I've had my eye on the Vitamix as a choice of high-powered blender for quite some time. Well, I'm proud to say that I've finally taken the plunge and purchased one. I say I'm proud because it's every bit as phenomenal as its reputation claims it is.
What differentiates the Vitamix series of blenders from your average blender? Well, for one, price. It's definitely more expensive. But as the saying goes, "you get what you pay for."
Most blenders have comparatively weak motors so they are built with a coupling that will 'slip' if there is too much torque so as not to burn out the motor. Not so with the Vitamix. The Vitamix 6300, for example, sports an impressive 11.5 amps and 1380 watts of power capacity in its motor. Therefore, since the motor is so powerful, it has a direct drive between the motor and the blade. This is the case with all Vitamix blenders. This leads to a more thorough blend of the ingredients.
Another distinguishing factor is the warranty. Vitamix extends a standard 7-year warrant for any new purchases of their blenders. For their refurbished program, a standard 5-year warranty will be applied and you may extend this to a 7-year warranty for an additional price.
They will also throw in a recipe book that contains many interesting recipes for smoothies, dips, sauces, soups, salad dressings, etc.
All Vitamix blenders come with a tamper which is used to tamp down air pockets in your ingredients which can develop from time to time. (this can be avoided by adding liquids first)
Various Vitamix models include different electronic features. The 6300, which I own, includes pulse, variable speed, and three presets: hot soups, frozen desserts, and smoothies.
To clean the vitamix, simply rinse in the sink right away and/or add a little hot soapy water to the blender and blend for a few seconds and rinse. I have found that the particular design and materials used in the Vitamix container make cleaning it almost delightful. Well, as delightful as cleaning can be.
All of these things make the Vitamix one of the coolest and most useful blenders on the market today. The price is not something to gloss over for sure. And it is undoubtedly a major purchasing decision for most people. If you are crazy about smoothies and fresh food, having a high-powered blender will likely become an important appliance in your home.
So hopefully I have convinced you that the price of the Vitamix blender is worth the benefits of owning one. I chose to go with one of their refurbished models as I don't mind the shorter warranty or the fact that the motor has already been used previously. I have had nothing but good experience thus far.
An interesting little factoid:
You can actually make a hot soup or even scramble eggs in the Vitamix! Yes, you read that right...the motor is so powerful and spins at such a high RPM that it makes it possible to heat up your ingredients within a few minutes of high-speed blending! Now, many times this will actually be an undesirable side-effect which means that adding ice becomes even more important to creating a delicious, refreshing, healthy smoothie. Just keep in mind that there are many possible uses of a high-powered blender.
Personally, I'm looking forward to creating fresh and healthy dressings to pour over salads. I'm also excited to begin using my Vitamix to create delicious smoothies more often.
Whichever technology you use in your kitchen, from my heart to yours, cheers to good health.
