Do you use a vitamix blender? Is it worth the cost?

[veggylvr]

Just trying to decide whether to get a vitamix or not. How do you use yours? What do you make with it?

[cobrabubbles]

A great blender is a wonderful thing if you are going to use it to its potential. If you're blending fruit only smoothies? Go spend $35 at Target. If you're "cracking" whole grains, making your own flours, blending fibrous greens and stuff like that, then a "super blender" is great.

Vitamix and Blendtec both have their advantages, disadvantages and fans and naysayers. I got the vitamix because I could get a killer deal at Costco, and because the controls seemed simpler. I wasn't concerned with my ability to understand the blendtec, it was more that I've lived my life from the perspective of "the more widgets, the more things there are to break".

Go on youtube, look at demos and decide for yourself. I am very happy with my Vitamix. But I bet I'd be equally pleased with a Blendtec.

[Waingapu]

Well there are lots of good blenders, but if you want to blend the more exotic items, then the Blendtec has proven it can handle even the most difficult jobs and the products Jobs designed.

http://www.willitblend.com/videos/view/121

BTW, everything shown is real!
Look at some of the other stuff it can blend.

[PineappleTraci]

I have a Blendtec in the house (not purchased by me) and have only used it once in the last three months. I don't have much use for it. It *does* blend things really well though!

For me, if I want to make a batch of hummus, I'll use a mini-chopper or a mortar and pestle. The volume of the Blendtec is overkill for making a batch of hummus.

Blending soups? A blendtec would be good for that, but I'l bet any old blender could handle that task. I've never actually made a blended soup, so I'm just hypothesizing here.

The one thing I did use the blendtec for was to try out the "ice cream" concoction that Mike Teehan raves about in his youtube video on VSH channel. The blender did really well at that task (I tossed in some frozen strawberries, a banana, and enough water to get the job started, and it turned out real smooth. Not granular at all.)

Tasted good, but I found the whole experiment to be failure in other ways -- namely because I downed two pounds of frozen strawberries and two bananas, and was rummaging around in the fridge within minutes for something else to eat. No satiety with blended fruit!

I don't know -- maybe I lack imagination! Perhaps others will chime in who use their power-blenders often.

[funcrunch]

A Vita-Mix was one of the first capital purchases I made when I got my first full-time job over 20 years ago. I've gotten a new one since then (got a discount for trading in the old one), plus extra blender containers including one with blades that are better for dry foods. I love it and use it for everything from hummus to parmazano (parmesan substitute made from blanched almonds/nutritional yeast/salt) to grinding flaxseed to frozen fruit smoothies.

[Lesliec1]

I agree with cobra bubbles. If you are doing something exotic like grinding heavy greens or grains, then you definitely need a high powered blender.

Otherwise, everything else mentioned in these posts can be done with a cheap blender so why spend the big bucks?

I did buy a used vitamix type on Craigslist because at one point i wanted to do kale in smoothies which a cheap blender will not do. I'm so glad it was used cus it's been sitting in a closet for a long time now.

My advice is to think hard about what exactly you want to make. Unless you just like to buy expensive toys. Nothing wrong with that.

[JuicerJohn]

Just trying to decide whether to get a vitamix or not. How do you use yours? What do you make with it?

When I got into 'raw'; juicing and smoothies, I thought I was going to stay with that way of life forever. It was a pretty big investment which I really never needed. A knife and a cutting board would have been good enough for raw! They got me! It was not a good way for me to go. After a while I was getting weak and tired. Now eating the McDougall way, I might never use it again. I feel so good! I will sell it at some point. Can't imagine ever needing a powerful blender like that again.

At one time, when I was juicing as well, I thought I really needed a Vita-Mix. When I started McDougalling, that "need" lessened, but I still had it in my mind that I might one day consider one.

But your comments Lynn have caused me to take the Vita'Mix off the back burner indefinitely, and probably for good. With the McDougall WOE, it gets really hard to justify the $400 plus expense of a Vita-Mix.

[PineappleTraci]

I did buy a used vitamix type on Craigslist because at one point i wanted to do kale in smoothies which a cheap blender will not do. I'm so glad it was used cus it's been sitting in a closet for a long time now.

This actually raises a good point, which is that if you decide to buy a powerblender (whether new or used), there is pretty good resale value if you find you don't use it much!

[Lacey]

I bought a Vitamix years ago when we drank a lot of smoothies and I used it so often that I burned out the motor. Costco gave me a refund and I bought a Blendtec. The lady in customer service said they had never had a Vitamix returned because it quit. I loved the Vitamix and I love the Blendtec. Now that I no longer drink smoothies I could probably get by with a cheaper blender but after having had both brands I would hate to be without a powerful blender. Now I mostly use it for soups and salad dressings. If my current one burns out i will replace it with another Blendtec or Vitamix.

[Debbie]

We got one after taking a couple years to research. We got the one with the dry jar. We grind fresh grains. We make ice cream out of fresh fruit. (Well frozen fresh fruit that is) We make smoothies....which will be great come summer when we can freeze into fruit pops for the girls. I also make hummus, I do not like it grainy/gritty, in the Vita mix it is smooth. You can also cook soup, not just blend up already cooked soups. I can chop, how slow or how long, depends on how fine I want the chop. The dry jar is GREAT for spices too.

Just wish we wouldn't have waited so long. LOL

[Denise]

I have a very nice, brand new blender that is about 6 years old! At one time I thought I needed it and turns out I was wrong Seems I don't have the occasion to blend anything...my cooking helper of choice is my veggie scrub brush and pressure cooker!

Cheers

[eshqua]

When I had a regular blender, I rarely used it. My husband had a bout with diverticulitis, so I bought a Vita-mix. It's a rare day when I don't use it. It is definitely a "must have" in my kitchen. I also have the dry blender - I most often use it to grind wheat berries into flour. Also oatmeal into oat flour and flax seeds into ground flax. My husband gets more vegetables and fruit when I make smoothies - I know not compliant I also use it for hummus really often, bean dips, salad dressings, pureed soup or partially pureed soup, sorbets. Sometimes in regular soups, I just puree the garlic and jalapeno in broth rather than mince both. I can also hide some vegetables my husband doesn't like but if he doesn't know they are there, he is okay with the food. Also occasionally make "ice cream" with frozen bananas, dates, walnuts or cashews, etc as a special treat. My guests have really liked this. One friend tried to make this in her regular blender and it was too tough on her blender. When we have big family gatherings, my extended family also really like my Vitamix which is used for frozen drinks. I am a BIG fan of my Vitamix!

[Soxy]

A Vita-Mix was one of the first capital purchases I made when I got my first full-time job over 20 years ago. I've gotten a new one since then (got a discount for trading in the old one), plus extra blender containers including one with blades that are better for dry foods. I love it and use it for everything from hummus to parmazano (parmesan substitute made from blanched almonds/nutritional yeast/salt) to grinding flaxseed to frozen fruit smoothies.

I'm on the fence about getting a Vitamix, so I'm loving this thread!

When I had a regular blender, I rarely used it. It's a rare day when I don't use it. It is definitely a "must have" in my kitchen. I also have the dry blender - I most often use it to grind wheat berries into flour. Also oatmeal into oat flour and flax seeds into ground flax. I also use it for hummus really often, bean dips, salad dressings, pureed soup or partially pureed soup, sorbets. Sometimes in regular soups, I just puree the garlic and jalapeno in broth rather than mince both. I can also hide some vegetables. When we have big family gatherings, my extended family also really like my Vitamix which is used for frozen drinks. I am a BIG fan of my Vitamix!

That is how I picture myself using it!

[LoriLynn]

I had held of purchasing our Vitamix for a long time because of the price. I was getting by with a cheap countertop food processor. But, finally my husband asked for it for his birthday.

We use it every day, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day. I make salsa, fat-free hummus, soups and flour with it. I think my husband makes smoothies with it. It has proven to be worth every penny we spent and I now wonder why we didn't get one sooner.

Yeah, I could get by just fine without it, but I'm sure glad I don't have to.

[shell-belle]

I love my Vitamix and use it every day. I make green smoothies, almond milk, fruit "ice cream", red grape lemonade and soups.

the almond milk I make is so fresh
and tastes better than any brand of almond milk I have ever bought.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9k_S0mzq6A


vitamix anti arthritis smoothie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QMCo7M8-ZE

red grape lemonade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EucuwSLCDk

"ice cream"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SwvPTwLY0M

Jane is very inspiring - look at her website:
http://blenditandmendit.com/

Yes it's expensive but sometimes you get what you pay for. My first Vitamix
burned up in the oct 2007 san diego firestorm that destroyed 1400 homes in
the san diego area. It was 15 years old and working great when it burned.
As soon as we got settled into our temporary rental - about a month after the fire--I
replaced my Vitamix.