Vitamix vs Blendtec

Vitamix vs Blendtec – What are the Differences?

Vitamix

Last year, when I decided that my family needed a strong blender/food processor in our kitchen, I started to compare the Vitamix vs Blendtec.  Both blenders have solid reputations, so I had to dig a little deeper to decide on the best one for me.

First, a little history….I first heard about the Vitamix when I was at my parent’s house last year.  I noticed this powerful looking machine on their kitchen counter and asked about it.  My Mom proceeded to show me the recipe book that she received with the Vitamix.  I was amazed at the variety of foods that this one machine had the capability of creating so quickly.

There were soups galore in the book including baked potato soup, sweet potato soup, chicken tortilla soup, and miso soup to name a few.  There were juices ranging from garden vegetable to frozen strawberry grape juice to fresh orange juice.

Blendtec Home

I knew that I wanted to improve the eating habits of my family and I thought the Vitamix or the Blendtec would be a step in the right direction in terms of infusing more fruits and veggies into my family’s diet.

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When considering both products, there are several important features to consider when arriving at your decision.

QUALITY

I looked through  a large number of reviews and found that both the Vitamix and the Blendtec receive a hearty two thumbs up for their quality and durability.  They both have 64 oz jars and a very secure fitting lid, which is easy to take on and off.  I know for me this was important.  The blender I had before my Vitamix had the worst lid.  It was very difficult to put the lid on and off.  The Vitamix has a rubber lining about the top which is flexible, making it very easy to put on and off.  From what I have read, the Vitamix lid is easier to take on and off than the Blendtec.  I own the Vitamix, so I can vouch for how wonderful this lid is in terms of ease of use.

USABILITY

The actual interface on each blender is where the blenders differ substantially.

Vitamix

The Vitamix has three controls including a high and low lever, a variable speed control knob and the on and off switch.

Knobs on Vitamix

Blendtec

The Blendtec utilizes digital buttons to start the machine.  There are nine buttons to choose from when you are about to blend something.  The buttons include:

on the top line of buttons:

• speed up
• speed down
• pulse
• and the bottom line of buttons include:
• ice cream and frozen yogurt
• ice crush/milkshake
• soups, syrups, fondues
• salads, dips, dressings, batters
• whole juice
• smoothie

Blendtec Buttons

I came across several reviews from people who have owned both blenders and they have the same complaints about the buttons on the Blendtec.  They say that if you push the wrong button, then you have to wait for it to warm up and then push another button and wait for it warm up, and this routine can get frustrating.  With the Vitamix, you just throw everything in and use the variable control to get the power you want.  It is very simple and straight forward.

When I was considering the two products, I was concerned about how long the digital buttons would actually work.  I have had issues with digital buttons before on kitchen appliances burning out and flat out not working anymore.  I tend to go for the simpler designs for this reason.  There are less parts that can break. 

SIZE

The Vitamix at 20 inches tall is five inches taller than the Blendtec at 15 inches.  Both blenders have a 64 oz jar, the base sizes are different.  Also the top of the blender on the Vitamix is larger.  I like how easy the top is to put on the Vitamix with a thick rubber perimeter.

There are reviewers that prefer the smaller design of the Blendtec for their kitchens.  The size was not really a factor for me, but I can see from other customer reviews that size is an issue.  Some prefer the smaller size of the Blendtec, while some are just fine with the larger size of the Vitamix.

WARRANTY

The Vitamix offers a 7 year Warranty on all parts and pieces of the product.  There are numerous reviews indicating that the customer service is fantastic.  The company will send you a new machine if anything goes wrong with your intial purchase for the first seven years.  This gave me great peace of mind when I was in the market.  You just register your number on their website after purchasing and you are covered for 7 years.

The Blendtec offers a 3 year warranty on the base, lifetime warranty on coupling and blade and a 1 year warranty on the jar.  This is still wonderful guarantee period, but I did read some complaints about Blendtec’s customer service.

PRICE

The Vitamix models with variable controls are typically $50-$100 more than their corresponding Blendtec models.  This higher price is probably due to the longer 7 year full warranty period with the Vitamix as opposed to the 3 year warranty period for the Blendtec.

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Conclusion:  Vitamix vs Blendtec

There is no doubt that both the Vitamix and Blendtec are very powerful machines that can quickly create many different meals and drinks from creamy smoothies to piping hot soups to ice cream.  The main differences are the size, warranty and user interface.  I personally chose the Vitamix for the simple user interface and seven year warranty.  However, I do not think you can go wrong with either machine.  Good luck in with your decision when considering the Vitamix vs Blendtec!