So i am still trying to decide on a blender. I am considering the following:

Blendtec HP3A ($400)
Vita-Mix 5200 ($450)
Vita-Mix Vita-Prep 3 ($500)
Vita-Mix Blending Station Advance ($900)
Blendtec Extreme Tom Dickson Edition ($1,000)

I am seeing that they will all do the job when it comes to smoothies. The real test that seems to trip them up is the NUT BUTTER.

Now the way to go for Nut Butter would be the Blendtec Extreme as it has all the power to get it done as well as a container from which it would be easy to scoop out. Problem is that for the money i could get another blender PLUS a MagiMix food processor and still have $$$ left over. Then i could simply make that nut butter in the food processor.

So question is - does it really make any sense to demand from a blender to do a good job on food processor tasks when u can just use a food processor for them ?

Is there something (aside from blending smoothies) a Vita-Mix 5200 can do that a MagiMix 5150 can't ?

Is nut butter better made in a blender or a food processor or using something else altogether ?

thanks in advance for any help !

I am having a hard time understanding the purpose of VitaMix 5200 and Vita-Prep 3.

On Vita-Mix site the Vita-Prep is listed as a food preparation device as opposed to drink preparation for most other Vita-Mix commercial products.

So it's basically not a blender but a food processor. But aren't products like Cuisinart and MagiMix better at processing food ?

If you're crazy enough to spend hundreds of dollars on a blender chances are you already have a food processor - no ?

please help me understand.

speaking for myself, blenders and food processors serve completely different functions. As a quick aside, any Blendtec or Vitamix will produce an excellent nut butter in part because both are excellent blenders. I'm not going to go into the differences between the two brands as I have done that recently as has everyone else. Bottom line, there are economy blenders and you get what you pay for. Be skeptical of a certain Youtube video from Popular Mechanics on blenders that would have you believe that a $100 Kitchenaid performs as well as a Blendtec or Vitamix. The test is not transparent and ergo cannot account for operator error.

A food processor is for slicing, shredding and producing courser doughs for breads. A blender beside making smoothies can mill seeds and grains to a very fine level. They are both very useful but serve very different functions. My short term recommendations are:

Blender: Blendtec HP3A with a 96 ounce carafe or a Vitamix 5200 (check out Costco if you are member, supposed to have good deals on Vitamix),

Food Processor: Cuisinart 11 or 14 cup processor.

Best of luck

Paul

pborst Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm not going to go into the
> differences between the two brands as I have done
> that recently as has everyone else.

oh i have researched that angle to death already.

pborst Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Be skeptical of a certain Youtube video
> from Popular Mechanics on blenders that would have
> you believe that a $100 Kitchenaid performs as
> well as a Blendtec or Vitamix. The test is not
> transparent and ergo cannot account for operator
> error.

i seen that video. i don't trust popular mechanics because they did a coverup for 9/11 piece, plus i have a kitchenaid blender already. it can't properly blend a banana. when i filled it up with water and set on high i measured only 2.9 amperes with my kill-a-watt meter. and the blades on it are not even sharpened.

pborst Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My short term
> recommendations are:

short term ? what about your long term recommendations ?

> short term ? what about your long term
> recommendations ?

Short term is a figure of speech here. I should have said tentative contingent on learning more about your goals for these tools. If you have decided on just purchasing one or the other, I'd say get the blender first, food processor second.

My personal recommendation on a blender is Blendtec HP3A first with a 96 ounce carafe (it does a much better job of blending than the 64 ounce carafe).

If you decide on Vitamix, goes with the 5200 over the Vitaprep 3. Better warranty (7 years vs. 3 years, search under a user named Plainlydressed in this subforum) and lower price. The Vitaprep 3 is a more powerful blender than the Vitamix 5200 if that matters to you. Most Vitamix 4500 and 5200 users report excellent results with the 2+ Horsepower that they provide. Likewise, Vita-prep 3 users have been very satisfied. I believe Wheatgrass Yogi, a frequent poster and noted juicer/blender authority (look for posts in red) is a Vitaprep 3 owner. And he has spoken highly of it.

I don't want to comment on Blendtec vs. Vitamix, having done that. I went with Blendtec myself and believe it's the better blender for me, not the better blender for everyone. It's kind of a Honda/Toyota argument. You will be ok either way you go. You can search on my name for this subforum or look down the list, as I went through this recently about the tradeoffs if you want to explore further. Good luck to you.

Paul

thanks i placed an order for a blender.

food processor will have to wait.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2010 10:26PM by neurosport.

neurosport Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> thanks i placed an order for a blender.
>
> food processor will have to wait.
You forgot to tell us what Blender you ordered.

Wheatgrass Yogi Wrote:
> You forgot to tell us what Blender you ordered.

i didn't forget. i strategically left that information out.

i should be getting it on friday. if i end up keeping it i will let you know which one it was - i'll even post pics

neurosport Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wheatgrass Yogi Wrote:
> > You forgot to tell us what Blender you ordered.
>
> i didn't forget. i strategically left that
> information out.
> i should be getting it on friday. if i end up
> keeping it i will let you know which one it was -
> i'll even post pics

Translation, I'm playing games keeping you in suspense. Why? Neurosport, if you don't want straight communication I guess that's your prerogative. I gave you feedback in good faith. I don't have time for games. Best of luck in your purchase.

Paul

pborst Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Translation, I'm playing games keeping you in
> suspense. Why? Neurosport, if you don't want
> straight communication I guess that's your
> prerogative.

i apologize if it came off that way. actually my agenda was the opposite - i just wanted to spare you the drama in case my family say that it's too expensive and force me to send it back.

anyway this is the one i ordered:

[www.jlhufford.com]

call me crazy but i envision some potential problems explaining why i couldn't just get a home model to the members of my household.

basically i wanted the blendtec style carafe ( single wide blade, wide bottom and smooth sides ). but i also liked the vitamix design touches such as replaceable drive socket, rubber vibration pad, replaceable blade assembly as well as longer lasting bearings.

but what really tipped me over was the ability to remove the blade and sharpen it. even though vitamix doesn't recommend sharpening the blades and blendtec says that dull blades work as well as sharp ones i still think that i will get extra performance if i sharpen the blades properly.

i think both VM and Blendtec probably design the blender for dull blades because they figure as soon as u start blending ice the blades will go dull anyway but i don't plan to blend ice so i think by sharpening them once a few months i could keep them pretty sharp and hopefully get better blending this way.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2010 01:13AM by neurosport.

Here are the pictures as promised:

[www.box.net]

[www.box.net]

[www.box.net]

[www.box.net]

[www.box.net]

[www.box.net]

[www.box.net]

[www.box.net]

neurosport Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here are the pictures as promised:
That's quite a Blender....a little 'overkill' maybe, but
you're allowed. I've owned a couple of Commercial Juicers over
the years, but never a Commercial Blender.
You must be excited....Good Luck with it....WY
P.S. I don't think you'll ever need to sharpen the blades. Besides,
how would you do it?...use a Stone?

I dunno, maybe im just lucky, or maybe I dont know what a well blended smoothie is supposed to be like, but my $15 clearance sale blender can even blend ice down till you cant even tell you put ice in there, I throw carrots in my blenders and you ant tell they where ever put in there... oatmeal it has a slightly harder time with, it blends it well enough, but I can never get the smoothie as smooth as I can get without it... when I toss any kinda greens in there, they disappear into it like they where never even there... I cant even tell I put them in there except for a slightly bitter kinda aftertaste to the smoothie... man...my car cost as much as your blender...:/...

Curator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I dunno, maybe im just lucky, or maybe I dont know
> what a well blended smoothie is supposed to be
> like, but my $15 clearance sale blender can even
> blend ice down till you cant even tell you put ice
> in there, I throw carrots in my blenders and you
> ant tell they where ever put in there... oatmeal
> it has a slightly harder time with, it blends it
> well enough, but I can never get the smoothie as
> smooth as I can get without it... when I toss any
> kinda greens in there, they disappear into it like
> they where never even there... I cant even tell I
> put them in there except for a slightly bitter
> kinda aftertaste to the smoothie... man...my car
> cost as much as your blender...:/...

i have only been using it for about 2 days and i haven't went above 83% speed so far ( doing most of my blending around 40% to 50% ) so i will hold off the judgement on blending performance so far.

what i can say though is that i love the way it sounds. it uses several techniques to dramatically reduce the irritating high frequency noise - and they work !

1 - vibration damping. the carafe sits on a rubber pad which sits on a cast aluminum plate which sits on a foam pad. so between the motor and the carafe the vibration is absorbed by the two soft pads and the weight of the cast plate.

2 - port mufflers. the air to cool the motor is channeled through special ports ( instead of just holes ) which are designed somewhat like the muffler on the car's exhaust. they keep the high frequency noise form the motor and fan inside the base while allowing generous amount of air to flow and keep the motor cool.

3 - sound abatement cover. that one is obvious. when you open the cover the noise roughly doubles. the cover is quite thick. it's about 3 times thicker than the carafe itself.

compared to the $60 oster ( which is recommended for green smoothies ) that i heard there is no comparison. oster sounds like a dental drill on steroids while the blending station sounds like an engine from a porsche.

for some people this difference will be quite important. for others not at all.

after i use it a little bit more i will post a full review to my site:

[www.diy-av.net]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/2010 09:25PM by neurosport.

Wheatgrass Yogi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> P.S. I don't think you'll ever need to sharpen the
> blades.

yeah i changed my mind - i won't sharpen it.

the blade as it comes stock actually is not sharpened at all. i thought i wasn't going to be blending much ice so i could sharpen it but actually to get certain things nice and smooth requires blending it for maybe half a minute which leaves the shake warmer than what you would ideally want to drink. so i ended up using ice cubes to cool the shake down.

as long as i will be blending ice there is really no point in trying to sharpen the blade as it will go dull again in no time. the edge is already optimized for blending smoothies with ice in them.

I guess if how much noise it makes is worth an extra $400, who am i to argue?...still, it costs about the same as my car,lol...although my car makes allot of noise too...lol

Curator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I guess if how much noise it makes is worth an
> extra $400, who am i to argue?...still, it costs
> about the same as my car,lol...although my car
> makes allot of noise too...lol

well look there are houses in Detroit that you can buy for 10 bucks. and there are houses in Beverly Hills that you can't buy for 10 mil. can one house really be a million times better than another ? you figure that out ...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2010 03:58AM by neurosport.

Good point, although erroneous comparison, as there isnt any house anywhere in the world that sells for $10...maybe a hut thats currently on fire in the middle of the Sahara desert... I understand the blender is most like much better than the one I purchased for so little a few years ago, however, mine blends up every green a put in there to where you cant even see any green flecks anymore, and powders oatmeal pretty easily, so im happy with it, as anything else Id need to do, i do with my $30 food processor...and it does it all as well as I need it... If you need more, then cool, I am just curious about what these expensive blenders can do... at least for me, they dont seem to be able to do anything i need done any better than what I have does...

Oh, as it seems you may have taken a little offense, id like to point out that none is meant, I just dont understand what these are meant for, and me mentioning the price of my car was meant more as a jab at myself for my cheap car, than at the price of your blender, one does have to admit its rather funny that you could buy my car with your blender,lol...now THAT is a crappy car,lol.

check the link:

[www.telegraph.co.uk]

capitalism is a system which for many people is difficult or impossible to understand.

you have a socialist mind. for you to understand why one blender should cost an X amount of times more than another is as unlikely as for a Nun to understand BDSM.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2010 07:28PM by neurosport.

hahaha, I stand corrected, dang, is it a home though, or a pile of debri in the shape of a home?lo... anyway, im as capitalist as they come, I make most of my income in sales, and the one thing i know is, there are ALLOT of products, that are no better than others, with a special name slapped on them and sold for 10 times the price, or more... Ive seen this countless times in the 15+ years ive been in sales... THAT is capitalism my friend, not more value for more money, but less value for more money...the trick is in making you think your getting more, as so many seem to think... Socialism is everyone gets the same thing for free (or at least the same amount) lol.

Curator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> the trick is in making you
> think your getting more, as so many seem to
> think...

exactly my friend !

that's why i didn't get 5200 which supposedly can do it all. that's just what they tell you so you would think you're getting more for your money. actually you're getting a regular blender.

i try not to buy products whose marketing insults my intelligence. if they're trying to screw me already before i even bought the thing that means once i buy it i will really be screwed - that is my logic.

i usually try to get what professionals use, but you have to be careful not to fall for product placement. for example if some professional chef uses something on a TV show then 99% probability he was paid by that company to use it.

that's why i simply dropped by the closest smoothie shop to me and took a peek at what they were using to blend smoothies - they were using Blending Station Advance. i figured if its good enough for them then its good enough for me.

also interestingly enough sometimes professionals use inferior products at work and better products at home ! ! ! that happens when they have to pay for those products out of their own pocket for example some chefs keep expensive boutique knives at home and use cheap knives at work because they don't want other chefs stealing or damaging them.

so in the end you still have to do some thinking to piece the information together before making a decision ...

yeah, i agree to that your blender is probably way better than mine, but all i do with my el-cheapo is powder oatmeal, and blend smoothies, and other than blackberry seeds, my blender blends everything so perfectly smooth, I cant even tell I put any kale in there... and ive had this thing for a few years now, I DID have to sharpen the blades every 3-4 months though... and i dont use ice in it often, but it does everything I need it to do, for $1.

I id just realize that I forgot to mention it was on a like 75% off sale cause the store was closing...

My local smoothie/juice place, their blender doesnt even blend everything up thoroughly when you get greens in it, the pieces are rather noticeable, easily visible and you end up chewing some of them:/... even the one I went to down in santa cruz was like that... its weird when my cheapy blender makes it perfectly smooth, cant even see it, never have to chew on anything other than the occasionally annoying blackberry seed I never buy smoothies anymore...lol...

it gets better:

[online.wsj.com]

so actually those houses have negative value - money will need to be spent just to level them with the ground.

dang... maybe they can make sure theres nothing dangerous in the soil, and just turn the whole area into one giant public garden,lol.. id buy that house for $10 rather than have it leveled!lol

i was thinking the other day that i could live in a 24 Hour Fitness gym and sleep in my car in its parking lot. they even have a smoothie bar.

i am not sure i understand what the point of a house or an apartment is any more. i think its something like marriage - everybody does it but nobody knows why.

I think its supposed to be a place to store your stuff,lol...or something like that...