Vitamix Blender – A Super Powerful Blender and An Investment

So you are probably aware by now that we’re big smoothie fans! After moving into the vacation rental that we’re living in while my husband works here in Hawaii, I stumbled across a couple cookbooks while unloading groceries into the kitchen cabinets. I love cookbooks, so I decided to flip through them to see if they were any good. One was the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, a real classic loaded with traditional family favorite recipes. The other cookbook was titled Whole Food Recipes For Better Living by Vita-Mix. I never heard of a Vitamix, but I try to feed my family whole food as much as possible so I immediately started to check it out. As I perused this cookbook I was repeatedly in shock and awe by all the interesting things you can make with a Vitamix blender.

Of course, the first thing that caught my eye were the amazing smoothies using whole fruits and veggies. Then I started to see things that changed the way I think about cooking. You can make hummus with sesame seeds?! I’ve made hummus in a blender before but needed to use tahini (ground sesame seeds). Then I saw that you can make whole fruit juices completely smooth, eliminating the need for a juicer, and even pulverize the skin and seeds to a silky smooth consistency, with no waste. Green smoothies with spinach or other leafy greens…no problem, completely smooth. I bet my toddler would love all these interesting concoctions loaded with a variety of whole fresh fruits and veggies! I love that you’re not straining out the fiber and half the fruit or veggie and it’s still silky smooth. You can make your own peanut butter, almond butter, walnut butter or a mix of your favorite nuts. You can also whip up hot pureed soups and cold ice cream instantly with just a few simple ingredients…OK I’m impressed.

So I started doing a little research and learned that the Vitamix is basically a commercial quality power blender packed with a serious motor. I also quickly learned that all this power is not surprisingly accompanied by a rather hefty price tag. The reviews on this machine all sing its praises indicating that they wish they would have purchased one sooner and it’s a must have kitchen appliance. I’m a fairly frugal mom, so I’ve been thinking about it for a while and am not sure I can justify the price. On the other hand, I realize that we don’t eat out a lot (when we’re not traveling) and this would allow us to incorporate even more healthy fruits and veggies into our menu in new ways. Now I’m seriously thinking about making the investment.

My initial research indicates that Vita-Mix’s closest competitor is Blendtec, which is equally expensive. I’ve found a few other high power blenders, but these two seem to be the best of the best from what I’ve read so far. They are used in restaurants like Jamba Juice, Panera Bread, Starbucks, and many more. This is the kind of kitchen equipment that you only plan to buy once, so I’ll post a more detailed comparison if I decide that a Vitamix or Blendtec blender is right for our family.

If anyone has one of these blenders, let me know what you recommend…Thanks!