The high-power blender topic

[Kent Wang]

Can one of these blenders crush ice for cocktails? Crushed, but not smoothie consistency.

[PassionateAmateur]

I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a Super Blender, and wonder can anyone with hands-on experience tell me their opinion on the difference between the Vita-Prep, the Vita-Prep 3 and the Vita-Mix Turbo VS (I mean besides price and warranty). The website is a bit maddening: controls appear very similar but detail is lacking. The VP's have 3 peak HP (VM has 2) and weigh a couple of pounds more -- more metal vs plastic parts? Will be used primarily for culinary purposes - purees, sauces, soups - with just the occasional smoothie/frozen drink.

[GlowingGhoul]

IMHO, the Vita-Prep 3 is the best way to go. I've owned multiple VitaMix blenders,, and despite VitaMix's tellling consumers the extra power of the 3 horsepower motor is only to drive a more robust cooling fan, I suspect they're making this claim to avoid cannibalizing sales of their 2hp models.

The Vita-Prep 3 will, for instance, make peanut butter without the slightest sign of bogging down. In fact, I don't think I've ever observed my VP3 straining to do anything. The 2HP models are powerful, but can slow down on extremely thick mixtures with large quantities of frozen fruit and ice. The VP3 does everthing effortlessly. The amount of cooling air exiting the vents seems to be double that of my previous 5200 2 horsepower model. That bodes well for longevity.

The VP3 also comes with a nice cookbook geared for professional chefs, and a spare blender to container coupling, in case you strip yours out (a $20 part).

Other than the motor and cooling system and nifty "Vita-PREP 3" logo, it's indistinguishable in size and appearance from the consumer models.

To top it off, it can be found from restaurant supply sites for less than the 2 HP Vita-Mix Turbo VS. JLhufford usually has an offer where they will send you a free 25lb case of BigTrain frozen drink mix powders...5 varieties I think, shakes and frozen coffee drinks as well.

[PassionateAmateur]

thanks!

[scubadoo97]

Although the VP3 has a 3 hp motor and continuous cooling the warranty is shorted than on the consumer 5200

[GlowingGhoul]

Although the VP3 has a 3 hp motor and continuous cooling the warranty is shorted than on the consumer 5200

True, I forgot to mention that, but to be honest, I've rarely heard of Vitamix units breaking down, so the warranty isn't much of a concern to me. I suspect the shorter warranty is due to the assumption that equipment in a commercial environment would be subject to constant use (and abuse), and not because the consumer models are more robust.

[scubadoo97]

Yes that's my impression as well but figured some would want the extra warranty time just in case. <br /><br />I ended up getting a 5200 a few yrs ago but like the idea of having the continuous cooling.

[dcarch]

For the soup I tried to do basically what I sort of remembered the guy at the Costco demo doing. I boiled a potato, washed some celery, carrots and tomatoes, and cut a small piece each of parmesan and cheddar. I added it all to the pitcher with some warm tap water and salt. I pushed (or rather had my son push) the soup button and the unit went wild for 90 seconds, after which there was a steaming hot soup in the pitcher.

Could you say a little more about this? Is the friction from the blades heating the soup up (above the warm tapwater temperature)?

Yes, friction or motion, creates heat.

dcarch

[francis8888]

You can get a 1500W commercial blender for around $230 on amazon.com.  search "new age commercial blender".

 

I got one after going through 3 cheap Black and Decker blenders, which break in about 18 months or use at the drive coupling.  The Black and Decker is not powerful to pulverize seeds though, which is important or they just pass right through your digestive system.

[Robenco15]

Waring Xtreme. More powerful than Vitamix and Vitaprep. Also cheaper.

[cstefan]

Does anyone else have experience with the new Vitamix G series models?

I just got a pro 750 and I think it addresses many of the issues that caused fat guy to not like Vitamix way back at the beginning of the thread. I still can't speak to durability as I've had it only a couple of weeks.

[Kent Wang]

The Sweethome exhaustive review of blenders

[JoNorvelleWalker]

They didn't test Blentec.  I shan't waste my time with the review.

[Hassouni]

I ordered a Blendtec on Saturday, and it got me thinking: can it make a convincingly-textured Thai (or South Indian) curry paste? One that appears to have been ground, rather than shredded?

[Hassouni]

Well I've used my Blendtec a few times now and I have a question. It's the Total Classic, or Classic Total, or whatever the basic, cheapest one is. I'm quite happy with the results, but when making smoothies with berries, either fresh or frozen, the berry seeds haven't been totally ground up. I don't really mind it, but is that normal?

[weinoo]

My Blendtec does a good job of grinding berry seeds.  Maybe run it for a little longer?

[Shel_B]

I came across this test of high-powered blenders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej048qZNxpk .  The Waring did very well ...

[weinoo]

That's really not what Hassouni is asking.  He already has a high-powered blender.

 

But for anyone looking to spend time poring over videos, I would suggest this web site for all your high-powered blending "needs."

 

Blender Babes

 

[Shel_B]

That's really not what Hassouni is asking.  He already has a high-powered blender.

 

 

And that's not what I'm responding to ... this is "The high-power blender topic," not the "What did Hassouni just say?"  topic.

[weinoo]

Thanks for clearing that up.

[dcarch]

I came across this test of high-powered blenders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej048qZNxpk .  The Waring did very well ...

 

Nice test, but not a definitive test.

 

1. Durability, very important for an expensive blender. The test did not test durability.

 

2. IR temperature check of a reflective surface temperature is highly inaccurate.

 

3. Flow rate thru a fine sieve has to do more with viscosity, not that much particle size. 

 

4. The end result for carrots may not be the same for apples, beef, chicken, oranges, etc.

 

One thing that I have noticed is that by the sound the machines made, the Waring was the lowest pitch, indicating the Waring was running the slowest in RPM, which means to me that it should not be able to blend better than a Blendtec which runs at much higher speed and with much larger blades.

 

dcarch

[rotuts]

thanks for the ref. to the BlenderBabes

 

Ive made smoothies  but not IceCream w my not so high-powered Breville

 

Whats the Free Gift, BTW ?  

 

Ill just stop right there ...............

 

[Hassouni]

It's a $10 gift card for Amazon, if memory serves

[weedy]

so it's been a while...

 

anyone have some direct experience/opinions on the New Age Living BL1500 versus the Oster VERSA 1400-watt Professional?

 

$200 is about my limit for a replacement blender

[MSRadell]

so it's been a while...

 

anyone have some direct experience/opinions on the New Age Living BL1500 versus the Oster VERSA 1400-watt Professional?

 

$200 is about my limit for a replacement blender

A friend of ours has the VERSA and really likes it. I haven't personally tried it but I've had a few things made in and it seems to do a pretty good job. I'm glad we have a Vitamix but I do think that the VERSA is a really good alternative for the price.