending (I've never owned a blender of any kind).  Could you all tell me your thoughts on which of the two blenders highlighted in this post are easier to operate.  I'm not a total idiot when it comes to appliances and will definitely read the manuals to either one I choose, but I must admit that besides being a complete novice, I am a little impatient (I'm working on it).  The turning of knobs and such on the VitaMix seems a bit complicated and I'm wondering whether there is an art to blending in the VitaMix (i.e., do I need a timer in front of me to know when to increase the speed, etc.)?  I like the design of the Blendtec and it seems as if the pushing of a button would be easier.  However, I like all that VitaMix provides (long history of great long lasting products (very important to me), longer warranty [but I see there is a way to get the same 7 year on the Blendtech]), milder noise, etc.). 

SO I think the decision may come down to ease of use...the easier something is to use, the more I think I will use it.  Although now that I think about it, with price that I will be shelling out for either unit, I think that will help to me get my money's worth of use.    Even still though, ease of use is still very important to me and I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Thank you in advance.

[green smoothie junkie]

Wow mizqtype - looking to get your very first blender and you are looking to go straight to the top, how awesome!

The Vitamix 5200 is not complicated at all. In fact, I find it to be the simplest of them all due to the variable speed dial. It works like a light dimmer switch, the more you turn it, the more juice you give it and the faster it goes. The more you need the blades to turn the more you turn the dial - it's as simple as that.

You are always in control of the speed and power, so no guessing at how fast a button will make it spin or trying to figure out what cycle will work for what you want to do. 

[mizqtpye]

Thanks green smootie junkie -  being that I am very committed to my new vegan lifestyle (after being vegetarian for 12 years) I know I need to get the best blender out there if I am going to be successful on this journey.

So yesterday after posting I found out that there was a Blendtec demo at a Costco about 30 minutes away which I excitedly went to. The demo guy was really nice, the samples were intriguing and tasty, he didn't bash the other model and patiently answered all of my questions (although I took it all with a grain of salt because I'm sure he wanted to make the sale as well as be helpful).

I ended up buying the blender...not because I thought I've got to have this one, but only because they are not readily in stock at Costco's near my home and I learned that there would soon be a Vitamix roadshow at a Costco only 10 minutes away (thus I will be able to return it and get the other if that seem like the best way to go).  While ease of use was my main concern yesterday, my focus has shifted to getting the better bang for my buck. After watching countless youtube videos, and reading various reviews I have decided that I probably cannot go wrong "performance wise" with either blender (and being a novice, I probably couldn't tell anyway) - so my only real concern now is future costs.

AS IT STANDS:

- I will need to pay a difference of about 20 dollars more if I decide to exchange the total blend for the Vitamix at Costco. That is not including the extra $144 (per website) to get the dry blade carafe since I do plan to grind various grains and such. Despite the extra cost, I am still considering the Vitamix because I have read a lot about the carafes on the Blendtec needing to be replaced every 1-2 years or so. However, it also seems that when you buy a new carafe from Blendtec, it has a three year warranty, which if all goes well or not well however you look at it, it will fail within the three year warranty and be replaced for free? Because I'm smart enough to know there are probably all types of limitations on that, I am wondering if anyone has had a problem with the bearings in the blade assembly failing during the warranty period and had the carafe replaced with no or minimal hassle.

- I was able to get the larger carafe with the 4 inch blade for the same price; lets just say I'm an excellent negotiator via my great legal education ;o), so I don't mind purchasing another as a back up if the three year warranty mentioned above holds true.

- The warranty I have on the blendtec base is also 7 years (benefits of buying at Costco). However thereafter, I am wondering about the cost I would face if my base failed for some reason. I see on the Vitamix website that it will be between $95-145 to repair, but I do not see this info on Blendtec's website. Has anyone had issues with their Blendtec base and had to pay for repair - how much did it cost? I am just guessing that it'll be higher because it's a "smart blender" yada yada yada.

Love to hear anyone thoughts. 

[John]

mizqtype,

The Vitamix is simple to use as is the Blendtec. Demo guys can be very convincing and the great thing about Costco is that you can return it if you don't like it or change your mind.

You are right, you can't go wrong performance wise with either blender. As was mentioned in the review, if you are going to do significant grain grinding, the Vitamix dry container is superior to the Blendtec but if you don't plan on grinding a lot of grains, you don't need to purchase the Vitamix dry container as the standard wet container performs the same as the Blendtec.

I don't know of anyone who has replaced their container because of defect but the nice thing about the Vitamix, in addition to the 7 year warranty, is that the blade can be removed and put into a new carafe if ever needed (as an example, when Vitamix upgraded to the BPA-free container, I just replaced all of our carafes without having to purchase the blades shich is the expensive part) but the Blendtec is all one unit.

Regarding the Blendtec 96oz container, one thing to realize is that there is no benefit to having it unless you make large quantities at a time. If you are only making  a pint or a couple quarts at a time then there is no reason to have it.

If you like the Blendtec after using it, keep it otherwise trade it in. Be use to use those program buttons a lot, that is really where the difference lies - you'll either love 'em or not.

Let us know how how you like your Blendtec.

[mizqtpye]

Thanks for replying John I really appreciate it.  The info about the regular carafe on the Vitamix being sufficient to grind grains every once in a while helps me to confirm my decision to...drum roll please...exchange my Blendtec for the Vitamix.  Here is my update. 

So yesterday, I happened to stop in another Costco and lo and behold, a Vitamix demo was going on - oh happy day for me.  Again the demo guy was really nice, except for the fact that he kept overlooking my questions to answer the questions of the other lady who happened to be in her exercise attire, which made her look more healthy and more likely to purchase than me  Anyway despite the demo guy ignoring me, I continued to watch for a good 30 minutes as he demonstrated (for the other lady) the Vitamix's skills - it spoke for itself.  I need not go into detail as I'm sure you all know how powerful it is; plus the treats he blended up were equally as tasty as the blendtec guy's. 

However, what really caught my attention was the ease of use.  Being a novice, I really think the Vitamix will be easier for me to operate.    Again despite him ignoring me (you can tell that p'd me off), the demo guy was nice enough (after the other lady left) to show me one-on-one how easy it was to operate.  During my use of the Blendtec, I discovered that it really isn't just pushing a button and your done - more often than not I had to pulse it a little more.  And when I had to blend something that wasn't on a pre-set button, trying to use the speed buttons was a bit of a chore to say the least. It wasn't really that bad, it's just a bit more work than I imagined.  With a little more practice and patience on my part, I would probably soon get the hang of it and be on my way to becoming a Blendtec blending pro. 

But something else I really like about the Vitamix was being able to use of the tamper to help determine when the smoothie was done.  Since I'm so new to blending, I don't have enough experience to be able to tell by sight if something is done, but the demo guy showed me how to use the tamper (i.e., how the smoothy slides off) to gauge when it's ready (instead of having to turn the blendtec off, take off the top, and spooning some out to see if it's done). 

And John you're totally right, that 96 oz. jar is way too big for me, especially since I don't make as much as the guys made in their demos - maybe half of what they make, if that.  I can definitely use - probably a little better if I had a tamper - but I don't really need it.  And in fact, I'm thinking about getting the smaller wet carafe at some point for the Vitamix as I think I would use that more than the larger carafe and/or the dry carafe.

Anyway, none of these things are really big issues that make one blender better than the other in my opinion, they are just preferences that I think will make my blending life easier which will in turn keep me using it daily.  The Blendtec makes a wonderful smoothy, but the buttons make it a little harder to get use to for me.  But I have to say that I will miss the sleekness of the Blendtec and the way it fit nicely - aesthetically and physically - in my kitchen.  I will have to put my Vitamix in a different place, but on the bright side, it's placement will force me to see and more likely use it daily as it's on the counter space I regularly use anyway.   

[green smoothie junkie]

Well done mizqtype - I think you've made an excellent decision! Did you use your Blendtec before returning it? If so what did you think?

[John]

Yes mizqtype, some people are easily wooed by bigger whether or not it's better for them. I'm sure you will be very satisfied with your Vitamix 5200.

Happy Blending!

[eggbert]

I had a Blendtec for 4 years and loved it. Last year I got a new roommate who brought her vitamix 5000. Now like I said, I loved my Blendtec but I think I love the vitamix more. It is not nearly as loud and I love how easy it is to control what you are blending. No more pushing buttons over and over to finish up my smoothies. Now that my Blendtec container is leaking and my roommate is moving I am shopping for a new blender and I'm pretty sure I am going to get the vitamix this time. Thank you for all the great information!