commercial bar blender vs. vitamix....

[deberaw]

Hi! I am hoping to purchase a new blender soon. I am leaning towards the Vitamix, but also wondering if anyone uses a commerical bar blender? I have a friend who is a chef and can get a commerical bar blender at cost.....a Hamilton beach one, I think. It would be less costly than the Vitamix and has two main speeds...high and low. He says it can puree all sorts of foods and veggies and ice etc., it sounds powerful enough...but I'm still wondering about the difference...and what I should get......any thoughts???? Thank you in advance! Deb

[petaltothemetal]

I have a Kitchenaid Pro and like it a lot. It was 179.99 and seems to do just as good a job as my Mom's Vitamix does. The real proof will be when Mom helps me process fruit in a couple weeks... we'll be doing a LOT of fruit from my trees. We'll see if hers lasts longer without overheating. Mine does overheat and shut down for a few minutes sometimes.

[MiahTay]

Hey Deb ... my brother in law is a chef AND regularly uses my in law's Vitamix, I will shoot him off an e-mail to ask if he has any input since he has used both. I love my Vitamix and can't imagine life without it. If mine died today I would immediately order another one. Anyway... it may take him a little bit to get back to me, but he usually does.

Blessings,
Heather

[MiahTay]

Wow, he got back to me really quick. This was his two cents.

"I think she might be better off with the Vita mix.If you were just making drinks the vita mix has to many bells and whistles.But for what she wants to do the extras will be very nice.As you know you can get extra options as needed with the vita mix.There are many more speeds.When making some of that style food I would think you would need more than high or low.Please let me know if this helps and what your choice was."

Blessings,
Heather

[deberaw]

Thank You Petal and Heather!

WOw that was quick of your brother in law! I am now leaning towards the Vitamix, but will check out the kitchenaid pro too.... not quite sure when I will get it....before the end of the year for sure.....now I'm not sure what kind of Vitamix to get...hmmmmm....which model do you have Heather? Thank You! Deb

[brownies]

I use a commercial bar blender. It was free and works great, BUT I have seen what a vita mix can do and my blender can't do it. I can't put in a lime whole with peel, it will have yucky chunks. If I had the choice I would get the Vita Mix.

Bar Blender will do if you don't have the money to spend though.

[Pony500]

I just got the VM 5200, which has high, low and the variable control. Funny, I tend to watch a good deal of you tube videos of people making raw foods and they almost all have a VM with the variable control. There are a couple of models with the variable control, but the 5200 is the most reasonably priced one I think that has the variable, although there might be another one, but I can't remember....

[MiahTay]

I have the Super 5000, I've had it for about 10 yrs. and I love it. The customer service has always been great, once I lost one of the little rubber feet, and another time my container cracked and it was never an issue they just mailed me new ones.

Blessings,
Heather