May 2007
First Look: Blendtec Total Blender
This blender can handle a range of jobs, but it's one noisy, expensive machine
POWER AT A PRICE The Blendtec Total Blender can tackle many cooking chores, but this appliance is loud and expensive.
Name of product: Blendtec Total Blender
Price we paid: $400
Date published in Consumer Reports: August 2007
What it is: A multipurpose appliance designed to tackle more tasks than the standard-issue kitchen blender. Indeed, on the manufacturer's Web site, the Total Blender is touted as the "Total Solution." With this jack-of-all-trades machine, claims Blendtec, you can "Blend, Chop, Grind, Freeze, Cook, Hash, Crush, Mince, Dice, Mill, Purée, and Much More!" It's available with a white or black base.
What we liked: In our lab tests, this 1,500-watt, 16-speed blender with touchpad controls excelled at making smoothes and crushing ice. It's a powerful appliance whose feats of strengths you might have seen on TV, including NBC's "Today" show. (Check out the blender in action.) It comes with a capacious 64-ounce polycarbonate jar that's backed by a 1-year warranty; the motor base is backed by a 3-year warranty and the coupling and blade are covered for life.
What we didn't like: When it's working at full speed, this blender is extremely noisy--it's so loud, in fact, that we recommend you wear ear protection during use. The $400 price is equally elevated.
Our initial take: After preliminary testing, the Blendtec appears to be a very good blender. But the price and earsplitting results in our noise tests might make you reconsider whether this is the right appliance for you--unless you need to regularly pulverize baseballs or plungers.
We'll be putting the Blendtec through more-mundane paces concocting icy drinks like piña coladas, grating cheese, puréeing soup, and making pancake batter, banana bread, and ice cream. Look for a report on blenders in the August 2007 issue of Consumer Reports.
More information: See this commercial-quality blender in action.
Price we paid: $400
Date published in Consumer Reports: August 2007
What it is: A multipurpose appliance designed to tackle more tasks than the standard-issue kitchen blender. Indeed, on the manufacturer's Web site, the Total Blender is touted as the "Total Solution." With this jack-of-all-trades machine, claims Blendtec, you can "Blend, Chop, Grind, Freeze, Cook, Hash, Crush, Mince, Dice, Mill, Purée, and Much More!" It's available with a white or black base.
What we liked: In our lab tests, this 1,500-watt, 16-speed blender with touchpad controls excelled at making smoothes and crushing ice. It's a powerful appliance whose feats of strengths you might have seen on TV, including NBC's "Today" show. (Check out the blender in action.) It comes with a capacious 64-ounce polycarbonate jar that's backed by a 1-year warranty; the motor base is backed by a 3-year warranty and the coupling and blade are covered for life.
What we didn't like: When it's working at full speed, this blender is extremely noisy--it's so loud, in fact, that we recommend you wear ear protection during use. The $400 price is equally elevated.
Our initial take: After preliminary testing, the Blendtec appears to be a very good blender. But the price and earsplitting results in our noise tests might make you reconsider whether this is the right appliance for you--unless you need to regularly pulverize baseballs or plungers.
We'll be putting the Blendtec through more-mundane paces concocting icy drinks like piña coladas, grating cheese, puréeing soup, and making pancake batter, banana bread, and ice cream. Look for a report on blenders in the August 2007 issue of Consumer Reports.
More information: See this commercial-quality blender in action.
