The Vitamix
I love my Vitamix, like seriously love the thing! It is the appliance that has changed my life, but I never knew I needed or wanted. I had a kitchen full of appliances. My blender which got used especially for pasta sauces, my Magic Bullet which was my main smoothie squeeze until I learned my smoothies weren’t so smooth and were getting s-l-o-w-e-r, my juicer which made awesome juice and left behind lots of healthy junk to clean up, and my food processor which to be honest never got used. As a family we were becoming more aware of what we were eating, and for our kids especially what they weren’t eating! What we were eating was way too much junk when we were running late, and not enough of the healthy stuff like fruits and veggies, especially for the kids.
One day we were on a family outing to our favorite store…Costco! Hubby needed a rest, daughter and son were on the lookout for samples, and I was actually food shopping. Hubby found a chair to sit in, which happened to be across from a Vitamix display. This made the kids happy because it meant samples. Win win situation! I quickly finished up grabbing my last items and joined them to watch the girl at the display. First she made Tortilla soup- a nice veggie soup with some beans and chips mixed in on the lowest setting right before serving. I couldn’t wait to try it! The kids weren’t so keen on trying it. The woman told them that if they tried it, she would make them a chocolate shake. They tried and loved the soup. Before she made the shake, she made some pink lemonade with grapes and lemon. That was awesome too! So now she starts the chocolate shake.
This chocolate shake was like nothing we had ever seen. She put in spinach, cabbage and carrots to her liquid parts. Then she added pineapple, banana, and strawberry. Last she added some Ovaltine for the chocolate. Wallah, a delicious chocolate banana split shake! She talked to the kids the whole time asking things like “Does your mom put spinach into your chocolate shakes?” The kids were just dumbfounded! It certainly wasn’t going to stop them from trying the shake though. They tried it, asked for seconds, then told Hubby and I that we really should get this. He and I decided it was worth a try. So we did.
When we got home, buyers’ remorse immediately set in. I wondered what I had done, how I could be so foolish, would I use this, I already have a blender-Magic Bullet-juicer-food processor!!! I put the box in the closet and turned on the computer. On the internet I have learned you can find out information about almost anything. Blenders are definitely included in that! I read blogs, magazine articles, reviews and anything else I could find about the Vitamix. I learned about their company (makes the product in the USA still), their warranty (7 years, wow!), and how it stacked against its competition (especially the Blendtec). I liked what I learned. So finally I opened the box, cleared a spot on my counter and started using my Vitamix. I haven’t looked back since!
Which model did you choose and why?We have the 5200 model. We originally only purchased the blender with the wet container. We have since gotten the dry container as well. We purchased at a demonstration at Costco, so we did get to see it in action.
Is it louder than the average blender?Yes and no. On lower speeds, no it is similar to a regular blender. On higher speeds, yes it is because it goes faster than a regular blender.
How hard is it to clean?Super easy! We rinse after each use in the morning with hot water. We often make soup at dinner in it, so after that we rinse, use hot water and a few drops of dish soap, a bottle brush if something is stubborn, and then actually turn on the blender with the soapy water. Cleans up quickly and beautifully!
Keep it on the counter or store it away? I've heard it's rather large.It is fairly large. I do keep it on my counter because I use it so much. I just put the canister next to the base. When I use it, I pull the base forward and put the canister on top. They do make a smaller canister which would be great if I were just making stuff for 2. Since I use it to make for 4, I like the large container.
It leaves no leftover bits in the smoothies, right? Would you say it's like Jamba Juice consistency, even with veggies added?I haven’t had JambaJuice. It is the machine my local Starbucks uses as well as a local smoothie shop. It leaves no extra bits. The trick is making sure you have just enough liquid in first. More liquid makes for nectar like juices (even with carrots), liquid and ice makes for great smoothies, and for soups no ice is needed- just veggies with seasonings and liquid. Soup is left running for about 5 minutes and is hot when you pour it right out of the blender. On low speeds you can put in things like cabbage with water and it just chops like a food processor would
Vitamix recipe books or sites that you use?I use their recipe book a lot. I will run online searches if I can’t find something specific. I also play with my own concoctions as well. I have learned to write them down though so I can recreate them.
Did you find that you make more with it because you love it so much?Yes! I was hesitant at first. The more I tried things though, the more I used it. Now it is a daily use item, most used after the fridge, stove and dishwasher. I use it to make shakes and juice for breakfast, I typically use it for soup at lunch or dinner, and often to puree down stuff for the kids food. Often we have dessert from it too. Strawberry shakes (milk, yogurt if on hand, and frozen strawberries) are a favorite that I am comfortable feeding the kids daily! Because I use it so much it has actually lowered our food bills; we eat out much less and use more of what we buy in a variety of recipes. Looking back it took a couple months, but it actually paid for itself in savings within a couple months!
