10 Reasons Why I Recommend the Blendtec

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.

About Lindsay

Lindsay Edmonds is first a lover of Jesus, wife, mother of four, homemaker, and writer. She loves inspiring women around the world toward simple, natural, and intentional living for the glory of God.

112 Responses to 10 Reasons Why I Recommend the Blendtec

  1. Amy February 11, 2013 at 9:17 am #

    Use milk cubes instead of water cubes and your icey texture will be reduced considerably.

  2. debra (javamama) at ncborn December 26, 2012 at 6:14 pm #

    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

  3. Anne Marie August 30, 2012 at 2:20 am #

    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!

  4. termite detection dog August 16, 2012 at 3:05 pm #

    I’m going to bookmark your site for the future. Keep up the great work!

  5. Karlyn Meng August 7, 2012 at 3:22 pm #

    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!

  6. Lisa July 25, 2012 at 5:21 pm #

    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

  7. Shane G May 29, 2012 at 6:23 am #

    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!

  8. Pat Kelly May 15, 2012 at 6:54 pm #

    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.

  9. Esther May 1, 2012 at 3:40 pm #

    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.

    • Lindsay May 1, 2012 at 4:18 pm #

      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.

      • mike January 22, 2013 at 12:19 am #

        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…

        • Amy February 11, 2013 at 9:49 am #

          Mike, milk cubes work really well, cream would probably be even better!

  10. Jon @ vodkitchen January 5, 2012 at 8:58 am #

    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*

  11. DavetteB December 24, 2011 at 6:50 am #

    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.

    • DTK December 24, 2011 at 7:08 am #

      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.

      • Eduardo RIvas August 3, 2013 at 5:35 pm #

        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>

  12. DTK December 2, 2011 at 1:47 pm #

    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.

  13. Contessa December 2, 2011 at 1:00 pm #

    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?

    • Lindsay December 2, 2011 at 4:41 pm #

      No, it is not a juicer, unless you want to sieve the finished product some way through a colander with small holes.