Blendtec Designer Series Blender, WildSide Jar - Black

The iPhone of blenders!
"HOW MANY TIMES HAS THIS HAPPENED TO YOU..."
After I was married I bought my wife a Kitchen Aid blender thinking I was investing in a quality appliance. It lasted barely a year. Our next blender was a cheapo Oster, and though it outlasted the Kitchen Aid by several years, it leaked oil and never really pulverized the ingredients adequately. I considered the Vitamix and even the Ninja, but hated the fact that they can't fit under an upper cabinet.

"THERE'S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY!"
After much research, I found the Blendtec, which had glowing reviews and an impressive seven-year warranty. Though there weren't many reviews of the Designer Series model, I took a leap of faith, swayed by the more cleanable controls and claims that it is quieter and runs cooler than the Total Blender.

"CAN YOUR BLENDER DO THIS?"
I wondered whether I was nuts for spending over four hundred dollars for a blender, but as I unpacked it from the box I could tell this is a...

Great blender... Stellar juicer
We got this blender as a gift about six months ago and have used it to... blend stuff. Then, a little while ago, a bunch of cosmic forces came together and convinced my wife and me to "start juicing". (Almost simultaneously reading articles on juicing in several magazines, watching an episode of Dr. Oz and a documentary on healthy choices including juicing, and several conversations where the topic came up.)

That's when we discovered the true power of this blender. I already knew that the 4" blades meant it could whip up a smoothie in nothing flat, making short work of ice cubes in the process. Also, we found that the lid design allows a lot of air into the container so it can mix with whatever is being blended. What I didn't realize is that the "smoothie" setting is *ideal* for breaking down leafy greens, chunks of fruit, and hunks of vegetables as well. It seems to "know" when to speed up, slow down, and pulse, all during the preset 45 second program to produce a...

[UPDATED]Blendtec Designer Series vs Vitamix 5200
My mom got a Vitamix 5200 from Costco about a month ago. I used it almost non-stop. Used it to make rice milk, strawberry-banana smoothies, butter, and peanut butter. I used it so much I started to consider getting a high performance blender of my own. About a week later, I ended up getting the Blendtec Designer Series just to see which blender I liked better.

Let me just say this review comes down to personal preferences and what you are willing to compromise on as both blenders are very good. You cannot go wrong with either blender. Both do the job just as well as the other.

Pro's vs the Vitamix:

- Design. I have always put a high value on form. Depending on the gap, I will sacrifice some functionality just to get the better looking product in my opinion. The Blendtec Designer Series is certainly a good looker. The design of it is also part of the reason why I went with the Designer Series instead of the Total Blender Classic. I got the black model...

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