Along with Vitamix, Blendtec is one of the biggest names when it comes to both home and commercial blenders.
As powerful, supremely versatile appliances, they’re a tempting addition to any kitchen.
Which is the best Blendtec blender though?
Well, as always, it’s a case of balancing your budget against the features you’re really going to need in your own home.
I’ve reviewed five of the best Blendtec blenders available right now, and also highlighted my top picks for different circumstances.
After that I’ve provided some extra insight into the different models available across the Blendtec range, and answered some of your most common questions.
(My guide to juicing and blending at home contains plenty more tutorials and buying tips!)
Summary
Before moving onto the more detailed reviews, I wanted to give you a quick summary of my top picks – just in case you’re rushed for time:
(This article includes affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.)
BEST OVERALL – Blendtec Professional 800 With WildSide Jar
- For Residential Use Only The World’s Quietest Blender: Features the most advanced proprietary sound dampening and airflow...
- Heavy-Duty Blender: This kitchen blender features a 1800-watt motor, matte black jar base, and an illuminated, capacitive touch...
- Easy to Clean: Simply add hot water and a little dish soap to the jar and blend for several seconds to clean; Use a wet cloth to...
- High-Power Countertop Blender: This large blender has preprogrammed cycles for batters, mixed drinks, smoothies, frozen treats,...
- Blend Safely: No sharp blades; with patented blunt blade technology, blade is 80% thicker and 10 times stronger than other blades,...
“The Blendtec Professional 800 is the best of the bunch hands down, although it has a steep price tag. This is the best option for those who are really serious about their blending, will get daily use out of it, and need a blender that can keep up. It’s quiet too, thanks to a noise reducing shield that fits over the shell. For a typical family household, see the Blendtec Total Classic below.”
BEST VALUE – Blendtec Total Classic Original Blender With FourSide Jar
- Kitchen Countertop Blender: Professional-grade blender uses 1-touch buttons to control the 6 pre-programmed cycles, pulse option,...
- Preprogrammed Blender Cycles: Do more in the kitchen with this blender's preprogrammed cycles for batters, mixed drinks,...
- Large and Powerful Kitchen Blender: The BPA-free, 75 ounce volume jar has a 32 ounce blending capacity for wet and dry foods;...
- Easy to Clean: Simply add hot water and a little dish soap to the jar and blend for several seconds to clean; Use a wet cloth to...
- Feel Confident: With technology to make blending simpler and more effective, Blendtec is the ultimate tool for your culinary...
“If you’re not looking for a high-end Blendtec blender, but you do still want some of the extra functionality of more advanced machines, the Blendtec Total Classic is your best option. You get the same power performance, along with six pre programmed settings to handle the most common jobs. The jar’s big enough for the average household, and you can add to your container collection if you wish.”
BEST FOR SIMPLICITY – Blendtec Classic Fit Blender With FourSide Jar
- Elevate Your Blending Experience: High quality blender for smoothies, shakes, cocktail drinks, soups, crushed ice (snow cones,...
- 2 Year comprehensive warranty. An American company, family-owned and driven to build the best quality products - without...
- Includes BPA-free four-sided jar for smaller quantities, grinding grains, and heating soups and drinks through friction heat. The...
- Professional-quality: for years, blending Professionals have used Blendtec machines in the best coffee shops, juice bars and...
- Features: 30-second cycle, +10 seconds, high pulse and low pulse. This exclusive blend cycle technology creates the perfect blends...
“If all you want to do is blitz ingredients, and don’t need any pre-programmed functions, the Classic Fit Blender is going to be the best choice for you. It’s the most budget-friendly Blendtec blender I know of, and will be a good starting point if you don’t need anything complicated.”
(This article includes affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.)
Why Buy A Blendtec?
Blendtec blenders are high-performance blenders.
They’re designed to make mincemeat out of any ingredient you give them, and are ideal for creating smoothies, ice cream, nut butter, hot soup, sauces, smoothies and more.
Although they’re not the cheapest blenders on the market, they pack a huge amount of power. The trick is to buy the model that will best fulfill what you want from it.
Every Blendtec blender is backed up with an impressive warranty. Once you’ve picked the right machine for your own kitchen, you can at least have confidence that the machine will be supported for a generous period of time.
Blendtec Blender Reviews
Onto the reviews! In the next section I’ve reviewed each of these Blendtec blenders, and added a few other options that you might want to explore.
After the reviews you can find more detailed advice that will help you with your own research.
Blendtec Professional 800 Blender With WildSide Jar
If money is no object and you want the very best Blendtec blender on the market, the Blendtec Professional 800 is an easy choice.
This is pretty much the end-game for Blendtec blenders, featuring the best of the company’s noise-reduction technology, blending power and preset options.
- For Residential Use Only The World’s Quietest Blender: Features the most advanced proprietary sound dampening and airflow...
- Heavy-Duty Blender: This kitchen blender features a 1800-watt motor, matte black jar base, and an illuminated, capacitive touch...
- Easy to Clean: Simply add hot water and a little dish soap to the jar and blend for several seconds to clean; Use a wet cloth to...
- High-Power Countertop Blender: This large blender has preprogrammed cycles for batters, mixed drinks, smoothies, frozen treats,...
- Blend Safely: No sharp blades; with patented blunt blade technology, blade is 80% thicker and 10 times stronger than other blades,...
On the front you’ll find a very responsive touch slider which provides quick access between 11 different speed settings. That makes it very easy to tweak the blend as you go, and achieve just the right consistency.
That’s helped further by a crystal clear LCD screen that features a countdown timer. This allows you to get a feel for the overall time of the blend.
If you want a little more hands-off help though, the Blendtec Professional 800 comes with a total of six pre-programmed functions.
These tackle the most common blending jobs you’ll want to throw at the appliance, and the results are excellent. Here’s what’s covered:
- Batters (Sauces, dips, salad dressings, batters)
- Mixed Drinks (Mixed drinks, milkshakes, crush ice)
- Smoothie (Fruit smoothies, green smoothies, milkshakes)
- Frozen Treats (Ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbets)
- Whole Juice (Juices, green drinks)
- Hot Soup (Soups, hot chocolate, syrups, fondues)
- Pulse (Stir, chop or mince at high speed)
There’s also a sort of “hidden” seventh option in the form of a Self Clean function. Just add warm water and dish soap and the Blendtec 800 does a pretty good job of keeping itself clean!
The standard jar supplied with the Professional 800 is Blendtec’s BPA free WildSide container.
You’ll find more detail on this jar type in the buying guide section further down the page. Essentially though, it creates a vortex within the jar that makes for a much more consistent blend.
The jar has a capacity of 90 oz, which is as big as you’re ever going to want in a kitchen. Other, smaller jar sizes are available, but you’ll need to buy these separately.
Part of the reason for the cost of this blender is the noise reduction technology that’s included.
This comes in the form of a solid shield which sits around the appliance. That’s obviously useful in a family household, but also has its benefits if you’re buying the 800 for a small commercial environment too.
Pros
- Noise reduction technology is extremely effective.
- Presets cover the most common blender tasks and produce excellent results.
- Speed control slider is fast and responsive, allowing you to easily shift gears.
- A wide range of fine speed controls.
- Recipe book included with the machine so you start getting your money’s worth!
Cons
- A high-end blender commands a high-end price. So it is with the Blendtec 800!
- There’s no dedicated Self Clean preset, but you can do this manually via the pulse function.
- So powerful that it can struggle to blitz ice into anything but slush.
- A large blender compared to other Blendtec models.
Blendtec Total Classic Original Blender With FourSide Jar
I’ve described the Blendtec Total Classic as offering the most value from the Blendtec range.
Typically that suggests an affordable appliance that doesn’t always deliver comparable results, but that’s really not the case here.
- Kitchen Countertop Blender: Professional-grade blender uses 1-touch buttons to control the 6 pre-programmed cycles, pulse option,...
- Preprogrammed Blender Cycles: Do more in the kitchen with this blender's preprogrammed cycles for batters, mixed drinks,...
- Large and Powerful Kitchen Blender: The BPA-free, 75 ounce volume jar has a 32 ounce blending capacity for wet and dry foods;...
- Easy to Clean: Simply add hot water and a little dish soap to the jar and blend for several seconds to clean; Use a wet cloth to...
- Feel Confident: With technology to make blending simpler and more effective, Blendtec is the ultimate tool for your culinary...
Yes, the Blendtec 800 is technically the best overall, but not everyone can justify that kind of investment.
Think of the Total Classic as giving you the full Blendtec experience, without some of the fancy bells and whistles you might not even need.
You still get a clear display and the standard set of six high-performance presets, for example. You also have ten manual speed options, achieved this time around with a button press.
In other words, you’re still getting the same level of performance, without the higher overheads that come with more advanced technology.
The jar that comes as standard with the Total Classic is Blendtec’s BPA free FourSide jar. It has a capacity of 75 oz, which is big enough for the average household (think three or four people).
One other thing that’s missing in my value pick is any kind of noise reduction technology.
Although the Total Classic blender doesn’t feature any kind of shielding, I wouldn’t say it was any louder or quieter than the average blender.
At the end of the day, any device designed to pulverize ingredients is going to make a little noise.
I also like the overall size and design of the Total blender. If you have a smaller household, this is a smart looking, high-performance appliance that won’t hog a heap of countertop space.
Pros
- Great performance and value for money.
- 10 speed settings and six pre-programmed settings cover all the most common tasks.
- A stylish design and a forgiving footprint for a countertop blender of this type.
- Easy to clean and use too.
- A proven classic with many, many happy owners.
Cons
- The friction heating for the soup setting isn’t quite hot enough.
- Depending on who you’re buying this for, there might be too many control options on this blender. Consider the Classic Fit if you’re concerned.
- The manual isn’t great for new owners. I highly recommend a little light YouTubing to get the most out of it.
(If you’d like to learn more about this one, take a look at my Blendtec Total Blender review, published elsewhere on the site!)
Blendtec Classic Fit Blender With FourSide Jar
The Blendtec Classic Fit Blender is as close as you can get to a no-frills version of the Blendtec experience.
Like the Total Classic I’ve already reviewed, it’s designed for home users who are happy to trade off even more features for an even lower price.
- Elevate Your Blending Experience: High quality blender for smoothies, shakes, cocktail drinks, soups, crushed ice (snow cones,...
- 2 Year comprehensive warranty. An American company, family-owned and driven to build the best quality products - without...
- Includes BPA-free four-sided jar for smaller quantities, grinding grains, and heating soups and drinks through friction heat. The...
- Professional-quality: for years, blending Professionals have used Blendtec machines in the best coffee shops, juice bars and...
- Features: 30-second cycle, +10 seconds, high pulse and low pulse. This exclusive blend cycle technology creates the perfect blends...
It makes use of the company’s FourSide jar design, with a reasonably large 75 ounce capacity. The plastic’s BPA free, and I also like how clear the measuring lines are marked on the outside.
In terms of performance it tackles hard items like grains as well as it does fruit, vegetables and ice. You can also make hot soups and drinks, just through the friction heat that’s generated during the blending process.
There’s no LED screen or touch slider controls here. Instead you have four push buttons and a timer readout on the front of the machine.
The first button puts the machine into a full speed, 30 second blending mode. The second is used to add ten second increments. That’s useful if your smoothie needs a little longer, or if you’re adding softer ingredients in the latter stages of the blend.
Finally you have two “pulse” buttons that you can use to manually blend the ingredients. One’s a lower power, one’s a higher power and gives you more control over the precise blend.
It’s not a complicated machine by any means, and simply focuses on getting one job done very, very well.
Crucially though, you still get the incredible horsepower of a Blendtec, thanks to the 1560 Watt motor that powers it.
It doesn’t have the longest of Blendtec warranties either, but I think it will last a lot longer than the 2 year warranty period provided as standard.
Pros
- Simple control panel makes this is a beginner-friendly Blendtec blender.
- Two pulse buttons provide a little fine control over the manual blend.
- The most affordable way of getting started with the world of Blendtec.
Cons
- I think the control panel options are a little too basic for the price.
- Quite a short warranty for a Blendtec.
- The design of the blender feels quite bland.
Blendtec Classic 575 Blender With WildSide Jar
The Blendtec Classic 575 acts as the shortest bridge between the Classic series and the Designer series.
It’s supplied with the Blendtec BPA free WildSide jar which has a 90 oz capacity. Again, that’s suitable for all but the biggest family households.
- Easy to Use: The Classic 575 kitchen blender has 4 cycles for perfect soups, smoothies, and shakes
- 5-Speed Control: Customize the consistency of your blender's smoothies with incremental speed cycles
- Clear Markings: Use this blender for shakes and smoothies to measure ingredients while blending
- Easy to Clean: Scrape all of your soups or smoothies with the heat-resistant Spoonula spatula
- Blend Safely: Our blunt kitchen blender blade pulverizes ingredients and keeps injuries at bay
Although the standard model includes a larger jar, the Classic 575 isn’t quite as advanced as the Total Classic Blender – part of the reason why that particular blender gets my top value pick.
With the Classic 575 you have just the four pre-programmed blending cycles, along with the standard pulse control. There are also just five different speed settings to play with as well.
It does have that same smart design, and features another crisp LCD display that gives a clear, at-a-glance view of how much time remains on the presets.
You can buy both of these blenders for much the same price, and so I think you really have to consider whether a larger WildSide jar is worth the loss of other functionality.
Don’t forget either that you can always upgrade to a WildSide jar if you go down the route of buying the Total Classic.
Obviously that will cost more money in the long run.
I would strongly suggest you base your decision on how much capacity you’re really going to need, and whether that’s more important than having more speed settings and pre-programmed settings.
Does the Classic 575 blender have anything else going for it over the Blendtec Total Classic? Actually, yes.
There are quite a few more color options for the 575. It’s not a deal-maker for me personally, but if you like to keep a colorful kitchen you can pick from the following options:
- Black
- Caribbean Blue
- Orchid Purple
- Polar White
- Slate Gray
- White
Pros
- A good selection of pre programmed settings covering the most important jobs.
- Easy to use and easy to clean.
- 8 year warranty provides peace of mind.
- One of the more colorful entries in the Blendtec blender range.
Cons
- The lowest speed on the 575 is still very fast. That can make rough chopping tricky.
- Quite expensive considering the other Blendtec blenders just above – and below – the price point.
- As it’s light, it rattles quite a bit on the countertop, particularly at the highest speeds.
- Somewhat louder that more recent models.
Blendtec Designer 625 Blender With WildSide Jar
This is another Blendtec blender where you’ll need to review the features closely and weight them up against the price.
In the case of the Designer, you’re looking at eight separate speeds for variable speed control. That’s a little more than some of the blenders on this round-up, and a little less than others.
There’s a touchscreen interface for selecting from the seven blending presets as well. It’s easy to use, but also very easy to clean up as you don’t get muck building up behind manual buttons.
Additionally, the motor base features internal baffling which prevents some of the noise leaking out. It’s not as effective as the sort of full-bodied shield you’ll find on the Pro 800, but it is very welcome.
The jar on the Original Designer blender is the 90 oz WildSide. You can, of course, pick up more of those jars separately if you’re happy to build up a collection.
It’s only really the controls that give it an edge over the Total Classic Blender for my money. And on the subject of money, you have to pay quite a bit extra for that advanced control technology.
The difference in presets is marginal, but the Blendtec Total Classic gives you an extra couple of manual speed settings to play with.
Pros
- Motor insulation does a good job of limiting noise created by the 625
- Very simple, single touch capacitive touch controls.
- Easy to clean and care for.
- Seven blending presets cover all the most important jobs.
Cons
- You pay quite a premium for some of the additional tech.
- No user manual out of the box! You’ll have to download it from the official site.
- Recipe book only contains 10 recipes.
Blendtec Buying Guide
Here’s everything you need to know about choosing the right Blendtec blender for your own home kitchen.
What Blendtec Models Are Available?
Blendtec blenders are separated into three main categories for different sections of the blending market.
There’s no outright best model as such, but the purpose of this guide is to give you the guidance you need to find the best blender for you.
Blendtec Classic
This range covers the so-called Blendtec Classic Series. These blenders operate at a power between 1475 and 1575 Watts.
These blenders sit at the lower end of the market, and so don’t have premium features like capacitive touch slider controls.
The blenders are still easy to use, but rely on a push button control panel instead. Make sure you clean around these regularly!
Crucially though, you don’t lose any of the famous performance, build and warranty support that comes as standard with Blendtec blenders.
- Blendtec Classic Fit Blender
- Blendtec Classic 575 Blender
- Blendtec Classic 580 Blender
SUMMARY: Put simply, the Classic range is for you if you have a typical family household, and need a high-performance blender at a price that won’t ruin your kitchenware budget.
Blendtec Designer Series
Blendtec’s midrange blenders fall under the Designer brand of models.
They pack a little more power (up to 1725 Watts), and so offer a little more speed alongside the trademark Blendtec power.
You can tackle just about any blending job, and get it done a little faster in the process.
The blenders also feature more pre-programmed settings than the more basic models, which makes life a little bit easier.
You just pick the setting you need, and let the Designer blender work through its pre programmed blend cycles.
- Blendtec Designer 600 Blender
- Blendtec Designer 625 Blender
- Blendtec Designer 675 Blender
- Blendtec Designer 725 Blender
SUMMARY: Blenders from the Designer series are going to be the best choice for you if you have a typical household, do a lot of blending, and need a blender that can keep up while making life easier.
You’ll have to pay a little more for this kind of convenience, but that extra investment will likely pay off in the long run.
Blendtec Professional Series
Once you move into the Blendtec Professional range of blenders, you’re right at the high end of the market. These are the blender models for people who are really serious about home blending.
You can expect to pay a premium for these blenders, but they’re some of the most powerful appliances that money can buy.
One significant improvement offered by the Professional blender series is something that Blendtec calls its Stealth Technology.
This reduces the noise of the blender considerably, making it something closer to conversation level.
It’s not going to be whisper-quiet by any means, but you won’t have to worry about waking the whole household with your breakfast smoothie!
If noise is a really important factor for you, consider buying the Blendtec Professional 800. It features an additional noise reduction shield, which sits over the blender base and does an impressive job of silencing the thing!
- Blendtec Professional 750
- Blendtec Professional 800
SUMMARY: If you are a blender super-user and won’t settle for anything but the best in your home, these are the blenders for you. They’re also very well suited to small commercial environments such as cafes or bars.
What Type Of Jar Do You Need?
Blendtec blenders come with one of three different blender jars. Here’s what you can expect from each one:
FourSide Jar
The Blendtec FourSide Jar has as 64 oz capacity,
WildSide Jar
The WildSide jar has a 90 oz capacity which is going to be more than enough for any domestic cooking situation.
The name derives from the extra fifth side on the jar. This design tweak creates a sort of vortex within the blender, which continually draws the ingredients closer to the center of the jar.
The end result is a much more consistent blend, mixing all of the ingredients together precisely.
Because of its massive capacity you’ll need to consider your storage and countertop space before committing to a WildSide machine.
The full assembly will either have to sit out on display permanently, or you’ll need spare cabinet space for the jar.
Twister Jar
The Blendtec Twister Jar is designed for blending especially thick recipes. Think baby food, nut butter, hummus and so on. Sticky stuff that requires a lot of hard work to blitz.
The Twister Jar has a capacity of 37 ounces, and clear measuring lines that reach up to the 16 ounce mark.
(These are the most common jars you’ll find on the standard line of Blendtec blenders. Have a look at my Blendtec jar guide if you’d like the lowdown on the entire range.)
What About The Blades?
Blendtec blades are designed to be extremely durable, and are constructed from cold-forged steel.
This toughness is a large part of why Blendtec is able to offer extensive warranties on all its blenders.
The curious thing about these blades is that you don’t need to worry about maintaining a sharp edge on them. They’re purposefully dulled to improve their capability at pulverizing even tough ingredients.
(If you’d like to find out more about this intriguing design decision, I’ve answered all your Blendtec blade questions elsewhere on Viva Flavor.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Finally, here are some of the questions most commonly asked about Blendtec blenders.
Can I Use My Blendtec Blender As A Food Processor?
The sheer power of Blendtec blenders means you can use them in lieu of a dedicated food processor.
The fact the blender blades have been deliberately pre-dulled means they tackle even very hard ingredients extremely well.
I also think it’s easier to clean a Blendtec blender than the average food processor.
Can A Blendtec Blender Be Used As A Juicer?
You can, but it’s important to note the difference between using a juicer for the job, rather than a blender.
A dedicated juicer will cleanly remove all the pulp from the produce, resulting in a very smooth drink.
A blender will blend absolutely everything though. It’s a thicker drink, but you might actually like the extra nutritional value.
What’s Better, Vitamix or Blendtec?
Vitamix has bigger market penetration, so its probably a brand name you’re more familiar with. They’ve also been around a bit longer and have snagged the brand awareness when it comes to premium blenders.
They’re typically quite clunky machines, however, and so I prefer a Blendtec. The company’s always innovating too, and pushing their products harder than pretty much every other competitor – including Vitamix.
As always, it’s a case of studying the reviews carefully, and finding the right balance between performance, features and your own budget.
Do Blendtec Blenders Use A Glass Jar?
No. Every Blendtec jar is constructed from BPA free, durable plastic.
Although plastic sounds like a cheap material, it’s actually much better at withstanding the intense stress of high power blending.
It’s also easier to clean, and you don’t run the risk of dropping it on the floor either! It’s lighter too, which is handy when you need to store the jar away.
Can Blendtec Blenders Go In The Dishwasher?
Obviously the power base shouldn’t be exposed to any kind of water, but the plastic jar can be placed in the dishwasher.
I’d recommend putting it in the top rack of the dishwasher though, as it will reduce the risk of getting scratched.
You’ll also find that the heating element on most dishwashers is located in the lower half of the appliance.
If you put your Blendtec jar further away from it, there’s less change of the plastic material becoming warped over time.
What Warranty Do You Get With A Blendtec Blender?
It depends on which of the models you choose, but – like Vitamix – part of the appeal of Blendtec blenders is the length of the warranty support.
The entry level Blendtec blenders typically have a 2 year warranty, while the midrange blenders have an 8 year warranty. Some are now covered for up to 10 years!
The details do change from time to time, so check the product listing carefully to see the current level of support.
These are extremely hard-wearing machines, and it’s always reassuring to see a manufacturer back that up with a big warranty commitment.
For an overview of what is – and isn’t – covered by the warranty scheme, take a look at the official Blendtec blenders warranty policy on the manufacturer’s site.
Mark’s a lifelong food fanatic and spent ten years working as an entertainment journalist. He now combines his love of food, drink and writing as the founder and editor of Viva Flavor. Read more