I was totally blessed to receive a Blendtec Home Total Blender for my birthday this past year from my wonderful hubby, as it’s been on my wishlist for some time. I must admit that the price tag turned me off for the longest time, but this purchase was made in response to three questions. Will this tool help simplify my cooking processes, saving me time in the kitchen? Will this tool accomplish multiple tasks? Is this tool durable and high quality? All these questions have been answered in the affirmative with the Blendtec Blender. After killing a standard Oster blender, and sending $70 down the drain, I knew it would be wise to invest in a machine that could handle the strain and stress I would put it under with all our fruit smoothies, grain grinding, etc. It is now the most useful kitchen tool in my home. I use it at least twice a day. It has helped simplify my food preparations 100 times over. I feel without it I might not have been able to continue making things from scratch with the responsibilies of a growing family and health issues.
Top 10 Reasons I Love the Blendtec:
It is easy to clean. Because of the wide square base of this blender, cleaning is a breeze. Throw it in the dishwasher or add a little soap and water and pulse a few times, rinse, and it will be clean.
Nothing goes to waste. With it’s wide square shape, you can be assured that nothing will get stuck around the base, as in a typical blender. All food ingredients come out easily with a spatula.
Food processor functionality. I can throw in some onions, carrots, etc. and pulse for a few moments and I have a nice chopped product. This makes soup making very simple.
Grinds grain. I was blown away by the excellent job this machine did with grinding whole grains. I had to admit that the quality was just as fine as my Nutrimill. You are limit to about 2 cups of grain at a time, so not ideal for huge bread baking projects, but for every day flour needs, this will do the job nicely.
Makes amazing smoothies. We love green kefir smoothies at our house, and this machine can handle it all. Frozen fruit and greens come out so smooth, you cannot tell any texture difference. I can throw in whole raw seeds (flax seeds, etc) and they are completely grinded without any problems.
Makes homemade raw sauces with ease. I love how I can throw in a few apples, cinnamon, and water and in a few moments I have raw applesauce, plus you get the nutritional benefits of the peel in there too. You only have to quarter the apple, de-coring if desired. I also have made spaghetti sauce/tomato sauce from whole tomatoes, pear sauce from whole pears, fresh salsa, and other sauces in a matter of minutes.
Turns off by itself. Push your desired setting and let the machine go to work. You don’t have to stand there and hold the lid down or wait to turn it off. The Blendtec has specific digital touchpad settings for every job and it will turn off automatically when the task is down. The ideal multi-task machine! I can start the smoothie and let it go while I clean up, make something else, etc.
Is compact and yet powerful. This machine has a 1560 watt with a 3 HP direct-drive motor and yet doesn’t require any additional counterspace for its powerful engine.
Functionality with the press of a button. The digital touchpad makes it simple to use and perfectly arranged to meet every task.
Durable and professional. This machine is used in the majority of professional businesses, such as coffee shops, juice shops, etc. It is known for its quality and durability.
Simplicity in action. As the description states: You can replace up to nine other kitchen appliances with this easy-to-use countertop blender–no need for a separate grain mill, juicer, bread machine, ice-cream maker, smoothie maker, blender, milkshake maker, coffee grinder, or ice crusher. The all-in-one appliance makes smoothies, fresh juice, ice cream, milkshakes, cappuccinos, margaritas, soups, sauces, breads, dressings, salsas, and more. It can even turn ice to snow and comes with an ice-crushing guarantee.
That is what I call simplicity in action! I hate kitchen gadgets that increase clutter.
In addition to this list, the Blendtec can make ice cream, fondues (wonderfully delicious), peanut butter, in addition to kneading bread dough and preparing and heating soups. It can knead one loaf of bread, a dozen muffins, or a loaf of sweet bread at a time. The machine also comes with a great cookbook with instructions and tons of recipes.
I just have a few simple complaints with this machine:
- It doesn’t have a adjustable timer. It runs for 90 seconds for most of the settings and then turns off. So in the case that I want to run the blender longer, I have to push the button again to run the cycle again. Not a big problem, just a bit annoying.
- It is loud. Yes, this is a high powered blender and can make some noise.
- I don’t like the ice cream. With the requirements of adding ice in order to make ice cream, the results are a very icy consistency. I received the same results with the Vitamix. I prefer my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker because it does not require ice and results in a very creamy consistency.
Why I choose a Blendtec over a Vitamix?
Vitamix is a similar machine to Blendtec and more commonly known because it has been marketed better to the public, but Blendtec is the choice among professionals. First, the Blendtec fits under your countertop. The jar that comes with the Vitamix is too tall to store under the average countertop. You have to store it separately or purchase the additional smaller jar that Vitamix offers. One jar with the Blendtec does it all. The Vitamix has two different jars to accomplish all these tasks. The Vitamix does not turn off by itself and has two different switches that have to be adjusted carefully during the preparation process. I know because my mom has one and it is definitely a pain.
The only disadvantage I found was that the Vitamix had a superior warranty to the Blendtec (7 years as compared to Blendtec’s 3 year warranty on motor base, 1 year on jar, and a lifetime on blade and coupling).
For a thorough visual comparison of the Blendtec vs. Vitamix, watch this video.
When you consider the cost of purchasing all nine of those kitchen items that this Blender can replace…you can save a significant amount of money with one simple machine! A grinder alone costs upwards of $250 dollars.
In conclusion, if you were to invest in one machine that would help you transition to a whole foods lifestyle, this would be the item I would recommend! If you cannot afford a separate grain mill, go with the simplicity of this blender. This is quality in action.
Use milk cubes instead of water cubes and your icey texture will be reduced considerably.
Thanks for the insight you shared on BlendTec and VitaMix. I was searching and comparing the two when I found your sight. I like your sight and I also am now following you on pinterest as it seems we have a lot of common interest.
Thanks
ncborn.com
I’ve had one for a while but find that the large jug is much tooooo large. I’m thinking of buying a smaller jug. I’m in the UK. Does anyone have a second hand one to fit the HPA3 Total Blender. I’m in the UK?
Also, is it possible to do a cake mix UK style or pastry in the smaller jug as I find there are bits at the bottom in my larger jug that the blades can’t reach!
I’m going to bookmark your site for the future. Keep up the great work!
Are you still as satisfied with your Blendtec as when you wrote this article two years ago?
I’m trying to decide which way to go and was curious.
Thanks!
Hi there- I appreciate all the comments about the Blendtec vs Bosch.
Is it possible to have a machine that does it all? Does the Blendtec do bread as well as the bosch?
Is Blendtec the one and only machine to get that might be the “do all” machine?
thanks,
Lisa
Since the time of this writing, I thought it might be good to point out that the Blendtec now comes with a 7 year warranty as well.
Im saving my pennies to get one myself!
We have had the Mix’n'Blend II for 4 or 5 years and it is very loud, we have to wear hearing protection to use it. It also has a very weak gear housing and bowl mount. If the bread dough gets a little bit to dry, the bowl mount will break free every time, allowing the bowl to spin. The drive shaft has never broken, but we have gone through three machines under warranty and now the last one has broken the same way. The design is just too weak for the power of the motor.
Hi! I noticed you had another article about the Bosch mixer and it was your all time favorite machine, but here you say you love the Blendtec and the Mix n Blend II. So looking back, what is your all time favorite from these three machines? You must have a lot of machines in your house, you don’t have a kitchenaid mixer too do you? I’m trying to find something that is as good as a Kitchenaid Mixer AND a Blendtec/Vitamix blender in one, and it’s down to Bosch Universal vs. Blendtec Mix n Blend II, but not many people have reviewed the Blendtec combo unit.
I used and loved the Bosch mixer for many years while I was actively making bread, as it is definitely the best unit for that. I recently sold it as I have really limited kitchen space and have not been baking bread for quite some time. I replaced it with a small kitchenaid mixer and still have my Blendtec. I purchased them at different times, but if I were to go back, I would probably recommend you go with the Blendtec Mix n Blend as a good combo unit. The Blendtec is definitely superior to the Bosch in the mixing power. That is one reason I sold my Bosch because I didn’t use the blender and wanted to simplify a bit.
In response to ice cream. I get my blender tommorrow
via blendtec shipping. Why don’t you try freezing milk or heavy cream in ice cube trays. Then store them in a freezer container. Blend in ice cream recipes instead of ice…
Mike, milk cubes work really well, cream would probably be even better!
I have a BlendTec myself. BlendTec’s warranty is now 7 or 8 years (depending on dealer) through authorized dealers.
It is definitely possible to make juices. Of course they will be “whole” and not separate the pith/seeds, etc but they will blend in smoothly and if you add enough liquid they can become thin like juice.
Also, while the buttons do make things easy, I disagree that you can just hit a button and walk away. If you have anything heavy / solid in the blend mix, the machine will dance and rock around like crazy. I find I still have to hold the top down just the keep the container and base from jumping around. The times I have tried letting it go, the results were comical.
I still want to try a Vitamix and compare, especially due to the heavier build and manual controls for cooking/sauce purposes, but the wife doesn’t like the look of the Vitamix, and it is indeed *huge*
Have you used their Mix ‘n’ Blend? I’ve been interested in it since I learned about the kneading feature, plus a 2 in 1 machine.
The Mix n’ Blend is the machine that I use. This is my 2nd one, my first 1 is still going strong. I bought my second one because of pre-programmed buttons. My first is being used by my daughter.. I bought the first one over 9 years ago and it is still going strong. The main reason for my buying BlendTec is because it is “Made In USA”. Plus this has been the best multi-purpose machine I have had. I used to own an Oster Kitchen Center and I like the BlendTec more. I guess one of the reasons for my liking it better is because of the Pasta Maker/Meat grinder attachment that I bought with my first machine. Unfortunately, BlendTec does not make this attachment any more. Which is a shame as I was going to get a set for each of my daughters.
I just got a letter in the mail from Costco. There has been a dispute about this being made. It seems like the Vitamix was not made in the USA>
No, I haven’t used my machine for juicing. I don’t really think it can be used as such. You can make juice with it, but, it would be with pulp and all the other good stuff. I guess if a person didn’t want the whole goodness the concoction could be strained through cheese cloth. Also just want to let you know, Blendtec has informed me that they do not manufacture the pasta maker/meat grinder attachment any more. That is a shame as that was 1 of the reasons for my buying my original machine. Don’t get me wrong, even without the attachment, I would still enjoy my Blendtec Mix n’ Blend. It is a great machine. Maybe if enough requests were sent in maybe Blendtec would reconsider, It has happened with other companies.
Thanks for this post! very helpful, can you share if you were able to juice vegetables with the device? As in drain the juice from the fruits and veggies with the device?
No, it is not a juicer, unless you want to sieve the finished product some way through a colander with small holes.
I just stumbled across this site. It is very informative. I am the proud owner of a Blendtec Mix n’ Blend, which is both a Blender and Mixer. This is a great all in 1 machine. This machine has been used t0 make cookie dough, cinnamon roll dough, pasta dough and the blender is mainly used to make smoothies and soft serve ice cream. I have a pasta maker(press)/meat grinder that I bought with a previous KTEC(same company) kitchen center. I don’t know if they still make this attachment, hope they do as I would like to get my daughters the attachments for their machines. My first machine I had for over 10 years and only replaced it for an updated machine with programmed buttons. That machine is still going strong for my oldest daughter. I bought my other daughter a new Mix n’ Blend after I found out she didn’t have a blender or mixer, deciding to buy her 1 of the best. Yes, I am a proud owner of this American made appliance. I hope they stay American. When I originally bought my KTEC kitchen center I had cosidered a Vitamix. But, after comparing the capabilities and cost, the KTEC seemed to be a better value and I have not looked back. As long as Blendtec stays American made I will buy it.
I saw a Vitamix demo at my local grocery store and am impressed. Reading here, I was all set to go for the Blentec (when I save up enough). But, once again I’m stumbling. Who has heard both? In the store the Vitamix doesn’t seem too loud. At the Smoothie place in the mall, where they use Blentec machines under the sound boxes, the blenders still sound loud! Maybe the Vitamix doesn’t sound so loud because the store itself is noisy?
If anyone has heard both and can comment, I’d be grateful – noise is our biggest issue. Currently, I keep the Oster in the basement to use it in the morning.
I have used and heard both, and honestly, they are both loud. There is really no way around that when dealing with such a high power engine.
I also received a Blendtec recently and the grains are not grinding fine enough and it is noticeable in my banana bread, which is the only thing I’ve tried it in. I’ve never ground grains before. I’ve compared the texture to store bought whole wheat flour and the store bought is definitely finer. I let it run through a cycle on speed 9 and also tried on speed 10 but did not notice any difference. I haven’t tried pulsing but can’t imagine that would grind any finer. I used hard white wheat. The flour does end up warm but that hasn’t concerned me since it will heat even more during baking. Do you have any tips? Thanks.
I have only used the Blendtec a couple times for grinding grain, as I also have a Nutrimill grain grinder. I never noticed it being a problem in my baking though. In the recipe book it says only to grind two cups at a time. It may just be something you have to get used to or else consider purchasing a grain grinder.
My husband just blessed me with the Blendtec. I ground hard white wheat today following the instructions in the book. The finished texture wasn’t quite as fine as I thought it would be. It was my first time grinding my own wheat ever. Is the texture supposed to be just slightly finer than cornmeal? I only put two cups in to grind. Also, do you find that the flour is extremely warm when it is done? Should I be concerned about that? Thanks so much for your blog. I appreciate your ministry! I would love to see/hear more about recipes that you use your Blendtec for.
I was wondering what your opinion was on the Ninja blender. It looks to be similar as the Blendtec and the review are good, but I can’t find a comparison. It’s only a fraction of the price and 1000 watt motor….so I know it isn’t as high quality. Just wondering if anyone here has tried it.
Do not waste your money on a Ninja if you want to make smoothies. No matter how long you blend, there are still ice crystals throughout the drink.
I have to disagree with you. I got the ninja and just like the blendtec, if you leave it for a minute or two, you get really great smoothies.. I would buy another one in a heartbeat..and it works with leafy greens too.
Hi Lindsay,
Thanks for the blog, I’ve had fun reading it, and all the comments too
I was wondering if you (or anyone else) knows much about the difference between the smaller jar with the 3 inch blade and the bigger one with the 4 inch blade. I’m particularly interested because I’m only blending for one person and I wonder if it’s ok to put smaller amounts of food into the bigger jar or if it’s better to go with the smaller jar. From youtube it seems like the 4 inch is the way to go in terms of blending things fast without heating too much, but I just wanted some feedback about not filling it up as much.
Thanks for any info you can give me!
Thanks for your article. My partner and i have generally seen that a majority of people are needing to lose weight when they wish to look slim and attractive. Even so, they do not always realize that there are many benefits to losing weight as well. Doctors assert that obese people experience a variety of health conditions that can be perfectely attributed to their particular excess weight. The good news is that people who are overweight as well as suffering from diverse diseases are able to reduce the severity of their own illnesses by means of losing weight. You’ll be able to see a slow but noticeable improvement in health whenever even a minor amount of fat loss is realized.
Wow! I actually bought a vitamix last week, and love it, but after reading a lot of reviews, I have contacted them and told them I was going to send it back, and I ordered a Bosch universal plus mixer with the blender, and a Nutrimill instead. I got my Nutrimill, and my Bosch today. Now I am wondering if there is some way I should try to figure out how to send my Bosch blender, and my second container I bought with the vitamix back, and keep my vitamix with just the one container. I need to make some extra money somewhere, quick! I already sold my kitchen aid, as well as some other small things to pay the difference of buying the Nutrimill. Now I am wondering if I should have just not ordered the Nutrimill, and kept my vitamix?
That is really up to you and what you want to do with it. The Blendtec and I believe Vitamix is able to grind grain, so unless you are grinding large batches of flour for bread making and such, the Nutrimill is not a necessity. I still have my bosch mixer because having a mixer is essential if you want to do any baking in general…which a vitamix or blender is not really able to do effectively. The bosch mixer without the blender would be ideal and just keep the vitamix or blendtec as your blender and grinder. I do love having two jars for my blendtec since I am using it all the time.
Lindsay,
I have the Blendtec because of your recommendation and love it. Have you ever used yours to grate cheese? If so, what kind of results did you get? Just wondering as I have just purchased a 5 lb. block of cheese. Thanks!
No, I have not used it to grate cheese. I honestly don’t think it would work. It would be challenging to prevent it from all globing up. I buy 5 lbs of cheese and grate by hand and store in the freezer until ready to use. That works for us.
Another reader responded to your question via email. She shared: I have not ever used mine for cheese (I usually buy already grated in packages). I would think you would need to make sure it is very cold before doing so, then cut up in cubes before blending. It could turn to mush if you don’t. Maybe put in freezer for an hour or so. Hope it works out great.
Blessings!
De
Hey there – I work at Blendtec and personally wouldn’t try to use my blender to grate cheese, unless perhaps I needed some parmesan powder ;-D Have you ever tried freezing the cheese in small chunks though? You can put it in the fridge the day before you need to use it. Something about the freezing makes the cheese really crumbly, so you can break off pieces about as easily as grating it. Or if you wanted very fine crumbles at that point, I suppose putting a few chunks in the blender then pulsing once or twice would do, but again I haven’t tried that. If you want the cheese to go solid enough to slice again, I’ve understood you just have to wrap it in cheesecloth and let it sit at room temperature for another day, but I haven’t tried that part either since crumbles suit us well enough. Hope that helps!
I am very concern about plastic container and although it is BPA free it is not giving me any comfort. I just bought Angel juicer, which is all high quality stainless steal and I love it. Why one of the US companies does not actually come up with the same quality product for a blender. It takes South Korean company to actually produce a quality product. All this marketing about BPA free just a way to make money to pretend that the product is really green (and not to bother with making a quality product free of chemicals), but plastic is plastic and if it is lacking BPA, it surely has other chemicals, lets not full ourselves that it is actually safe. In the mean time I still need a blender/food processor for all raw food dishes processing and Blendtec is the only alternative at the moment on the market. Based on the reviews above I would not use Blendtec (if I come to terms to buy it) for grain processing as the mentioning of scratched plastic is very worrisome. Where do you think all those plastic scratched pieces went to? In your food, of course. Does anybody knows about all glass and/or stainless steel blender/food processor available to purchase?
Dear Julie, this is where you have to guard against fear over safety to pervade your thoughts and lifestyle. Nothing is perfect. And these fears can control you, and cause stress in your own life and in other relationships. We have to do our best and trust the Lord with the rest. Plastic is very durable and is useful, even if it is not ideal. Glass breaks, and unfortunately I have had glass blenders in the past that broke and lots of money down the drain. There is no fear of plastic pieces coming off in the Blendtec. It does not get scratched in that sense. It just gets more cloudy and such. I have use a oster blender with a stainless steel jar in the past that worked well.
The grinding mill is our next guilty pleasure! This blender is truly a joy to work with and as far as muffling the sound, we use out kitchen towels underneath the base. it won’t eliminate the sound, that’s for sure. It does however aid in the vibration on the counter top. this is important to all of us non granite people!
I am looking at getting either the Vita-Mix or Blendtec for grinding grain- in addition to all the other uses. Do you know if it kneads bread- and if it does- does it do it very well?
Hi…. i bought a blendtec spacesaver (i live in europe and here the only blendtec that exists for sale is the blendtecs comercials, because i want one very much and i dont have any choise more then i buy this one…. but my dream is to have the blendtec Connoisseur )…. but mine don´t bring the recipe book….:(…. do you know if there is available the recipe book in pdf?…. or there is any place on line (that ship to europe) where i can buy?
thanks and sorry my writing!!!!
Lindsay, thank you for your post! I work at Blendtec and hope you don’t feel like I’m spying on your blog. I’ve been looking for some unsolicited feedback today and your post is among the best I’ve read. I’m happy to hear you’re loving the blender, and glad you shared your complaints as well. Thank you for that!
And to Lucia: drop us a note. We’d be happy to help you out with a recipe book.
Velda,
Since you work at Blendtec, can you tell my why Costco offers the 7 year warranty instead of 3 year? Is the blender at Costco made better? I am SO VERY happy with my Blendtec! I bought if on Amazon.com. It began to vibrate a bit and I had to put my hand of the top to steady it some. I called your company at the toll free number and she listened to the motor over the phone. She said there WAS a problem with my blender and she would send me another free of charge! She is also sending the packing to ship the old one back free! WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! THE BEST!!!! Would sure LOVE to get that 7 year warranty though. I am not a member of Costco and do not have one near me.
Thanks !
De
It’s the very same blender we sell on our site. Costco just likes to be able to offer its members a special value (truthfully, it is the best deal out there.) They extend warranties on most of the electronics and appliances they sell.
The blender base will last for ages. The jars can eventually need replacement, but if you take good care of them and use them frequently (or do a quick conditioning before use by turning the bearings once if it’s been on the shelf) they will last, too.
Buy blendtec from costco and it comes with a 7 yr warrenty
Can you use a mason jar with the Blendtec or the Vitamix?
No, the base is too large.
This is a very nice review.
I like Blendtec I think it’s a great blender, but there are a few things that should be clarified with regard to what you say about Vitamix. I am having a really hard time deciding between the 2 and am doing *a lot* of research.
Vitamix is more commonly known because they have been making blenders for the home for over 80 years – plenty of Professionals prefer Vitamix too – you can do everything in the Vitamix one jar as well including grinding grain – the switches are very simple and easy to operate, on/off hi/low and variable(like turning a volume dial)
I found this comparison to be very helpful and unbiased:
http://gotgreensrevolution.com/Vitamix-versus-blendtec-review.html
I’m not saying there is anything bad about the Blendtec, I think the decision really comes down to two things…. The size and Do you like electronic automatic buttons or manual controls? Now If only I could decide
Either way – happy blending!
This is on my wishlist. I've perused e-bay and other sites for better prices. The best I've found is $140, which is certainly a huge saving…still looking. I keep waiting for my cheap blender to die so I can invest in the Blendtec. The ability to knead bread…wow!
What an informative post! I’ve been researching grain mills, mixers, and the Blendtec. We are about to make a purchase to grind our own grains and make our own bread. I was really excited that the Blendtec can grind grains too, as I would love to be able to make my own peanut butter, smoothies and more! However, I was told that it might warm the grains up too much, therefore losing nutritional value. Does your flour get really warm? Any thoughts?
Yes, it can heat the grains but I don’t believe it can possibly heat them any more than a standard grinder. I like the Blendtec because you have more control over this as well. You can pulse it just enough to get your texture right, and stop as you desire. I don’t let it run through a whole cycle on my Blendtec but pulse just enough to get it smooth. Running the blade straight through a cycle will heat it more than just pulsing. Does that make sense? My flour is not really warm as a result.
I just purchased a Vitamix and I LOVE it! I was worried about the heating of the grains, too. I learned from a demonstator that if you freeze your grains before you grind them, they stay cold all the way through the process, with no risk of heating up.
Awesome, thank you both for your suggestions. That’s smart to pulse instead of using a specific cycle. And I hadn’t even thought of freezing the grains before grinding them! That should really work! I feel much better about getting the blendtec now and being able to use it for that purpose as well as others. Thanks again!!
I was at Costco this week and saw the Blendtec demonstration. It is an amazing machine. The Blendtec employee doing the demonstration said that you can actually do more than 2 cups of grain at once. Around 4-6 cups depending upon the size of your jar. He did say that if you have more grain in it that you may have to blend longer than one cycle to get the desired consistency though.
Have one. LOVE IT! Wouldn’t know what to do without it. With this amazing machine, my family regularly consumes fresh, raw spinach, avacado, flax, several varieties of berries, carrots, apples… I can make wonderful batters for homemade, whole grain muffins, waffles, pancakes, etc… and it whips up eggs so nice and fluffy for casseroles or just scrambled eggs for breakfast. It’s worth the buy. We did get ours from Costco and getting it there gave us a 7 year warranty on the motor and a 3 year on the jar. So, for any readers who do not yet have one and depending on the part of the country you are in, check to see when your Costco Warehouse Club will be hosting a blendtec sales week. In my opinion, it was worth every penny!
Thank you for posting this! I currently have an ice cream maker, Cuisinart, KitchenAid mixer, and Whisper Mill, but just had a $70 blender that I got on ebay stop working after only a week. I have had a VitaMix on my wish list for the last two years (since my cheap-o Oster does a decent job at best…I was so hopeful my $70 Krups would be better!), but I’m not sure if the cost is worth it since I already have all the other appliances. What do you think? I make smoothies daily. Thanks!
It is totally worth it if you only use it as a blender. If you are making smoothies every day, like us, these cheaper models will continue to die on you. My MIL went through 5 blenders before I convinced her to purchase a Blendtec and she only uses it for daily smoothies as well and loves it. You could easily sell some of these other appliances if when you get the Blendtec you like the way it works on these different jobs. I have the Blendtec, Bosch mixer, and Nutrimill grinder, and I can see myself selling the Nutrimill in the near future, but I don’t think I could live without my Bosch.
This post was very helpful for me as I have been wavering between purchasing a Blendtec (which my mother-in-law has) or a Vitamix (which my renter has). I’ve used both a little bit, and I like them both. But my mother-in-law complains about the top popping off of her Blendtec when she turns it on. Have you found that to be a problem, and if so, what do you to do remedy it?
Thanks!
Jenn
I have never had that problem myself but that can result if you have hot contents and do not remove the center portion to allow it to vent.
Oh thank you, thank you! We’ve (or more specifically I’ve) been doing green smoothies at home since this past summer. This past weekend, my husband got the file out to sharpen the dulled blender blades. But, from the sound of things, I don’t think it will be much longer before I’ve worn out my blender’s motor too. And, since I’ve started trying more “raw food” recipes, I’m worried I’ll speed up the demise of the blender
I didn’t know the Blentec could replace my (already defunct) bread machine too! OK, maybe it won’t bake a loaf of bread, but it’s the kneading part that I really miss. What do you mean by “grinding whole grains”? Why? Which? To make flour?
I was so blessed to be GIVEN a Vitamix that a relative wasn’t using any longer and I love it! But I do hate how tall it is. I can’t store it in most cupboards, either and have to store the base separately.
I have had my Blendtec (K-tec) for 8 years and love it!! I recently got a grain mill so no longer use it for grinding grain but it worked great for the years I did use it for that. I did have to replace the jar several times as the seal broke, I think due to the grinding of grain, but it was under warranty. I use it everyday for making kefir smoothies and other various uses. One kitchen appliance I would not want to be without!
My Blendtec just arrived this week! (late Christmas gift) The difference in how a green smoothie turns out is pretty amazing. I can’t wait to try hummus, salsa, nut butters etc…. with much less clean up than the food processor. The only downside so far is that it is about an inch too tall to fit under my kitchen cabinets.
I ordered mine with the larger 3 quart jar and 4 inch blade. I used Raw Food World (from the above listed Youtube videos) and they list a coupon code for Blendtecs – great savings especially if you are wanting the larger jar!
I forgot to also add that so far the Blendtec has been quieter than my old Oster.
Hurray! That’s welcome news to my ears too!
I happened to be browsing our local Goodwill store and found two in the appliance section, both worked well. The question is, why didn’t I pick one up?!
I forgot to mention that I did order the 3 qt jar, with a large family it seemed the best choice. We were also going to do it through BBB and even use our Discover dollars, but you can’t get the 3 qt and I really think if you have the choice that would be the best bet.
Also, about ice cream. In my Bosch blender I throw a can of coconut milk and a bunch of frozen blueberries and voila, blueberry ice cream that we love! We don’t add sweetener, but you could add a drizzle of maple syrup or whatever. I am sure the Blendtec will make quick work of it. We first blended it and then put it in our ice cream maker, but one time realized, hey! we could just eat it like this!
If you are making bread, a Bosch is the dreamiest! I have had mine for ten plus years and make anywhere from 5 – 25 loaves of bread a week. I have used my Bosch blender for everything for those years, but did need it replaced once, which they did for free. (too much frozen fruit) Hope that helps
Thanks for the info. about Blendtec like so many others have said my inexpensive blender is on it’s last legs. Time to start saving. One minor question, do mason jars fit on the Blendtec? It’s so convenient to use jars them when I’m making kefir, buttermilk, etc.
I’ve had my Blentec for almost 3 years now, and I use it every day. EVERY day. Our ritual green smoothie for breakfast comes out much better than it did with my old vitamix (which I re-gifted to my mom for soups). Also, I wanted to mention that I can grind 2 cups of wheat berries at a time, all in under a minute. Maybe try incresing your grain to 1 1/2 and see if it still works for you. Thanks for a great review Lindsay.
Can anyone compare the Blendtec with the Bosch Universal Mixer plus Blender? I’ve heard rave reviews about the Bosch Mixer and was thinking of getting one. Now this info has me verklumped. What would be recommended to get and if both are still recommended which would be your first purchase??? TIA
I have the Bosch Universal Mixer as well and it gets extensive use at our home. It is far more effective as a mixer and bread machine than the Blendtec. It is easier to use for bread and pastry making and the like, as it has more room. The whisk and kneeding tools on the Bosch are perfect for larger batches, quick mixing, and kneeding. It is very high quality. I wore out the blender jar on mine and that is why I proceeded to get the Blendtec for those purposes. If you can only make one purchase, I would definitely start with the Blendtec. You could always just get the Bosch Mixer stand-alone later down the road, which I believe would be cheaper than the combo.
Some raw foodists have put together a few youtube videos comparing the blendtec with the vitamix and explaining the features of both. You can find them at the rawfoodworld tv channel on youtube. They also have a site where they sell the blenders including the blendtec with the new, larger, 3qt pitcher with a 4 inch blade. If you need help deciding, these videos helped me! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0Nx52bpuV0 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO7bkHxiQEM
Wow! Thanks for sharing Caroline. Those videos really prove the superiority of the new 4 inch blade blendtec. That’s so awesome, especially for larger families that want a larger jar but want it to be still be able to fit under the countertop.
I wonder how the Blendtec & Blendtec Mix-n-Blend II compare. Any advice would be appreciated as I’m in the market for a grain mill & love that a blender can do the trick. I called the company and was told the blenders are the same except one is 1300 watts & the other is 1000. Do you think forming the dough in the blender alone is going to work or would having the mixer allow for making more loaves at once. Thanks for the informative review.
The Mix-n-Blend does not have as powerful a motor as the Blendtec stand alone as you mentioned. I am not sure the size capacity of the mixer, but it may be a good option. The reviews on Amazon do not look very promising. It sounds like it does not have the capacity to really kneed multiple loaves of bread. I prefer my bosch mixer for those heavy duty jobs.
I have a Mix-n-Blend. Originally, it was it was Mix-n-Blend 1, but after LOTS of uses, I had to send it off for some work and they upgraded it to a Mix-n-Blend 2. I love it. I can make 7 loaves of bread at a time. We have 5 children and go through a lot of bread quickly, so I use it almost everyday. I don’t grind grain in the blender (I do way too much grain), but the blender is awesome. Plus, having one appliance do 2 jobs and take up less counter space is priceless to me!
Thanks for the tips. Can you mix a batch of cookies in the Blendtec total? The video on their site are helpful, just trying to figure this out before we purchase.
Ashley, have you tried to grind grain in your Mix-n-blend II? I think I may be thinking too much about this decision but sure want to make the correct one on such an investment.
I’m looking to use it for 2 loaves a week, muffins, waffles, & pancakes … an of course some desserts, and would love to sell my blender, bread machine, and Kitchen-Aid stand mixer. What does everyone think?
Many many thanks.
No, I don’t think you could mix a batch of cookies. I would stick with your kitchen-aid mixer for that. I have a Bosch mixer that I use predominately for its ease and large size capacity with cookies, bread, muffins, etc. The Blendtec can do most of these things, it just is limited in size. If you already have a Kitchen-Aid, stick with that and just purchase the more powerful Blendtec total stand alone.
I just got my Blendtec a couple days ago and ordered it through a Bed Bath & Beyond store with one of their 20% off coupons!! I had to pay $20 shipping but it ended up being $60 off!! Just in case someone else is looking to buy one soon.
Yes, that is exactly what we did as well! I forgot to mention that…
I have a question about the grain grinding. You said it will grind about a cup? Is it a pain to grind a cup at a time? I’ve seen the Nutrimill before and was very impressed but I like the idea of having the one appliance. I should say I’m not a big baker (use flour a couple times a week) but I do have dreams of starting to bake our own bread at home.
My mistake…it actually can grind 2 cups at a time and it grinds in under a minute. If you are not baking huge batches (like bread baking), it is totally suitable for the task.
I use it even for bread baking…I grind 2 cups of wheat three times in a row. hasn’t been a problem so far…
How many cups of flour come from one cup of grain? I usually made a 4-cup-of-flour loaf of bread (or pizza dough) – back when my bread machine still worked…
1 1/2 cups of grain will make 2 cups of flour
Lindsay, can you explain how you grind our grains in it? I’ve seen people saying they put in on the highest setting for about 30 seconds (for a cup or two or grains), but I want to avoid the higher heat with that. I thought I saw you say you like to use the pulse button for it, but when I’ve tried that, I end up with little pieces that are bigger than others. Any tips? Thanks!!
I just followed the instructions included in the Blendtec Recipe book. It says to press the speed up button and hold down until the display reads speed 9. Allow the blender to run a complete cycle, which will stop on its own after 50 sec.
I have a Vitamix, which I am crazy about, and a WhisperMill for grinding wheat. I am interested in purchasing the BlendTec when my Vitamix doesn’t work any more (although it is still going strong after several years already!) I like the idea of eliminating one machine and have a BlendTec that does both jobs!
However, I’m wondering if the Blendtec will do as good of a job as my WhisperMill if I use it a couple of times a week to grind wheat for a family of 7. Anyone use their Blendtec to grind 8 cups of wheat twice a week?
Karilee
I also have a Vitamix which I love, and you actually can use it to grind wheat even if you don’t have the dry container. I checked with Vitamix and it doesn’t void your warranty or anything, it just might not be as fine as it would be with the dry container. I grind 3 or 4 cups at a time with not problem. Might want to give it a try.
That is so great! I have always wanted a really nice blender. My daughter has autism and is 5 years old and we have to blend all of her food to a puree. On top of that, she eats more than a grown adult, we have to make all her food (speacial diet) and we blow out blenders at least once or twice a year. It would be so nice to get one something like this or the vitamix although we are still praying she will transition away from pureed foods and definitely cannot afford this one. One day maybe! Great information!
I got a Vita Mix for Christmas, for general family cooking and pureeing my special needs dd’s meals. Because of the later, I think the Vita Mix was a better choice for me. It comes w/ a tamper to push the solids down into the blades. This is most helpful when there isn’t enough liquid to work well otherwise, like in many of my purees. I also liquify some tube feeds and wow, the girl has had hamburger and spinach even…in liquid form!
I puree foods for my little ones all the time in the Blendtec and it does an amazing job. No need for the tamper.
I have heard if you have a doctor’s order for blended foods etc. for a family member you can get a significant discount off a vitamix – something you might want to look into!
I would LOVE a Blendtec. Although it’s not in my budget. I find myself without a blender at all. I have to do all my mixing by hand. Which is making it terribly difficult to accomplish one of my new year resolutions, making things homemade and from scratch. When me and the hubby were shopping the other day, he gets all excited and says we should get stuff for smoothies. I shot him a look and told him, “Yeah, maybe if we had a blender.” Something that has been on my wishlist for awhile. Although I would like to wait until we move out of our current house (in a few months), before I get anything. My current location would be a hassle, I simply do not have the cupboard space to store it, and my cupboards are really, really low to the counters…so there is no counter-space. Matter of fact if I did have a blender I would probably have to place it on the stove-top if I ever wanted to use it.
I better start saving now…I know the tough part is going to be getting the hubby on board with purchasing such an expensive blender….Although, I know I can get it’s value out of it! Anyone out there have any recommendations on how to convince the significant other?
I went home to my folks last spring and used their OLD (30+yrs) Osterizer to make lotion. I was amazed at how well it worked! Lotion, of course, is nothing compared to a smoothie, but I was convinced that it was a good machine. After stalking the eBay ads, I ordered a used one too (the going rate last summer was about $30, shipping included). I’ve been using it since to make green smoothies at home. I did dull the blades, but my husband’s hardware file gave them renewed life. I think a BASIC Oster is a good entry to enjoying smoothies. It doesn’t do flax seeds though. Check out my Wordless Wednesday photo for a picture…
I just got one 2 weeks ago and we love it! We do a lot of whole juices, and a tip for the ice cream, pre freeze milk into ice cube trays and then put them into freezer bags and add the frozen milk instead of ice cubes. it’s a great way to use milk before it goes bad and the ice cream isn’t as watery
I am expecting my Blendtec any day, hopefully today! I keep looking out the window everytime a hear a loud truck! LOL I have been burning my poor Bosch blender out by all the green smoothies (very large family) I have to make 4 batches a day just for our morning smoothies! I can’t wait!!
WOW! Those babies are pricey! I clicked on the link and laughed outloud when I saw the price…I guess I wasn’t expecting to see a blender that costs that much!
Man, oh man…why do the coolest kitchen things have to cost so much?! =)
I guess I’ll just have to save up for awhie!
Although, I do feel blessed that God has kept our (VERY)cheap blender working all these years through all the abuse I have given it! =) THANK YOU LORD!
Love your blog too-thanks for all the work you put into it!
p.s. – curious–is your jar all cloudy at the bottom? mine is, like it’s scratched–I think from grinding wheat in it. kind of annoying, but not really a problem.
mine got aittle cloudy too—i’ll live w/ it. : )
after your original Christmas gift idea post and recommendation, I got one of this for Christmas. yippee! love it so far.
for the record:
1 – the cookbook that comes with the blender has recipes for bread that call for grinding 2 c. of wheat berries at a time–so that’s what we do
2 – don’t actually *use* their whole wheat bread recipe, it is TERRIBLE
3 – if you use frozen fruit instead of ice to make ice cream it is wonderfully creamy.
especially if you use frozen bananas!
What whole wheat bread recipe do you use in the BlendTec? I just got one last week and I tried the bread yesterday and it was terrible. I need a good recipe for whole wheat bread. I loved the grinding of the wheat to flour, but I need a better recipe for whole wheat bread. We love making smoothies, whole fruit drinks, and green drinks in it and are experimenting with ice cream. I would appreciate any help on whole wheat bread recipes. I have both the 2 quart and the 3 quart jars so would like recipes for both or a recipe I can adjust to use in the larger jar so I can make the 2 pound loaf that they say is possible.
The blendtec has been on my wishlist too
I’m saving pennies trying to get there! I’m so glad to know you like it! The blendtec is the same blender used by starbucks to make their fraps. I loved the blenders when I worked there. I think the shape of the base is def. one of the best features. I’m in culinary school, and we use a viatmix- but you loose so much of your preparation in the bottom of that because you can’t really scrape it out.
Wanna make a killer tomato paste? Take sundried tomatoes, a little hot water, and some olive oil- and puree in the blender. Such a great intense flaovr
Thanks for your blog! Love reading it!
I love my Blendtec as well! I had researched the Vitamix online and grain mills, but was not ready to plunk down the $$ on one. One afternoon at Sam’s Club, they were doing a demonstration and BINGO I was sold! I had not heard of the Blendtec before, but I made sure to do a little research before going back to the store and buying that night. It sure does grind the grain I need for bread and we use it every single morning for fresh whole juices too! Also, I will put the wet ingredients for banana bread to do a quick mix and I’m done just like that!
I gave away my food processor, blender, small mixer (kept my big standing), small chopper, and a few others to a family member. So I made some room too by getting rid of those appliances.
You are right—it makes the best smoothies and sauces. I love the salsa I make weekly with it!
I still would like a Nutrimill one day for larger baking days, but the Blendtec will serve me for now.
****I got an extra 4 year warranty (free) the night I purchased my Blendtec at Sam’s so it is just as good as the Vitamix warranty at least here.
Love you blog Lindsey!!
Costco was selling this product earlier around Christmas time. We did not purchase one at the time. We felt like we needed more info, wanted to hear some personal testimonies, etc… So, this post was very informative–thank you! I do know that Costco will be offering the Blendtec again some time in February in Vancouver (I emailed them several weeks ago to find out if they will be selling it again). You can call your local warehouse to see if they will be selling it where you are. We’ve been waiting patiently to purchase one at that time. When you buy it at Costco you DO get the 7 yr warranty! That’s one of the selling features they promote. Hope that helps some of you out there that are contemplating.
This looks wonderful! I would love it for grain milling and nut butter making. To save on cleaning, I use a hand blender to puree my soups (I just moved from Portugal where soup is a daily staple and you never see them using blenders for soups. Just good quality immersion hand blenders) and smoothies.
However, I have a friend looking for a blender that does not have a plastic container. She does not cook with plastic at all anymore and this includes blending. Do they have a model with a glass container? Is it BPA-free? Looks like it’s polycarbonate?
their container is BPA-free.
Natalie – My understanding is that both the Blendtec and the Vitamix are BPA free. Personally, the plastic jar still freaks me out a bit – but in truth I don’t think my Oster w/ the glass jar is going to last much longer w/ my green smoothies so I’m working on making a choice as well – I’m thinking of either getting the Blendtec or a used Vitamix off ebay w/ the stainless steel jar.
Deb- does the vitamix on ebay have a spout on the side? If it does just keep in mind that those can be a PAIN to clean.
I actually think this is on sale in our Target ad this week, what a timely post!
I hadn’t heard of the Blendtec until after my husband bought me the Vita-Mix. But I am so in love with my Vita Mix now that I can’t be envious. I have enjoyed watching the Blendtec demonstrations. They are hilarious. Oh and I killed like 3 Oyster blenders before my husband realized not only did I need something more powerful but his money was being wasted on those chincey machines!!
Have fun with your blender. I don’t think I’ve actually ever said that before! LOL
Hugs
Kim
I just got one of these for Christmas and it is awesome! Definitely worth the money! And Blendtec.com offers an easy 3 payments plan, which can really help you if you can’t come up with the $400 right away. They allow you to pay for it over three months- they break up the $400 into three payments. Check out http://www.blendtec.com for more info.
The reason I chose the Blendtec over the Vitamix (the Vitamix is what I always wanted) is that the Blendtec was $400 and I could grind grains in it with no extra container. I think if I would have bought the Vitamix (and got the extra container to do the grains) it would have costed about $580. Plus, after reading all the reviews Blendtec seemed to have better reviews than the Vitamix on most things.
The Blendtec is definitely an AWESOME kitchen appliance, worth every penny!