I checked out both the HP3A and the VitaMix blenders, but personally prefer the HP3A. While I understand the person who wants to control every single step in their kitchen, I draw the line at anything unnecessary. The HP3A allows you to approach your cooking that way, too, but here is the difference: the HP3A's five major displayed headings (Beverages; Drinks/Ice Cream; Whole Foods; Food Processing; and Multi-Use) each offer five displayed cycles for a total of 25 professionally designed cycles to do exactly what they say they will do. For example, under the heading Whole Foods there are the following five choices: Light Juice, Whole Juice, Frozen Fruit/Yogurt, Sauces & Dips, and Soups. The other four headings each have five other professionally designed cycles from Low Energy to High Energy, from Smoothie to Hot Chocolate, from Ice Cappuccino to Granita, from Chop to Grind Grain. Any four of those 25 cycles can be pre-programmed (like stations on your car's radio) so that your four favorite/most frequently used cycles are right there at a push of #1, #2, #3, or #4---your own choices. This blender has the same commercial motor you would find at a Starbucks, Baskin Robbins, Dunkin Donuts, Jamba Juice, etc., and perhaps best of all it fits under the cabinets in your kitchen, doesn't need a tamper because of its patented jar design, and doesn't use expensive separate jars for wet or dry blending. With the automatic cycles which are typically 50 seconds or less, you are paying that same careful attention to other kitchen tasks, while this blender is doing what it is designed to do. In making my choice over a year ago, I found a great price (and it's still there!) plus free gifts, so look around and choose the one that is going to help you do everything you saved up for, and without the hassle.

Manolie,

Maybe post this in the Juicers and Juicing forum?

Dear Tamukha,
I was new (1st Post) to this great site. Thanks for your suggestion. I put it where it should probably have gone in the first place. But at least it is there. If I wasn't so busy keeping track of 15 grandchildren and as a well-being coach---well, I'd like to respond to so many of the postings, and I will.
Manolie

Manolie,

It would be overwhelming to follow everything on these boards all the time, even if you DIDN'T have huge quanities of children to care for! Take your time, and enjoy other posts, as that will be very useful to you if just starting out here. By the way, from your expert description, it sounds like I bought the wrong blender! My next one will be a Blendtec ; )



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2009 03:12PM by Tamukha.

Not having a tamper is not a positive, as I have been using other tools to tamper down my food, and they have been getting eaten by the Blendtec blade.

Also, while there are 25 potential cycles, only four at a time are programmed into the four programmable buttons, and it requires a Morse-code like technique to reprogram those 4 buttons. Without the printed documentation, it is nearly impossible to change those settings.

I have not changed the factory default programming on my unit. I do like my Blendtec, but because of the complexity in accessing the other 21 cycles, I am not using them.

Okaaaaay, so maybe my next blender WON'T be a BlendTec . . .

Manolie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I checked out both the HP3A and the VitaMix
> blenders, but personally prefer the HP3A. While I
> understand the person who wants to control every
> single step in their kitchen, I draw the line at
> anything unnecessary. The HP3A allows you to
> approach your cooking that way, too, but here is
> the difference: the HP3A's five major displayed
> headings (Beverages; Drinks/Ice Cream; Whole
> Foods; Food Processing; and Multi-Use) each offer
> five displayed cycles for a total of 25
> professionally designed cycles to do exactly what
> they say they will do. For example, under the
> heading Whole Foods there are the following five
> choices: Light Juice, Whole Juice, Frozen
> Fruit/Yogurt, Sauces & Dips, and Soups. The other
> four headings each have five other professionally
> designed cycles from Low Energy to High Energy,
> from Smoothie to Hot Chocolate, from Ice
> Cappuccino to Granita, from Chop to Grind Grain.
> Any four of those 25 cycles can be pre-programmed
> (like stations on your car's radio) so that your
> four favorite/most frequently used cycles are
> right there at a push of #1, #2, #3, or #4---your
> own choices. This blender has the same commercial
> motor you would find at a Starbucks, Baskin
> Robbins, Dunkin Donuts, Jamba Juice, etc., and
> perhaps best of all it fits under the cabinets in
> your kitchen, doesn't need a tamper because of its
> patented jar design, and doesn't use expensive
> separate jars for wet or dry blending. With the
> automatic cycles which are typically 50 seconds or
> less, you are paying that same careful attention
> to other kitchen tasks, while this blender is
> doing what it is designed to do. In making my
> choice over a year ago, I found a great price (and
> it's still there!) plus free gifts, so look around
> and choose the one that is going to help you do
> everything you saved up for, and without the
> hassle.

..have you recieved it yet, Manolie? If so what have you blended? Is it child-proof?

Dear loeve and Bryan,
I have had my HP3A for over a year. I have never needed a tamper, but making nut butters requires periodically using a bowl scraper to draw the developing nut butters back to the blades (something no tamper would do anyway.)
My family is not vegan nor living solely on raw foods so the blender regularly does smoothies, makes ice cream, prepares baby food (for the grandchildren), makes soups, mixes lots of powdered milk, has cut my time way down for making pulse I sell, and best of all made nectar of many of our peaches and apricots we grow and put in the freezers, I have blended fruits I then dried into fruit leather for all of us to enjoy all year. Then there are the quarts of applesauce, and the jams, not to mention spaghetti sauce, sweet and sour sauce, the batters, salad dressings, etc. I have chopped almonds and peanuts for cookies, and have done flax seeds.
I can use any of the 25 cycles easily by clicking on any of the sub-headings as they appear in the display window and pressing Start when the ingredients are ready to be blended.
Bryan: while you could put four of your favorite cycles on the four numbered buttons (and there are clear instructions for doing so,) it is certainly not necessary because the cycles are so easy to access at any time. Are you sure you are using Blendtec's HP3A and not their slightly older version (the Total Blender) which has fewer pre-set cycles/buttons?
loeve: you asked if the HP3A is "child-proof?" My father-in-law, a safety engineer is turning in his grave! No appliance I know of is "child-proof" so keep small children at a distance when the blender is in use, and take the safety precautions you would take with any appliance so that small children are not at risk. As for adults? A simple rule is to never put anything into a blender jar that you are not willing to blend, and that applies to fingers, even adult ones.
If you saw (or see) the History Channel's program "Modern Marvels" or the videos on You Tube or www.willitblend.com you will know why the program called the Total Blender/HP3A 'the world's strongest blender." I love avocados, and I love having a blender that blends the whole avocado, seed and all, and not just the avocado fruit/meat.
By the way, my HP3A came with a 30-days unconditional guarantee of a full refund, and so does their Total Blender. Seeing is believing, but using it for yourself is even better. I'm a convinced user, and there is always the option to check out those videos (they're entertaining!) or to go to their website which is www.blendtec.com and watch the videos there of items being made. Dealers have the HP3A, and demonstrators could be at a Costco or Sam's Club where you could see the Total Blender used and ask questions, even sample what they make.
Can you still guess how much I treasure mine?

Thanks, Manolie, for the reply. I love what you are able to do with it.

The super powerful Blendtec I-CB7 20amp 2400 watt blender would also make your safety-engineer father-in-law upset, being marketed by some to homeowners who are unlikely to have a proper outlet to plug it in without doing some wiring or getting an electrician. One dealer said it came with a 'pigtail', and one homeowner complained about having to run out to find an electrical adapter. Blendtec is smart to warn against such foolishness in their owners manual.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/2009 12:49PM by loeve.

Manolie,
" A simple rule is to never put anything into a blender jar that you are not willing to blend, and that applies to fingers, even adult ones."

Wonderful! I have a feeling I'd like you very much if I were to ever meet you : )

Hey Gang! My HP3A is Blendtec's "Residential Type." It uses a regular, grounded plug that plugs into anyone's home outlets (no electrician needed!) What gives it its power is its 1500 watts motor. As to child-proofing it is worth mentioning that the On/Off switch is on the back of the motor base and not visible to young children, plus its electronics are sealed and flush with the face of the machine (no knobs, buttons,or switches other than that On/Off on the back) so the chance of drips getting inside and casuing shorts or shocks---or repairs---is minimal. This has the commercial power in a home blender (hence its blending the whole avocado, seed and all.) Just so I can get on to enjoying this discussion group, please contact a knowledgable dealer about the machine I am talking about (not the commercial one/ones some of you are thinking of.) For those who have emailed to know what mine sold for, the price with shippng was $337.50, though shipping and handling to your own area might make the final price more or less than that. P.S. One of the great things everyone in my family enjoys is salsas. The recipe book (free with each blender) has 14 recipes for salsas, and every one has the ingredients listed in the order in which you load the blender jar, has the complete nutritional information about each finished salsa, and those recipes appear on just 8 of that great book's 247 pages filled with appetizers, beverages, breakfasts, breads, soups, fondues, sauces, salad dressings, pureed foods, and desserts.***Discussion comment: 1/2-1 banana (mashed) = 1 egg; and www.supplementinfo.com has some great information on daily nutritional needs. Keep in mind that those vary depending on age, sex, weight, and climate ("average person, average activity, temperate climate" etc.) For tons of great recipes check out www.allrecipes.com.

Thanks, Manolie, for the location of the switch on the HP3A, a more child-proof location certainly than, say, a front toggle switch, and a good selling point.

The Blentec ICB7 20 amp, 2400 watt has gotten a lot more attention on these boards recently than the HP3A 1500 watt blender. Regarding safety-engineering there is, in my opinion, an unsettled question about the suitability of the commercial ICB7 for residential users, because residential kitchens are not commonly set up with strictly dedicated 20 amp circuits on the countertops. There is no such safety issue with the HP3A, except for the lack of a tamper it seems. The "Will it Blend" YouTube series shows the Blendtec going thru cellphones and golfballs, but will it blend a bunch of carrots and kale without using a tamper? And if people are improvising wooden dowels for push sticks, how is that working out in the raw community? Is it safe?

Dear loeve, et als: The Blendtec jar's patented design obviates any need for a tamper (though one unscrupulous dealer claimed it needed one and was charging $12.95 for a piece of 'untreated wood' that presumably fit through the air expansion/minor additions hole in the gripper lid!!) Cut the carrots into three inch pieces add a 1/2 cup of water (or as desired) and watch those carrots and kale blend as if nature intended for them to combine like that. As for the expensive commercial 20 ampere blenders that do require a dedicated 20 ampere circuit at that added expense, definitely over-kill, doesn't have the 25 cycles already accessible, and all I can figure out is that someone thinks it's "a prestige thing" of "my blender is more powerful than your blender!" Separate note: anybody for a DVD or videotape of Laotian Yoga with cleansing exercises which are all done standing? Very popular hereabouts and they work. [Husband's note: "I've known Manolie since 1968. (We married in January 1972.) I have never seen her sick---except for an incomplete D&C after a miscarriage of our first pregnancy. Other than that one "medical episode" I have never seen her with a cold, a headache,or anything else, other than a cough when she adds cayenne powder to a meal at the table and gets some up her nose! Her secret? She won't go to bed until she has completed at least 30 minutes (cumulative) of exercise each day, and: she listens to her body, and is a good steward of her body. Her body responds by being the reliable servant we believe God intends everyone's body to be. D.]

Got to test a Blendtec for a few weeks and love my Vitamix best. Have had it for years. One thing that no one mentions about the Blendtec is how there is a hole in the lid where food comes flying out unless you're there to cover it with your finger. That has to be the most annoying thing and means you're stuck there the whole time. Once I dealt with that a few times, not to mention the lid trying to come off during use, I had enough. There are some good things about the Blendtec, but not enough to replace the Vitamix for me.

Simple Raw Recipes & Health Tips

Dear Gilmore Girl,
Wow! What were you making when you had that experience? Was the cap in the hole (leaving a BB-sized air hole through which your "food comes flying out" or didn't the lid you had have the needed cap for that quarter-sized hole?
I find that when I am making soups I simply remove the cap and place a piece of paper towel draped over (not stuffed in) that hole. The paper towel stays in place on its own, the lid remains secure, and there is hardly any moisture on the paper towel when the soup is ready.
You do need to remove the cap in that situation and use the piece of paper towel because the soup heats so quickly that the expansion of the original volume of air in the blender jar could pop the top otherwise. In that case (easily avoidable as I mentioned above) you would indeed have a mess. The directions also say to not overfill the jar. Use the 32 oz. markings as a guide.
No need to cover the hole with your finger, nor any need to stand there for the 50 seconds or so it takes.
VitaMix makes great machines, too. I just prefer the Blendtec HP3A for all the reasons I have cited. Thanks for your input and the chance to comment.

By the way: I recently added two other K-Tec/Blendtec (American-made) appliances to my kitchen. The "Kitchen Mill" allows me to make freshly milled flours from such things as popcorn (for the best corn meal/flour I've known), hard, white winter wheat, and beans. I haven't tried milling the oyster shells its manual says I can mill! The only proviso is to not mill foods with 15%+ moisture content or oils (like nuts, flax seeds, coffee beans, sugar, etc.) My other "kitchen jewel" is their "Mix N Blend II" which, like the name implies, is a mixer and a blender combination which I primarily use to make my bread doughs because it has an "Auto Knead" button which I activate when the dough starts to release from the sides of the mixing bowl (Note: stop adding any additional flour at that point, or the mixer's drive shaft is designed to snap off at its top in order to protect the motor.) That button, by the way, allows the mixer to develop the gluten to the right level and automatically shuts off the mixer when it has! The dough is ready to form into loaves, put in the baking pans, allow to double in size, and pop in the oven. Like any mixer, it will do single and double batches of cookies, mashed potatoes, etc. Having the freshest possible flours by bursting the grains rather than grinding and over-heating them, and making bread dough without having to physically knead the dough, makes our lives more nutritious and easier---not a bad combination! All the best, Manolie

The Blendtec did this with the majority of things I made that were liquid and it was no where near the capacity line. Not only would food come out of the hole, which is big enough for plenty of liquid to come out of it, but it would make the lid come up so more liquid would come out of it. The owner had the same issues. No cap for the hole. It didn't happen for every single thing, but enough times that I said, "Okay your fired, I want my Vitamix back."

Not saying it's an awful blender, just not for me. It may be something I'd get for long-term travel if I was able to bring something that big. It makes good ice cream.

Vitamix doesn't need more than 1 container. Just one and the new healthier containers and lids are awesome.

Simple Raw Recipes & Health Tips

It sounds as if the problem you encountered could be summed up in one sentence from your last post: "No cap for the hole." Tell your friend to ask Blendtec to send her/him one. They all come with one and her blender's missing cap is no big deal to them. What happened to VitaMix' Wet Jar and Dry Jar recommendation? Rather expensive jars as I recall. Both companies are great. Sorry for your bad experience. Manolie

Still having a great time with my Blendtec blender. I notice there are some selling on ebay, but be careful. If sold at auction on ebay or other auction sites, Blendtec is not responsible and does not warrant the blender. Sold by reputable ebay stores (i.e. new blenders) it does. While there are "deals," and a mix of "dealers" (some authorized, and some otherwise) a good solution without becoming a detective, is to catch a demonstration at a Costco or a Sam's Club where you can see items made, sample some, and buy with both the store's full guarantees, and the "made-in-USA" manufacturer's guarantees. Add to those advantages, how about an extra 48 months added to the standard three years (provided you complete and submit the attached extension card), and a slight discount on pricing. If you have used their Champ, HP3, Total, or the newer HP3A, why not comment so our newer participants can experience what you have experienced, before they are "taking the plunge"? Manolie

How does this model differ from other ones?

i like the vitamix best too. u dont need the 2 containers. one does it all.