Vitamix A3500 vs Blendtec 800 Face-Off Review: Which Is The Better Food Processor, Mixer, Blender, Chopper All Combined In One For Daily Use?

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A blender is the best kitchen purchase, especially with models like the Vitamix A3500 vs Blendtec 800. And if your budget is to buy any one, right now, without comparing others, then the Vitamix A3500 is the one.

It connects to your smartphone, it’s compatible with other blender jars, and it’s easier to maintain. The Blendtec 800 is a commercial-grade blender that is just as good. But on portability terms, it’s too bulky and you won’t have as many accessories to play with.

But one great thing about the Blendtec 800, and why it is one of the best blenders on the market, is the sound enclosure design. It significantly reduces the noise your average blender makes.

I don’t see why either one of these blenders is not built to last. With superior build quality and one-touch blending controls, you can make soup, smoothies, ice cream, cocktails, dips and spreads, and lots more without any rookie mistakes.

Vitamix A3500 vs Blendtec 800: Comparision Chart

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Vitamix A3500 vs Blendtec 800: Differences

The Vitamix A3500 wins 3 – 2 against the Blendtec 800. The Blendtec 800 may feature a better, more flexible blender jar and have the quietest operation. But the Vitamix A3500 features a Bluetooth app, better blade design, and more user-friendly accessories for the average home user.

Blenders like the A3500 are great for daily, productive use. While the Blendtec 800 can take on more intense blending for longer periods of time. Thanks to its double-walled design that also dampens maximum motor noise that crushing ice can produce in your kitchen.

1. Blending Performance

The Winner: Blendtec 800

Blendtec 800 Blending Performance

+Quiet Operation

It is on this simple fact, alone, that the Blendtec 800 takes the prize for one of the best blenders on the market today. It has a seriously sturdy and reliable commercial-grade design with a sound enclosure.

The Vitamix A3500 does not come with any sound-dampening system like the Blendtec. It is what makes the Blendtec professionally quiet and dependable to use.

The Blendtec has a container within a container. The main jar is stored inside the sound enclosure that ultimately reduces the volume of blending.

And yes, there is a significant reduction in noise production. Where any standard blender, including the A3500, produces an average of 84 dB (still considered as Low), the Blendtec, thanks to the sound enclosure, produces only 65 dB. So it’s impressively low and stable to use.

+Blending Capacity

The choice here is between a fixed yet convenient and large 64-ounce container vs a flexible yet large 90-ounce container. As you must have guessed already, the Blendtec being the flexible pick for daily blending use.

You can blend as little as 1-2 cups (8-16 ounces) or go up to 90 ounces in a heartbeat. The performance of the blades and motor are adaptable and work very effectively.

On the Vitamix A3500, you have to make upwards of 2 cups per serve. So that is more than 2 cups up to 8 cups of food. That’s a large serving for home use. It is suitable for making soup, butter, dough, creams, dips, and dressings, etc. But it may be too large to make a single-person smoothie or fruit juice.

That is why the adjustability of the Blendtec 800 comes in handy. It’s foolproof and comes with an exterior sound enclosure system that I’ll get into later. But it does protect and stabilize the large blending capacity of up to 90 ounces, this is more than 10 cups of blending at a time.

2. Controls / Settings

The Winner: It’s A Tie!

Blendtec 800 Settings

+Blade Design

The Vitamix A3500 features 4 laser-cut hardened stainless steel blades while the Blentec 800 comes with 2 blunt hardened stainless steel blades.

Which is better?

A laser-cut blade is relatively sharper than a blunt blade. Sharper blades are used mainly for hot soups, sauces, and salad dressings. They are also very effective and sturdy for cutting through thick ingredients.

Blunt blades, on the other hand, are ideal for crushing ice, making cocktails like margaritas, iced frappes, and milkshakes.

For chopping and cutting vegetables, I prefer the laser-cut blades of the A3500. But for crushing ice and drink-blending, the Blendtec is better.

So it’s a tie between both designs as they offer their own unique characteristic for food and drink blending.

+Blending Programs

There is barely a distinction between the actual number of blending programs and variable speeds that both blenders offer. The Vitamix A3500 features 10 variable speeds and 5 programs. While the Blendtec 800 features 11 variable speeds and 6 programs.

So in two ways, it’s better than Vitamix as it has a higher speed setting and blending mode. But why then is it a tie between the Vitamix A3500 vs Blendtec 800?

The A3500 offers 5 one-touch blending modes for smoothies, hot soups, dips & spreads, frozen desserts, and self-cleaning. Each program is fitted with a different speed for achieving the right texture. And for manual control, you can use the 10 variable speed dial.

The Blendtec offers 6 automatic blending programs for hot soup, smoothie, ice cream, dough and batter, cocktails, and self-cleaning. And lastly, 11 variable speeds for manual programmability.

The Vitamix has a button for dips & spreads which the Blendtec doesn’t. And the Blendtec has buttons for dough and batter mixing and cocktails which the Vitamix doesn’t. So they are both automated and versatile in their own ways.

3. Cleaning / Maintenance

The Winner: Vitamix A3500

Vitamix A3500 Maintenance

+Dishwasher-Friendly

One thing the Vitamix A3500 does that the Blendtec 800 doesn’t is it makes it easier to clean. With dishwasher-safe parts, you don’t have to worry about rinsing the insides of the jar by yourself. No more scrubbing or scooping out the remains of the blend from under the blades.

Though both blenders feature a self-cleaning cycle that uses high speed to blend warm water and dish soap until everything from under the blades and the sides of the jar are rid of stains, odor, and shreds of food. Only the Vitamix goes that extra mile to include a dishwasher-safe design.

4. Utilities

The Winner: Vitamix A3500

Vitamix A3500 Utilities

+Self-Detect Technology

It’s true that the versatile blending capacity of the Blendtec 800 is better than the Vitamix because the latter only comes with a large 64-ounce blender jar. But the Vitamix A3500 encourages all-around blender use that is suitable for all kinds of blending.

Vitamix’s ‘Self-Detect Technology’ allows you to use a differently-sized blender jar of Vitamix on the motor base. This does mean you have to pay extra for the new blender jar. But you have plenty of options in size.

You can use a smaller 48-ounce container which is more useful for blending dry ingredients. A 32-ounce container is for smoothies, juices, purees, and other creamy textures.

You can also opt for a wider blender jar with a 64-ounce capacity or a thinner profile for adding more layers to your blend.

On the Blendtec 800, what you see is what you work with. You cannot use any other Blendtec jar on the motor base. It does not have a universal design like the A3500.

+Bluetooth

Being home-friendly, the A3500 comes with wireless connectivity that translates to Bluetooth app. Download the Vitamix app on any smartphone or tablet and you get more done via the user-friendly app.

The app gives you access to 17 blending programs (5 of which are already on the control panel) and hundreds and hundreds of easy-to-make recipes.

It also features a programmable timer setting on the app with adjustable controls for managing the portion size of every recipe you want to make.

The Blendtec 800 does not pair with any app. It has 6 blending modes and 11 variable speeds that you can use right from the control panel.

So to some extent, the Vitamix A3500 does encourage hands-free blending, you can walk away from the blender and still control it using just your smartphone.

+Tamper

The Vitamix A3500 features everything a standard blender has: programmable speed settings, blending modes, and additional accessories such as a cookbook and a classic tamper.

The Blendtec 800, as a commercial-grade blender, features the latest blending technology that eliminates the need for a classic tamper. So according to the design of the blender jar and the blades, it automatically pulls the food toward the blades.

The blender jar is “five-sided” which does most of the job of a classic tamper. The ingredients turn to a creamy texture without any lumps. And there’s even a latching lid that plays a role in ensuring that all the food inside the jar goes down while blending. This prevents any inconsistencies in the texture.

Vitamix A3500 vs Blendtec 800: Similarities

Though the Vitamix A3500 may be of a different brand than the Blendtec 800 – they are both high-powered blenders for daily use. They are both great choices for large blending – you can blend 64 ounces of food in one go.

They also feature a user-friendly and responsive touchscreen panel with all the blending modes, pulse feature, and variable speed settings. Each blending mode is organized using different food icons for a smoothie, soup, frozen dessert, dough/batter, dips/spreads, and self-cleaning mode.

Speaking of self-cleaning, you can also clean both blenders easily by adding warm water and dish soap. Closing the lid of the blender and allowing the blending mode to do its magic. It cleans the sides of the blender, the blades, and under the blades in less than a minute.

Both the Vitamix A3500 vs Blendtec 800 is great for mighty performance. With 10-year warranty assurance, that means all the parts and functionality of both blenders are under warranty.

These blenders also feature a programmable digital timer with automatic shut-off. This allows you to walk away from the blender while it’s blending. The machine will stop the blending automatically once the timer is done.

Quick Rundown of Vitamix A3500

No products found.

Pros

It can be used every day for versatile cooking needs.
The Bluetooth app has more blending programs to use.
Fast and consistent blending performance.
10 variable speeds with 5 accurate blending modes.
The touchscreen panel is responsive and easy to use.
The build quality of the jar is strong and sturdy.
Programmable timer included.

Cons

It is very loud at medium to high speeds.

Quick Rundown of Blendtec 800

No products found.

Pros

Exceptionally quiet performance with sound enclosure.
No need for a tamper with Slide Jar.
Adjustable blending capacity from 1 – 10+ cups.
Consistent blend texture with 6 blending modes.
It is a powerful, commercial-grade blender for home use.
Self-cleans in under 60 seconds for the next cycle.

Cons

The blender jar is not dishwasher-friendly.
The design is bulky and heavy.
It won’t fit under kitchen cabinets.

Product Videos

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References

Vitamix A3500 from Vitamix https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/shop/a3500
Blendtec 800 from Blendtec https://www.blendtec.com/products/professional-800

5/5 - (1 vote)

Foodplayer Linda

I am sure you love food. Otherwise, you won’t be here. As a full-time and a part-time chef at a local restaurant, I know my way around food. Ever since I was a young girl, I enjoyed helping my mom in the kitchen.

We would often experiment with the spices, ingredients, and flavors and create great meals for my brothers and dad. Since cocking was my first passion, I decided to go in that direction. I finished culinary school, got my first job, and started developing my skills.

Later when kids came, I had all the liberty in the kitchen to combine some of the unique flavors. A lot of them were a success, but now and there I would make a couple of mistakes.