Blender Reviews: The Vitamix vs. the Blendtec & HealthMaster

Everyone who has attended a class knows that I absolutely adore my Vitamix.  I bought my high powered blender the instant I decided the raw lifestyle was worth investing into. I’m not entirely sure I could do what I do without it.  Not only does it help me create all my yummies, but it saves me tons of time.  It grinds nuts and seeds, completely bursts the cell walls of plants to release that incredible chlorophyll, breaks down frozen fruit to make ice cream, in fact I haven’t found anything my Vitamix cannot do.  The only problem with the Vitamix?  It’s expensive!!!!!  If you buy a new Deluxe Vitamix 5200, with all the bells and whistles, it comes out to $650 (and that’s without S&H!).  You can also buy a Vitamix that has been “factory reconditioned” (aka..used) for 379.00.  I called the company and got the old model – a Factory Reconditioned Vitamix 5000 for $250 – two years ago. While I consider that a steal, $300-$400 for a blender is way beyond most people’s budgets, especially when they also have an expensive stove, microwave, toaster oven, crockpot, rice cooker, etc…just sitting around their kitchen waiting to be used. 
BLENDTEC

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People are always asking if there are other blenders out there that are cheaper, yet have the same performance.  I have personally used two others that come close. The first is a Blendtec, the rival to the Vitamix. It’s much more affordable, coming in at $440 for the “Wild Side” (deluxe version), $400 for the Basic Version, and $350 for the Factory Reconditioned Basic.  It’s actually slightly more powerful than the Vitamix, coming in at 1560 Watts vs. the Vitamix’s 1380 Watts. The Basic comes with a 32 oz. pitcher, the Wild Side has a 44 oz. pitcher, and the Vitamix has a 64 oz. pitcher. The Blendtec has a broader based pitcher – easier to get your food out and nothing gets trapped under the blades. Lastly, the Blendtec is programmable and you can set it and walk away and it will shut itself off.  Very cool!  All in all, the Blendtec is a GREAT BUY.  If you can find one, go for it.  BUT…there are THREE drawbacks.  First, it does not come with a tamper – an instrument to push food into the blades.  Therefore, you need to cut and dice your food smaller so it will move AND you CANNOT make Ice cream in this blender. :/ That’s a big part of my diet, so I cannot imagine having the Blendtec permanently. Second, even though the base of the pitcher is larger (my Vitamix pitcher is tapered), I have problems doing small amounts of food.  One cup of dip in the Blendtec just  spins…doesn’t mix.  And finally, the larger motor doesn’t do any more than I need, but it is a LOT louder – which is not so good when you have kids with sensitive hearing, babies, or need to do any food prep when people are sleeping.

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The second blender I have had the opportunity to try out is Montel William’s HealthMaster.   At 4 easy payments of $49.99 (plus S&H), it’s by far the cheapest at $200.  It comes in at 1100 watts of power, which isn’t much less than Vitamix’s 1380 watts.  It has a monster 70 oz. pitcher that has a nice broad base where no food gets stuck. It comes with a tamper! Yaaay!  Ice cream, here we come! And for those who aren’t completely raw, lots and lots of easy recipes that are fairly healthy.  AND…the base is programmable just like the Blendtec. Cool.  Okay, those are the pro’s.  Here come the con’s. First, like the Blendtec, even though the base of the pitcher is larger (my Vitamix pitcher is tapered), I have problems doing small amounts of food.  One cup of dip in the HealthMaster just  spins…doesn’t mix.  Second, the lower wattage means that it just isn’t as powerful and doesn’t blend as smooth or creamy as mine.  I tried to make a pie crust (crushed nuts and fruit) in the HealthMaster and it got stuck in the pitcher.  The pitcher has pockets where food gets caught and I can’t just spatula it down to the bottom…I’m not sure if you can see from the picture.  The motor is ridiculously loud and slightly smelly (which the manufacturer says will wear off within six months).  Lastly, it has two locking mechanisms that sound like a wonderful safeguard but are actually quite annoying.  The thing won’t run unless the pitcher is locked to the base and the lid is locked to the pitcher.  Both locks are quite difficult to engage and after working with it for a half an hour, my fingers were starting to blister. I got used to it quickly, but my friend said she was less likely to work with it because of this feature. 

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So there we are.  Two other options instead of the Vitamix.  Both of the other blenders tackled Green Smoothies with ease and made dips and sauces effortlessly.  They are both less expensive than the Vitamix, which is on sale at QVC right now for $400 in 4 easy payments.  I still recommend the Vitamix.  It is worth the investment and even if you aren’t raw in any capacity it is wonderful for your kitchen.  If you would like to get the Factory Reconditioned Vitamix 5200 and are interested in FREE SHIPING…click on THIS LINK.  :) (It has my referral code – free shipping).  I hope this helped!!!!