# Commercial or domestic blender for small restaurant kitchen?



## recky (Oct 15, 2012)

Hi folks,

I'm in the market for a proper table-top blender as my commercial stick blender is ok for some things, but doesn't cut it for many others, i.e. really smooth textures etc.
I run a pretty small restaurant with a small, ever-changing menu, and the blender wouldn't be in constant use; I would probably use it for perhaps three to four jobs per day max, say, soup, trout mousse, pesto and fruit puree, that kind of stuff.

Here in Europe I struggle to find a Vitamix Vita-Prep 3, so my Vitamix options would be a Pro300 or a Pro750, other available makes are Hamilton Beach (HBF 600) and Blendtec. The usual suspects in the European market do not make any commercial high-power blenders for food applications, only cheap(ish) smoothie blenders.

Would you guys consider purchasing a high-end domestic blender like a Vitamix Pro? Has anyone ever used the Hamilton Beach HBF 600?

Thanks very much for your help!

Cheers,
Recky


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## Pat Pat (Sep 26, 2017)

What differentiate a commercial blender from a household blender is not so much how long it can last or how much abuse it can take, but more the quality of the end product you get. A good commercial blender will blend everything evenly and smoothly.

I've used a commercial Hamilton Beach blender before and found it to be quite excellent. However, I do not remember if it was the HBF 600.


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## jay lancaster (Aug 26, 2016)

I would strongly suggest you continue to look for the VitaMix. There are many times I want ingredients blended to the point that you can not see them in a recipe...gives you the flavor (sometimes more flavor) yet no one can "see" your ingredients...leaves them guessing.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

The cheaper household blenders usually tend to use cheaper, thinner plastics that fatigue and crack/craze within a few months. They also tend to overheat and shut off after a few minutes of use.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

I concur with all the rest. Metal is better than plastic.


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## recky (Oct 15, 2012)

Thanks a lot for all your replies so far!

I have thought about a Thermomix, but isn't this a domestic jack-of-all-trades kind of deal, as opposed to a professional commercial tool for top-notch blending?


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## recky (Oct 15, 2012)

Thanks, 21TonyK!

The only Vita-Prep 3 I can get here in Germany is vastly overpriced, and importing one from the States is prohibitive due to warranty issues. What I can get a bearable price on is a Hamilton Beach HBF600, yet there is practically no info available on the Net, so if anyone has any experience with it, I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks!


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

recky said:


> Thanks a lot for all your replies so far!
> 
> I have thought about a Thermomix, but isn't this a domestic jack-of-all-trades kind of deal, as opposed to a professional commercial tool for top-notch blending?


Oh c'mon! You've seen the thermomix in commercial kitchens, it's uses are for hot liquids, hollandaise and the like, and in the pastry dept. for ganaches and glazes.

One option to think about is a hand held shaft mixer, very powerful, and certainly available in Deutschland. Might not be practical for a'la minute, but excellent for batch work. Heck, we use ours from lobster bisque to smoothies for the breakfast bar.


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## Pat Pat (Sep 26, 2017)

Thermomix caters to both home cooks and professionals.

They have 2 separate teams to take care of each group of customers.

For the household side, you have to do something like host a demonstration party before you can buy it.

But for professional kitchens, you can buy it right away with just a phone call.

Thermomix is excellent for sauces and pastry stuff, but not so much for smooth blending.

It can never produce the smoothness you get from something like a Vita-Prep.


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## recky (Oct 15, 2012)

...and it is the smooth blending that I'm after!

I do have a commercial stick blender which I currently use for soups; it's ok, but it doesn't nuke green fibres like wild garlic or spinach properly. My tiny Hamilton Beach 7-speed domestic blender is a complete PITA for anything other than course pesto. I'm thinking I want a man's blender now. Strangely, they seem very hard to obtain in Europe.


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## recky (Oct 15, 2012)

21TonyK said:


> Amazon seem to have a good selection?


In the US, yes. Not in Germany, unfortunately.


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## recky (Oct 15, 2012)

21TonyK said:


> These guys are UK but deliver internationally.
> 
> https://www.nisbets.co.uk
> 
> ...


Thanks, 21TonyK. I'll look into this. If I decide to buy locally, mainly for warranty reasons, it will be a toss-up between Hamilton Beach and Blendtec.


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## ktanasy (May 6, 2010)

recky said:


> Hi folks,
> 
> I'm in the market for a proper table-top blender as my commercial stick blender is ok for some things, but doesn't cut it for many others, i.e. really smooth textures etc.
> I run a pretty small restaurant with a small, ever-changing menu, and the blender wouldn't be in constant use; I would probably use it for perhaps three to four jobs per day max, say, soup, trout mousse, pesto and fruit puree, that kind of stuff.
> ...


I recommend getting a Ninja Blender


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