Will It Blend? A Review of Popular Blenders

Will it Blend? A Review of Popular Blenders

Struggling to eat your required vegetable intake each day? Drinking your greens may be the answer. Many companies currently in the juice and smoothie home appliance market are gaining a lot of attention and sales of late – and for good reason – there is a movement away from processed store-bought juices towards a DIY fresh fruit and vegetable juice alternative. This is as a trend for the better and one that hopefully becomes more popular. The only trouble is choosing which blender you will work up your own health cocktails with. Some options (each with their own strengths and weaknesses) have been provided in this review to help you in your quest. Infomercial and advertising propaganda aside, let’s look at the facts behind 4 options worthy of consideration. Although the author of this post will have his own opinions on each, please note that he has no financial ties or kickbacks with any of them. In no particular order, let’s go through the brands and models at the forefront of the market today:

Nutribullet:

Being the smallest in power and size, the American made Nutribullet is naturally the cheapest option for consideration (less than a third of the price of competitor models). It is great for the softer kinds of vegetables and fruit (e.g. tomatoes, oranges, berries etc.), yet will struggle with most items that are denser or not chopped up well such as larger and/or harder foods such as whole apples, kale and nuts/seeds. So if you are thinking of putting one whole granny smith into your next Nutribullet experiment you may won’t to wear a full helmet and flak jacket just before you flick the ‘on’ switch. The main advantages of this device include its simplicity, compactness, and its easiness to clean. Unlike the other machines listed here, you won’t make a consistent nut butter or as smooth a juice using the Nutribullet. However, you will get a decent blender at the lowest price. Only one speed and pulse option. Users report less of a lifespan for the Nutribullet and an accelerated wear and tear time on parts compared to other higher premium brands. It won’t crush ice, make hot soups or butters, but it will make some decent smoothies and juices in a very short amount of time. Unlike all its competitors, it lacks a nation-wide service policy, which is understandable when it is priced so low. Nutribullets are American made

Here are the Nutribullet specs:

Vitamix 5200:

Vitamix is a brand that has been around for 50+ years and has a very good service history. The 5200 model is the brand’s top of the range model for domestic use. The Vitamix is the most energy efficient blender for its size out of the 4 blenders reviewed here. It boasts a powerful motor and great versatility, with the capability of blending larger whole-fruits and vegetables whilst also being able to crush ice, puree nuts into butters and create hot real vegetable soups. Creating nut milks, ice cream, and kneading bread dough are also some of the many tasks the Vitamix can handle easily and effectively. The Vitamix has separate dry and wet mixing jugs and has a 2L capacity. The brand has a very good customer service and replacement policy (rarely required) with all matters handled promptly. Any associated shipping costs for parts, servicing and replacement are all born by the company which is very welcoming assurance to Vitamix buyers and fans. It is American made with 7-10 year warranty (depending on where you buy it) with reports from most owners that their Vitamix still functions 100% some 20+ years later with no issues. If you are looking for the most trusted brand of blender, this would be it.

Here are the Vitamix 5200 specs:

Blendtec HP3A:

The Blendtech HP3A is a lighter weight and smaller size than the Vitamix 5200 and the Optimum 9400. At 19 cm wide, 20 cm deep, & 39 cm tall the HP3A will be compact enough to fit under the counter of most standard sized kitchen cabinets, making storage & relocation less of a hassle.
The BPA Free, robust iron parts make the Blendtec both a domestic and commercial grade blender that making it excellent for home use and business use if required.
The machine is relatively easy to clean and contains an all-purpose jug for both wet and dry blending. It does all the tasks of the vitamix with the only drawback being that it vibrates, making it slightly noisy and requiring a firm hand on top of it whilst it is blending to keep it in place. Nevertheless, the Blendtec HP3A is a very reputable machine with many coffee shops and juice bars relying on it for a large volume of work. Another great perk of the HP3A is its 25 pre-programmed blending cycles and its unique Smart-Touch Technology function. The Smart-Touch function allows the blender to automatically speed up and slow down – controlling the pulsing and speed of the blending to make the recipe turn out consistently every time. This function is prompted by the simple push of a button and shuts off when the cycle and recipe is complete. If you are looking for the most tech-savvy blender for the home use, this would be your choice. The Blendtech is American made with money-back guarantees being dependant on the seller.

Here are the Blendtech HP3A specs:

Optimum 9400:

One of the newer brands to the market, the Optimum 9400 is an Australian designed blender that is a very close rival to the Vitamix. It does everything the Vitamix does and yet is half the price. The Optimum 9400 is the most powerful of the blenders reviewed here with a 2238 watt motor and 6 blade mechanism, meaning it works at a slightly quicker speed than the Vitamix. The nation-wide service guarantee, 24/7 support and international 7 year warranty on the Optimum 9400 is excellent value for the price. Like the Blendtec, the Optimum 9400 contains an all-purpose jug for both wet and dry blending and is relatively easy to clean. The machine boasts a 6 pronged blade and 10 speed variable dial to manipulate its awesome speed and power.

Here are the Optimum 9400 specs:

Conclusion:

If you are looking for something small scale and not sure if blending juices or smoothies will work for you, you are best to experiment with a smaller sized and more viable blender such as the Nutribullet which will allow you to still make a vast array of concoctions for less than 1/3 of the price of the bigger blenders. If you are looking for the next level up and want to have a versatile and robust machine, you can’t go wrong with most of the bigger and more powerful blenders. The vitamix 5200 wins on efficiency and service and is ideal if you are looking for something that is guaranteed to be resilient and endure for a very long time. The Blendtech wins on technical capabilities and automation, delivering consistency with each blend. The Optimum 9400 is the best value in the author’s eyes. It is the most powerful and just as (if not more) capable as the other larger makes and models and for around half the price. The warranty is very decent (7 years) and can be extended up to 10 years for and extra $100.

– Michael

Performance Revolution

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