Blendtec Total Classic Blender Review

The Blendtec Total Classic Blender is an affordable heavy-duty choice for anyone looking to try out as many healthy treats as possible. The Vitamix 5200 has remained my favorite blender for a long time, but with the Total Classic, you’re getting an affordable alternative that does the job fine.

If you’re just starting with blenders, you’ll be surprised at how many recipes you can crush with this blender, particularly the ones which most cheap blenders struggle to make. Everything you would want to do with the Blendtec can be done in under a minute, and unlike a Vitamix, it won’t shut itself off and require cooling down first.

Again, it comes with multiple presets, meaning you can crush various ingredients to the desired consistency without a pause. in a few minutes. It works perfectly for creating dishes like soup puree, cracking hard nuts for cupcakes, and of course, smoothies from your favorite fruits.

About the Blendtec Total Classic Blender

The Blendtec Total Classic is designed to offer convenience on a wide variety of blending tasks, and it offers a lot of conveniences while doing it. It can handle everything from smoothies, protein shakes, milkshakes, hot soups, and pretty much anything you need to prepare.

It comes with six pre-programmed cycles to help you tackle the most common blending tasks, and there’s a clear LCD to show the blender’s activity. From the design to the features, this looks like a multi-function appliance that can handle lots of tasks that you’d otherwise need a dedicated machine for.

The Total Blender Classic comes in a fairly discrete design that other Blendtec blenders, and it will sit easily on a countertop without taking up a lot of space. Weighing only 7.28 pounds, you can easily move it around the countertop with ease, but you’d probably want to find a permanent space for this blender on your countertop.

Here are the basic specs on the Blendtec Total Classic Blender:

• Capacity: 75 ounces total, with 32 ounces of blending capacity (wet or dry)
• Serves: 3 to 4 people
• Speeds: 10 speeds, 1 pulse
• Programs: Smoothie, batters, hot soup, whole juice, ice cream, ice crush
• Power: 1,560 watts
• Material: BPA-free plastic

The base is sturdy, and the four-sided jar is solid and will last a lot of years to come -it cleans easily too. For colors, however, you don’t have a huge number of options here. You can choose from red, white, or black, but one should work with your kitchen styling.

Overall, it’s a nice-looking blender, and I particularly like the clear, smart, and well-illuminated LCD that shows what stage of the blending cycle the appliance is at, and how long is left on any given timer.  

Who’s it for?

For a household of 3-4 people, the Blendtec Total Classic Blender will be a handy appliance. Its size isn’t imposing for even the smallest of kitchens; it’s very easy to use, and the average home cook will find it capable of tackling whatever blending tasks you have in mind.

If you’re not familiar with blending, I also think the included recipe book will give you more ideas than you’ll have time to tackle.

Who’s it NOT for?

A large household, let’s say, 5-10 people or more, will need something with a bigger capacity since the Total Classic might be a little limiting. It’s also pricier than most budget-oriented blenders out there, and even the 8-year warranty might not justify investing in the brand in the long term.

Pros

• An extremely powerful motor.
• 6 pre-programmed cycles to tackle the most common blending tasks.
• 10-speed options if you want to take manual control, as well as a pulse function.
• The container is low-profile and BPA-free.
• Easy-to-read LCD with digital controls and timer readout.
• Durable, stable on the countertop, and built to last.
• Easy to clean and care for.
• The auto shut-off feature prevents the machine from overheating damage.
• 8-year warranty.
• Dishwasher-safe (but I recommend running it through the top rack).

Cons

• Noisy, but many of these high-powered blenders are.
• Pricey compared to other blenders
• The manual isn’t particularly well written, but this is not a complex machine to operate.
• Not the best option for rough chopping vegetables, due to its high speed.

Pre-programmed Cycles

The Blendtec Total Classic Blender comes with six pre-programmed blending cycles with each one designed to get the job done automatically. All you need to do is throw in your ingredients, then choose the setting you need.

Here are the options available with this blender:

• Ice Cream / Frozen Yogurt
• Sauces, Dips, Dressings & Batters
• Whole Juice
• Ice Crush / Milkshake
• Soups, Syrups & Fondues
• Smoothie

Once you select the required setting, the blender gets to work. Each preset is made up of various blending cycles, all based on speed and time.

So, for example, if you want to make some ice cream, the Total will run at a low speed for 15 seconds, a higher speed for 3 seconds, and then a much higher speed for another 27 seconds. A different set of speeds and timings are used for each of the other five presets, thus, ensuring everything is blended for the right amount of time, at the right speed for each stage.

In case you want to take more control over the Blendtec Total blender, you can choose from one of the 10-speed settings. There is a button at the front of the base for selecting higher or lower speed, and by default, it’ll run for 50 seconds, but you can interrupt the process by pressing any other button on the control panel.

Final Thoughts

The Blendtec Total Classic Blender is a fantastic choice if you’re just getting into the high-performance blending category. While it’s not the best in its class, it still gets the job done well, and the 70oz capacity will be enough for most households.  

It’s very convenient, provides many smart features, and is one of the most versatile kitchen appliances available. Cleaning the Total Classis is easy too, meaning you might find yourself using it more than you expected.

That said, if you can spend a little more, the Vitamix E310 offers even better performance, is versatile, and gives you more control.