Introduced in late 2004, the Total Blender continues to be Blendtec's (a division of K-TEC, Inc.) most user-friendly offering in the high-performance blender market. Contrary to the claims of many online reviews, the Total Blender was not simply a revision of the company's wildly popular Champ HP3 model found in numerous smoothie and coffee shops across the country in the early 2000s. There was, in fact, a redesign of the Champ HP3. It is now known as the HP3A and is a fine blender in in its own right. The motivation behind the Total Blender, however, has been found to use the same mechanical components in their commercial machines and combine it with a much simpler interface, making the company the first model designed specifically for home use. The following review combines information gathered directly by the company with my experience of more than 30,000 cycles as a representative of the screenings with live Blendtec Total Blender across the country.
Package andTechnical Data
The Blendtec Total Blender is made and is in Orem, Utah, production assembly. Currently the package includes a base engine, jar, two pieces of cover, instruction manual, instructional DVD and cookbook. The buyer has his choice of black, white or red base engine finished. A coffee-colored base was closed in early 2011.
The machine base includes the majority of its weight (7 kg. With an empty glass), and includes a Direct-Drive, 13-A, 1560Watt's engine, based in the professional as a 3 hp (3 hp). Blendtec used for the engine as the 3-peak power related, but now generally avoided using the term hp all in his literary descriptions, packaging and online, calculate the odds because of the lack of general public of the true understanding of HP, and thus potentially misunderstood. The Total Blender Direct Drive Motor ensures no loss of power due to friction of the pulleys, belts produced ariseor joints. Instead, the motor rotates the blade of glass at high speed in a pair of nearly 29,000 revolutions per minute (RPM).
Engine block dimensions are 7 "wide and 8" deep, and the entire unit, with the vessel, however - cover - it is exactly 15 "tall, the height of the sum of Blender is an important aspect for the consumer to maintain the machine a work surface. when not in use because the standard height of kitchen cabinets above is between 17 "and 18" of ceiling. AThree foot power cord with a standard 120-volt covered, 3-pin plug from the back of the machine. Also on the back of the base is the main switch on / off switch. The engine exhaust from its bottom and the entire base rests on four round, rubber feet, 7 / 8 "in diameter. The colored part of the cover of the base engine is made of a durable polycarbonate, with no seams or openings the ingress of liquids.
Traditional knobs and levers used to operate the machine, dispersed throughout the blender.In contrast, the surface is composed of nine small buttons, each with the corresponding function. Are you "blend" cycle buttons are pre-programmed. Labeled from left to right, are Ice Cream / Frozen Yogurt, Ice Crush / Milkshake, Soups / Syrups / fondues, sauces / sauces / dressing / Pastelle, the whole juice and smoothies. Just above the number of mix cycles, a key to manually accelerate the engine, a manually slowed down, and, finally, one for overclocking. When lit, a small blue LED next to the PulseButton displays the keyboard is activated. Just below the connector panel has a blue LCD screen, information such as the particular mix used in the cycle, the remaining time of the cycle, overload indicator (if implemented), and the total number of execution cycles the display.
The design was patented by Blendtec Total Blender jar. Why is square in shape, the contents in a position from each of the three slightly rounded edges, similar to all outlets to be thrown. The same reservoir has aCapacity of two liters (64 ounces) and is a high strength of bisphenol A (BPA)-free copolyester. Measures in ounces and cups will be progressively extended to the two sides of the glass marked up to a liter (32 oz / 4 cups). It 'also marked with the trademark NSF International, which means it meets the foundation (formerly known as the National Sanitation Foundation) has provided equipment and material requirements for commercial restaurants, a general standard for public healthStandard.
The blade assembly with a single 3 "stainless steel blade, which is in one direction, clockwise. This Assembly sonically fused the jar and can not be separated. From the bottom of the glass, the end metal spline shaft Blade fits perfectly in the base station with a pair of grooved titanium disc. Together with the shaft blade / disk connection socket extends to a 1 ¼ "deep across the bottom lip of the glass, insurance rests firmly on the upperExtension of the base engine, while the mixer is in use.
The glass cover has taken place over several revisions since the model of the foundation. Now a two-piece is the primary form of a final rubber cover, to receive in the form of words that is perfect for forming the upper edge on all four sides of the container. At each corner of the cover is thin fins for easy removal from the glass covered with only a thumb and forefinger. A receives 2 "by 2" hole in the middle of the second primary coveragePart of a two-part assembly, a detachable hood made of rigid plastic that, once entered the opening, creating a four-way vent, escapes from the pressure during the mixing of hot dishes. Removing this cap from the cover also allows the addition of primary ingredients in the pot, while the blender is running, without removing the entire lid.
A 245-page recipe book with the title Blender contains instructions about lifestyle, health and nutrition, glycemic index chartdry and liquid measurement equivalent table, an ingredient substitution chart, and more than 300 recipes. Paired with each recipe has a nutritional table to results similar to those found in food packaging and its contents.
Completing the package Blender is a total of 19-page manual provides instructions and safety information, a detailed overview of the six cycles mixer mixing, troubleshooting tips and information on the standard machine warranty, 3 yearsthe date of purchase. Purchases made at leading clubs - Costco and Sam's Club, for example - an extended warranty good for another four years on the basis of the engine. Titanium coupling (socket unit for mounting the blade) and the stainless steel blade, but are covered by the standard warranty. Although not explicitly mentioned in the text of the warranty, these two parts from defects for the life of the guaranteedMachine.
Operation
It can be as simple as charging with the Total Blender and jar the click of a button. For most recipes, but with good results, pre-programmed blend cycles require a bit 'of foresight on your part. Key is the desired consistency with each mixing ratio of liquid to dry ingredients. When the production of ice cream, for example, too much liquid in terms of ice or frozen fruit leads to a less-than-solid (current) consistency. Similarly, tooIce in terms of liquid may be a result not so smooth (crisp) desserts. In each recipe lifestyle, have both the volume and the ratios of all the ingredients to calculate in advance - if coupled with their corresponding cycles mix - excellent performance results constantly. In other words, if a user follows the recipe, press the right mouse button, he or she will be the desired result.
Once a cycle mix is selected, the user multi-rate blade can be changed during his lifetime to achieve. NotMixing cycle operates at a speed. Instead, no more than 3-8 to accelerate the changes that occur during a given cycle. Blendtec has fixed rates and the specific conditions corresponding to the ingredients in any of his recipes. Blend-in period of 25 seconds to 90 seconds on the cycle smoothie Soups and / Syrup / fondues. Once a cycle is selected, a countdown timer on the LCD screen, the user is informed about the number of seconds before its completion. Onceruns, the mixing cycles are not intended to be stopped until the cycle is complete. But while the machine is running, stop by pressing any key mix cycle. Consequently, no "off" button on the connector panel is located. They are all on the "off" button.
Together with the user's attention to quantities of ingredients and ratios, should be equally important to the order in which they are placed in the pot will be charged. When following any recipe in the book of life, the first ingredient is described injar first. While the user works his way down the recipe, the ingredients must be from the bottom of the jar to be filled. If the balance is charged the right ingredients in the pot in the correct order, and chose the right mix cycle, the machine produces the desired result. The users approach at the correct speed blender and duration are eliminated.
Of course, users do not want to be limited to + 300 recipes in the book. For this reason, the manual controlsAlso on the connection box included. Marked with arrows "Speed Up" and "speed down," each one of these buttons access ten-speed blender in an incremental manner, with 10 for the maximum speed of over 28,000 RPM. The user moves from one speed to another by pressing the button once for each successive speed.
The machine also automatically rise and fall from one speed to another when the button is held down. Starts after a manual cycle, the total run Blenderfor a total of 50 seconds, then turns off automatically. Countdown instead of 50, but the timer to zero and start counting. Special conditions for certain recipes can be made by the user using the timer to count in this way can be monitored. For example, if the user creates her own milkshake recipe and determine the specific needs of its ingredients, has made the speed of the machine 6 for exactly 35 seconds, this is possible with manual controls. In short,manual keys on the control panel interface allows the machine, as he or she would with any other mixer to work.
This does not mean that can blend cycles or should not be used if you have a recipe are not included in the book of life. And 'quite possible to find perfect results with a series of mix in combination with a prescription elsewhere, or created by the user to realize themselves. Each recipe is copied from the book of life in terms of quantity and value probably due tosimilar consistency appropriate mix over the cycle. Adjustments can be made at any time for any recipe, but if the book or not, with manual controls. Experience is the best teacher with the Total Blender. The more you use, it produces a greater familiarity with the results of each user is special blend of the two cycles, and the keys manually.
The Pulse button works as you might imagine. Will run at medium-high speed all the timeyou think. Short is ideal for chopping the ingredients instead of pureeing. Long period of time can be used for everything from cleaning the glass with soap and water used on the involvement of an additional ingredient, or forgotten, a shake immediately.
Performance
In terms of pure power, I have yet to see or use a blender in this price range that corresponds to the Total Blender. Every conceivable ingredient, a user might want to mix very likely not a problem for thisMachine. In more than 30,000 cycles of personnel and demonstration with this model (and many of my clients was able to convince themselves that they did not "baby" machines), I never put in the pot, which caused not to run and function properly.
However, a user to do just that, inside the enclosure is a sensor that is temporarily traveling power to the motor. Instead, the motor runs continuously and finally burn the ingredients and try hard together - notrare with regular blender - goes off himself and instead present an indicator of "overload" on the LCD screen. In this case, the user simply removes or adjusts the ingredient (s) in question and press any key combined cycle, after which the machine is removed and immediately set to work again. I show this function occasionally by the handle of a hammer into the glass against the blade while the machine is in an off position, and then held against the bottom of the glasssimultaneously starts a cycle. Because of the sheer power of the overall Blender is a battle to hold the handle in place when you press a button, but after two or three seconds that the sensor each time the engine stops. Similarly, there is a reading of "overheating" that appears when the engine overheated during use, it is. To date I have not really seen this reading through normal use, nor I can prove that implements it.
This extreme power, together withDesign of both the vessel and the blade is the key to getting good results and sustainable mixed with the Total Blender. Instead of swirling around the perimeter of a glass round as an ingredient content at high speed with most of the mixers tend to dampen the ingredients in this dish, in fact, as it affected the angles created by its square shape. In theory, the content is then transmitted to the center of glass, which combines the patented design blade and engine power in order to actually pull the ingredientsCutting path of the blade can be fully integrated. The vortex effect during the entire duration of the cycle is repeated, which means that the ingredients are always and constantly replenished from start to finish. Cycle Yogurt Ice Cream / Frozen, you can see more clearly this effect to work. Ingredients are pulled from the top of the blade, installed, led by the side of the glass back to the middle and pulled back.
Ice Cream / Frozen Yogurt and soup / Syrup / fondues arecycles mix that best demonstrate the extreme diversity Total Blender. To determine whether a prescription is warm to the boiling point (if necessary) or frozen, as soft-serve are two main factors: the right ingredients, of course, and the right amount of friction against them generated by the rotating blade. There is resistance in the machine. Instead, the friction introduced by the user to determine the quantity of ingredients of each cycle, the extent to which the recipeheated. Extreme levels are at 28,000 RPM (90 seconds Soups / Syrups / cycle fondue) was created, sufficient to create a warm soup.
How hot, exactly, is simple, as long as the blade turns determined. This particular cycle is 90 seconds. Soup recipes call for hot water as a component sufficiently warmed up after a cycle. But to raise the temperature of the desired end product, the user only has to start the cycle again. Extremely hot temperatures can be made in 4 ½5 minutes (3 or 4 cycles). Partial cycles can be executed by pressing any button on the mixing cycle of mid-cycle so that the specific temperature for heating (requires the use of a thermometer). Remember, in soups, hot temperatures in correspondingly lower yield lead nutritional ingredient. This is something that will always be aware.
At the other end of the temperature scale, friction is also used to create the amount of ice in the blender. Tape speed much slowerto create less friction on this cycle, of course. But with the right ingredients and the right amount of friction, in combination with high-torque motor, the power to the ice cream / frozen yogurt cycle of ice and / or frozen fruit and other ingredients in the perfect consistency of soft-service ice cream. Ranging somewhere between the extreme differences between the speed of the blade soup and ice-cycles, for the whole fruit juices, smoothies, sauces, dressings, shakes, and all threads in a separateCycles that implement exactly the same design principles.
Extreme speed blender amount of torque and belt is also triggered the breakdown of the walls of individual cells of fruit and vegetables, the release of valuable nutrients that would otherwise unused, if they were only to be eaten or mixed to digest less effective. The whole cycle Juice is specifically designed to encourage maximum nutritional yield from fruits and vegetables.
The patented design of the blade also allows the Total Blendersame container and blade assembly, the "wet" ingredients of a mill to grind grains, seeds, legumes and nuts into flour used by almost all coherence. At lower speeds, instead of flour to the butter nut Blender outstanding amount of peanuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews and pecans. Used this type have no influence on the performance of the leaf, as it is manufactured with a beveled edge to the rather sharp edge found on most blender meet. The Total BlenderBlade uses his unique design in glass with the muscles of the engine sputter, however, cut the ingredients loaded into it.
The Total Blender makes excellent bread dough, cake, pie fillings, sauces, sauces, fondues, syrup, frozen alcoholic drinks, baby food, recipes, etc. for all of the above are included in the book of life.
Performance Issues
Assuming that no machine ever created a perfect fusion, a comprehensive review of the Total Blendermust also have its disadvantages. Noise: During the mixer only has a few, in order of importance to these users, who are listed as follows. It's noisy. I did not take decibel readings of the level of being, and the acoustics are another kitchen, but I'm confident, claiming that it is stronger or more powerful than any standard home blender on the market today. Remember, most of the cycle durations are short, and the noise will certainly be dictated by two ingredients, the content and speed. However AftermarketSound housing for the Total Blender from various sources on the Internet. Blendtec, however, is not made by this model.
As mentioned above, have suggested the ingredients recipe will be loaded into the glass in a certain order. Lack of tools to support the ingredients in the path of the cutting blade is included in this model, and pay for most of the recipes, regardless of the order of ingredients is not required. There will be occasions, however, where fixedloaded or frozen ingredients into the pan, lower delay the inclusion of all the ingredients to the point where further mixing times could be completed within a given cycle is required.
Cavitation is a common occurrence with all mixers, for which a cushion of air around the cutting path of the blade and prevents the ingredients to get it. Extremely cold temperatures are the main ingredient of guilty in this case, and the sum of Blender is not invulnerablethis condition. Add a liquid recipe, so the air bladder manually with a spatula or just manually run the car at high speeds, quick remedy cavitation problems.
The length of uninterrupted manual use (as opposed to mixing cycles) the machine is limited to 50 seconds. In other words, the useful life of speed manual and / or speed down controls are also technically on a cycle. For manual mixing required in more than 50 seconds, the user must restartMixing process after 50 seconds.
The result of tiny grains produced from wells, as they are launched against the glass of the pages at extreme speeds, while grinding - after the vessel, such as a mill in the lower 1 / 3 and 1 / 2 of JAR-acquisition cause an appearance is murky. Although this is common with all the glasses in polycarbonate and copolyester, high-performance mixing (glass can not withstand the torque generated by these engines) are required. Similarly, the milling of oilyBeans (coffee, for example) can result in discoloration of the vase. No performance issues arising from these effects, however. They are purely aesthetic.
Summary
The Blendtec Total Blender is perfect for anyone needing a high performance, a versatile mixer, the health benefits of regular blender is not available revenues. For the money you can not find a stronger, more durable machine. His American-made craftsmanship is exceptional. One might reasonably expect that the blender would never endto acquire. This car is pretty "smart" to make the most of the "work" for the user, but also allows him to take complete control of the mixing process. The same engine and technology to find this device in which the coffee, smoothie shops and restaurants around the world are located. These places also have their own choices when it comes to blenders, and there's a reason they choose at the end Blendtecs. And 'because they are worth every penny.
