Blendtec Total Blender Four Side, Black
by Blendtec Fine Living Products
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List Price: Our Price: $399.99 You Save: $199.01 (33%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $365.30 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Blendtec Total Blender Four Side, Black
Customer Review: Blendtec vs. Vitamix
Summary: 2 Stars
I recently purchased a Bendtec to replace a Cuisinart for our vacation home. We have a Vitamix in our primary home. I saw this machine (Blendtec) demonstrated at Costco and was told it out-performs the Vitamix. Since we use our machines daily for smoothies, I decided to order one. I am disappointed. I make smoothies out of frozen fruit, yogurt, protein powder, and a little milk. With the Vitamix machine, I use little or no milk and using the pusher as it's running, the smoothies come out thick and very smooth. With Blentec, which has no pusher, you have to use considerable liquid, and then have to stop and start the machine several times to push down and stir to get it to mix properly. The finished product is not as smooth as the Vitamix end product. I'll admit that the Blendtac is easier to clean and I like the fact that it fits nicely om my kitchen counter under the cabinets above. It's a slight improvement over the Cuisinart but not much.Customer Review: Blendtec, Oh how you break my heart!
Summary: 2 Stars
This is a tale of two cities. The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide. I LOVE the smoothies this thing makes but with one giant caveat. It has trouble getting the tornado going to pull everything toward the blades. Try as I might, I cannot find the right combination that allows me one and done with hitting the "2" smoothie button. In all instances I've had to take the container off of the unit and shake or manually stir the contents in hope of priming the pump. I think the minimum number of times I've hit the smoothie button is 4. This latest go around forced me to actually pour the contents out and repack. If it didn't take on something like the 6th attempt, I was ready to throw the ingredients away and start over. But when I finally get to the end, it's smoothie bliss!
I personally think it has something to do with the two blade system, square container design, and the blade spacing. I like the design of the Vita-Mix better, which employes a round design with a 3-4 smaller blade design. The idea is to create the tornado effect quickly and suck everything toward the center where the blades should be. This isn't the case with the Blendtec, which crushes things and packs them at the bottom more so because the blades, in my opinion, are too far apart. In addition I have to keep hitting the button to completely liquify the peppers. If not, I get bits of unpulverized pepper throughout, which is a minor quibble. I also don't like the electronics in the Blendtec, which I think will be a maintenance item in the future.
I haven't given up on the idea. I'm returning the Blendtec for a Vita-Mix, which has a simple dial control layout. Also, try to let the seal dry out as quickly as possibleby shaking excess water from the jar. If not, you will degrade the seal quicker. As far as the noise, it's as loud as a regular blender and nothing more.
Customer Review: Costco?
Summary: 4 Stars
Very excited to order this blender. Stumbled across this when rsearching reviews for Montell Williams' product and am glad I did. I noticed a few reveiwers mentioned they got it from Costco, though I cannot find it on thier website. Anyone know what's up with that?
Thanks
Customer Review: D I S A P P O I N T I N G......B U 2 Stars
BLENDTEC BLENDERS have intrigued me for years. Ever since I saw that first commercial, "A Man And His Blender", and saw the brick pulverized before my very eyes, I figured....THIS MUST be a POWERFUL blender! I had wanted one for years and years....and finally decided to put my money where my dreams have been, and buy one.........AS i NOTICED THAT BLENDTEC was being demomstrated at a local warehouse store, I decided to see the demonstration first, before I bought it. Online buying is fun and convenient....but sometimes, (especially when spending SO much money for anything), one really does want to take advantage of seeing a LIVE demonstration. Since the timing of the demonstation DID fit into my schedule, I decided...why not go and have a peek?
The lady demonstrator was friendly and efficient. She was dressed similarly to women I have seen in chicken-processing plants: hair all but unvisible under a large, shower-cap-like affair, topped by a baseball cap, and wearing a portable microphone, lab-like coat. and rubber gloves. But she was very attentive to my questions, and though at times it seemed I was talking to a half-robot, it was the human half that came through.
She put the machine through its paces, and made some ice-cream and some soup, (both quite delicious), served in 2 ounce paper cups. It SEEMED a credible machine...and since the warehouse club (which I joined on the spot, just to get in to see the demonstration), offered a 90-day, no- hassle return policy, I decided to buy it, then and there.........
Well, when I came home, the "jittery" movement inside the machine seemed to increase about 10-fold from what I had seen at the store. Probably I was concentrating on the demonstator, the ingredients, and the quite wonderful-looking included cookbook, to watch what was going on INSIDE the Blendtec as much as I could, (and should), have. At home, however, there was no demonstator to stare at, the ingredients I put in were my own choice, and the cookbook could be looked at later. So, all my attention was on what was going on inside the machine. And I was VERY disappointed. ) :
About the best way to describe the motion inside this model Blendtec (I'm pretty sure other Blendtecs have similar motion going on inside), is to remember science fiction films and TV shows, where a genie, a spirit, an imp, or a lightning bolt, is caught inside a container. Not just the usual blender-circular motion is had. Nope! Food, or liquid, jumps "over, under, around and through" itself, spiralling off to all corners of the blender, in every conceivable direction...at top speed!
Hang on to your hat...and keep that cover on the Blendtec blender...or you will soon have a mess on your kitchen floor!
Then the unit shuts itself off automatically. You can stop it before hand, or make the speed lower, or (oops!), even higher if you choose.
But a simple "on-off" control, as is seen on most kitchen appliances, is nowhere to be seen.
Well, I like to see "trapped lightning bolts" in science-fiction movies...not in my blender. So, I took it back within the 90-day period. The returns department was very kind, and took back the machine easily, after ascertaining the cause of my return, ("did not perform as expected"), and noting that everything, including packaging and receipe book were returned. As I had originally paid by check, I got a choice of store script or cash as a refund. I chose cash. (I wish the Blendtec was at good as the store return policy is!)
However, I had somehow fallen in love with the receipe book. So, I got a refund for $367 plus tax for the Blendtec, (it was on sale) -- but, the week before, had spent $25 + $10 shipping for a copy of the cookbook. (I looked for the cookbook, "Blendtec Lifestyles", to no avail on Amazon), and am very happy with the receipes inside!
When I can, I believe I'll look next at a VITA MIX, which -- unlike the Blendtec -- advertises itself as powerful enough to grind meat. I hope I can fit the February 2009 demonstration-in-my-area date in my schedule...and that I can restrain myself from buying VITA MIX until the. If either is not the case, I'll buy one on Amazon and see.
In the meantime, I give the Blendtec Total Blender 1 star. And I give the Lifestyles Cookbook that comes with the Blendtec Total Blender 4 stars. It gives detailed nutritional info at the bottom of every receipe, has a stay-put spiral-binding, and has useful measurement tables (and ingredient substitutions!), in the front. I wish however, that the print used were a bit larger ane a bit darker. Otherwise....teriffic!
Hopefully, BLENDTEC can come up with a new blender: one that seemingly is NOT training to win at gymnastics in the Olympics!
Customer Review: Did Not Like Certain Design Issues
Summary: 2 Stars
I ordered this blender and then returned it. Replaced it with a Vitamix 5200, which I am very happy with.
I should state up front, that the reasons I didn't like this blender are not reasons that will bother others. There are obviously people who love their Blendtecs and aren't at all bothered by the things I mention here. None the less, here are the two things that caused me to return mine.
(1) I absolutely detest the way this blender sloshes everything up and down inside the container like a washing machine. This splashes everything up against the sides and lid. Better make sure your lid is on securely, or liquid will come flying out the sides creating a mess. Liquid will also come out the vent hole on the top of the lid, which forced me to cover it. I tend to blend my smoothies in the evening and place them in the fridge overnight for a morning drink. Because the Blendtec sloshes everything up and down, the liquid has hardened overnight on the sides and lid, making clean up a more difficult chore. This sloshing action appears to be caused by the design of the blades (NOT the motor speeding up and down), to make sure your ingredients don't get stuck at the bottom. But that's just not a big enough problem when I blend, to live with this washing machine action. The Vitamix does not do this by design, it only happens if you try, by cranking up the speed way too fast.
(2) On hindsight, the programmed buttons seemed like a good idea. In actual practice it was very annoying to me. The preprogrammed buttons just don't give me a sense of control like the Vitamix. The Blendtec has a couple of buttons to adjust the speed gradually, but I find that annoying to keep pressing buttons to slow down and speed up the blending process. The Vitamix 5200 has a simple dial you turn quickly to adjust speed. I especially like the ultra SLOW speed the Vitamix can start with. I ALWAYS start at the ultra slow speed on the Vitamix to see what my ingredients will do, then gradually speed things up as I see is necessary. Again, I have total control with the Vitamix.
To repeat, these issues may not mean anything to you - and if not - you will be happy with your Blendtec.