Blendtec HP3-A 4-Speed Blender
- Capacity: 64 oz.
- Blender Type: Work Top
- Pulse Feature: With Pulse Feature
- Speeds: 4 Speed
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The Smart Blender has arrived and it is BLENDTEC.
Pros
Sturdy, powerful, helpful resources, and a great recipe book.
Cons
Rubber feet fall off, expensive accessories, and noisey as all get-out.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
People who love to blend -or- love cool kitchen counter-top appliances will want one.
Blendtec.
Is it a blender, or a food processor? Or is it both? I think it’s both.
Blendtec claims it is a product all made in the USA like products post WWII in this country. Every part is manufactured here…in the USA. Mine came with a DVD which talks about the company, the manufacture process, and quick recipe tips. I really suggest you watch the DVD at some point. It’s very helpful.
What makes it unique is its POWER. It has a 3 horse power motor. That’s twice the size of my in-ground pool pump motor. Somehow they put it in a very small plastic frame. The other thing that makes it unique is its computer programming. It has preprogrammed buttons which take the brain work out of blending and food processing (are the machines taking over or what??).
The 4 inch blade is also decieving. It looks quite industrial and dull, but on closer examination, you can see that one side of it is razor sharp.
There are five buttons: Ice cream-frozen yogurt, ice-cream-milkshake, soups-syrups-fondues, sauces-dips-dressings-batters, whole juice, and smoothies. There is also a pulse and two adjustable speed buttons. These programs make it virtually a no-brainer, IF you follow the very thick, novel-like, recipe book; included with the blender.
Blendtec also preaches a “3-Step, Perfect Blend”. The key is to follow the recipe book precisely. There is a sort of blender hierarchy when you put the ingredients in: 1. Liquids first, 2. Solids (fruit) in the middle, and 3. Frozen on top (ice). I would like to confirm…they are correct! One thing I did notice is that you need to be careful about using the exact amount of ice in some of the recipes. Otherwise, you might have chunks and lumps of ice not blended correctly. Another problem with overloading the machine or putting in the ingredients incorrectly is that it may cause your machine to shut-down if it overheats. This is a built in feature. After it “cools down” you can resume your blending. I witnessed this problem one time on my father’s Blendtec a while back. I think it is caused by not precisely following the recipe when it comes to ice and other dense solids.
I have put my unit through its paces. I’ve done gallons of Tortilla soup, ice cream, smoothies, and milkshakes. I’ve also tried it when make batters (premade, like Bisqwik) and it is a time saver and makes clean up an easy chore.
Clean-up. I think this is one of Blendtec’s best features. When you’re done, simply rinse out the carafe, fill it up with 8 oz of water, and put a drop of dishwashing soap in it. Then, run it on high for about 30 seconds, and it almost cleans itself.
Negatives:
The rubber feet on mine keep sliding out and falling off.
You cannot walk away from the blender while its running. I noticed the lid, at high speeds,will vibrate off, creating a huge mess.
Accessories are expensive. I thought about buying a “Wild Side” 96 oz carafe, but at $100 (Amazon price), its way too expensive. Most people are already shelling-out almost $400 for the initial unit. It would be nice to see more affordable accessories.
It’s really loud (o.k., not very fair….all blenders are loud!).
Concerns:
Given this units horsepower, I was surprised that there was no-built in safety “kill switch” like in other food processors, where the carafe has to be attached in order for the blendtec to work. It’s a real simple device with an “on-off” rocker switch. Maybe I’m over-reacting but its still a concern if you have children or the inexperienced using it.
I think time will tell how this counter-top appliance works out in my kitchen. It will be interesting to see how long the motor really lasts, or if it gets burned-out within a year. I plan on keeping everyone posted if there are problems.
Bottom-line:
I've been wanting one of these super-duper blenders, like the vita-mix, for years but have always been detered by the price. I've seen all of the Costco and county fair demos on both products. I think the Blendtec does the same thing as the Vita-Mix but is just a bit cheaper. I'm glad I have this one.
Is it a blender, or a food processor? Or is it both? I think it’s both.
Blendtec claims it is a product all made in the USA like products post WWII in this country. Every part is manufactured here…in the USA. Mine came with a DVD which talks about the company, the manufacture process, and quick recipe tips. I really suggest you watch the DVD at some point. It’s very helpful.
What makes it unique is its POWER. It has a 3 horse power motor. That’s twice the size of my in-ground pool pump motor. Somehow they put it in a very small plastic frame. The other thing that makes it unique is its computer programming. It has preprogrammed buttons which take the brain work out of blending and food processing (are the machines taking over or what??).
The 4 inch blade is also decieving. It looks quite industrial and dull, but on closer examination, you can see that one side of it is razor sharp.
There are five buttons: Ice cream-frozen yogurt, ice-cream-milkshake, soups-syrups-fondues, sauces-dips-dressings-batters, whole juice, and smoothies. There is also a pulse and two adjustable speed buttons. These programs make it virtually a no-brainer, IF you follow the very thick, novel-like, recipe book; included with the blender.
Blendtec also preaches a “3-Step, Perfect Blend”. The key is to follow the recipe book precisely. There is a sort of blender hierarchy when you put the ingredients in: 1. Liquids first, 2. Solids (fruit) in the middle, and 3. Frozen on top (ice). I would like to confirm…they are correct! One thing I did notice is that you need to be careful about using the exact amount of ice in some of the recipes. Otherwise, you might have chunks and lumps of ice not blended correctly. Another problem with overloading the machine or putting in the ingredients incorrectly is that it may cause your machine to shut-down if it overheats. This is a built in feature. After it “cools down” you can resume your blending. I witnessed this problem one time on my father’s Blendtec a while back. I think it is caused by not precisely following the recipe when it comes to ice and other dense solids.
I have put my unit through its paces. I’ve done gallons of Tortilla soup, ice cream, smoothies, and milkshakes. I’ve also tried it when make batters (premade, like Bisqwik) and it is a time saver and makes clean up an easy chore.
Clean-up. I think this is one of Blendtec’s best features. When you’re done, simply rinse out the carafe, fill it up with 8 oz of water, and put a drop of dishwashing soap in it. Then, run it on high for about 30 seconds, and it almost cleans itself.
Negatives:
The rubber feet on mine keep sliding out and falling off.
You cannot walk away from the blender while its running. I noticed the lid, at high speeds,will vibrate off, creating a huge mess.
Accessories are expensive. I thought about buying a “Wild Side” 96 oz carafe, but at $100 (Amazon price), its way too expensive. Most people are already shelling-out almost $400 for the initial unit. It would be nice to see more affordable accessories.
It’s really loud (o.k., not very fair….all blenders are loud!).
Concerns:
Given this units horsepower, I was surprised that there was no-built in safety “kill switch” like in other food processors, where the carafe has to be attached in order for the blendtec to work. It’s a real simple device with an “on-off” rocker switch. Maybe I’m over-reacting but its still a concern if you have children or the inexperienced using it.
I think time will tell how this counter-top appliance works out in my kitchen. It will be interesting to see how long the motor really lasts, or if it gets burned-out within a year. I plan on keeping everyone posted if there are problems.
Bottom-line:
I've been wanting one of these super-duper blenders, like the vita-mix, for years but have always been detered by the price. I've seen all of the Costco and county fair demos on both products. I think the Blendtec does the same thing as the Vita-Mix but is just a bit cheaper. I'm glad I have this one.
