Vitamix vs. Blendtec: What is the Greatest Blender?

A high-speed blender is among the priciest small home equipment you should buy to your kitchen (costing upwards of $500). It’s additionally one of the crucial helpful. This intersection of value level and performance makes analysis earlier than investing essential. So which blender must you purchase? We’ve in contrast bestselling blender manufacturers’ versatility, energy, and key specs, placing them by way of rigorous checks that think about each a part of a blender—together with motor measurement, blade building, jar capability, and form. There’s, after all, additionally value and guarantee to contemplate. Overwhelmingly, our checks revealed Vitamix and Blendtec as the highest performers.

When you’re waffling between the 2, right here’s how they evaluate to 1 one other.

Blender Comparability: Key Specs

Each Vitamix and Blendtec promote completely different collection of blenders. Within the Vitamix lineup, you may select between the Ascent collection, which provides good expertise and interchangeable attachments; the Propel collection, which options easy-to-use mixing applications; and the no-frills Explorian collection. There’s additionally a Legacy collection, which is made up of Vitamix’s best-known, traditional fashions—just like the Skilled Grade 5200, our favourite total blender.

Blendtec provides an entry-level Basic collection; the extra aesthetically-minded Design collection that options good tech; and the tricked-out Skilled series, which is as near restaurant high quality as you may get at house, with options like a sound guard and intuitive preprogrammed settings. Each manufacturers make blenders for industrial kitchens, however for the aim of this text, we’re contemplating the highest performers of their residential classes: the Vitamix 5200, which is a part of their Legacy collection, and Blendtec’s flagship Designer collection mannequin.

Motor Energy

Motor capability is what units high-speed fashions aside from price range blenders, though it’s not the one consider figuring out a blender’s total efficiency. Vitamix’s 5200 edges out the Blendtec Designer with 120 volts versus 100. Extra voltage means a higher efficiency potential, in addition to runtime and sturdiness. Vitamix’s greater voltage permits it to deal with more durable, harder substances with much less potential for damaging the unit; as proof, the product group at Vitamix grinds pine blocks into sawdust to check the motors on their blenders.

Blade Form and High quality

Though blade sharpness looks like a key component for a high-speed blender, it’s really an indication of a poorly designed machine. Sharp blades are rapidly dulled by heavy or powerful substances, and in contrast to your chef’s knives, blender blades can’t be sharpened. Each manufacturers design their blades to be heavy and blunt: They crush and pulverize meals, quite than slicing by way of it. 

The Vitamix 5200’s blade is four-pronged, versus the two-pronged Blendtec Designer. We discovered the Blendtec to be higher at crushing ice, whereas the Vitamix excelled at emulsifying and creating smooth-textured mixtures. It’s price noting that though most residential Vitamix fashions include an ordinary multi-use blade, the model provides a wider vary of blades, with jars made particularly for dry versus moist substances; they even have an attachment for creating chilly foam.

Jar Form and Dimension

The Vitamix 5200 comes with a 64-ounce jar that’s tall and slim. The Blendtec Designer is shorter and smaller, at 36 ounces. This makes the Blendtec a pleasant selection for small kitchens and folk with restricted cupboard space. That mentioned, the dimensions and form of the jar does have an effect on efficiency. Vitamix’s jar is tall and slim, and has 4 raised ridges on all sides: These qualities create the “Vitamix vortex,” which pulls substances downwards into the blade. In distinction, the Blendtec Designer jar is shorter and wider, with {smooth} sides and it’s much less environment friendly at biking substances by way of the blades. The substances bounce, quite than transfer by way of a cyclone, which causes plenty of splashing and sloshing whereas mixing. However the streamlined jar does make cleansing simpler. 

Spout design looks like an unimportant issue till you attempt to pour from the jar right into a bowl or cup. Vitamix’s spout is lengthy and slim, which makes the duty simpler. Blendtec’s jar has just about no pour spout and, unsurprisingly, causes drips and messes when pouring.

Blender Comparability: Value and Guarantee

Irrespective of which model you purchase, a high-speed blender goes to be an funding. You’re paying, largely, for the highly effective motor that may deal with much more than fundamental blenders—and ship smoother, creamier outcomes.

On the time of writing, the Vitamix 5200 retails for $430. The Blendtec Designer prices $450. (Each fashions do go on sale incessantly.) Longevity issues for expensive home equipment, and each manufacturers supply warranties. Vitamix comes with a 7-year restricted guarantee, though for $75, you may improve to a 10-year prolonged guarantee. Blendtec’s customary guarantee is an 8-year restricted. 

Each manufacturers supply used blenders which have been inspected and, when required, totally repaired (aka refurbished). These blenders are sometimes returned earlier than getting used (some had been by no means even unboxed), they usually retail for lower than new fashions. If you wish to purchase a used blender, you should definitely purchase immediately from the model, by way of their Licensed Reconditioned Program (Vitamix) and Licensed Refurbished Blender Program (Blendtec).

Blender Comparability: Makes use of and Features

We ran each blenders by way of a collection of checks, protecting nearly each activity you could possibly ask a blender to do: Making kale smoothies and thick milkshakes, mixing sizzling soup, crushing ice, milling grain into flour, puréeing nuts into butter, and extra. (You may learn our full assessment right here.) The Vitamix 5200 and Blendtec Designer obtained the identical good rating on our smoothie check, though the Vitamix carried out higher on nut butter and mayonnaise, because of the jar form and measurement and the above-mentioned vortex.

The Vitamix comes with a well designed flat-edged tamper that received’t roll on the counter and, when in use, helps information meals away from the perimeters of the jar and towards the blade. (The flat-edge design is a more moderen characteristic; in case you have an older Vitamix, the tamper might have spherical edges that roll.) The Blendtec doesn’t have a tamper. Though this isn’t a dealbreaker, it means you’ll need to cease the motor, take away the lid, and scrape down the perimeters with a spatula.

In order for you a blender with presets, it’s possible you’ll desire the Blendtec or one other mannequin of Vitamix; nonetheless, we loved the true analog show of the 5200, which allowed us to begin slowly and progressively ramp up the velocity throughout mixing periods. 

Blender Comparability: Aesthetics

You don’t have to depart your blender on the kitchen counter, however owing to the hefty weight, many cooks select to park theirs someplace handy, quite than shuttling them out and in of cupboards. If aesthetics matter in your kitchen, that is the place the Vitamix vs. Blendtec debate will get actually attention-grabbing. Contemplating our prime fashions in every model, the Blendtec wins out: It has a glossy digital interface with presets that perform on the contact of a display. The Vitamix 5200 received’t win any fashion awards. Its lever and knob interface is easy to make use of however appears to be like a bit dated in comparison with latest traits in equipment design. That mentioned, when contemplating each manufacturers’ full scope of choices, Vitamix has the sting. Their Ascent collection is fashionable and glossy, and—relying on which retailer you select—is available in a wide range of colours with gold finishes.

Which Is Higher: Vitamix or Blendtec?

General, we expect the Vitamix 5200 is a greater purchase. It’s a real workhorse that may deal with the best number of duties. Whereas it doesn’t supply too many flashy options, like presets or a digital display, we just like the auto-off characteristic that kicks in earlier than the motor will get overworked and the big variety of speeds. The Blendtec carried out neck-and-neck with the Vitamix on smoothies and soups and was higher at crushing ice, however the nonexistent pour spout and fewer environment friendly vortex put this mannequin in (a really respectable) second place. 

FAQs

Are high-speed blenders price the associated fee?

We predict so. After we in contrast our successful high-speed and price range fashions side-by-side, the high-speed blenders got here out on prime. We discovered that high-speed blenders had been higher at milling grain into flour, and will sufficiently warmth soup. The upper voltage that high-speed blenders supply makes them a more sensible choice for longevity, too. That mentioned: When you hardly ever prepare dinner, or solely plan on utilizing a blender for the occasional smoothie, it’s possible you’ll be higher off with an reasonably priced blender. The Cuisinart Hurricane Blender outperformed the competitors in our assessment of lower-cost blenders. 

Do you want a high-speed blender if you have already got an immersion blender?

Immersion blenders reign supreme with regards to cupboard space and comfort. However they’re not an alternative choice to a conventional blender. Hand-held blenders are useful for puréeing soups within the pot, however if you wish to mix smoothies, salad dressings, or sauces, a standalone jar blender is a should. Excessive-speed blenders are additionally extra highly effective than immersion blenders, giving them one other edge.

What’s the perfect high-speed blender?

We predict the Vitamix 5200 Skilled Sequence Blender is the perfect you should buy throughout most metrics. It has 10 variable speeds and a easy analog interface. In order for you interchangeable bases, presets, and good expertise, the Ascent collection will higher fit your wants.

What is the least expensive Vitamix?

The least costly Vitamix blenders could be discovered within the model’s Explorian line. The Vitamix E310 is lower than $400, and could be bought for even much less by way of Vitamix’s reconditioning program.

Why We’re the Specialists

• At Critical Eats, we’ve examined dozens of blenders, evaluating them throughout a wide range of metrics based on rigorous assessment requirements.
• Rochelle Bilow is our commerce editor. She has reviewed all the product lineup of each Vitamix and Blendtec, so we are able to precisely evaluate each manufacturers.
• She has been testing kitchen gear and writing for Critical Eats since 2021 and has been writing about meals professionally for nearly twenty years.