Staff Tested: Blendtec Total Blender WildSide Combo

There are two kinds of blenders in this world: your standard, available-at-department stores and often-on-wedding-registries mainstream blender, and the high-speed options popular with restaurants, raw-foodists and anyone who blends often with less-than-easy ingredients. Blendtec’s range of blenders falls in the latter category, and the WildSide Combo is even more serious, as it offers two BPA-free jugs (small and large) for multiple blending needs.

The Pros

This blender is certainly powerful-drinks and sauces come out a lot smoother than in my old blender, and the Blendtec can handle tough ingredients like kale and nuts and seeds. A tofu-based pudding came out super smooth and fluffy with great mouthfeel. Multiple settings and speeds mean you can customize depending on what you’re blending, but I did find I had to run smoothies through the smoothie setting a few times to get them as smooth as I like.

The jugs are square and in one piece-you don’t have to remove the base-which makes them super easy to clean (but note they’re not really dishwasher safe-they’re allowed on the top rack, but in my dishwasher, they don’t fit), and they pour well too with only minor drips. The two-piece lid is easy to clean too, with no nooks or crannies for dried-on food to hide. I like that the base is heavy (to keep it stable on the counter) and has an off switch in the back so you can’t accidentally turn the machine on.

The Cons

Even though the biggest jug is quite large (nearly three litres), I have to admit to overfilling it sometimes, and unfortunately the two-piece lid is a little leakier than I’d like, and can be challenging to remove and get to the sink without spilling. The aesthetics are somewhat utilitarian (and perhaps made to appeal to men) so the blender’s not as attractive on the kitchen counter as some brands. And the price is steep, though certainly representative of the value.

The Verdict

If you’re a heavy blender user and looking for the highest quality, the Blendtec is definitely worth investing in. But if you’re new to blending or an infrequent user, a blender of this calibre is probably overkill for your needs.

 
Blendtec Total Blender WildSide Combo
Blenders start at $399.95, from blendtec.com and select retailers