KitchenAid® K400 Blender with Tamper in Silver

As a (now former) Vitamix (VM) user for the past 14 years, we were disillusioned with the quality and performance of the VM. As experienced and inventive cooks, the VM had been a very expensive purchase that we had splurged on mainly for the quality of the smoothies, and its ability to do things like grind nut butters or powder pure organic large-crystal cane sugar for candies or icings. So those were some of the primary things we were looking for in a new blender. After a significant amount of research, it seemed that only the KitchenAid had every feature we wanted and was well-rated. We gave it a shot, and are beyond pleased; this blender is a kitchen megastar. For those in the same situation, looking to replace a high-end blender but not spend a fortune, you should give the K400 serious consideration. Here are the standout points: • Solid, 1200-watt motor (1.6hp as opposed to VM’s 2hp – little noticeable difference) • Excellent container action/flow • Container is easy to handle and clean • Has a tamping tool, vital for nut butters, smoothies • Superior ice-crushing ability • Super-smooth pureeing for silky smoothies, soups • Intelligent presets for various blending tasks • Quieter operation than VM • Dressier appearance than Vitamix, and more color options • Less than half the price of a Vitamix Something the K400 doesn’t claim is to “cook” things, which is fine with us; every time we had tried to make hot items using the VM’s high speed to create heat, it produced an off, mildly bitter flavor that tasted like the smell of burned motor oil. Cooking isn’t a feature we needed from the K400, so all good. While the capacity is about 8 oz. less than the VM model we had, we find the K400's capacity every bit as useful. The K400 produces commercial-grade smoothies and shakes, and we found that even with seedy fruits like raspberries, the consistency is smoother than we were getting in the VM. The ice-crushing ability is impressive, perfect for frozen drinks or shave ice treats depending on how long you blend. Because of the excellent container flow due to the asymmetrical blade positioning, we have found it easier to achieve perfect powdered sugar in less time with the KitchenAid – with absolutely no graininess or off flavors. Same for nut butters. We made a smooth almond butter that was absolutely perfect for truffles and I appreciated the ability to empty the container of the nut butter more readily than the VM. And the functional presets for things like crushing ice, blending smoothies and making frozen drinks are intelligently programmed and very useful. One of the few drawbacks of this beautiful machine (and it’s not a dealbreaker) is the the markings on the speed control. They are so light that they are hard to read. This is mainly a problem while getting familiar with the machine, but you may find yourself requiring a flashlight to see the icons clearly until you memorize their placement. One other small peeve I have is that this blender (like the VM) doesn’t have a removable base for cleaning – you must clean the container by hand and using the clean feature – but this is more a matter of physics for high-horsepower machines such as these, as removable bases present an opportunity for leakage that an all-one-piece container doesn’t. Finally, due to the speed and torque created by this blender, it’s not one I’d turn on and walk away from. The formed base is situated shallowly enough in the motor well that I’d never feel comfortable with anything less than a hand atop the lid to keep things steady – the container can rock a bit when crushing ice or frozen fruit – but again, not a dealbreaker. We love the performance of this machine. Overall, the K400 is a workhorse that, at less than half the price of a Vitamix, gives all the performance we expected and looks far more elegant on the countertop. I was not compensated for this review.