Vitamix blender, are they worth it?

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  • Miche11e5
    Miche11e5 Posts: 114 Member
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    I bought a 15 dollar blender, and it is still going strong 6mos later. Now, if it lasts me a year...it will still take me 46 and a half years to reach 700 dollars.

    I use it to make smoothies (veggie, fruit, ice) and it does a darn good job. They aren't chunky.

    Me too. $15 GE blender from Wal-Mart almost a year ago - use it every day!
  • hellohappylisa
    hellohappylisa Posts: 141 Member
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    I have a 15 dollar blender from walmart and it pretty much blends everything smooth. As long as it's frozen anyway. Ice is no problem either.
  • heroyalslimness
    heroyalslimness Posts: 591 Member
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    Just my own .02 here. If you're wanting to do smoothies and all of this other stuff... try a cheaper blender first. Get a brand X and mix all of your stuff in it. Do it as often as you think you would with the superblender of your choice. If you see that you need the superblender and are going to keep it up as a regular thing, then jump on it. That's like wanting to learn how to ride a motorcycle, buying a harley, then just leaving it in the garage all the time. "That's a super nice bike, I just never ride it."

    There's a Nutri-bullet thread (much less in cost)--and someone said compared to Vitamix--it was the same or superior
    and that ti does everything the Vitamix does at a fraction of a fraction of the cost
  • Boingo1
    Boingo1 Posts: 205 Member
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    I agree with poster that said "if you don't have one, you won't understand".

    I bawked at the price too. For my birthday, my choice was either an iPhone or a Vitamix. I chose the iPhone!! (love that too!). For Mother's Day, I got the biggest surprise .... A Vitamix!!!

    It is crazy amazing at all it can do. I've made healthy "ice cream" (with frozen bananas and strawberries), I've made soup (pours HOT right out of the Vitamix), and smoothies until the cows come home!! I'm still interested in making my own nut butters. That's on my list of things to do. It makes the nut butter with JUST the nuts, NO oils, no additives. Oh, I've also made my own healthy hummus from chick peas. SO much less expensive than the store's premade ones!!
  • taylor0204
    taylor0204 Posts: 357 Member
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    I love, love, love my Vitamix. Well worth every dollar spent. I use it all the time.
  • AlissaFL
    AlissaFL Posts: 80 Member
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    A friend of mine with 7 children and one on the way (that's a whole other story) has one that she bought refurbished and she LOVES it. She makes EVERYTHING from scratch, grows most of her own veggies, and makes/sells cupcakes to fund mission trips. She is very frugal, she does have 7 children, but felt that it was worth the price tag. She uses hers everyday, multiple times a day and hasn't had a complaint yet...it has been over 10 years. Good luck!
  • Boingo1
    Boingo1 Posts: 205 Member
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    AND... I've also seen refurbished ones priced MUCH lower from Vitamix company. I'm sure it comes with guarantees/warranty, etc
  • sc0ttie
    sc0ttie Posts: 29
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    We use a ninja it does an amazing job.
  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
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    So, a Vitamix will blend anything, right? Like it would be a better than a juicer for some things because it will pulverize your fruits/veggies and keep the pulp and good healthy stuff instead of just squeezing out the juice? It will blend things like carrots, apples & sweet potatoes?
  • emcdonie
    emcdonie Posts: 190 Member
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    I have mostly only heard good about them.

    Myself I have a Bosch mixer of which I completely adore, but because I like it so much I bought the blender accessory that goes to it. It does an awesome job as well. Much better than any I had ever owned. It was not cheap either, but it is less than the Vitamix.
  • melsmith612
    melsmith612 Posts: 727 Member
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    I agree with poster that said "if you don't have one, you won't understand".

    I bawked at the price too. For my birthday, my choice was either an iPhone or a Vitamix. I chose the iPhone!! (love that too!). For Mother's Day, I got the biggest surprise .... A Vitamix!!!

    Wow, must be nice to have those kinds of options for your birthday gift! I usually get offered a free meal out and an iTunes gift card. Can your family adopt me?
  • MariaMariaM
    MariaMariaM Posts: 1,322 Member
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    So, a Vitamix will blend anything, right? Like it would be a better than a juicer for some things because it will pulverize your fruits/veggies and keep the pulp and good healthy stuff instead of just squeezing out the juice? It will blend things like carrots, apples & sweet potatoes?

    Yes. There is a recipe in the book that uses sweet potatoes. I haven't tried. One of the shakes I make is a fiber one: Apples, Carrots, Spinach and my super seed with some coconut or almond milk in it and lots of ice. I use mine twice a day and have had it for about 3 years. It is also made in the USA.
  • emilyia
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    I love my Blendtech! My mother-in-law who ownes a vitamix and loves it also really likes the blendtech, and yes they blend everything :)
  • maricash
    maricash Posts: 280 Member
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    Cook's Illustrated gave the Vitamix 5200 a great review, but they rated a cheaper blender, Breville Hemisphere Control, just as highly and it costs half as much.

    gddrdld mentioned the Blendtec. They gave the Blendtec Total a terrible review and said it couldn't crush ice properly, while over-blending a smoothy to soup-like thinness.

    I don't own any of these products, but I have found Cook's to be pretty reliable in their reviews.

    I had the Breville you are talking about. It died exactly 3 days after their 1 year warranty was up. Good thing I got it from Bed Bath and Beyond and they took it back eventhough I didn't ask them too. I got the Vitamis after my Breville died. It is backed by a 7 year warranty if bought through Costco.

    They said in the article that they were holding off on naming the Breville their favorite until they could see how long it would last. Based on your experience I'd say the answer is that it's not going to last very long!
  • Will210
    Will210 Posts: 201 Member
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    I use mine daily for morning shakes and also make green drinks at night. Love it. Pulverises even the fruit seeds in the morning shake so its a true smoothy. When I make hte green drinks I keep the skin on the kiwi and you would have no idea when drinking the smooth. Keep the white skin on oranges - the healhiest part of the orange.

    You can get a good deal if you wait for it to come to costco (when they are doing demos). I think I saw it priced at 399 plus you get the costco warranty which is nice.

    Another alternative at costco is blendtec which is highly rated as well and is currently at costco (I think all of them) for 329 or something like that.
  • beckie32536
    beckie32536 Posts: 47 Member
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    I have the rival -- Blendtec. I can't imagine life without it. Mine cost ~$300. It was definitely worth the investment!
  • Marquettedominos
    Marquettedominos Posts: 107 Member
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    So here is the deal on the vitamixer. We bought one in 2001. Model 5200. We used it multiple times a day for 4.5 years when it just started to make a high pitch squeal. We called that day and low an behold had a brand new unit within 2 days. They come with a 5 year warranty. This thing will literally blend anything to a smooth consistency. The only real competitor for a vitamixer is a Blendtec.