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Thanks to a YouTube channel called “Will it Blend,” millions are familiar with Blendtec’s offering: an ultra-powerful blender that will chomp just about anything to shreds, including iPhones and wood planks. But few have used one, largely because of their seemingly high price tag, which exceeds $300. Yes, $300 for a Blender.
Now, admittedly it’s a far cry from affordable, best blenders out there, but then it is a very durable and versatile blender that will work awesomely at home or in a commercial setting. Although you may need to learn some common mistakes to avoid while buying a new blender, we have everything for you in detail.
So at this point, I’m sure you’re thinking, “how is a $300 blender better than a $50 one”. It’s not an easy argument to make it. And it only gets tougher when you factor in the model of Blendtec I’m talking about today: the Designer 725. The stainless steel version, the version I’ve been testing, costs $650. Pricey indeed. If you wish to try a different blender, check out this Blendtec Classic 575 Blender review.
But before we get caught up in value, let’s look at what Designer 725 is all about. First off, it’s finished in stainless steel. So, needless to say, it will fit in nicely in just about any kitchen of any caliber. Much like Blendtec’s blenders of a time past, the top face of the blender base is outfitted with 6 preprogrammed buttons. However, the 725 boasts capacitive buttons, which is an upgrade for me from an older Blendtec, which has the soft touch type.
It’s not the most remarkable feature, but the point is that they’re presumably less likely to wear out from excessive pushing, are easy to see in low light (they glow), and can easily be wiped clean. Moreover, they work well with no delay in function. Touch, and the blender instantly turns on. There is also a 100-speed touch slider. Now this, to me, is the holy grail of blender features. Why? Because it makes blending very intuitive. Simply sliding my finger from left to right increases the Blendtec 725’s speed and does so in just the right increments that it makes it virtually impossible to over-blend.
For example, after making a smoothie, I sometimes like to add protein powder. With any other blender, it would be difficult to simply mix it in without all the froth and all while fully blending it. Not so with the Designer 725. However, I have yet to find a way to pulse effectively. I’m an idiot. To pulse, you simply touch the “pulse” button, then tap on the slider. If you are looking for a blender that has almost all these features, read the Blendtec Designer 725 review roundup
As mentioned, there are 6 preprogrammed buttons. These include Smoothie, Salsa, Ice Cream, Whole Juice, Hot Soup, and Clean. They’re fairly straightforward in terms of designation. In theory, you could hit any one of them, and the results would be a blended something. But each one is designed to address the type of ingredients that are placed into the blender, and thus the Designer 725 varies its speed and frequency to achieve the best mix. Now, with that in mind, you’ll need to load the Blendtec 725 correctly to maximize your results. Blendtec recommends adding liquid, soft ingredients, and hard ones, such as frozen strawberries. It’s fairly logical, but to be fair, and based on my experience, you can add the liquid last, provided there is some space for it to flow to the bottom.
Now, to be candid, my experience has largely been using the Whole Juice option. I add spinach, coconut milk, some sweet juice, ginger, strawberries, and maybe a banana. Lid on and sealed – make sure it’s sealed otherwise, liquid might leak out – hit the Whole Juice option, and within 50 seconds, the Designer 725 produces a juice that is both full in fiber and smooth in consistency. Next up: making soup. Yes, that’s right, you can make soup with the Blendtec. And yes, it will come out hot. Well, sort of hot; 110 degrees F at best, at least according to Blendtec. Not exactly piping, but probably a good thing when you consider the safety implications. And because of that, Blendtec recommends you use warm water when making soup.
So how does it get so hot? Spinning. The Blendtec Designer 725 (and their other blenders) can spin so fast it can heat the liquid up, all without a flame, gas, or an oven. This is thanks to a motor that can achieve 3.8 peak horsepower. Pretty impressive, especially when considering my childhood GoKart had a max horsepower of 5. *Note: You’ll want to heat the soup up to achieve a more palatable temperature. Otherwise, it’s just tepid at best.
That being said, there is a caveat as to what comes with that kind of power. No! Not great responsibility Spider-Man. It’s loud. Like, really loud. So loud, I can’t help but wonder if it’s ear-damaging after continued daily use. Using an iPhone App called dBMeterPro, the Designer 725’s loudness peaked at 95db. That, according to NIDCD, is equivalent to that of a motorcycle and is in the “red zone” if one were to be exposed for a prolonged period of time. Fortunately, the cycles generally run no more than 30-50 seconds, so in theory, one should be fine.
So how does it work? Unlike traditional blenders, Blendtec’s blenders use a dull blade. So there is no chance of cutting yourself during cleaning. Moreover, the jar, which, mind you is square (like the Braun PureMix blender) and not round, helps drive food back to the blade, and is sealed together, into one, with the blade. So there is never a need to unscrew and clean the parts separately. It’s recommended that you don’t let water sit in the base of the jar for long periods of time and that if placed in the dishwasher, you turn off the heated dry. I’ve had no problems in either instance, but I suppose over time, these could cause issues.
There is no doubt that the Blendtec pulverizes anything you put in its path. The pre-programmed buttons make it a cinch to blend up the next drink or food item. For some added scratch ($120), you can pick up an additional jar (called the Twister jar) which is designed to be used when making your “thickest recipes,” such as nut butter, hummus, baby food, and so forth. But I’d suggest starting with their included one first, as it seems to be fairly applicable in most instances. The engine noise does solicit a bit of cause for concern, much as the Blendtec Original Pro-Grade Pre-programmed 10 speeds does. But since each use is generally less than 60 seconds, no long-term damage will occur. Just don’t expect to have a conversation while it is running.
Altogether I’m impressed. And while I’ll never go online to redeem the rewards that the blender shows (odd, I know) on the screen, I have been using it almost daily to make a green beverage in the morning. And not for nothing, my health, while invaluable, seems to be the biggest return on money in this particular instance, so I will count this as one of the best blenders in the market.
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