My Love For Kitchen Gadgets - Vita-Mix

Ok. First I'd like to start off by saying I've never been one to avoid buying a kitchen gadget that I really wanted and would REALLY use just because of the price. I hum and I ha about it, I freak out about the cost, I take my time, but in the end I usually buy it and rarely ever regret the purchase. My vita-mix has never fallen into the regret column.

My dad has had this blender for about 5 years and he loves it. I initially balked at the $700 cost and just bought a regular Braun blender. After 2 years 2 blenders and 5-6 blender repairs I decided that buying an expensive blender with a 7 year warranty was probably a good way to go. Luckily by the time I got around to buying my Vita-Mix I only had to pay around $400.

I love smoothies. I am obsessed with them. Right now I have a smoothie daily, and its only 1 per day because I am only allowed 3 fruit servings a day. I would make 2-3 smoothies a day sometimes. The taste of them is just fantastic. I love lots of ice in my smoothies because ice equates to big thick deliciousness. Most blenders that I have had will burn out with this much smoothie making, but not the vita-mix. Its motor, according to the US Vita-Mix web page the motor has approx 2 horsepower and the blades will go around 120 mph. It can take on almost anything. These blenders are industrial quality, Booster Juice uses them, I've even seen them on Iron Chef America :).

I know that they are much much more than just a blender. I know that they knead bread, make ice cream, cook soup, grind wheat, and so much more. I have done many things with my Vita-Mix. But my favorite use is for smoothies. I would love to reccomend this bad boy to everyone I see, but the price is a bit much for most people. So if you aren't using the blender as religiously as I am, or if you have no use for the myriad of other uses, then maybe a cheaper blender is a smarter move. 

A few suggestions on the use of your Vita-Mix. Always make sure you flip the switch from max to low once you are done. This motor is so powerful and goes so fast that going from 0 to 120 instantly can be detrimental. Always insure that it is set to low, turn it on quickly turn the dial to 10 and then flip to maximum power. Then sit back and watch it do what it does best.The blades and container are basically all one piece, so it can be a bit trickier to clean. A quick solution is add a bit of water and soap turn to max and you have a little dishwasher! Let the Vita-Mix clean itself then give it a quick rinse. My last suggestion is if you buy the set that comes with a dry and a wet container then make sure you are using the right container for the right job! They have different blades designed to do different jobs. 

Pros:

Can take on almost anything

comes with a wet and dry container, tamper to help push everything down to the blades and recipe books

7 year warranty

over 3 years of daily use and no issues

Cons:

bit pricy

not the prettiest blender in the world and only comes in 3 colours so far... and the red doesn't look that fantastic. I love me some red appliances and accessories but in this case I'm fairly partial to the black.

Larger base due to the large motor