Product FAQs
We have tried to include the most frequently asked questions that we receive. We've also put together the links below to help you research your purchase and make the right decision. This page is a work in progress so please feel free to email us with your questions and comments and we will try to post them here.
Links / Articles
Juicers
Question:
I'm trying to decide if the green star is worth the extra money. I know the omega has a lower rpm, but the green star has the dual grinder to prevent jamming of stringy vegetables. Have u heard of the omega having that type of problem? Although the green star is more exspensive which would u recommend?
Answer:
If money was not a factor, I would go with the Green Star. It performs much better with soft fruit, which is one thing I've had complaints for regarding the Omega. The Omegas are great for hard food and leafy greens but they don't do well with an orange or soft (not crunchy) apple, for example. We include a free soft fruit knob with the Green Star so you can use it to juice pretty much everything.
Question:
I have been reading your q/a, and impressed. given the money as an issue also, for practical purpose which juicer U would recommend incl. ease of cleaning. Like omega, jacklalanne, champion so on jacklalanne and mastcating vs centrugugal. thx for your advice.
Answer:
The choice between a masticating ans centrifugal juicer really depends on what foods you'd like to juice. Masticating juicers are good for most foods but they are a bit slower (this is a good thing because they produce less heat which damages nutrients in the food). Centrifugal juicers are faster but they produce heat and add air to the juice, which causes faster oxidation (rotting). Also, centrifugal juicers are generally not effective for hard foods like carrots and totally useless for leafy greens.
If you plan to do soft and hard food but not a lot of leafy greens (ie: wheatgrass), the Champion is your best bet. It works great on everything except leafy greens and wheatgrass.
If you plan to juice mostly leafy greens, wheatgrass and hard fruit (ie: carrots, crunchy apples) but NOT citrus, the the Omega would be ideal.
The Omega and Champion both clean up pretty quickly, faster than most masticating juicers.
I would not touch Jack Lalanne because of quality issues. We used to carry them but got fed up with returns and poor warranty service.
Blenders
Question:
I'm looking for advice on which VitaMix model to buy. It's for home use but want to be able to make smoothies (with ice), frozen fruit, margaritas, etc that are consistent, blend smoothly and the machine will hold up over time with regular use. Most blenders I have tried have broken or leave chunks of ice and take forever to blend.
I have been looking at the BarBoss, BarBoss Advance, TurboBlend and commercial grade drink machine. Can you provide some advice and pros/cons on what would be appropriate?
Answer:
First, a word about containers, because that is pretty much the only major difference between the models you've mentioned. The BarBoss uses the standard VitaMix container, which is also used on the VitaPrep series and most other models. It holds 64oz and if you go with it, your best bet would be to get the one with the ice blade (VitaMix offers ice, wet and dry blades).
The BarBoss Advance comes with an XP container. It's smaller at 32oz but also wider and has a monster of a blade for crushing ice. It also has no tamper because it doesn't need it and because the machine is made for busy bar settings. That's also why it's electronically programmed, so a bartender can just hit one button and walk away, leaving it to do its thing.
Finally, the TurboBlend has been upgraded. It used to come with the same carafe as the VitaPrep but it now has a new BPA-free container and an improved lid. The blades are the same - it comes with a wet blade by default.
All of the models you mentioned have 2+ peak horsepower and you don't really need the timer feature at home, so I guess your deciding factor is the container. In our opinion, the new TurboBlend is probably your best choice. It costs less than the commercial models and it has a longer warranty (5 years or 7 years depending on the model, versus 3 years for the other models mentioned, which are all commercial units).
Question:
What's the difference between the Blendtec HP3A and the Blendtec "Total Blender" that I saw in a demonstration at Costco or Sam's Club?
Answer:
For the most part the Blendtec Total Blender and the HP3A are the same blender. They both have the same powerful motor, the same available jars, the same warranty and price. The difference between the two blenders is the control panel and the pre-programmed cycles available.
Both blenders have a up and down speed buttons as well as a pulse button. However, the Total Blender has 6 set pre-program cycles whereas the HP3A has 25 program cycles. The 25 programs on the HP3A include multiple variations of the six programs on the Total Blender as well as additional food processing tasks such as chopping, grinding grain and kneading dough.
Blendtec HP3A touchpad |
Blendtec Total Blender touchpad |
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Blenders
& Pasta Makers 
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