Of all the blenders on the market, there are only two that stand out from the pack as the absolute best machines for making smoothies. In one corner, we have the ever-popular Vita-Mix 5200 with a reputation for making excellent green smoothies and a build quality that lasts a lifetime. In the other corner, we have the Blendtec Total Blender with more horsepower and the demonstrated ability to turn things like garden rakes, golf balls and iPods into fine powder. So, which blender is the best blender for making green smoothies?

Vita-Mix vs. Blendtec

Price: Vita-Mix and Blendtec are expensive blenders. Vita-Mix starts at $449 retail while Blendtec starts at $399. Street prices are slightly lower and I frequently see Vita-Mix machines just under $400. Blendtec has a price advantage over Vita-Mix in that $399 pays for everything you need to blend and grind wet and dry ingredients. Vita-Mix has a separate dry pitcher for grinding grains into flower and blending other dry ingredients which is sold separately, or included in an upgraded Vita-Mix package on their website.

Power/Speed: The Vita-Mix blender features a 2 peak horsepower motor that spins it’s blade at variable speeds from 11 mph (miles per hour) to 240 mph. The Blendtec blender boasts more power with a 3 peak horsepower, 1500 watt motor that spins it’s blade up to 300 mph according to the product video. While many people cite Blendtec’s greater horsepower as a sign of a better blender, Vita-Mix is no less capable of achieving the same results as the Blendtec. Basically, there’s no real difference between a 3 horsepower motor or a 2 horsepower motor when you’re blending up food items.

Warranty: Vita-Mix has a solid 7-year warranty that covers the “entire machine”. Blendtec comes with a 3 year warranty on the base and a lifetime warranty on the blade and coupling. When I purchased my Blendtec at Costco, I was given a free 4-year extended warranty card which I had to fill out and mail to Blendtec to extend my warranty to 7 years on the base only. So, as long as you get that warranty extension card, you’ll get a 7-year warranty on either blender, but it looks like Vita-Mix edges out Blendtec on total warranty coverage. However, your blade assembly on the Blendtec is covered for life.

Durability: Both Blendtec and Vita-Mix are high-end blenders designed to perform a variety of kitchen tasks. They are quite a step up from a $100 name-brand blender you’d pick up at a department store. Both blenders feature break-resistant, BPA-free copolyester pitchers, stainless steel blades and durably-built base. Both blenders will pulverize hard materials such as ice, frozen fruits, nuts, seeds, grains and coffee beans.

Dimensions: Blendtec has an advantage over Vita-Mix on size. Blendtec is shorter at 15-and-a-half inches tall with pitcher, which means that it can fit under most cabinets when placed on your kitchen counter. Blendtec machines are about the same size as a standard blender so you don’t need to make extra room for it, and it fits neatly into a small apartment kitchen, RV or other small space.

Vita-Mix is taller at 20-and-a-half inches with pitcher, so it will take up a little more space in your kitchen and might not be able to fit neatly under your cupboards. The width and depth dimensions on both blenders are pretty similar, but the Blendtec weighs 12 pounds vs. Vita-Mix at 10 pounds.

Pitcher: Both blenders feature a 64-ounce pitcher made from a durable, break-resistant copolyester (plastic). Unlike the Vita-Mix, the Blendtec blade is fused to the pitcher, so if the pitcher should need replacing, you’re also replacing the blade. Fortunately, a new Blendtec pitcher is fairly inexpensive and I have seen it on sale for under $60. Blendtec also has a 96-ounce pitcher for sale as well which will come in handy if you’re making smoothies for a whole family.

Interface – Buttons vs. Dials: The Vita-Mix features a switch and dial interface giving you precise, manual control of your blending. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks to dials and switches is that they can be hard to clean. In contrast, Blendtec features a push-button interface which wipes clean easily. You can set speeds manually by pressing the “up” or “down” buttons. I find these buttons responsive and easy to use. Blendtec also features pre-programed buttons for smoothies, whole juices, soups, ice creams, milk shakes, etc.

The Tamper: Vita-Mix includes a tamper, which is like a plunger that pushes the ingredients down into the blades of the blender. It’s a great tool, especially when making green smoothies as large handfuls of leafy greens love to get caught in the pitcher, unreachable by the blades. Blendtec does not have a tamper attachment but instead boasts a square-pitcher and unique straight-blade design which they say makes a tamper unnecessary.

From my experience, fruit-only smoothies blend up in the Blendtec just fine without the need for a tamper. It does pull ingredients into the blades. However, green smoothies are a little more challenging. You can’t fill the pitcher halfway with greens, hit the “smoothie” preset button and walk away. Instead, I hit the “pulse” button a couple times before running the smoothie cycle on my Blendtec. Depending on how full I fill the pitcher or what my greens to fruit ratio is, I’ll have to push the greens down with a spoon after I hit “pulse” a couple times and before I run the smoothie cycle but not always. I can certaintly live without a tamper and I don’t feel that the Blendtec necessarily needs one for most green smoothies. But it would be nice if Blendtec made this attachment available to green smoothie addicts like myself. You can find a custom, aftermarket tamper for your Blendtec selling on eBay for under $10 including shipping.

Noise: The Vita-Mix appears to be slightly less noisy than the Blendtec, but I don’t think the Blendtec is unreasonably loud. It’s as loud if not maybe slightly quieter than my Cuisinart blender, and it takes a lot less time to make a smoothie than the Cuisinart.

Clean-Up: Both blenders are easy to clean. Simply add a little hot water and a drop of dish soap and run a blend cycle and you’re done. You can take the Vita-Mix pitcher apart since it has a removable blade. The Blendtec does not have a removable blade. Their straight-blade design makes it much easier to clean the pitcher, and the blade won’t be cut your fingers either. I love not having to take my blender apart to clean it!

The Blendtec’s square pitcher design also makes it easy to pour smoothies and scrape out thick, gloppy nut-butters or puddings. The pitcher is easy to wipe clean. One complaint I hear frequently about the Vita-Mix is that it can be difficult to remove ingredients caught beneath or around the blades in it’s narrowing, rounded pitcher design.

Blade: The Vita-Mix features a familiar, four-tipped blade. Blendtec has a single prong, wingtip straight blade.

Color/Design: The Vita-Mix 5200 (the most recent version) is a stylish blender that has an upscale appearance. It looks like serious business! It comes in black, white and red. The Blendtec Total Blender has a sleek, modern design. It’s not as retro-cool looking to me as the Vita-Mix, but my wife loves the sleek, modern design of the Blendtec Total Blender which is available in black, white, red and coffee.

Overall Online Support: While Blendtec has a wildly popular and entertaining “Will It Blend” marketing campaign on YouTube, Vita-Mix has an amazingly information-packed website that contains a forum, recipes, nutrition information and specific content catering to raw foodists, vegetarians and even babyboomers. The Vita-Mix website and recipe book features more healthy recipes than the Blendtec. However, I don’t feel that this is a reason to choose one machine over another. I just wish that Blendtec had more of a community feel like the Vita-Mix brand.

Performance: When it comes to making silky, rich smoothies, both blenders do a fantastic job. I can’t say that one outperforms the other when it comes to green smoothies. Both blenders break up cell walls, which unlocks the nutrition in fruit, vegetables and greens better than any other lower-powered blenders can. Both the Vita-Mix and the Blendtec can make smoothies, nut butters, hot soup, frozen ice cream, crush ice and grind grains.

So, Which Is The Best Blender?

Well, this is a subject of debate online. You might as well ask if a Mac is better than a PC or a Nikon camera better than a Canon camera. Basically, those who have a Blendtec love their blender, and those who have a Vita-Mix swear by it as well. I recommend that you look at the subtle differences between the two and see which one feels the best to you.

Personally, I have a Blendtec and I love it. For Tracy and I, size was an issue and we liked the smaller form-factor of the Blendtec over the Vita-Mix. Aesthetically, Tracy preferred the Blendtec. Whether you choose the Vita-Mix or the Blendtec, I don’t think you will be disappointed at all.

What’s Your Vote?

Do you own a Vita-Mix or Blendtec blender? Post a comment below and let us know what you like or dislike about your blender!