Why is a Vitamix so good?

[English Tracy]

I have a food processor with an S blade and a few other attachments, e.g. a grater and a slicer. The S blade has coped with frozen bananas for ice cream and frozen corn etc for the enchilada mix.

What are the advantages of a Vitamix? I know they are quite expensive. If I did buy one at some stage, how would it change my life?

Samuel Wilson - I'm sure you'll have some views on this and I look forward to hearing them.

Thanks.

Tracy

[sweetgoddess]

You can put a shoe in it and turn it into the smoothest, creamiest soup in a minute! :D

[English Tracy]

I assume that would be a raw shoe???? LOL.

It's obviously a powerful machine.

Tracy

[eachpeachpearplum]

Hi UKTracy!

Have a look at this thread I posted last night with lots of pictures. The finished smoothie product was blended in a matter of seconds - no pushing scraping or fiddling! Smooth as a babies bottom! - including some peel seeds & cores!!!

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10680

There are several posts including one recently; try entering Vita Mix into the search banana.


If you like I can take short film footage of the blending and email it to you!

EPPP :p

[24 Carrots]

The Ktec Champ is great too -- much like a Vitamix and with an 8-year warranty. It's different though, with computerized buttons and stuff.

[Sheryl]

NOTHING compares to the Vitamix. There are lots of copies out there and they just don't come close in my eyes. We did side by side with our Vitamix and an L'Equip RPM blender yesterday in a class... and WOW! By the end of the class there was practically a queue for the Vitamix!

I think it's that they have done EVERYTHING right... the design,. the quality of goods, the speed. It's not about one thing,. It's just the best food machine period. Sunbeam released one recently in Australia that has people fooled... they *think* it's the same (motor speed etc). Problem it is burns out if you push it too hard and won't even blend up ice. My Vitamix has been going regularly since 1996. It was forgotten for a few years in the middle as I went junk food cooked vegan, but the last two years it's probably been used twice a day, and in classes, and catering for up to 85 people (never again). The Vitamix ROCKS!!!

I've also been doing drinks like the frozen ones in variety stores. Whole luscious fruit, a little something to sweeten, and cups of ice. Blend for about a minute and you have what looks like a frozen marguarita! Yummy!

If I had to choose one piece of kitchen equipment and toss the rest I would keep my Vitamix!

Sheryl

[Punky]

The Ktec Champ is great too -- much like a Vitamix and with an 8-year warranty. It's different though, with computerized buttons and stuff.

Yes 24 Carrots, I've heard the Ktec Champ is comparable to the Vitamix; I think it's the only one in the same league so far.
I have a Vitamix, but have heard the Ktec is great too.

And yes, I am so glad I bit the bullet and got a Vitamix.
It really does things no ordinary blender could; my husband was
a bit upset when he saw it on the counter since I have
so many kitchen appliances and already had a nice blender. But once
he saw it in action and the dvd that came with mine he was a believer.
Everything comes out all creamy and delicous. It really could blend
a shoe, LOL :p

[JinxieKat]

I love my vita mix :) I just got one and it does stuff my old blender didn't have a hope of doing. Smoothies are incredibly smooth and I made a tomato soup recently in it with avacado, tomatos, pine nuts, salt and basil.. just as creamy as the stuff made with milk. Very good! (a bit acidy though, not the mixers fault though *lol* That's the cooks fault)
My only complaint, and it is very small, is if you are doing something like banana ice cream is getting the food out that gets trapped below the blades. The blades are very low to the bottom of the container, which is good cause you can mix a little bit up for salad dressing for one easily. That is a big plus cause with such a big container you wouldn't think you could make such a small batch, as little as 4 oz of liquid if I remember correctly. But getting that icecream out from under the blades was a pain in the tail! But, not a huge deal, and cleaning wasn't an issue as it cleans itself with soapy water.

Hope that helps!

Jinx

[eachpeachpearplum]

I love my vita mix :) I just got one and it does stuff my old blender didn't have a hope of doing. Smoothies are incredibly smooth and I made a tomato soup recently in it with avacado, tomatos, pine nuts, salt and basil.. just as creamy as the stuff made with milk. Very good! (a bit acidy though, not the mixers fault though *lol* That's the cooks fault)
My only complaint, and it is very small, is if you are doing something like banana ice cream is getting the food out that gets trapped below the blades. The blades are very low to the bottom of the container, which is good cause you can mix a little bit up for salad dressing for one easily. That is a big plus cause with such a big container you wouldn't think you could make such a small batch, as little as 4 oz of liquid if I remember correctly. But getting that icecream out from under the blades was a pain in the tail! But, not a huge deal, and cleaning wasn't an issue as it cleans itself with soapy water.

Hope that helps!

Jinx

VitaMix now offer a smaller container too and I just bought their special spatulas designed just for the VM container - very inexpensive & well made, 3 for $7 and a great design. Look under products on their site.

[Punky]

VitaMix now offer a smaller container too and I just bought their special spatulas designed just for the VM container - very inexpensive & well made, 3 for $7 and a great design. Look under products on their site.


thanks for the tip on the special spatulas; i'll have to check them out.

[maraw]

I had the same question until I bought one. Our blender finally (gratefully) died and I needed to replace it. I went ahead and splurged on a VitaMix and now I know why everyone loves them so much. They are serious power-packed machines. It can blend anything into the smoothest, creamiest, texture - really. We made smoothies for years with a simple little wand blender. I had no idea how creamy our smoothies could be until now. Wow!

It reminds me of how I felt about my dehydrator. I could never get things the way I wanted them or thought they should be - and then I bought an Excalibur. Same thing as the Vitamix.

If you are seriously considering it, it is my opinion that it is definitely worth the money.

[jaurequi]

English Tracy, in the U.K. there is available a comparable machine. It's the newGena (http://www.ethicaljuicers.co.uk/blender_newgena.php)
Unfortunately, it looks like they are out of stock for now; hopefully it will be available again soon. I'm anxious to know what improvements they have in store; perhaps better than the VitaMix. Still, it's an option, depending on when you want to get one, if you do :)

Best,

[Arky]

The NewGena is almost identical to the Vitamix, except for the fact that is Korean manufactured, rather than U.S. manufactured.

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8384&highlight=newgena :)


J.

[English Tracy]

When my bank account recovers from the purchase of the dehydrator, I will look up some of these comparative brands. There is obviously a big Vitamix following out there!!

I have looked at the threads with photos of before and after smoothies and they are impressive!

Thanks for all the tips.

Tracy

[chiefchewy]

I am 48 and have wanted a vitamix since i was 21! I saw them at a fair once... My dh just bought me one for valentines day (and to reduce his quilt for going on a ski trip for a week!)... I am so excited.. i have had it less then 24 hrs and already love it!!!
I made soup last night... i just slightly warmed it for me, poured out my serving and then heated his up a bit more (he is not raw)... it works awesome!