Hello everyone,

I've read all the reviews I can find, read the discussions on this forum, watched the videos, and still can't decide which blender to buy. I wanted glass, but none of the higher powered blenders have it - but the Breville does.

I'm trying to decide between the Vitamix 5200, Blendtec Total, and Breville BBL600XL. I want to be able to make nut butters and blend things with dates, but will be starting out with mostly green smoothies. Eventually I'd like to do more than that - maybe make flour out of whole grains, vegan ice creams, etc.

I keep reading that the Breville is nice, and apparently it can make nut milk and nut flour, but I don't know if it will make nut butter. I don't know if it pulverizes seeds. The manual indicates that you should cut everything up into 1 inch chuncks. Since I don't currently have a blender, I'm not sure how much extra work that would be, or if it's really necessary. Apparently it's not necessary with either of the other two brands?

I went to BB&B to buy the Breville but the rubber lid on the store model stunk. Maybe I have a sensitive nose, but I couldn't stand the smell of it. I wondered what the point is in buying glass if the lid is outgassing toxins, but I suppose it would probaby dissipate over time. The lids of all the other brands smelled too, but not as bad as on the Breville. (Except the Krups but I've read mixed reviews on the Krups).

Quiet blending was one of my original criteria, but can live with noisy... the functionality is more important. Anyone have a clue what the Breville can do or an opinion on which one I should get? I'm new to blending and raw. Easy cleaning is very important to me.

The KitchenAid Proline looks interesting too although it's polycarb like the Blendtec, and I find it to be ugly although I know that shouldn't be one of my primary criteria.

I'm really pining for a Vitamix or Blendtec... but am concerned about the plastic leaching chemicals - I've been trying to reduce the amount of plastic in my food supply. HELP! Maybe I don't need anything that high powered and the Breville would be okay? Thanks for any info...

I'd vote for the Vita-Mix 5200 over the Breville. The 5200 has a safer Plastic than thier older model 5000 and you'd appreciate the extra power it has over the Breville.......WY

I agree with Wheatgrass Yogi. Go with the Vita-Mix 5200...



My website: The Coconut Chronicles

Thanks everyone for your opinions.

And thanks for reading all the way through my long original post, I didn't mean to write a book.

Anyone have any experience with the Krups KB720? The reviews says it takes a long time to blend things due to the low RPMs- like 5 minutes for a smoothie - people either love it or hate it. But it's probably the quietest blender on the market (due to running at low RPMs). It's glass. And the lid doesn't smell due to being hard plastic. I think it had 1000 watts (or was it 720?)

Not sure how much power one would need to make nut butter or pulverize seeds, or even to blend greens smoothly.

LaPieta,
I just purchased the Vita-Prep 3 and love it! I based my decision largely on Wheatgrass Yogi's posts and his first hand experience with different blenders.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong here... but based on my limited research over the past month, you can only buy the 5200 from Vita-Mix direct (I'm sure that will change eventually) and it costs 449.00/549.00/649.00 depending on the package you buy. I called Vita-mix and was told by someone in sales that the 5200 was the same as the 5000 with the exception of the new Carafe/Pitcher composite. I thought these units are 2.xxHP units whereas the VP3 is a 3HP unit, so that was the deciding factor for me.
I purchased mine online from Prima Supply in Kentucky which advertised on eBay item number: 170188196293, I called and they gave me the ebay "special" of 435.99 w/19.99 shipping so I got it to the door for 455.98. The warranty is shorter than the 5200 but I dont think I will be putting it through any "commercial" stress.
I dont have any issues with the poly container and as far as the noise, It is loud but not prohibitively so, I only have it on high for 30-90 seconds so the TV heads have to pause it for a few but I dont think it is THAT loud...
Prima Supply also sells Blendtec. Their Customer service was excellent when I spoke to them.

I have only made green smoothies so far except for one round of hummus. Making hummus was not as easy as using the food processor but probably my fault for not following the directions and putting too much in to begin with (easier to get it all out in processor) but I can only say good things about the Vita-Prep 3 so far. I have been banging out some great drinks and pretty much have given up anything else for the time being.
I hope this helps,

P.S.
I am not sure about posting company names and prices here so if that is a no-no, sorry. I looked for the faq but couldnt find anything quickly.

Vince

You are definitely going to want a blender that has an integrated tamper that pushes through the lid like the Vita-Mix.

Of course, you can just remove the lid on other blenders and push stuck bits down with a wooden spoon but the first time you misjudge and the vortex pulls the wooden spoon into the blades you will really start to wish that you had a vita-mix style tamper.

Vince and Chive - thanks for the tips. I'll definitely check out the Vita-prep. Chive I had wondered about the lack of tamper with the others, thanks again for the advice on that. I've still been waffling. I just haven't been sure I really need to spend that kind of money, and am not sure what the high end blenders do that the lesser ones ($100-$200 range) don't do.

I emailed Blendtec and asked how long it takes to cook a soup. They said 1-2 soup cycles which are 50 seconds each. Since I don't want to cook anything, that seems pretty short. Seems like your smoothies would be getting too warm, after say 30 seconds, if they are hot at 50 seconds, but maybe it only takes 10 seconds for a smoothie. I heard it takes about 5 minutes in the Vitamix (to cook soup.) Another plus for the Vitamix.

Thanks again for the advice.

LaPieta, here's one small example that might help illustrate what the high end blenders can do compared to a cheap one.

We have a big Vitamix. We also have a handy little blender that is much easier to clean. I've found that my whole family will drink fruit smoothies that contain a green superfood powder if I throw in a few handfuls of frozen berries. The berries pretty much neutralize the grass and algae taste of the green powder.

Usually I make a big pitcher of this with the Vitamix. Well, one day I decided to use the small blender to make individual portions that I could customize for each person. After I did so, my wife and son both complained about all the seeds in their smoothie.

You see the high speed vitamix is so powerful that the seeds from the raspberries and blackberries are pulverized right into the smoothie but, with the cheaper blender, the seeds just bounce around off the low speed blades and stay whole.

Hope this helps and good luck is your search.

Thanks Chive! That does help. I had been thinking that I probably wouldn't make nut butters anyway, since it would be hard to clean, and was thinking of possibly just going with a cheap blender for now. But I'll definitely want to do berries wth greens. Green smoothies are the main reason I want a blender in the first place. I'm still not sure if the midpriced ($150/200) blenders would pulverize seeds, but I'm guessing probably not. Thanks again.

BLENDtec all the way! Too many reasons to list...

I have a Vitamix 5000 and it's brilliant. You definately need a machine with a tamper to push and stir and one with a manual control for more skillful blending/mixing.

Don't get too carried away with VitaMix hype, though. Although you can 'food process' it's a bit limited compared to an average, inexpensive food processor. You'd need a lot of technique to make a shredded salad! And for certain dips and spreads where super-power isn't really needed it can be hard to get everything out of the bottom which makes you more likely to use a food processor - a long, sturdy rubber spatula helps.

Grinding grains and flax seeds with the dry container works well but be prepared to run it quite a long time for truly smooth results for things like rice flour.

Some people also don't agree that the VitaMix is a juicer. It's not a juice extractor but then I'm mostly happier making watered-down purees (what VitaMix call 'juice') and using the whole fruit or vegetable where possible. In fact, I only bought a modestly-priced NUC Galaxy juicer (for mostly green juices) as I already had a VitaMix. I mean, blend an apple or two with some ice and ginger and it's so gorgeous - why would you want 'extracted' apple juice?

VitaMix say you can knead bread dough with it but that's fiddly and time consuming and not worth the bother over hand-kneading. Now raw, I no longer make ordinary breads so that hardly matters.

As a blender, VitaMix does things your department store blender just can't do. Hard skinned apples, seeded fruits, seeds, hard veggies, can be blended into remarkably smooth 'meal in a drink' creations. Softer ingredients will be smooth in 20-30 seconds of high speed blending, while tougher customers could need more like a minute to be largely free of 'bittiness'. After a minute or so, the blender starts warming the food, so it's best to use ice instead of water for longer blends to keep everything nice and cool.

I chose a VitaMix 5000 over other power blenders simply because manual-anything appeals to and didn't want to use pre-set 'programs'. Anyone into raw food needs a powerful blender and with the tamper the VitaMix is a joy to use. The only thing I'd say is don't get sucked into to thinking you'll never want a food processor or juicer if you get a VitaMix - it is just a hefty blender after all.

I recently bought the Vita Mix 4500 and love it! It is about $100 cheaper than the other versions, and it only has an ON/OFF and HIGH/LOW switch. Really, that is all you need.
I have used it almost every day for the last three months since I bought it.

Also, it is easy to clean.

i HAVE THE SAME QUESTION. HERE IS A POST I POSTED ON A DIFFERENT EMAIL LOOP. DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW WELL THE bREVILLE WORKS?


I have that blender question again. I did review what was posted on our email loop, yet I am still not quite sure what would be my best options including price point.



I was reviewing the Vitamix, the Blendtec and the Breville Ikon 600. From my reviewing here is a quick overview in what I have found so far:



The vitamix – large, does not fit well under the counter, blends great, great warranty, made from Polycarbonate plastic (down side), price point ranges $350-$500, square jar. The square jar I would assume would be harder to get some stuff out, like nut butters and such.



Blendtec – good horse power, fits under counter, a bit more pleasing to the eye then the vitamix, blends great, both of these two sound great for going raw, nut butters and such, is supposedly very noisy, made from Lexan (how does this compare in plastics?). Price point ranges from ($225 -$400), square jar



Breville – liked it had a cyclner jar, glass jar (which I liked), price point around $200 (could be purchased at Macy’s – we have a store credit so this is a plus), Consumer reports mentions this quietest blender. I am extremely sounds sensitive so this is a concern for me.



Are the others too loud as said on the online ratings? The biggest question here is can the Breville make nut butters, soup and will it be good for enhancing a raw food diet? Oh, this happens to be an attractive appliance where the vitamix is not. Not that these things matter too much to me, however it makes it nicer to keep this appliance on the counter for daily use.



What has your experience been with any or all of these blenders? Any other options out there? And if you have used the Breville, how does it size up using it for a raw food diet, i.e. nut butters, soups and such, of course including smoothies. I figure I can make some really good smoothies with the magic bullet; anyone of these will do just fine. I would most be concerned with the blender’s capabilities with nuts and hard veggies, making soups and such.



Thanks for your feed back.

I just got the Breville BBLXL I will let you guys know how it works.. I have been in deep thought about the vitamix 5200 verse the Breville...... We shall see

Greetings

In research concerning 3 & 3+ HP blenders for maximizing absorption of phytochemicals, I know of the following aspects that are ‘common’ considerations;

Price
Noise
Size (height & weight)
Easy of cleaning...
Variable speed settings
Container size and material.

And some not so common considerations;

Speed (RPM)
Blade design
Horse Power
Cavitation


I haven't been able to find a side by side comparison of these blenders. BlendTek, Waring & Vitamix… Nor any good non biased, complete research regarding the latest version of these blenders.

Questions I wrestle with;

How best to take full advantage phytochemicals; HP (3 vs 3.5) or RPM and/or blade design and/or cavitation...


I’ve read; “Its not only a matter of Horsepower... its a matter of how many times the fruit passes the blade per second.” Implying that RPM is more advantageous than HP,(assuming 3 or 3+ HP blender)., when seeking the best access to phytochemicals

I’ve also read; 3+ HP blenders are able to breakdown more cellular walls than the 3 HP (peak) blenders, therefore accessing more phytochemicals.

I've also read a little about oxidation and cavitation.. Not sure how to determine the pro’s and con’s yet. But I do know that what ever I blend will be consumed rather shortly thereafter, within a few minutes.

Have I missed any critical aspects for my decision?

I can read a lot of opinions, and see that many people are Brand religious. I’m more interested in a smart purchase as these blenders are somewhat expensive, and the potential health benefit is the priority. Has anyone seen any specific (published) research on these topics?


Thanks for any input/feedback.

Namaste!

I have a champion juicerr for 4 years now,and it works very good.
I got a breville on December and it BROKE last week. Terrible juicer for sombody that juices everyday.

Well, I have a Vitamix and I love it! I've heard conflicting reports from others, but in general, I think people love both the Vitamix and the Blendtec. I haven't heard from anyone about the Breville, so I can't really say anything about that. What I've heard about the Vitamix and Blendtec are as follows:

Loudness: Both quite loud

Power: Blendtec wins on this, but I've never wished that the Vitamix was more powerful -- this way, you don't have to worry about cooking your smoothies, anyway! And the Vitamix also has the tamper.

Price: Acutally, if you buy it at the company's website, the Blendtec is a little bit cheaper. But the Vitamix is more popular, so you can get it gently used on ebay for much cheaper than that. You can't really find the Blendtec on ebay.

Ease of use: The Blendtec has separate 'cycles' that you can use for making different things. The Vitamix has a speed dial and a low/high switch. I actually prefer the Vitamx on this front -- you don't have to remeber which button to push, and you can vary things more depending on what you want. But it really depends what you prefer.

Cleaning: They are both said to be very easy to clean. I'm not sure how you clean the Blendtec, but with the Vitamix you just run water inside it. If it's still not clean -- eg, if you made nut butters, then you put a little water inside and run it on high for 15 seconds. Super easy!

Size: I've heard people say that the Blendtec fits better under countertops than the Vitamix. I've never had a problem with that, but it depends on where you were thinking of putting it.

Hope this helps!

Be beautiful

I ended up buying the Breville BBL600XL blender. Before buying I wrote the company about whether it will chop and blend nuts and seeds. I haven't tried it yet but here is their answer...

>>>
Thank you for contacting Breville USA!!! The blender will chop seeds. Depending on the type of seed you can get consistency from dry and powdery to pasty. Nuts are no problem for this blender, peanut butter is easily made. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at 1-866-BREVILLE (273-8455), Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. PST.
>>>

LaPieta

I should point out that I came to the conclusion that blending seeds and nuts in a blender isn't a good way to go, due to oxidation that occurs with high speeds used in blenders.

Blenders are also not so good for grinding grains due to the oxidation.

If I make nut butters it will be with a low rpm juicer.

As for grinding seeds, I haven't figured that out yet but probably a manual seed grinder would be best.

To answer the Lexan question... it is a type of polycarbonate.
The Vitamix 5200 is made with a supposedly safer plastic.