My husband and I, after reading Amazon reviews on both Vitamix(older model) and Blendtec, began to be persuaded to buy the Blendtec based on a few arguments. Blendtec owners made it sound as if the tamper that comes with the Vitamix is an absolute chore to use, the manual controls are difficult to understand and use--as opposed to presets--and lastly, the Vitamix is neither visually appealing nor fits underneath kitchen cabinets.
So, we headed off to Costco ready to purchase the Blendtec, because in addition to the Amazon reviews, several months ago we had joined in on one of the Blendtec demonstrations(at Costco) and even though it impressed us at that time we were not quite ready to fork over $400 plus for a blender. To our initial disappointment Blendtec was not doing demonstrations that day, nor were these blenders to be found. After picking up a couple things, we started to leave but came upon a Vitamix demonstration. We pretty much had our mind made up on the Blendtec, but thought we would politely observe.
It didn't take us long to become intrigued by this blender and at that point we decided to see if the demonstrator was knowledgeable enough about the Vitamix to convince us we should pass on the Blendtec. When we told him we were presently on Blendtec's side of the fence and asked him to convince us to jump over to Vitamix's side, we watched his smooth salesman's confidence undergo an obvious transformation. It became personal. This wasn't just his job--he exuded the pride and passion of a highly satisfied owner.
Point by point, he met the above Blendtec reviewer arguments.
1. The tamper is necessary and also patented--if Blendtec was able to legally incorporate one into it's product, they would. For instance, even though there is an incredible amount of power going through that machine creating a strong sucking vortex, sometimes it just needs a helping hand to guide stray produce to the blade. That's just a fact for every blender on the market. As far as being a hassle to use, for all satisfied Vitamix owners, the tamper is a pleasure to use. It is designed to be used through the lid opening and there is no worry that the blade will touch it, only stubborn food particles.
2. Presets are for those who stick strictly to printed recipes, not for those out to create their own concoctions. It's for those who want the machine to dictate when their recipes are properly blended. There is no room for creativity. In contrast, the manual controls on the vitamix allows you to adjust according to your personal tastes and experiments.
3. The last argument, about the Vitamix not being as appealing to the eye as the Blendtec, was put to rest fairly quickly. It was put this way: Do you want something that just looks pretty or actually does the job well? How about the "it doesn't fit on my countertops" complaint? I've found that I can rest the container right next to the base and it looks just fine.
The demonstrator had definitely convinced us and it was with great pleasure that we bought this $400 Vitamix. Now, I want to quickly mention another pertinent review and my own observations:
Popular Mechanics tested 5 blenders including the Blendtec and Vitamix. The Vitamix completely pulverized ice, leaving beverages such as smoothies completely smooth. Whereas, the Blendtec left little crunchy particles. I can vouch for that review for the Vitamix. NO ICY PARTICLES.
So far I've made several different types of smoothies in Vitamix's awesome recipe book and I just made the tortilla soup tonight. Not only was it very tasty(AND HEALTHY), it was a breeze to prepare! Along with some scrambled eggs--that was dinner for four! All in under 30 minutes!
Because of health reasons we decided to take the $$$ plunge, but I have never been more excited about preparing healthy foods and as other Vitamix owners have pointed out, it will pay itself off because with regular use there will be no food waste. No more rotting bananas, no more rotting greens, carrots, tomatoes, etc. I have also found I shop more purposely now for the healthful stuff and less for processed foods.
Sorry for the long review, but I hope it helps those looking for not only a great blender, but for a machine that can motivate one to make healthy choices in their diet as well.