Blender "Super Bowl"

THERE ARE BLENDERS—and then, my fellow primates, there are POWER blenders! These will liquify practically anything, and they make most regular kitchen blenders look like toys.

I'm a guy who's personally used both of these bad boys, and though I do have a preference which I'll share here, it's hard to go wrong with either of them if you need—as Tim Allen used to say on "Home Improvement"—more power! [A few simian grunts here!]

Up there on the left is the Blendtec Total Blender. On the right is the venerable Vitamix. Browse the "Choose a Post Below" list over there on the right for information on both of them—and plenty more besides.

My goal is to make this site a place where can both find information you need, and suggested places to buy one of these great super-blenders if you're ready to power up in the kitchen.

Read This Next . . .

SOME QUICK NOTES HERE before you look at videos or read the other posts listed under "Choose a Post Below" on the right:

1. My recommended source for where to get either a Vitamix or Blendtec blender is The Raw Food World. You can also click on their Super Store box (with the butterfly) near the top of the column to the right. When you get to their site, note the "Categories" list on the left. Click on "Appliances." Then click on "Blenders and Food Processors." You're there!
   
   
2. One reason I like The Raw Food World is that they carry the brand-new 4-inch blade/carafe for the Blendtec. Though they are my first recommended source, I'll also provide some direct page links to Vitamix and Blendtec blenders on Amazon.com, since they carry a few more models of the Vitamix.
   
   
3. You don't at all have to choose a raw food diet to enjoy and benefit from one of these power blenders. My own diet isn't only raw foods. As it happens, though, so-called "raw foodists" are among the most enthusiastic and constant users of these super blenders. So the videos here are largely from raw-food people.
   
   
4. Among those people are Matt Monarch and his wife, Angela Stokes-Monarch, who operate The Raw Food World. One of the posts to the right is about Angela, who lost 160 pounds in two years on a raw food diet. Matt, who appears in some of the videos, I found to be, well...maybe unique is the word! (And I mean that in the best possible way!)

Vitamix Video Clip - 1

HERE'S A CLIP SHOWING SOME of the many capabilities of the Vitamix Professional Series—one of the newer variable-speed models.

Vitamix Video Clip - 2

THIS ONE FEATURES Ron De Santis from the Culinary Institute of America, demonstrating a variable-speed Vitamix for Cooking.com. 

Blendtec Video Clip - 1

FIRST UP IN BLENDTEC VIDEOS is a clip from one of YouTube's most popular series—the "Will It Blend?" videos from Blendtec. This one shows the blending of an iPhone 3G. Other "Will It Blend?" clips show the blending of everything from marbles to a crowbar, from hockey pucks to magnets. I don't plan to use my own Blendtec for anything I can't eat or drink!

Blendtec Video Clip - 2

IN THIS ONE, MATT MONARCH of The Raw Food World demos three units: a Vitamix, a Blendtec with the regular 3-inch blade/carafe, and a Blendtec with the new 4-inch blade/carafe.

My own Blendtec has the 3-inch and liquifies anything I put into it. But this new 4-inch unit blows me away. Fortunately, The Raw Food World offers the 4-inch as a standalone purchase, so I'm tempted.

Remember—I told you that Matt is, um...unique! But he sho nuff does know his stuff!

Comparison: Which Is Better?

SO THE BOTTOM LINE: WHICH of these two super-blenders comes out ahead? Here's a comparison—and a conclusion:

Horsepower
Blendtec: 3 hp, 1560 watts
Vitamix: 2 hp, 1380 watts
Advantage: Blendtec

Under-counter Fit
Blendtec: 15.5 inches
Vitamix: 20.5 inches
Advantage: Blendtec

Controls
Blendtec: Touchpad buttons
Vitamix: Manual
Advantage: Blendtec

Cycles
Blendtec: 30 pre-programmed
Vitamix: Manual
Advantage: Blendtec

Blade
Blendtec: 2-prong stainless steel
Vitamix: 4-prong stainless steel
Advantage: Mixed opinions

Warranty:
Blendtec: 3 years; lifetime on coupling and blade
Vitamix: 7 years on everything
Advantage: Vitamix

Power Unit
Blendtec: Digital solid-state microprocessor
Vitamix: Non-digital
Advantage: Blendtec

Noise:
Blendtec: Louder
Vitamix: Not quite as loud
Advantage: Vitamix

Tamper:
Blendtec: No
Vitamix: Yes
Advantage: Mixed Opinions

Carafe/Jar
Blendtec: 64 oz standard
Vitamix: 64 oz standard
Advantage: Even

Wet/Dry
Blendtec: One container for both
Vitamix: Must buy extra for dry
Advantage: Blendtec

Shut-off
Blendtec: Automatic at end of cycle
Vitamix: No auto shut-off; manual
Advantage: Blendtec

Which Is Better?
Blendtec: According to Its Owners
Vitamix: According to Its Owners
Advantage: PC versus Mac!

My Own Choice
Blendtec
But I've used and enjoyed both—and can heartily recommend either!

Angela Stokes Loses 160 Lbs!

IF YOU WATCHED THE second Blendtec video clip, you saw Angela Stokes (now Angela Stokes-Monarch, since her recent marriage to Matt Monarch). In a two-year period, Angela lost 160 pounds on a raw-food diet that included lots of blended smoothies. Here she is on CNN, interviewed by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Smoothies Books

THESE SMOOTHIES BOOKS are for all kinds of smoothies—not just the green ones (see the post on green smoothies to the right):

Green Smoothies Books

HERE ARE SOME OF THE best books out there anywhwere on making tasty, nutrition-packed green smoothies. I have 'em myself, and the recipes are awesome: