Calphalon Activesense Blender with Blend-N-Go Cup, Dark Stainless Steel

 UPDATE: I received a second blender through Amazon and it is doing the EXACT same thing. This is a $200 blender and I guess I expected a little more quality control. I have received two different ones and they have both leaked as you can see in the video. This seems to be a defective item and at this point I have gotten a refund instead of a replacement.

So I got this blender specifically to make smoothies and juice. I hate to be the first one to leave a completely bad one, but I attempted to use it just now only to find that the bottom of it leaks. Dumped water all over my counter through the blender.

Kitchen appliance reviews are a specialty of mine and I’m always in search of the holy grail for the perfect blender. We use the top-of-the line Vitamix 6300 daily and also own the very good Breville BBL620. Which blends best? Read on to find out:

COST and WARRANTY: Vitamix
These are expensive appliances and cost is a factor. We splurged on the Vitamix 6300 but bought a refurb with full three year warranty for under $300. It was once impossible to buy a Vitamix for under $400 but they have very good competition today: costs have come down. They now market the very similar Vitamix Explorian which can be had refurbished for about $270.

COST AND WARRANTY: Calphalon. At the time of this review, this new dandy Calphalon ActiveSense is $220 but I expect the cost to eventually settle at about $200–reasonable for a blender of this quality. It comes with a 10 year limited warranty. If properly backed up by Calphalon, this is an extraordinary warranty for an appliance. Expect the warranty to cover the motor, but not the jar.

COST AND WARRANTY: The Breville BBL620 is popular and now in its second generation, replacing the similar BBBL605xl. It’s aesthetically pleasing on any countertop. We have also used this blender daily and it holds up well over time. It costs roughly $200 and has a three year limited warranty. Having owned several Breville appliances, they hold up well over time and we have never needed warranty service. Our 7-year-old Breville toaster oven is having panel issues but we think seven years is a plenty long life for an appliance used daily.

WHICH HAS THE MOST POWERFUL MOTOR: Vitamix, Calphalon or Breville
When it comes to blending smoothly, and pulverizing difficult fibrous veggies, motor wattage is key. Vitamix leads the way with a 1,300 watt motor which has never disappointed. It can also pulverize many types of seeds, tough work for most blenders. The all new Calphalon ActiveSense represents a huge step up in wattage from all previous models from this reliable brand. It’s 1,200 watts and in my early test does not disappoint! The Breville is less strong than the others. It’s still a respectable 1,100 watts.

WHICH HAS THE BEST AND EASIEST TO CLEAN JUG: Vitamix, Calphalon or Breville
Vitamix has been copied by many brands, including Blentec, another good brand. It’s strong plastic Tritan jug material has been widely copied. All three blenders feature a Tritan jug. All are equally easy to take apart and clean, in my opinion. Before buying any blender, decide if you like taller or more squat jug styles. The most important question: Will it’s height fit under your countertop. Measure before buying, of course!

WHICH IS MOST CAPABLE OVERALL: Vitamix, Calphalon or Breville
The Vitamix has the strongest motor and is thus the only one that brags about being able to make hot soup. Now that’s a strong blender if it can whirl so fast the liquid gets hot! However, I have not once used this feature in the four years we’ve had the Vitamix. Sounds cool, really works, but do you really prefer to make soup this way? I don’t want that much wear and tear on my blender motor that I leave it on continuously for a long time until the liquid gets hot.

Yet, in comparing the 1,100 watt Breville to the Vitamix, the wattage difference does matter. They Vitamix never disappoints. The Breville disappoints only very rarely with the toughest fiberous veggies inside. Seeds are more often eliminated by the Vitamix. In fairness, Breville has a more expensive $470 model that may compete directly with the Vitamix. I have not tried it. Since a great Vitamix refurb can be had for $270, paying two hundred more would never be worth it to us.

Thus far, the Calphalon blends like a champ and its very powerful motor has its performance right up there with Vitamix. But sorry folks, “No Soup For You!? (old Seinfeld episode you must see!) I’m not a giant fan of the touchscreen and extra programming modes. I prefer a simpler design without a display sensor that could possibly give out far sooner than a motor would. Still, the Calphalon is a true beauty. I highly recommend it and also really like its excellent smoothie cup to blend ‘n go.

CONCLUSIONS: Vitamix, Calphalon or Breville
All three are luxury winners. Any would make a highly desirable gift and would be pleasing to most all in everyday use. If forced to rank, for me, #1 would be Vitamix, #2 Calphalon, and #3 Breville. Yet they are all excellent.

Hope this too long review has been of some small help. Thank you for slowly whirring through the details. HAPPY BLENDING TO YOU AND YOURS!

This machine was purchased on my own; I am not being compensated for this review.
My wife and I have used this blender for the past two months. It is used three to four times in the day to make protein smoothies. Both the 2 ltr Blender and Blend N Go cup are used. What pushed us towards purchasing this machine was of the weight of the base and once contents are put in and the motor started, we can walk away until the smoothie is done. This is a very nice feature. Our machine arrived in the manufacturer’s box; no Amazon packaging. It seemed a bit bounced around. I recommend checking the box “use Amazon packaging” found on the last check-out page to offer a bit more padding during shipping. Also, no user guide is included. Not that it takes long too figure out, but it would nice to have a guide. Tried calling Calphalon customer service but gave up after 20 minute wait. Tried their website but had no luck in finding an option to get a users guide.
After seven weeks of use, a moderate vibration developed and the machine began “walking” across our counter while blending. This happened with both the 2 ltr Blender and Blend N Go cup attached. Besides the annoying noise, we could no longer walk away while blending. Called Amazon and they arranged for me to send it back and received full credit for the purchase.
Because we liked the features this blender offers, we have ordered another one and hope it will last longer than the first one. Will leave a review once that machine is broken in.