StaceyinLA Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I'm at my wit's end with my blender being awful. I want my frozen fruit to blend smoothly without it sounding like I'm killing my appliance. Will a Vitamix be the answer? Which model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Yes, it's worth it! We went through at least 5 or 6 blenders before we got our Vitamix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 Which one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I just looked at it in the kitchen, it has this on the front: Professional Series 300. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonwood Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 my mother, sister, sister in law and I have different models and are equally as THRILLED with ours. I say just pick one and go for it. i have one called the Creations one, I don't know what they have...my sister might have a "professional" one. It does everything I want it to do without complaint. I do everything from scratch and some things are super tough and never have I had a problem. The warranty is awesome, it does it job (i'vew had it 4 yrs) and it still looks and acts new. And the customer service is like nothing I've had anywhere else...golden. It has been worth every single penny AND MORE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaplank Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 You can't go wrong with a Vita-mix. I've used mine almost every single day for 7 years. It will make the smoothest smoothies from rock-hard frozen fruit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonwood Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 You can't go wrong with a Vita-mix. I've used mine almost every single day for 7 years. It will make the smoothest smoothies from rock-hard frozen fruit. yep...man I could just go on and on. i have asked more than I should from mine and have always been pleased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Love mine! All the models are great. I have a basic one and it does everything I need. You can get free shipping from vitamix.com with the code 06-005769. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Oh my god, I love my vitamix so much I want to take it with me when we go on vacation, and dh and the kids agree with me! We adore it. I can honestly say that if we had a house fire someone would prob grab the vitamix if the kids, pets and computers were out of the house, lol. I got mine refurbished by Vitamix. https://www.vitamix.com/shop/Certified-Reconditioned-Series I got a 'next generation' because it will fit on my counter under my cupboards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I love my vitamix. I hemmed and hawed for years because of the price tag but it has been worth every penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I don't have a Vitamix but I do have a Blendtec. Absolutely worth the money. I got mine at Costco. We use it every single day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. B Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 If you get a Vitamix you can get a discount on a refurbished one for a bit less money that has the same warranty as the new one. Atleast the warranty was the same when I bought one a few years ago, it may have changed. The refurbished ones are practically new. I have the 5200 that was the common household one a few years ago, but they have a model out now with a higher number that has just a couple extra speed settings maybe. I haven't looked at the newest household one closely, just saw it was a different model number, maybe 6200 or 6300, not sure on that. The warranty on the professional one may not be as long as the household one, because they expect the pro ones to be used constantly. Atleast that's the way it was when I researched it about 6 years ago. Costco sometimes has a Vitamix or Blendtec at a bit cheaper rate than buying new elsewhere. Vitamix is worth every penny paid. Customer service is great. They stand behind their warranty. A Blendtec may cost a tad less and is equally worth the money. There are some differences between the 2 that come down to user preference. They are both workhorses in the kitchen. I have an acquaintance that likes the Ninja and thinks it does just as well as a Vitamix for what she uses it for, but I can't imagine it doing everything a Vitamix or Blendtec can do. The Ninja may be the better choice if you are just doing simple smoothies and dips. I'm not sure how powerful it is or how long it lasts. I just know it costs less. I do nut butters, frozen sorbet ice creams using frozen fruit and milk substitutes, nut milks, green smoothies, hummus, pesto sauce, dressings, soups, bread crumbs, raw food diet recipes like almond meal and date crusts, purées, raw applesauce, iced coffee drinks, frozen alcoholic mixed drinks, and whipped cream in our Vitamix regularly. My neighbor has a regular blender and we are taking turns making smoothies for a sick neighbor. The sick neighbor's wife recently confided in me that I make the best smoothies ever. She wasn't being ungrateful about the other kind neighbor's smoothies, because she likes them as well. I think the Vitamix is the difference. I've developed some clever Vitamix recipes that get my kids eating things they wouldn't otherwise eat. My dream job is to be the person who demos and sells the Vitamix at Costco. My friends think I would be awesome at it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 My Vitamix 5200 is new. I have two "blades" (the assembly with the blades and the container itself is referred to as a blade): the tall one we're all used to seeing and a shorter one which will fit under a kitchen cabinet. And the base is red. Love the red. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. B Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Oh my god, I love my vitamix so much I want to take it with me when we go on vacation, and dh and the kids agree with me! We adore it. I can honestly say that if we had a house fire someone would prob grab the vitamix if the kids, pets and computers were out of the house, lol. . We recently went on vacation and I went through Vitamix recipe withdrawal. If our kitchen went up in smoke, I would replace the Vitamix long before I would the stove or microwave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Oh my god, I love my vitamix so much I want to take it with me when we go on vacation. I DO take mine on vacation! We have taken it each year for the last 5 years on our family trip. 10 days without smoothies? No thanks. Plus fruit purée for popsicles, and of course ice cream. We'd be lost without it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 Well what has finally made me just give up on mine is making "nice cream" with frozen bananas. It sounds like it's going to just blow up. I make a fair amount of smoothies, but I make nut milks often, and would love to make nut butters as well. I ordered a refurb. I'm crying though because it says it'll ship in FOUR WEEKS! :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Mine says Food Service. I've had it for years. Always does what I need it to do. I've ground grains into flour etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 I love mine. I have a large and small wet blade, and a dry-blade. We grind some of our spices from whole seeds (or this 5 pound bag of cinnamon sticks from Morocco), as we need it (especially large batches of food). fresh ground spices take things up a notch ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 So anyone else want to share their positives? I have a month of waiting for my Vitamix to arrive; plenty of time for the excitement to build... ;-p Seriously though, how many of you have extra items, and what are they? Which can you not live without? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I have a blendtec - which I know isn't what you asked about but compared to the oster it replaced .. .. worth. every. penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 ladybugs Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 My son could not eat without it. He is grain free and so all of his breads are made with it. We have a refurbished top of the line tall one. We just take off the lid to store it under the cabinet. That works well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 Well, I called Vitamix about the shipping issue and she encouraged me to check Target and/or Amazon (only two that sell reconditioned other than Vitamix), which I did. My Vitamix will be here in a week instead of a month!! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I've had my Vitamin for 25 years now. It still works great. I have no idea what to tell you regarding models, etc. I almost always see the Vitamix guy at Costco on the weekends, if that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 So anyone else want to share their positives? I have a month of waiting for my Vitamix to arrive; plenty of time for the excitement to build... ;-p Seriously though, how many of you have extra items, and what are they? Which can you not live without? I have a wet blade and a dry blade container. The wet blade gets the most use but I am glad I have the dry blade when I need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 What do you use the dry blade for that you can't use the wet for? Will the wet actually not do dry ingredients? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Well what has finally made me just give up on mine is making "nice cream" with frozen bananas. It sounds like it's going to just blow up. I make a fair amount of smoothies, but I make nut milks often, and would love to make nut butters as well. I ordered a refurb. I'm crying though because it says it'll ship in FOUR WEEKS! :( It will be worth the wait. Really! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 I use the dry blade for making nut flours. The wet blade turns the nuts into nut butter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. B Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I've ground raw garbanzo beans into chick pea flower in the dry blade. Then I made chickpea pancakes in the iron skillets. The recipe was in the cookbook that came with the 5200 and may be online. A little tasteless compared to cor cakes, but much more filling and nutritious. I should start making them again. I also grind dried chili peppers,found in big bags at the foreign grocery stores for cheap, into chilli powder using the dry blade. The blades on the dry blade spin a bit differently than the blades on the wet blade container. Ingredients spin more away from the blades in the dry blade. Ingredients fold more into the blades in the wet blade container. I use either for bread crumbs. I did smoothies and banana ice cream in the dry blade for a week once while I was waiting for a replacement on my damaged wet blade container. I had to use the tamper more to keep the ingredients blending into the blades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaceyinLA Posted June 10, 2015 Author Share Posted June 10, 2015 Well, my Vitamix is due to arrive Friday I think. I cancelled and reordered from Target (they sell the refurbs also and Vitamix recommended it due to their shipping issues). I'm so excited!! Any more things I need to know?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cottonwood Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 What do you use the dry blade for that you can't use the wet for? Will the wet actually not do dry ingredients? They have very different functions, but the wet blade will do things like coffee beans, breaking up flax seeds, chopping nuts...all of this with a super quick pulse (do noooot go any longer than that) and a careful eye. The dry blade is better for that, but I have found the wet blade can be used for a couple dry things. I use my dry blade for grinding wheat for flour, ...well for most any flours I make. Nut flours, coconut flour, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Not that you asked, but if you want to save a little money, you could try a NutriBullet instead. They're just for smoothies. They are incredible... we whip up smoothies in them everyday. We throw anything into them. They're powerful and fast, and super easy to clean. They come with two blades, one for smoothies, and the other for grinding nuts, seeds, coffee beans, etc. They're probably not as big as a Vitamix though. Typically, ours can make two average size smoothies, or one tall one and one smaller one (which is usually what we do when my husband and I split). http://www.amazon.com/Bullet-NutriBullet-12-Piece-High-Speed-Blender/dp/B007TIE0GQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1434024180&sr=1-3&keywords=bullet+blender Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Not that you asked, but if you want to save a little money, you could try a NutriBullet instead. They're just for smoothies. They are incredible... we whip up smoothies in them everyday. We throw anything into them. They're powerful and fast, and super easy to clean. They come with two blades, one for smoothies, and the other for grinding nuts, seeds, coffee beans, etc. They're probably not as big as a Vitamix though. Typically, ours can make two average size smoothies, or one tall one and one smaller one (which is usually what we do when my husband and I split). http://www.amazon.com/Bullet-NutriBullet-12-Piece-High-Speed-Blender/dp/B007TIE0GQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1434024180&sr=1-3&keywords=bullet+blender I went from a nutrabullet to a Blendtec. There is no comparison. Blendtec wins hands down. I have a sensory kid and he would not touch green smoothies because of the texture. With the Blendtec he drinks them all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonbon Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Expensive $$$ for a blender! Said I'd never get a household appliance that cost that much! But...after reading/watching a ton of reviews, realized it was probably one of the only ones that pulverizes various ingredients to the extent I'd find palatable. We grow a garden year-round and it's awesome for turning veggies into smoothies. Ice, tougher kale and even whole, raw beets, beet greens = no problem, no grittiness. I don't always have time to turn these types of veggies into dinner sides, so I just add them into fruit smoothies with the Vitamix. With the right ratio of fruit:veggies there is no discernible veggie taste. Also pulverizes additions like whole flax seeds, chia seeds, vitamins, fresh ginger. If I weren't going to add these types of things, I would have made-do with a cheaper option. If we eat healthier and cheaper with less time involved, I think over the years it'll be worth it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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