athomeontheprairie Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 I have looked at this machine every year for 4 years. I want one! But I have a really hard time wrapping my head around the price tag. is it worth the price? Did it help change the way your family eats? Do you use it as often as you thought you would? please help me make up my mind! Our family is by no means well off. But we just sold off some extra things and have done extra cash. My dh bought some things he's really been wanting for his truck. I paid off bills with part of my share. I'm very seldom buy anything for me, and am struggling spending this amount of money on something *I* want when I could spend it on school for next year or gifts for the kids for Christmas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insertcreativenamehere Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 I don't have a Vitamix but I do have a Blendtec, and they are very comparable. I love it! I initially got it for my son who has a feeding tube, and it blends things finely enough to pass through his tube. But I've actually used it more for me -- it's perfect for smoothies, but it's also helpful for things like mixing eggs for scrambled eggs, batter for pancakes, making peanut butter, soups, hummus, etc. For me, it also replaces a mixer and some functions of a food processor. I'd definitely recommend you check out Blendtec alongside Vitamix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prairie~Phlox Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 We are not well off either and have a Vitamix. We looked at it as an investment. One that we made about 10 years ago and it's still like new. We use several times a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
school17777 Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 We've had one for almost two years. It gets used everyday at least once, mostly more than that though. The kids make smoothies everyday. I make green smoothies and soup in it. It's easy to make soup in the winter with leftovers and a baked potato. I have also been using it to chop onions and green pepper lately. Only takes a second and is easy to clean. eta: It is expensive, but I haven't been able to find a blender that lasted more than a month from making smoothies after my old hand-me-down from the 60s or 70s blender burned up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 After waffling on the cost for the past 5 years I finally just bit the bullet and bought one. I can honestly say it gets used every day. Dh has a daily smoothie (which he used to call chunkies from our old blender). The kids also usually have a smoothie a day. I make salsa, hummus, coconut milk, & almond milk frequently. For me, it as worth the investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 BTW - We got ours at Costco for cheaper than the "usual" price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 I got mine new off eBay for 369 with free shipping. I have the vitamix professional series. It has 10 speeds & is amazing!! It came with a big recipe book (hard bound) and a DVD. I've not tapped into all of the possibilities yet, but I do use it often for ice cream, sorbet, soups, smoothies, etc. there are also tabs for beverages, soups, dips & spreads, sauces, breads, breakfast, desserts, dressings & marinades, raw food, and chef specialties. This is the one I own: https://secure.vitamix.com/CIA-Professional-Series.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrg Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Our Vitamix turned 20 this summer and has been keeping us in fruitsie drinks almost every day. I also use it to grind small amounts of a variety of grain flours, make soups, etc. We are glad we made the investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 After 20 years of wanting one I got one last month. DH said 'Oh, just bloody get one and stop sighing" I got a refurbished next generation one. I love it. I love it and I use it every day. Think about what you want it for. I am a green smoothie girl. Every day I drink a kale, romaine lettuce, cucumber, green apple, carrot smoothie. It is so smooth that I cannot believe it. I spend the summer 'test driving' the habit of green smoothies. I used frozen spinach, romaine lettuce, cucumber and very ripe pear. I own a pretty decent kitchen aid blender and it could handle that. It took a LOT of blending and everything had to be chopped very well before it went in the blender. But, I figured that if I could sustain a green smoothie habit for a month with a not so great blender then I could justify the cost of a really good one. If I was drinking smoothies of yogurt and strawberries then I personally could not justify the cost. If I want a glorified milkshake then my kitchen aid blender would do just fine. But, I want a blender that can handle raw kale and a kitchen aid can't do that. I am using it for other stuff like hummus, but I also have a food processor that does that very well. The kitchen aid is easier to clean though. It can't take the place of a food processor, but there is some crossover. I might try making soup with it. I am not really sure I would like it though. My older son is an adventurous eater and he now has the green smoothie habit. He takes the 8oz or so that is left when I pour out mine. My younger son, well, nothing is going to convince him to eat or drink anything with kale in it, lol. I do have a rule that all smoothies have to have a vegetable so that he doesn't just ask for fruit punch, lol. But, my older son has asked if he can have his own vitamix when he goes off to college. He can't imagine living without one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 We hemmed and hawed for a long time. I bought it at costco just in case I realized I hated it and wanted to return it. We've had ours about 3 years (I think?) and haven't regretted it for a single moment - not one. And my husbands says the exact same thing and he wasn't as 'on board' with it ('s pricetag) as I was. It easily doubled the fruit and veggie consumption in our family overnight. Turns out making smoothies is often the most used reason for it - and I wasn't really a smoothie person before getting it. Now I'm all about green smoothies and sometimes even more savory smoothies -- so not really strawberry-banana-yoghourt kind but more spinach, kale, ginger, lemon, pineapple, apple/orange and a little water. Also love adding things like flax or chia seeds and other things that I normally wouldn't eat as often. But smoothies weren't a major part of my life before the vitamix, at least, not green ones. I use it about 5x a week at this point, sometimes I use it 15-20 times in a week. Things I make with it: - smoothies - green smoothies, whole fruit like the entire apple and love using up anything that looking a little sad for fresh eating - almond milk - puree soups very smooth ( I don't actually make soups in the vitamix anymore, but I did when I bought it) - making garlic powder - grinding up dehydrated garlic slices - blending whole eggs, shell and all, to feed back to the chickens when we have ones not weren't collected asap and are dirtier than I want to clean and eat - blending vegetables to add to other dishes -- turned a cheese lasagna neon green (blended spinach I think) doing this one, wasn't the best of moments but was amusing - made bean dip in it today (one w/canillini beans one w/black beans, one w/chick peas) along with made a smooth ginger-carrot soup, oh it was yum - ground small batches of grain (I don't have the dry blade carafe, but every now and then it works fine) - making ginger paste for the freezer - toss the entire ginger root in and blend it all and scoop into tbs size amounts to freeze - ice cream - couple frozen bananas and fresh strawberries or fresh bananas and frozen strawberries, nothing else in it and the kids love it - 'rice' cauliflower -- oh why didn't I try this sooner, toss it in with some water - turn it on high and off - perfectly 'shredded' or 'riced' to make cauli-rice, just needs strained - homemade lara bars - have made them in Vitamix when in a hurry/lazy but this is also the only thing I've pulled my food processor out for in the past year - raw applesauce - can core apples and blend - then you can just freeze it, no cooking needed, or heat it up enough to can it (it's not 'raw' if canned) That's all I can think off the top of my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Another Jen Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 We got a blentec and use it everyday for green smoothies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nart Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Totally worth it! We eat better as a family. I feel like I am saving money in the end. For example, I have a picky eater who somedays eats and other days leaves his meals untouched because he isn't hungry. I save his left over fruit from breakfast and lunch that he hasn't eaten, throw them in the Vitamix with lots of ice and hand him a smoothie in the afternoon, which he will gulp down. Veggies are getting old in the fridge, I put them in the Vitamix and make a soup with them. I no longer buy ice cream for the kids, I make it in the Vitamix. Clean up is a breeze. Just put water, a drop of dish soap in the Vitamix, blend on high for 30 seconds, rinse with water, leave to dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patches Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 LOVE mine. I use it at least 2 times every day. It makes great smoothies which is the main use here. It also does a great job of making oat flour. I think you will be happy with this purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomeontheprairie Posted October 21, 2013 Author Share Posted October 21, 2013 Thanks everyone! My dh is now scouring Ebay (which means he's considering it!) You've convinced me! Can't wait to get my own and try it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 If you have a costco membership, they have them in there right now too (at least here they do). I liked having the safety net that if it was a terrible purchase I could return it if needed - no hassle return, that is. Also, I have had warranty-covered service done on mine - the bearings in the blade assembly wore out/started leaking and not turning and they sent me a replacement no problems, plus let me know what I could be doing that may have caused the issue. I've had no issue since taking their advice. I know I prefer having the full warranty on it, so we were willing to pay full price for our to get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 I recommend you get one with a full warranty. I don't think the professional ones have the same warranty. If you want a used one, buy a refurb direct from the company so you get their warranty. Their warranty service is fabulous. Our motor started surging. We sent in the blender, free shipping, and had one with a working motor delivered FedEx in just 2 days ! Ours is out of warranty now. If it needs repairs again, I will probably see if I can trade it in. The Vita-mix is a great kitchen tool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 We LOVE our Vitamix and even take it on vacation with us if we go somewhere that has a kitchen. We regularly make smoothies, cashew milk, almond butter, applesauce, and purée soup. I make an orange slushee drink when someone in the house has a sore throat. Instant ice cream is a treat. It is used daily. If you buy directly from Vitamix you can use the code 06-005769 for free shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Thank you for this information. I want one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudge Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 I have a Blendtec, LOVE IT!! The girls and I love our Green Monsters in the morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Another vote for the Blendtec!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 I am looking into the new Ninja Ultima...it is supposed to rival vitamix. It just came out though, so not as many reviews on it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessed3x Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Thank you for this information. I want one! :iagree: Me too! The Vitamix is on my Christmas list..... Which model do you prefer?? I will start out making smoothies all*of*the*time, but know I will want it to do more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatHomeschoolDad Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Morning smoothies come out of my Waring commercial bar blender. I've had to replace the jar washers twice, but the motor is a tank. I've looked at Vitamix and Blentec, and it would seem Blentec's diss on Vita is that it has that plunger thingie to push things down. Any issues with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 I love the tamper. It allows me to use less water to get the veggies moving around. I can only use 1 cup of water and the rest veggies for a 5 cup smoothie. With the tamper you can sort of mash stuff down as it blends so it blends faster. I don't see it as a negative at all. you only use it for 20 seconds, if that, and then you don't need it any more. Once stuff is coarsely blended you take out the tamper and replace the cap and turn up the power. Not a biggie. You may go with the blendtec over vitamix for lots of reasons, but I don't see the tamper as one of them. I think if I didn't have one I would want it. I got a 'new generation' refurbished. https://secure.vitamix.com/Certified-Reconditioned-Products.aspx It came with a warranty. I went with the new generation because it is supposed to be quieter and is slightly more powerful. I also like that the jar is shorter so it fits better on my counter. It is also a bit wider on the bottom and is easier to get into if I have to scoop anything out with a spatula. The older model is quite tall. The model I got is the 7500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 vitamix has a guarantee regardless if it had a previous owner, you bought it off eBay, Craigslist, etc. mine was new off eBay and came with a warranty, but my paperwork says the warranty is good even if I sell it. The new owner can register their product too. That is a company that stands behind their product!! ETA I bought the CIA professional series because it has 10 speeds, the original has 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 The tamper with the vitamix is not an issue. Takes a second or 2 to push down anything that needs a push. Really a non-issue for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomeontheprairie Posted October 26, 2013 Author Share Posted October 26, 2013 I don't have a Vitamix but I do have a Blendtec, and they are very comparable. I love it! I'd definitely recommend you check out Blendtec alongside Vitamix. Hit buy today! Thanks everyone! I'm so exited... (I've only ever seen the vitamix in person but after done research online we decided either was a great purchase and we were able to get the blendtec slight cheaper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Where did you get it from? I am trying to convince dh to get one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twilight Woods Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 We have a vitamix we bought on a payment plan through QVC. We love it. We use it every day. Smoothies are a staple :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomeontheprairie Posted October 26, 2013 Author Share Posted October 26, 2013 Where did you get it from? I am trying to convince dh to get oneEbay. Retail was close to $550. We paid less than $300.We sold off some of our share of the harvest. Im pretty sure I only got one because he wanted a part for his truck... Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink&bluemommy Posted October 27, 2013 Share Posted October 27, 2013 It's the deal of the day on qvc. I admit I don't think I'd like the new "timed" focus on the machine instead of more control over the speed. Regardless it was $429 today. http://www.qvc.com/Vitamix-6000-64-oz.-Automatic-12-in-1-Blender-Kitchen-&-Food.product.K39826.html?sc=K39826-Targeted&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-1-_-K39826&catentryImage=http://images-p.qvc.com/is/image/k/26/k39826.001?$uslarge$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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