BlendtecTotal Blender Classic - Includes FourSide Jar (75 oz) - 10-Speed Professional-Grade - High-Power Kitchen Blender with 6 Pre-Programmed Cycles - Black

I’m surprised it has taken me this long to write a review. Sorry if this is a bit of a novel, but this blender has changed my life!! I’ve been using the Blendtec for the last two and a half years to make veggie shakes – it is an amazing machine. Some folks prefer juicers as opposed to a blender, but I find that you waste all of the fiber, which is good for you and fills you up as well (you get something that is a bit more like juice with a juicer, but the Blendtec does an amazing job at making it pretty smooth and you don’t waste any part of the vegetables/fruits). I’m sure the Vitamix works well also, but the Blendtec seems to be more powerful (plus the Vitamix looks like it was designed in the 70s).Quickly after I started juicing I started to lose weight, after 5 or 6 weeks I dropped 15lbs, while still enjoying what I wanted to eat for most meals.With regard to recipes there are all kinds of concoctions. I usually buy about 4 days’ worth of veggies when I shop. My concoction is very green and consists of the following:Kombucha (full bottle - as you need some liquid for blending). I’d recommend the one with Chia seeds in it as it adds sweetness, tastes great, and has no carbonation (and Chia seeds are really high in Omega 3). Fermented drinks are really good for you and help break down foods in your system. Whole Foods sells their own brand of Kombucha as well (at least in the Bay Area). Coconut water is a good alternative, but I don’t care for the taste.Everything organic (not necessary, just personal preference):Always 2 of the following (I mix it up): Kale, Dandelion greens, collard greens, broccoli, or watercress (I use half the bundle of kale, etc, that whole foods sells, except for the watercress which is smaller - I use the whole thing that Whole Foods sells as the serving).A roma tomato (cheaper than slicer tomatoes)4 or so good size white mushrooms2 medium size carrots or one large carrot1/3 cucumber (I like the taste and it has some other benefits such as Vitamin E); I sometimes purchase red bell pepper in place of this (high in vitamin C, but I sometimes have a hard time finding the organic variety).Starting out, you may want to add fruit if it is too bitter for you – I typically added pears when I did, or sometimes strawberries for flavor (4 or 5 strawberries can impact the flavor quite a bit if you want it sweeter). Occasionally I also add some beets as these are really good for you (a great detoxifier as well).This provides for about 40-48oz of liquid goodness (I really do love the flavor - it never gets old). I usually drink this 5 days out of the week for dinner (Sunday through Thursday). It takes me 15 minutes flat to prepare this. I usually supplement it with something else - perhaps yogurt or a small serving of fish (I also like to eat a small piece of dark chocolate (70-80% cocoa). For breakfast or lunch, I eat whatever I want (although, I’ve cut back on dairy and eggs recently). On weekends I usually splurge as well (beers, pizza, etc). I actually eat more than I used to. But every morning when I step on the scale I am right at 160lbs (I’m 5’8” with an athletic build). The fiber likely has a lot to do with it. And I’m not a big exercise buff - on a good week I’ll run twice (3 miles each session), and I’ll do a couple of free weight exercises once or twice a week.I’ve always suffered from high blood pressure (always at the high-end of pre-hypertension since my mid-twenties). I’m turning 40 next month and my last blood pressure reading was 104 over 70! Although, I have to admit that I became a Pescetarian last year (cut out meat except for seafood (wild only as a preference)), and I saw my biggest drop over the last year, but it could also be from the cumulative effect of the veggies over the past two and a half years.I turned to the blender after feeling like I was running out of energy and was having a harder time getting through the week at a stressful job. I am glad that I did - physically, I feel great (no medication, ailments, etc). I grew up on the East coast eating processed foods - I always had a microwave hot pocket in my hand so it was a radical change for me. The blender idea got in my head after watching a couple of those juicing documentaries from a couple of years ago (“Fat, Sick, and nearly dead” was one of them).Anyhow, I’m sure I could go on and on (I know some of my co-workers would tell you the same, especially in the first year - although I’ve probably been responsible for over 15 Blendtecs sold among family, friends, and acquaintances - I should really start getting kickbacks from Blendtec). Admittedly it has not worked for everyone (can’t get into the taste or just can’t commit to it on a regular basis), but the majority of the folks have gotten a lot of benefit out of it and quite a few have become full converts like me. Anyhow, this has just been my experience with blending and I wanted to share it in the hopes it might help others with their health.

I must give you a little bit of history before reviewing the Blendtec . . .Our local Costco was having a Vita-Mix road show and i bought it knowing that I really liked everything I had ever read about a Blendtec. A couple of my friends raved about the Vita-Mix, so I felt I needed to pay a little attention. A large purchase like this deserved a little research so that I wouldn't have any regrets. I watched the demo, was impressed and took home the Vita-Mix that day. I was anxious to make a smoothie with it because I had been using the Magic Bullet for five months. I made my first smoothie with it, and it turned out great but the "honeymon" didn't last very long. I did not like the sheer size of the Vita-Mix! It sat VERY high on my counter, wouldn't fit under the cabinet and it looked like it belonged in a commercial-sized kitchen, not mine. I absolutely disliked everything about the lid, except the ability to drizzle liquids in from the opening. The lid was not easy to put on nor remove. And the tamper!!! A good machine should not require a tamper to push the food around. The blender canister has these decorative grooves on the sides and oh what difficulty to "get every last bit out" with a a rubber scraper. I felt like I was wasting food! Then, I made a vegetable pate and the 4-pronged blade made it extremely difficult to get the food hiding below the blade. By this time, I had had enough and was only too happy to take it back to Costco.That same night, I ordered my Blendtec. It arrived promptly and have LOVED everything about it since Day One! It is so-o-o-o easy to "get every last bit out" because the sides of the blender doesn't have the unnecessary decorative grooves on the side. It makes a big difference if you're the type that doesn't like to waste. I feel that the Vita-Mix and Blendtec are equally noisy, but it does its job so quickly and efficiently that it really isn't on for very long. It is so efficient and powerful that it doesn't need a silly tamper to get everything blended well. It fits under my cabinet where I like to keep it and it is just perfect in every way. I make whole fruit and/or leafy green smoothies, sometimes twice a day, and it's always smooth and perfectly blended. As long as you add the proper amount of liquid, that "vortex" forms and everything gets pulled downwards. Everything i make just comes out absolutely perfect. I just can't say enough good things about this machine.