What is the best blender for making smoothies? If you have been making smoothies for a while and are ready to upgrade to the best that money can buy, these two blenders are it. For our Blendtec vs Vitamix review we compare the Vitamix 5200 and the Blendtec Total Blender, the two best selling high-end consumer blenders on the market. (updated for Summer 2021)
Both blenders have become very similar over the years due to competition and consumer feedback. They both have the same 7 year warranty and easy to clean copolyester BPA-free containers. They are also virtually identical in terms of horse power, durability, noise, clean-up, and price.
Which is Better?
Vitamix 5000 / Vitamix 5200
The Vitamix 5200 (formerly known as the Vitamix 5000) is our personal blender of choice. It is the best consumer blender that we have found. For us this blender has paid for itself in less than a year due to the time and money it saves. Because this blender handles frozen and whole uncut fruits with ease, you don't have to mess around and waste any time. How does this device handle frozen and whole foods so easily? To quote Al Pacino's character Tony Montana from Scarface, "say hello to my little friend"...
The tamper comes included with the blender and is a "must have" when it comes to blending any frozen or whole uncut fruits such as large apples. Simply place any large object like an apple or orange at the top of the contents in the blender and gently use the tamper to push it downward into the blade. One or two strokes downward with the tamper and "presto", you've added all the nutrition, fiber, and protein of the seeds and skin without all the cutting.
In addition to the ingenious tamper device, the Vitamix 5200 comes with a 7 year warranty on all parts (the longest we have seen), a copolyester BPA-free easily washable 64 ounce container, a book with over 300 recipes, and a dial which gives you precise and custom control of the speed. Because only Vitamix includes the tamper and a standard 7 year warranty, this is the only product we recommend for the serious smoothie maker.
Where to Buy: The cheapest way to buy the Vitamix 5200 is directly from their certified reconditioned inventory if they have any available!
* For a full comparison of the top 3 selling Vitamix blenders check out our vitamix reviews article.
Blendtec Total Blender
The Blendtec Total Blender is also popular. It has a 1560 Watt motor, supposedly the most powerful home product on the market. It has a futuristic electronic display with no knobs or dials. It includes a 64-ounce jar along with a book of over 100 recipes. Blendtec also now offers a full 7 year warranty for the Total Blender, the same as Vitamix. The Blendtec has an under-counter height of 15.5 inches vs 20.5 for the Vitamix, which may be useful to people who have specific counter-top height requirements.
One of the key differences between this blender and the Vitamix is that it can't always handle frozen and whole uncut fruits. It's just pure physics, without a way to push the food into the blade it won't always blend. If you love the sleek digital display and look of this machine and don't plan to use much frozen or uncut material then you would probably be very happy with this blender.
Where to Buy: The cheapest way to buy the Blendtec Total Blender is with this Blendtec promo code for free shipping.