Why I Chose a Blendtec Blender:

My Blendtec Blender Review

Most of you have probably known me as an advocate and affiliate for VitaMix, so why on earth would I be choosing to review a Blendtec Blender now?

Let me share a story with you about how I received a Blendtec Designer 675  to review.   When I was on vacation in New York City last November 2012, my girlfriend and I were surfing TV channels and happened upon one that was talking about Vitamix and Blendtec.  As we watched, it explained how Vitamix had copied another company’s (Blendtec) mixing jar.   That case was taken to court and the court agreed with Blendtec….OMG!  Vitamix lost, and Blendtec from K-Tec, Inc. was awarded a multimillion dollar judgment.    I almost had to pull my jaw up from the floor!  My friend and I looked at each other, and I asked her, “how can I promote a company that stole another company’s design”?   If you want the details, you can read more about this federal court ruling here.    So I contacted Blendtec and told them my story and they were kind enough to send me a Blendtec to review.  I wanted to see how a Blendtec compared to a Vitamix since I only recently had heard about the Blendtec company.    The following is my review, all thoughts are my own.

PICTURE OF THE BLENDTEC BLENDER I CHOSE FOR MY BLENDTEC REVIEW:

The Blendtec Designer came in one package with the Wildside Jar, Spatula, and 2 Cookbooks.  The Twister Jar came separately.  Both were packaged extremely well and nothing was dented or damaged.

Cookbook: I was really excited about the cookbook that came with the Blendtec Blender.  It is spiral bound, hard sided and someone who is really into eating healthy has put down some fabulous recipes!   The recipes are labeled as to whether they are Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan, RAW and low sodium recipes as well as regular recipes that require wheat, meat and dairy.  There are even recipes for exfoliating and skin care, plus recipes for your pet as well!  The recipes also have nutritional and calorie counts.

In addition there are recipes for making your own flour.  You do NOT need a separate container to make flour like you do for the Vitamix.  I am comparing the Blendtec Designer 675 with the Vitamix 5000 Total Nutrition Center (TNC). Being able to use the same container for wet and dry, as you can with Blendtec, is a huge plus in my book.  And there are  recipes for making your own nut milks.  Speaking of nut milks…I decided to see how this Blender compared with the Vitamix in making Almond Milk since I use a lot of home-made almond milk.

1st Comparison making Almond Milk: I was thrilled because the lid of the Blendtec Blender is much easier to use than the lid on the VitaMix.  Previously, I had to ask my husband to take the lid off the VitaMix because my arthritic hands could not unlock it.  I was shocked at how powerful the Blendtec machine is in comparison.  I do not soak the Almonds when I make Almond milk.  Check my Almond Milk Recipe. I use them straight out of the bag.  The Blendtec Blender has pre-programmed cycle options, so I pressed the cycle for the milk.  This machine is fast and powerful!   When the cycle ended and I poured the ingredients into the strainer I noticed the feel of the almond pulp was much finer than the other machine and the milk seemed to have more almond flavor.

You also have the option of complete control with the Blendtec.  They have a slider bar with power from low to high on 8 speeds you can choose from.   It also has a pulse option.  It does everything!   I am just in love with the pre-programed options though.

2nd Comparison making quick bread: My next comparison with the Blendtec Blender was to mix a quick gluten-free bread.  I couldn’t believe how quickly the Blendtec Blender machine whizzed this mix together.  I pulsed the Blendtec a couple of times, scraped down the sides once and hit pulse again and it was done!   The bread turned out fabulously and my husband loved the texture and flavor.   I have to mention, again, how easy the lid is to handle on these Blendtec containers.   I also like the wider container size that has the same volume as the taller Vitamix container.  The Blendtec WildSide container is easier for me to handle.  The Blendtec also fits on the machine and under my cabinets where the other machine does not.

The Twister container is used for tackling thicker dough and comes with a small recipe booklet.   There are recipes items that require high speeds or have heavy doughs such as Dairy-Free Ice Creams, pasta dough, pizza dough, nut butters and many other recipes.   To test the Twister Container I made the recipe for Whole Wheat Spinach Pasta but substituted gluten-free flour and I didn’t have spinach, so I substituted cilantro.  It was a very thick dough but I used the special spatula, Spectacula, as it is called, which made it very easy to remove the ingredients and very easy to clean the container.   This dough was very easy to make with the Blendtec, and the noodles held up very well despite using gluten-free flour!

My final thoughts on the Blendtec Blender are:

• That it is a more powerful machine than the Vitamix.
• You do not need a seperate container to grind flour.
• I like the fact that  you do not need a plunger to help mix.
• The Blendtec Blender is very easy to use.
• I love the pre programmed cycles
• I like the fact that Blendtec provides a separate container, the Twister Jar, to handle thicker projects.
• I also love the Blendtec lids.  I can easily use them and remove them myself without any help.  This fact makes it much easier for me to cook when I am at home alone.
• The Blendtec is very easy to clean.
• I also love the service that Blendtec has provided me in the short time I have known them.