Commercial blenders are in a league of their own. If you’re looking for the best commercial blender for your juice bar, tossing up between the two biggest brand names in the business – Blendtec and Vitamix, we’ve created this comparative guide for you.
Learn about the history of the companies, well as key specs for the Blendtec Stealth 885 and Vitamix Blending Station Advance commercial blender models to understand which blender is best suited to your juice bar business.
Headquarters: Ohio, United States.
International Operations: Dealers found in North America, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Asia Region, among others.
Vitamix has been owned by the Barnard family since 1921 as part of their initial company that William Barnard called ‘The Natural Food Institute’. In 1937 the blender was introduced as a new kitchen appliance under this brand, named ‘Vita-mix’ with ‘vita’ meaning ‘life.
The company changed its name in 1964 to ‘Vita-Mix Corporation’. In 1969, the first model that could blend soup, ice cream, grains, and even knead bread was released – the Vitamix 3600.
The first commercial blender by the company was created in 1985 – the ‘Mix’n Machine.’
Interestingly, in 2006 the Blendtec company sued the Vitamix corporation for patent infringements on Blendtec’s ‘WildSide’ jar design (allegedly copied on Viamix’s MP and XP containers). Blendtec was awarded $24 million when it won the case.
Headquarters: Utah, United States.
International Operations: Dealers are global (specifics of which exact countries not known), and ships to 90 countries worldwide.
Founded in 1975 by Tom Dickson, Blendtec is a company that is a division of the K-TEC corporation. In 1994, Blendtec launched its first commercial blender, the ‘In-Counter Blender’ (ICB).
The famous patented ‘WildSide’ jar was created in 2001 (the same that Vitamix was sued for copying in 2006, as mentioned above). The Stealth range of quiet commercial blenders was created in 2012 by Blendtec as a way to innovate with minimal-sound blending for use in hospitality.
In 2013, Blendtec won the Gold Innovation Award for its models in the Signature Series and the Stealth product lines. It has been the parent company of the nutrition brand called ‘Blendfresh’ since 2014.
For the purpose of this review, we’re looking at the most popular commercial models for each brand, the Blendtec Stealth 885 and the Vitamix Blending Station Advance. Note that both brands have various other commercial models that range in size, functionality, and price. For the sake of this best commercial blender comparison, these two models are key high-quality and popular choices from each brand.
Blendtec Stealth 885: Ranging from $975 – $1000
Vitamix Blending Station Advance: Ranging from $920 – $1500
These are the price ranges found on Amazon, which may be due to the location of where the blender is shipping from the distributor, the year model of the device, whether it is refurbished, etc. If you buy directly from the company, you would need to enquire directly to each brand.
Blendtec Stealth 885: Countertop (In-counter options available)
Vitamix Blending Station Advance: Countertop (In-counter options available)
Both are predominately used as countertop blenders, though they also have the versatility as in-counter devices available.
Blendtec Stealth 885: 3.8 peak horse-power – option for 120V or 220V
Vitamix Blending Station Advance: 3 peak horse-power, 120 V
Blendtec’s model has a little more motor power than the Vitamix Blending Station Advance. More power equals faster, more effective blending. The additional option to have a higher voltage blender for the Blendtec model is also an advantage where there are different electrical systems/capacities in the store’s outlets.
Blendtec Stealth 885: 15.8 pounds / 7.2 Kg
Vitamix Blending Station Advance: 17 pounds / 7.7kg
They’re close in weight, though Blentec comes out as the slightly lighter option, which is easier to move when repositioning appliances in the prep area or simply cleaning the space around the blender.
Blendtec Stealth 885: H: 17.3” (43.9 cm) D: 9.0” (22.9 cm) W: 8.6” (21.8 cm)
Vitamix Blending Station Advance: H: 19.4” (49.3cm) D: 10.5” (26.7cm) W: 9.3” (23.7cm)
Just as Blendtec’s blender is not as heavy, it is also not as large and bulky. Taking up less space is always an advantage for juice bar appliances.
Blendtec Stealth 885: Illuminated OLED display and keypad
Vitamix Blending Station Advance: LCD display and touchpad
Both interfaces and buttons are easy to use and understand. The Blendtec Stealth 885 model is more simple and modern in the interface than the Vitamix blender.
Blendtec Stealth 885: 42 preprogrammed cycles plus 14 customizable cycles to store on the device as one-touch programs
Vitamix Blending Station Advance: 93 variable speeds, 6 pre-programs, 34 setting options, automatic shut-off (timed cycles)
The Vitamix Blending Station Advance has more opportunity for speed control with manual adjustments, though the Blendtec has more pre-programs included in the one-touch functionality. It comes down to preference and how you want to use the blender in your juice bar. It seems that the Blendtec offers more automatic settings, whereas the Vitamix is a little more manual in how you would use it.
Blendtec Stealth 885: 96 OZ, (2.8 liters) BPA free, soft lid
Vitamix Blending Station Advance: 48 OZ (1.4 liters) BPA free, with a tamper
There’s quite a big difference in the jar size of the two blenders, which has a big impact on the usage. Both are made of tough plastic that is BPA free.
The Blendtec model comes out on top in terms of the capacity of the jar, as it is almost double the capacity of the Vitamix, which means during service you can make more products in less time.
There have been some comments on the lid, however, with the Blendtec model’s lid seeming to be less secure than the Vitamix lid design, with reviews noting some spillage when it is quite full.
The Vitamix comes with a tamper, which is helpful for usage, whereas the Blendtec’s lid has a space for a tamper device, but you would need to purchase one separately if you wanted one as it does not come with Blentec’s product (amazon has Blendtec compatible tampers).
Blendtec Stealth 885: Removable sound enclosure with airflow
Vitamix Blending Station Advance: Removable sound enclosur
Both have effective sound enclosures that make them great for quite using during busy juice bar service. This is one of the essential elements of commercial blenders, as loud blending sounds are not creating a space that’s ideal for being able to hear when taking orders, or customers to sit and chat in the space.
Blendtec Stealth 885 won the ‘World’s Quietest Blender’ winner of the National Restaurant Association’s 2013 Kitchen Innovations Award.
Blendtec Stealth 885: 3 years covering parts, labor and freight, and a lifetime motor drive socket warranty
Vitamix Blending Station Advance: 3 years parts, 1 year for labor, 1 year on jar/blade
Both warranties are comprehensive, though Blendtec offers the 3 year warranty for all parts, labor, and the jar, whereas Vitamix only offers the labor and jar/blade for the first year.
For both blenders, models that are purchased internationally outside of the U.S, the warranty conditions will be different according to the dealer’s terms that the blender was purchased from.
Blendtec Stealth 885: UL, NSF, and CSA certified
Vitamix Blending Station Advance: UL, NSF, RoHS, and CE certified
Taking into account the specs listed above, we’ve summarized the advantages of the two models to come to our final conclusion.
The Blendtec Stealth 885 has the following advantages over the Vitamix Blending Station Advance:
The Vitamix Blending Station Advance has the following advantages over the Blendtec Stealth 885:
If you’re interested in purchasing a Blendtec blender or having a more specific conversation to what you need for unique your juice and smoothie bar concept, reach out to us by filling out the form here: