Product Description
Blendtec Designer Series Blender
Blendtec is pleased to introduce the Designer Series blender. It has been engineered to bring a whole new level of beauty and functionality to the high-end blender category, without compromising the famous power and efficiency of our Total Blender Classic.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #5288 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Color: Black
- Brand: Blendtec
- Model: 1003219
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 7.00" h x15.00" w x9.25" l,8.00 pounds
Features
- Commercial-quality 1,560-watt countertop blender with 3 peak horsepower direct-drive motor
- The control surface features illuminated, easy to read, universal icons that enable effortless selection of our signature blend cycles
- BPA-free Triton Polyester jar with patented cold-forged wingtip blades
- Includes Wild Side blending jar; secure-fitting vented lid; user guide and recipe book with more than 230 great tasting recipes
- 7-year manufacturer warranty
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
71 of 72 people found the following review helpful.
By quagmire
My mom got a Vitamix 5200 from Costco about a month ago. I used it almost non-stop. Used it to make rice milk, strawberry-banana smoothies, butter, and peanut butter. I used it so much I started to consider getting a high performance blender of my own. About a week later, I ended up getting the Blendtec Designer Series just to see which blender I liked better.
Let me just say this review comes down to personal preferences and what you are willing to compromise on as both blenders are very good. You cannot go wrong with either blender. Both do the job just as well as the other.
Pro's vs the Vitamix:
- Design. I have always put a high value on form. Depending on the gap, I will sacrifice some functionality just to get the better looking product in my opinion. The Blendtec Designer Series is certainly a good looker. The design of it is also part of the reason why I went with the Designer Series instead of the Total Blender Classic. I got the black model so when everything is off and unplugged, the Blendtec just blends in. The motor base is rounder giving it a smooth look. Where the Vitamix 5200 motor base has sharp edges and is squarer looking. It stands out on the counter. So a win for the Blendtec.
- Controls. I just love the touchscreen controls. Another reason I went with the Designer over the Total Blender Classic. The touch controls enhance the design of the motor base as referenced above when everything is turned off. When the controls are on, they are bright and sharp looking. The touch controls are responsive with no lag. As soon as you press the mode, the motor turns on and does its job. I love it over physical buttons. How a person uses a Blendtec differs from the Vitamix. It's hotly debated and up to personal preferences. The Blendtec relies mostly on its automated modes for blending your food. The benefit of that is you can simply hit the smoothie button and walk away. It will go through the smoothie mode starting out slow to draw the ingredients into the blade and slowly progress to a higher speed to turn rice milk, an orange, a banana, and frozen strawberries into a smoothie and stop when done. The Vitamix is all manual control where you start on Variable 1 and work yourself all the way to high depending on the recipe you're using. While this gives a person more control over the blending process, it does require the user to be more watchful when blending. For my uses, I prefer the Blendtec's automated modes. It does provide a slider for manual control and a pulse button.
- Jar. The Blendtec's Wildside jar has a fifth side that is stated to help prevent cavitation. While I don't have the Fourside jar to compare it to, I haven't needed to stop the blender and mess with the ingredients in order to get them to blend. The Wildside jar is a square in shape leaving a nice wide bottom near the two blades. This combined with the two dull blades makes things a lot easier. I have made pretzel/pizza dough (same recipe) with the Blendtec. After allowing the dough to rise, the dull blades and the wide bottom made it easy to get all the dough out of the jar without worrying about cutting myself on the blades and trying to get everything out of the jar and not wasting anything. Where the Vitamix jar is a more traditional round design that narrows, as you get closer to the sharp 4 blades. When making peanut butter, it is a pain in the neck to get everything that is below the blades out of the jar. Have to take a spoon and take it out constantly moving the blades to get as much peanut butter out of the jar.
- Cleaning. It's not a big win for the Blendtec as both machines are easy to clean. Just put about 2-3 cups of warm water and a dash of dish soap in the jars and let the machine do the cleaning. But, it goes back to the jars design. When making thicker things like peanut butter and dough that tend to stick to the jar, the wider bottom and dull blades make it easier to rinse out the Wildside jar. Where you have to again work around the sharp blades at the narrow bottom of the Vitamix jar.
- Size. The Blendtec is able to be stored under the cabinets with the jar still on the motor base. The Vitamix can't store with the jar on the motor base.
Cons vs. Vitamix
- Consistency. Like cleaning, for me it's not a huge win for the Vitamix. But, the sharp blades do have a benefit over the dull blades. The frozen strawberries from Costco can be huge. And sometimes just running the smoothie cycle on the Blendtec leaves 1-2 small pieces of strawberry in the smoothie (nothing a few more seconds wouldn't solve). A lot of the times it will be completely smooth. But, I guess it depends on how many of the huge frozen strawberries find their way into the smoothie I make for the day. So a small win for the Vitamix there.
- Lid design. Not a huge negative for me, but I do like the Vitamix lid design a bit better. It doesn't get as much splatter on it than the Blendtec's. Making it easier to remove without worrying about getting the contents of the jar over the counter, etc.
The washes between the two blenders.
- Noise. Both of these machines are loud, but they are very tolerable. In my opinion the Vitamix is a bit louder, but there is so little difference between the two. It shouldn't be a deciding point between them.
- Out of the box readiness. This all comes down to what you plan to do with the blenders. If you plan to do nut butters more, the Vitamix is ready to do it out of the box with the tamper. The Blendtec either requires you to stop the machine to push the nuts into the middle of the jar so it can be blended or have to spend the money on the Twister Jar. From videos I have seen it does a good job making nut butters. On the other hand, if you want to do grains, the Blendtec is better suited for them out of the box (just as long as you don't mind cosmetic damage from the grains marking up the jar). The Vitamix requires the dry grains container, which has a different blade design better suited for grains. Where the standard jars blade will be damaged over time grinding them up.
Conclusion
I prefer the Blendtec Designer Series to the Vitamix 5200. But, it doesn't mean the Blendtec is the better blender. As stated above, it all comes down to personal preferences and where you are willing to compromise on. For me, the Blendtec came out to be the winner. But, you can't go wrong with either blender.
Update 10/13: I'm still loving the blender. Been making smoothies almost every day for breakfast. Also used it to make baked potato soup( blendtec recipe and delicious) and other meal ideas. I did get the Twister jar to make peanut butter. Twisting the top in my opinion is easier than using the tamper with the Vitamix. Also, I like the texture/consistency of the peanut butter using the blendtec and twister jar over the Vitamix.
62 of 66 people found the following review helpful.
By Matthew Abell
"HOW MANY TIMES HAS THIS HAPPENED TO YOU..."
After I was married I bought my wife a Kitchen Aid blender thinking I was investing in a quality appliance. It lasted barely a year. Our next blender was a cheapo Oster, and though it outlasted the Kitchen Aid by several years, it leaked oil and never really pulverized the ingredients adequately. I considered the Vitamix and even the Ninja, but hated the fact that they can't fit under an upper cabinet.
"THERE'S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY!"
After much research, I found the Blendtec, which had glowing reviews and an impressive seven-year warranty. Though there weren't many reviews of the Designer Series model, I took a leap of faith, swayed by the more cleanable controls and claims that it is quieter and runs cooler than the Total Blender.
"CAN YOUR BLENDER DO THIS?"
I wondered whether I was nuts for spending over four hundred dollars for a blender, but as I unpacked it from the box I could tell this is a quality machine. (As a bonus, it is mostly manufactured in the US.) It arrives well-packaged, with all parts individually protected and absolutely no assembly required. Also included is an instructional DVD and a spiral-bound recipe book (more on this later). The DVD includes operating instructions, a few recipes, and the original infomercial where they pulverize an iPhone and a 2x4 in the Blendtec.
"IT'S THE LAST ONE YOU'LL EVER OWN!"
This is a hefty blender, weighing in at about eight pounds, with a fairly large base, measuring about seven inches wide by nine inches deep by six inches high; with the blender jar in place, it's still only fifteen inches tall, so it will fit underneath an upper cabinet with no trouble at all. This baby draws 1,560 watts and 13 amps, so if your electric wiring is out of date don't run the microwave at the same time. The power cord is reassuringly thick and unusually long - about four feet - but thankfully it comes with a sturdy Velcro wrap attached to the cord. The blender base is mostly featureless - colored plastic sides (mine is cream) with a black plastic top and small silver Blendtec medallion near the bottom; there are no sharp edges and no small places for food to hide. On the underside, there are two molded "handles," a large vented center channel to keep the motor cool, and a continuous rubber foot.
My blender came with both the standard "Fourside" and "Wildside" jars. The Foursider has graduated markings up to 32 ounces and has a total capacity of two quarts (64 ounces). The Wildside has a fifth side and a longer four-inch blade for a better blending vortex, they claim; it can hold up to 90 ounces. Both jars are made of BPA-free copolyester plastic with rounded contours inside for easy cleaning (the jar and blade cannot be disassembled, so it should be cleaned after each use). The "wingtip" blade is unusual because it is very thick and not so sharp that you would cut your fingers while cleaning it. On three corners of the jar's square mouth there is a bevel that allows you to pour with minimal dripping. The lid has an oversize tab on each corner that makes it easy to remove (even if you're arthritic); it's made of some kind of rubber with a plastic insert that lets you add liquid while the blender is running without removing the lid.
"SO EASY A CHILD CAN DO IT!"
Except for the lighted power "button," the entire control surface is glossy black like an iPhone until you turn it on. The capacitive touch interface makes it easy to keep things clean; when it's off it has a sleek, understated look that blends in easily (no pun intended). Turn it on and it lights up like a Christmas tree. There are presets for batter, frozen drinks, smoothies, ice cream, whole juice, and soups, plus a pulse function and a manual mode with eight different speeds. When you select a preset, the blender will ramp up and down in speed for the optimal blend.
The first time I made a smoothie I was shocked by how much this blender skipped around the counter; despite having an eight-pound base with rubber feet, this baby moves! After one month of use, I still don't trust it enough to let go while blending, and sometimes it will even make nearby vitamin bottles dance across the counter. (It only does this when blending frozen ingredients.) Fortunately the lid stays tight no matter what. I will probably try placing it on a rubberized mat in the future. That's the power of a 1,560 watt blender. Despite some reviewers' complaints about the Total Blender, the Designer model was no noisier than you'd expect a blender to be. My first smoothie was amazing - every bit as smooth as the ones you can buy in a bottle. Now I make a double portion (approx. 40 ounces) every morning to share with my wife, using 8 ounces of juice, 6 ounces of greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries, a cup of frozen strawberries, a banana, a dozen grapes, a cup of cantaloupe, a cup of pineapple, 1/2 cup of kale, 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, and a whole sliced apple or orange. When I make a shake this large, I find I need to run it on high in manual mode for another 15 seconds after pressing the smoothie setting. Delicious, and no more chunks!
"NO FUSS, NO MESS!"
Clean up is surprisingly easy - I just pre-rinse the jar and then wipe it out with a sponge; the lid pops apart and rinses clean. As with any blender, the ground flax and strawberry seeds tend to stick to the sides; if I didn't use flax or strawberries I probably wouldn't need the sponge at all. Other reviewers recommend not putting it in the dishwasher because the jar will become cloudy over time. I only do so after grinding raw meat and turn the heated dry option off.
"BUT WAIT... THERE'S MORE!"
When I read that the Blendtec came with a recipe book, I figured it would end up in the trash like the pamphlet-sized "cookbook" that comes with a George Foreman grill. Little did I expect that it would make me think about what goes into all my food. This spiral-bound book is a great companion piece to the blender; the recipes really demonstrate the diverse capabilities of the Blendtec, including invaluable information about ingredient substitutions, grinding your own flour from whole grain, how to peel a mango, get meat from a coconut, and more. After hearing so many news reports about "pink slime," I now buy fresh or frozen meat and make ground meat in the blender - it's actually cheaper and I know exactly what part of the animal I'm eating. I have also followed the recipes to make soups, dry broth powder, hummus, salad dressings, homemade brownies (baked in the oven, obviously!), fresh ginger ale, and carrot juice (though it's no replacement for a juicer.) Everything has been delicious, but most surprising is the soup function of the blender, which actually heats the soup using friction from the powerful blades alone! (This makes it kind of frothy, however.) I am looking forward to making my own bread dough, almond milk, peanut butter, tahini, apple butter, ice cream, sorbet, and even whipping up a facial mask for my wife! Who knew a blender could do all this?
"NOW HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY?"
There are very few products in this world that, besides being thoroughly well-designed and functioning as intended, change your lifestyle. For me, this was an investment not only in a quality-made product but in my health. I cannot recommend it more highly.
34 of 37 people found the following review helpful.
By Bob Tobias
We got this blender as a gift about six months ago and have used it to... blend stuff. Then, a little while ago, a bunch of cosmic forces came together and convinced my wife and me to "start juicing". (Almost simultaneously reading articles on juicing in several magazines, watching an episode of Dr. Oz and a documentary on healthy choices including juicing, and several conversations where the topic came up.)
That's when we discovered the true power of this blender. I already knew that the 4" blades meant it could whip up a smoothie in nothing flat, making short work of ice cubes in the process. Also, we found that the lid design allows a lot of air into the container so it can mix with whatever is being blended. What I didn't realize is that the "smoothie" setting is *ideal* for breaking down leafy greens, chunks of fruit, and hunks of vegetables as well. It seems to "know" when to speed up, slow down, and pulse, all during the preset 45 second program to produce a blended, liquefied, and still textured beverage regardless of the ingredients we've tossed in.
I did some research after the fact (it's easier that way... no decisions to make) and discovered there are three, no make that four, camps in the juicing world. Hope you don't mind and as long as I'm already typing I figured I would share:
- There are people with "real" juicers. For me, I like the idea of consuming everything (instead of throwing out pulp).
- There are people with "normal" blenders. I guess they work for juicing. I haven't tried. However, in the past I tried using a regular blender to make milkshakes and they didn't come out anywhere near as good as with my Blendtech.
- The last two camps are the Vitamixers and the Blendtecers. Both are expensive. Both are powerful. (I've seen Vitamix demos and read a lot about them.) The difference to me, aside from Blendtec's snazzy appearance :) , is that it has the built in programs to mix, crush, whip, and whatever else with just the press of a button. And, best of all, from our experience it's not a gimmick and they really work.
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