Vitamix is the best kitchen appliance. I absolutely love it!
I’ve had mine for many years. My first Vita-Mix was the stainless steel model with the spigot. Then I bought the Super 5000 with the see through containers. They’re both still going strong, although I prefer the model with the see through containers because I can watch the progress without having to stop the machine and open the lid to check. Of course it makes fabulous smoothies to your desired texture, silky smooth, or with a little more “tooth”. But it also does so much more.
It makes delicious ice cream, and since you control the ingredients, it can be very healthy, too. I enjoy using fresh fruit in season such as strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, etc then adding some banana & yogurt for creaminess. Depending on the sweetness/tartness of the fruit I might add a little honey. So refreshing.
I also make cold gazpacho, salsa, chopped cabbage for coleslaw, nut butters, powdered sugar, pancake and waffle batter, hot fresh vegetable soup, pizza dough, soy milk, tofu, baby food, cocktails & mocktails, slushies, fruit syrups, and much more.
I mill my own grain in the Vita-Mix then mix the ingredients and knead the dough in the same container to make the freshest, best tasting bread ever. It does so much of the work, it can replace an automatic bread maker. The only thing left to do is put the dough in a loaf pan, let it rise, then pop it in the oven. Very easy.
After dinner you can put all the fruit & vegetable trimmings, coffee grounds, egg shells, and table scraps (including chicken and fish bones, but not beef or pork bones) and grind it all up with a little cotton seed meal to make free, nutrient rich compost for your garden.
My friend used to make a calcium rich treat for her dogs. Whenever she made chicken, she put the bones in the Vita-Mix and blended them until they’re liquid. Then she poured this over their dog’s food. They loved it & were very healthy.
Aside from the ability to make silkiest smoothies and total juice drinks, what sets the Vita-Mix ahead of the other brands is it’s ability to crush ice, make ice cream and sorbet, purée vegetables into hot soup, and grind and process other hard items such as grains and bones. I’m not aware of any other brand that can do so many things in one machine. Most brands even warn not to grind ice (Don’t even think about milling grain and grinding bones!) because it will damage their blender.
This is a big, heavy duty machine – it has to have a powerful motor to do all the heavy work. Give it a place of honor on your counter and use it to the max. If you want a blender that you store away in the cupboard, this may be too heavy to move frequently. You might find yourself using it less often. Despite its size & weight, the containers and lids are easy to clean.
I’ve had mine for so many years, I don’t know if the models have changed. Though when my daughter left home about 5 years ago, I was able to buy the same model for her. She was delighted.
If I were starting out now, I wouldn’t even consider other lesser machines. I know that they wouldn’t be able to do all that the Vita-Mix does, as well as it does, and I would end up spending more money in the long run.
