Blendtec Classic 575 Blender Review

The Blendtec Classic 575 is a less bulky blender than the Ninja Mega Kitchen System BL770, but its base still takes up some space on your counter or in your cupboard.

The Blendtec 575 is decently well-built and its blade and motor assembly feel very solid. This variant comes with a 'Spoonula' or a hybrid spoon/spatula, which is designed to easily scoop out food from the uniquely shaped jar without damaging the blades. It also has grippy feet to keep the blender from moving around too much if you're blending something more intense like nuts or frozen bananas on high speed. However, some parts of the blender feel a little cheap such as the control panel and the display. The display cover even appears to be peeling off of our test unit, which doesn't look or feel nice. There's also an exposed circuit board on the underside of the base, which you can see through a vent.

The main jar of this blender is the WildSide+, which has a fifth side that is designed to slightly change the angle of the blending vortex so that you can better blend frozen ingredients. It has a maximum capacity of 90 oz; however, Blendtec recommends that the finished product doesn't exceed the 36 oz marking line on the jar. Regardless, it still holds a good amount of liquid in it, so you can make multiple smoothies in one go. The blade is also screwed directly into the jar, and while you can't remove it, the whole jar can be put in the dishwasher for an easy clean.

The Blendtec 575 doesn't come with any additional jars. However, Blendtec sells a lot of different kinds of jars on their website, including a slightly smaller version of the WildSide+ jar that they call the FourSide jar.

The Blendtec Classic 575 blender uses two non-removable blades in its jar, and you can put in the dishwasher.

The lid feels flexible and it has a removable section in the middle with vented shafts to allow steam to escape when blending hot food together.

The Blendtec 575 has a power cord that should be long enough to reach an outlet on your counter. However, there isn't a stowaway compartment to hide the cable when you're not using it, which is a little disappointing.

• Motor base
• WildSide+ jar and lid
• Owner's manual
• Blendtec-patented Spoonula

The Blendtec Classic 575 has five preset speeds, plus a dedicated pulse button which is suited for blending more dense foods. However, it's extremely loud at max speed.

The Blendtec 575 is satisfactory at making almond butter. As it struggles to fully process the almonds, it makes a crunchy, gritty spread. Some of the almonds can also get stuck beneath the blade and need to be manually mixed back in, which is a bit of a pain. If you want a full-sized blender that's better at making almond butter, take a look at the KitchenAid K400.

This blender whips up a disappointing smoothie. It doesn't process fibrous leafy greens like kale well, and as a result, it leaves behind medium-sized chunks instead of liquifying them. It also struggles to fully blend frozen fruit such as bananas. Even though there's a dedicated smoothie preset, you may get better, more drinkable results using it on high speed. If you're looking for a blender that can make a better smoothie in less time, check out the NutriBullet Blender Combo or the Ninja DUO.

The Blendtec 575 doesn't come with an additional jar.

The ice crushing performance of the Blendtec Classic 575 blender is outstanding, and is well-suited for making slushed cocktails on a hot day. It can easily make snow-like ice quickly and evenly.

The Blendtec 575 has a self-clean function as well as a dedicated smoothie cycle mode. You can also adjust the blend cycle's timer. By default, each of the speed settings runs for 50 seconds, and then the blender stops. However, you can raise the duration of the cycle to 60 or 90 seconds, but you won't be able to control its speed during these cycles.

The Blendtec Classic 575 is amazingly easy to clean. You can easily reach below the blades to get to any remaining pulp or gunk or you can put the whole jar with the blades into the dishwasher. If you're making something a little more messy like almond butter or soup, the included Spoonula can help you scoop everything out of the jar, making it even easier to clean.

The Blendtec 575 can blend hot food, which is great if you want a smoother consistency from your roasted vegetable soup. It also comes with a Spoonula, which is a cross between a spoon and a spatula that's designed to effectively scoop everything out of the jar so you waste as little food as possible.