Need recommendation for Food Processor/Blender

Miss_Chievous_wechange
Miss_Chievous_wechange Posts: 1,230 Member
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm in the market for a really good food processor/blender. If anyone would recommend one, I'd be grateful. Thanks.

Replies

  • PickyChicky
    PickyChicky Posts: 6 Member
    We've got a VitaMix 5200 that I am thrilled with. It isn't cheap, but so worth it to me. So far just a few items we've made:

    Fat free fresh strawberry sorbet (frozen berries, skim milk, tblspn sugar)
    Pasta sauce from sauteed broccoli slaw, carrots, garlic, sun dried tomato paste, onion and canned tomato. Amazing.
    Chipotle Butternut Squash soup. Again, mostly fat free - 1 tblspn butter for 4 servings.
    Adzuki bean hummus. Boiled adzuki beans, 1 tblspn fat free ricotta, 2 cloves garlic, lemon juice, cumin. 17 grams of fiber per cup!
    Smoothies - an astonishing variety of flavors. Just need fruit juice and frozen fruit. My favorite so far is 1 cup canteloupe, 1 small can pineapple juice and 1 cup frozen strawberries. The texture is like you'd get at a smoothie shop.

    It also grinds whole grains into flour, nuts into butter, etc.

    Can you tell I'm enthusiastic? LOL. So much so that I became an affiliate and am telling everyone I know about how wonderful this product is. If you want my link (which will get you free shipping), just let me know.

    Lynn
  • JennSchn
    JennSchn Posts: 65
    I have the Vita mix too and love it. You forgot it makes ice cream in about 20 sec. Using skim milk, ice, vanilla and sugar. It is alot less calories and healthier.

    Picky Chicky-- I have not been able to experiment with mine yet with other food besides the ice cream LOL did you get those recipes from the book or did you make them up?
  • mworld
    mworld Posts: 270
    good topic, am in the market for a food processor and just saw this.....the vitamix thing looks awesome...so i have another question for you experts on it - is the 5200 one the best? when i go to amazon they have tons of them, even one really expensive CIA (culinary institute of america) one.
  • JennSchn
    JennSchn Posts: 65
    I am at work so I am not sure what one I have. Prob just the basic one. I am sure they are all just as good though. I got mine at Costco when they were having some spacial presentation and it was cheaper than on the website. You could call and ask if they are presenting in your area. I think mine was between 3 and 4 hundred but worth it.

    I wish I would have known about these when my kids were babies. You can make baby food in about 30 sec or less. You use all peelings and seeds and that underneath fuzzy part. ( no stem ) but it blends it fine like a baby food consistency even when adding seeds and skins.
  • skinnyjess00
    skinnyjess00 Posts: 50 Member
    Just saw the vitamix on martha stewart this morning! it looked great!
  • mworld
    mworld Posts: 270
    I am at work so I am not sure what one I have. Prob just the basic one. I am sure they are all just as good though. I got mine at Costco when they were having some spacial presentation and it was cheaper than on the website. You could call and ask if they are presenting in your area. I think mine was between 3 and 4 hundred but worth it.

    I wish I would have known about these when my kids were babies. You can make baby food in about 30 sec or less. You use all peelings and seeds and that underneath fuzzy part. ( no stem ) but it blends it fine like a baby food consistency even when adding seeds and skins.

    thanks for the feedback.

    I just have one more question, do you think I could completely replace a food processor with this? [if so i would totally get rid of my current blender and skip buying the processor in favor of this...would justify the $$'s for me too for sure]

    thanks for the help
  • PickyChicky
    PickyChicky Posts: 6 Member
    I have the Vita mix too and love it. You forgot it makes ice cream in about 20 sec. Using skim milk, ice, vanilla and sugar. It is alot less calories and healthier.

    Picky Chicky-- I have not been able to experiment with mine yet with other food besides the ice cream LOL did you get those recipes from the book or did you make them up?

    I used the butternut squash soup recipe from their book...just added one chipotle pepper. I still can't get over the whole super smooth soup this thing makes - and hot right out of the blender! The pasta sauce was originally going to just be noodles with vegetables - then I looked at the VitaMix and thought - hey, why not make this the sauce. Boy was I happy to have had that thought! LOL The strawberry sorbet is the pretty much ice cream. I think it took about that 20 seconds you mention! Frozen bananas make an incredible 'sorbet' too. Don't need to add anything. Just a tiny pour of Hershey's syrup on top. Yummmm
  • JennSchn
    JennSchn Posts: 65
    @mworld I would still have a food processor because of shredding things like cheese, carrots, potatoes ect but I have the 20 or 30 dollar one from walmart that works fine cuz I don't use it too often only when making carrot cake and zuc bread basically.
  • JennSchn
    JennSchn Posts: 65
    I have the Vita mix too and love it. You forgot it makes ice cream in about 20 sec. Using skim milk, ice, vanilla and sugar. It is alot less calories and healthier.

    Picky Chicky-- I have not been able to experiment with mine yet with other food besides the ice cream LOL did you get those recipes from the book or did you make them up?

    I used the butternut squash soup recipe from their book...just added one chipotle pepper. I still can't get over the whole super smooth soup this thing makes - and hot right out of the blender! The pasta sauce was originally going to just be noodles with vegetables - then I looked at the VitaMix and thought - hey, why not make this the sauce. Boy was I happy to have had that thought! LOL The strawberry sorbet is the pretty much ice cream. I think it took about that 20 seconds you mention! Frozen bananas make an incredible 'sorbet' too. Don't need to add anything. Just a tiny pour of Hershey's syrup on top. Yummmm

    Sounds good thanks. I do not like the super smooth soup either, I add some things later and just zip it quick for substance.
  • PickyChicky
    PickyChicky Posts: 6 Member

    thanks for the feedback.

    I just have one more question, do you think I could completely replace a food processor with this? [if so i would totally get rid of my current blender and skip buying the processor in favor of this...would justify the $$'s for me too for sure]

    thanks for the help

    I think you can totally replace a food processor with one of these. The consistency of blended items is creamy smooth. As I mention, I can take totally frozen bananas and make something like ice cream simply by blending with nothing else for less than a minute.

    I have the 5200 which is their top of the line consumer product. It comes with a slightly lower hp motor than the VitaPrep (professional kitchen version), but has a 7 year warranty! I got the one with the dry container too in order to mill flours and grains.
  • mworld
    mworld Posts: 270
    thank you for the experienced based feedback pickychicky and jennschn!

    i will be ordering one - Pickychicky, definitely send me your link.

    I just want to do a quick, comparison of the models/accessories then im pretty much set from the sound of it.

    Hey, i heard you dont have to take it apart to clean...so how do you clean it?
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
    I have a Cuisinart Food Processor and could not be happier with it :) I think it was less than $200.
  • PickyChicky
    PickyChicky Posts: 6 Member
    thank you for the experienced based feedback pickychicky and jennschn!

    i will be ordering one - Pickychicky, definitely send me your link.

    I just want to do a quick, comparison of the models/accessories then im pretty much set from the sound of it.

    Hey, i heard you dont have to take it apart to clean...so how do you clean it?

    Here's the link - figured it was just as easy to post it:
    https://secure.vitamix.com/redirect.aspx?index.aspx?COUPON=06-004769

    Cleaning is really easy - just put 1/3 container hot water and a drop or two of dish soap. Blend on the highest variable speed for a minute or so. Rinse. Done.
  • JennSchn
    JennSchn Posts: 65
    Let us know if you get one and how you like it.
  • mworld
    mworld Posts: 270
    I ordered mine about 30 minutes ago!

    Totally looking forward to trying out the ice cream and using it to ground down some leaner meats. ... on the ambitious side, if i manage to make a good tasting soup out of it that doesn't cost me on the sodium budget, then that would be a homerun for me.
  • Miss_Chievous_wechange
    Miss_Chievous_wechange Posts: 1,230 Member
    Thanks everyone for all the recommendations.
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