Blendtec Classic 475 – Too Many Cost-Cutting Measures?

The Blendtec Classic 475 is a somewhat peculiar blender since it’s only available at Sam’s Club. That’s right, this blender isn’t available on the official Blendtec website. It’s a custom product that’s been reconfigured with an interesting combination of features and cost-cutting measures.

The real question then is whether they’ve cut back too much. Is this still a capable blender like the other models in the Blendtec line? Let’s go ahead and delve into the details to find out. I’ll also include some links at the bottom of this post in case you’re looking for any deals on this model.

Blendtec Classic 475

Performance

The Blendtec brand is known for providing extreme power to handle the thickest and densest recipes. You’ll be happy to know that the 475 blender keeps with this tradition and includes their baseline 3.0 horsepower motor. This is the same motor found on most other Blendtec models. So, at least the company hasn’t skimped on that aspect, thankfully.

There’s enough power here to handle a wide variety of tough ingredients. They have videos of these blenders turning cell phones and metal objects into dust. I’m pretty sure it’ll handle that hummus recipe you want to make.

You really want to make sure you get a blender that can liquefy your recipes well enough. For example, if you’ve tried to make smoothies in a cheap blender you may have noticed chunks of ice, fruits, or vegetables in the mixture. You aren’t supposed to chew your smoothie. A Blendtec has the power to turn everything into a smooth consistency. This is due to the large motor and the performance it provides over cheaper alternatives.

Want to know how powerful these blenders are compared to “regular” blenders? It’s video time, watch the short clip below to see.

Motor Safety

When you run the blender for an extended period of time, things can really start to heat up a lot. This is a common thing with many high-end blenders. Both Blendtec and Vitamix have their blades connected directly to the motor. This transfers heat from the motor right into whatever you’re blending. This is how they can make steaming hot soups. A Ninja blender, by comparison, has a different design and isn’t capable of this.

There’s no need to worry about it overheating and getting damaged though. Inside are some clever electronics that monitor the temperature to make sure everything is running cool. If the air intake happened to get blocked, the blender would simply shut down automatically to protect itself.

Control Panel

Many new Blendtec models use a futuristic capacitive touch panel to interact with. It’s almost like Star Trek, with the lights and glass surface. However, to save some money, the Blendtec 475 uses an older push-button interface for its controls. You have a choice between 3 manual speeds, 1 preprogrammed mode, and a dedicated pulse button. I should mention, there’s still an illuminated LCD screen that displays how much time is remaining for your blend. A convenient feature that hasn’t been lost!

Blendtec 475 Control Panel

The manual speeds are: low, medium, and high. These are pretty basic but it covers most of the things you’d want to make. I think the next model above this has a 4th-speed setting so it isn’t that dissimilar. The pulse button is nice for doing salsas or anything that doesn’t require the power of three horses to make.

That brings us to the preprogrammed smoothie button. This runs a specific blend cycle to handle a general “smoothie”. I actually like when blenders include these automatic presets as they give you consistent results. It’s more difficult to manually blend something exactly the same way over and over again.

Summary

3.0 horsepower at 13 amps
3 manual speeds
1 smoothie preset
Dedicated pulse button
Control panel style: push-button
Warranty: 8-years
Dimensions: 7″ x 15″ x 8″
Colors: Black and Poppy (It’s red)
475 blender display

Conclusion

Honestly there aren’t that many drawbacks with this model in terms of performance and features. It’s clearly capable of handling just about anything you throw at it. I’d say one of the only possible negatives might be that it comes with their FourSide container instead of the WildSide+ jar. There are pros and cons to these containers.

According to the company, the WildSide+ jar is up to 25% better at blending things like frozen ingredients. The FourSide produces more friction, so it excels at making smaller smoothies and will heat soup recipes up faster. You do have the option to buy additional containers, if you’re into doing that sort of thing. All of the ones available on the Blendtec website will work with this model.

Another great addition is the extremely long warranty. You get 8 full years of coverage when you buy the Blendtec Classic 475. The company will even pay shipping both ways when handling valid claims. If something breaks or stops working within 8 years, you’re able to get your blender fixed. Be aware, it must be a mechanical fault and not caused by a human, such as yourself. So, try not to be clumsy I guess and you shouldn’t have any problems in the event you need your blender repaired.

Overall this model makes very few cuts to save money and is offered at a competitive price. If you plan on making a lot of smoothies the included preset should be really appealing to you. I guess choosing this blender will come down to price and how much you’d save over one of Blendtec’s alternatives.

Current Blendtec 475 Deals

Earlier I mentioned that this model was only available exclusively at Sam’s Club. However, I discovered it’s also listed on Amazon at the moment. This is great for anyone that maybe isn’t a member of Sam’s Club or just prefers Amazon. Visit the following links to view the current prices and deals.

Blendtec Classic 475 Amazon Offer

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