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How much should you spend on a good blender? And if we said it depends on the pocket, does a cheap alternative performs as well as a more expensive brand? Let’s compare Cleanblend vs Vitamix and see.
I’ve opted to use the two brands as they both claim to have “High Powered and Professional Blender”. But when you check the price of the products I’ve used for reference, Cleanblend is half the price of Vitamix.
Verdict: The 6 Reasons Vitamix is the Best Blender
- The Vitamix blender delivers a super smooth blend
- The Vitamix blender crushes ice & frozen food well
- The Vitamix blender has smooth control over speed
- Vitamix blender can make hot vegetable soups
- The Vitamix blender fits under the kitchen cabinet easily
- The Vitamix blender supports various dedicated containers
Cleanblend vs Vitamix: A Summary of the Countertop Blenders
In this guide, we’re going to use the Cleanblend (2001) Classic Blender and Vitamix E310 Explorian for reference. Below is a summary of how the two blenders compare on the main features:
Should I Get the Cleanblend Blender?
Are you on a tight budget? Cleanblend is one of the brands you can get a decent blender under 200. The brand, unfortunately, isn’t among the most popular in the country. However, our reference model 2001 Classic has a pretty good rating online.
The Cleanblend blender has many lovable attributes, starting with a high-performance motor. You can use it for both soft culinary tasks like green smoothies, and tougher tasks such as making frozen desserts.
You could also use the blender for making nut butter if you’ve got fresh nuts somewhere in the kitchen. It even comes with a tamper to push the ingredients into the blades without stopping the motor.
Other main pros and cons of Cleanblend blender include:
Pros:
- It’s easy to set up & operate
- Has a dedicated switch for pulsing
- Can handle both small & large batches
- Includes a rugged, all-metal drive gear
- You can add ingredients while still blending
Cons:
- It doesn’t fit under most kitchen cabinets
- Its lowest speed setting is still relatively fast
- The blades design tends to push mixtures into the sides
Should I Get the Vitamix Blender?
Vitamix is a name you’ll always find in talks about a good… oh, sorry, great blender. The brand’s one of the oldest, more than 100 years and still counting.
Sadly, though, Vitamix products are usually only a dream for many people from high pricing. Our reference, Vitamix E310, is the cheapest in the entire catalog of countertop blenders.
Vitamix launched the cheap Explorian series back in 2017, a year after the debut of the smart Vitamix A2500 vs A3500. The lineup was proof the company will still keep to its classic roots, while at the same time offering an affordable full-size blender.
Even at low pricing, the Vitamix E310 performs as any other full-size blender from the brand. It has the same motor as the flagship model 5200, after all. And this must be the reason the email Jessica, a Vitamix representative, sent me said I could use the tall classic 64-ounce pitcher with E310.
Other main pros and cons of Vitamix blender include:
Pros:
- It delivers a glossy, silky smoothie
- Straightforward to start & operate
- Handles ice & frozen foods with ease
- Snugs under most kitchen cabinets well
- It has a well-made build, with an all-metal drive gear
Cons:
- It’s rather loud when blending at the highest speed
- It also tends to move across the counter when on the highest speed
Cleanblend vs Vitamix: The Differences You Should Know Before Buying
In this section, I’ll now take you through the various features and capabilities of Cleanblend and Vitamix blender. I’ve based the discussion on my reference models Cleanblend 2001 Classic and Vitamix E310. But I may mention other blenders from the brands if need be.
- Best of Budget
Our two brands are a bit pricey to own as you will need to put down over a hundred bucks. However, Cleanblend is the best blender if on a tight budget. It has a regular price tag of around $180, which is about half the price of Vitamix (which sells at $350).
The two brands do offer limited-time deals from time to time, whereby you can save up to 40% discount. But Vitamix is always in a higher range than the Cleanblend blender.
- Best of Accessories
Unfortunately, neither of the two brands has many accessories to brag about. The Cleanblend blender only comes with the standard blending jar with its lid and a tamper to push content into the blades.
Vitamix will also send you the Explorian E310 with just the standard jar and a tamper. But on the plus side, you could purchase a few extra accessories to make the most of your kitchen. The extra accessories include a PCA (personal cup adapter) kit with single-serve containers to handle small amounts of blends. Then the patented Aer Disc container for whipping eggs into cream or meringue.
- Best of Build & Durability
In this part, I’m going to give the points to Vitamix. Of course, the Cleanblend blender also has a well-made design, with a tough polycarbonate container. The drive gear and coupling that connects the blending blade shaft to the motor are also all-metal. Thus, could last longer than the plastic drive gear the likes of Ninja or Nutribullet use on their blenders.
Nonetheless, I’ve noticed a couple of owners have an issue with the metallic bottom part of the Cleandblend blender corroding. The issue happens after a couple of years, for sure. But it’s something I’ve not seen on the Vitamix blender, which, by the way, also has an all-metal drive gear system.
Moreover, the blade on the Vitamix blender is hardened stainless steel, which I’ve also not seen any evidence of breakage. And in case you want to keep your kitchen plastic-free, Vitamix has an optional stainless steel jar at a minimal fee.
As for the warranty, both Vitamix and Cleanblend blender covers you for five years, with an optional three-year extension. But my skepticism has me trusting Vitamix more on this policy than Cleanblend.
- Best of Design & Style
Vitamix is also the winner here. It’s no doubt bulky to travel around with during your road trip or camping. But if okay with just home use, it has a short profile that snugs nicely under most kitchen cabinets.
The Vitamix blender is also available in three different (basic) finishes, including black, red, and slate/ gray. And this beats the Cleanblend, which only has red and black finishes.
When you’ve assembled the Cleanblend blender, it has a total height of a little over 20 inches. It doesn’t fit under most kitchen cabinets that have a standard clearance of about 18 inches.
Similarity: the footprint of both Cleanblend and Vitamix blenders sit on rubber feet. The feet don’t have bottom suction cups. Thus, you’ll have to hold the machine down when using it at the highest speed. If you fail to hold down the blender, you’ll notice it moving across the counter from vibrating too much.
- Best of Blending Power
When we compare Vitamix vs Cleanblend power, the latter is seemingly the stronger blender from the 3-horsepower (1800 watts) motor. However, the reality is that the motor leads on the rotational speed, not the muscularity (the actual motor power during blending).
In the case of the Vitamix blender, the motor has a 2-horsepower (about 1380 watts) output. Its (motor) design falls second on the rotational speed (measured in RPM), albeit first on the actual power (calculated in MPH).
If possible to test both the Vitamix and Cleanblend blenders, you will notice the former handles tough tasks the best. The “tough tasks” I’m referring to here are operations like crushing frozen ingredients and blending super-thick mixtures.
- Best of Blending Control
As I’ve just said, the Cleanblend blender is relatively faster than the Vitamix E310 when the containers are empty. If not for the poor blade design, as we shall see shortly, the Cleanblend should be able to handle light mixtures faster than the Vitamix.
However, the speed dial for the Cleanblend blender is quite lacking in control, whereby the lowest setting is still fast. And yet again, this is an area Vitamix has handled well, with the “slow” setting indeed slow.
- Best of Performance
Vitamix is the clear winner here, thanks to the high-power motor and the proprietary container with a strong vortex. The blender can liquefy ingredients and even turn ice cubes into the snow, without any liquid in the container, within seconds. It even pulverizes those small seeds like chia and grainy fibers that you tend to feel on smoothies from Ninja blender.
The Cleanblend blender does deliver a decent smoothie, food puree, butter, and even frozen desserts. However, the blending container doesn’t create a strong vortex to pull the ingredients into the blades. And for that, you’ll want to have your tamper in hand to help push the ingredients into the action area.
Due to the lack of a strong vortex, the Cleanblend blender sometimes struggles to break down all the content. The issue is most common when working on mixtures with ice or with large pieces of fruit.
Note: the Vitamix blender can turn cold mixtures warm if you let the motor run continuously for 5 – 6 minutes. It’s handy for making a quick vegetable soup- say, a carrot soup, something Cleanblend doesn’t offer.
- Best of Blending Capacity
If looking for a blender you can make a large smoothie straight from the box, Cleanblend will fit the bill. The standard jar the manufacturer sends you has up to 64-ounce calibrations, enough for seven or eight cups of the blend. Then the container is in a tall, slender profile that can handle even small batches of mixtures.
Meanwhile, the Vitamix blender comes with a 48-ounce jar that you can make five or six servings in a single turn. The pitcher has a slender bottom, which also makes it possible to blend even small amounts of mixtures. And in case you have a large family to blend for, you can purchase the tall classic 64-ounce jar.
As mentioned earlier, the Vitamix has an optional personal cup adapter kit to make single-serve blends. You can actually choose it together with the blender on checkout, albeit the price is the same as when buying it separately.
Final Thoughts:
In a nutshell, Cleanblend and Vitamix are great blenders. They both can handle about any blending task, including making smoothies, juicing, chopping vegetables, plus grinding spices and flour. You can also use it to make fresh nut butter, which is actually easy from the provided tamper.
However, I’m still recommending the Vitamix blender if you won’t mind adding the few extra dollars needed. It delivers a tastier smoothie and handles tough tasks like blending ice or super thick mixtures faster. Then you have the option to make hot Soups from the blade friction.
Furthermore, the Vitamix blender is compatible with relatively more accessories, including personal single-serve cups and the patented Aer Disc for whipping cream.