anyone own/use a Vita-Mix?

[eks6426]

My blender of many years has finally bitten the dust. My husband suggested that I look into getting the Vita-Mix that I''ve had my eye on for many years but I''m not sure whether the $400-$500 price tag would be worth it. It does more than just a standard blender. http://vitamix.com/

So, does anyone have one? Is it useful enough to justify the cost?

 

[Aloros]

My bf has one, and I have to admit, it IS pretty awesome. I've a decent blender, but it doesn't hold a candle to his. We use it to make smoothies and milkshakes a lot, margaritas, soups, fondues... it comes with a nice recipe book. We basically use it like a food processer, although we've considered getting a separate food processer just because scooping things out of a great big pitcher isn't the most convenient thing in the world.

But yes, all his friends are jealous that he's got one. It makes the smoothest blended margaritas I've had. Very nice.

And it has a fantastic tortilla soup recipe.

As for justifying the price, I think it mostly depends on how often you would use it. If you like to make a lot of smoothies and soups, I'd say it's definitely worth the price. We use it quite often.

 

[NYCsparkle]

totally off topic---i thought it said Vitameatavegemin....read it quickly and then laughed out loud when i realized....i love lucy always reminds me of my grandma.

 

[neatfreak]

My FI has his eyes on a Blendtec blender. Same price range. He is thoroughly impressed that it can blend an iphone:

http://www.willitblend.com/videos.aspx?type=unsafe&video=iphone

 

[laine]

I grew up with a vita-mix--my parents splurged and spent $90 on it shortly after they were married in the 70s. I didn''t really know until high school that most blenders weren''t all stainless steel (container and all). I ended up buying the same model (Sidewinder 2200) on ebay for around $80.

Would you use the other functions? I know mine does other things, but I only ever use it for blending. My mom grinds coffee beans in hers also, but thats about it. As much as I love mine, I really doubt I could justify $400 to 500. I''d probably look for a used version on ebay, or at least make sure they have decent resale value there in case I didn''t love it enough.

 

[eks6426]

Well, I borrowed my mother''s Vita-Mix and thought I''d give an update.

This thing rocks.

It works way better than any blender I have ever owned. Things I made and the time it took.

Brocolli cream soup using skim milk, flour, spices, onion & brocolli...fabulous in 10 minutes..hot and ready to eat.
There are lots of versions with different veggies I would do if I owned one.

Cream sauces for making scallop potatoes, chicken dishes etc. Basically you can make "cream of anything" very quickly and much lower calorie than store bought soup..under 10 minutes

broth based veggie soups...basically makes stock buy pureeing the veggies. 2 minutes after you precook veggies

Homemade-low cal pudding--You choose the flavor. Very yummy and healthy..basically just milk & flavoring. We did a coconut version as well as chocolate. I used Spenda to sweeten. 8 minutes

Whipped jello--Sugar Free 2 packets, water & ice. Whipped up and ready to eat in 5 minutes. The whipped version makes a lot more volume...my family LOVED this!

Fabulous icy drinks like margaritas. This thing crushes ice to a really uniform smooth, texture...like restaurant quality drinks. 2 minutes or less

What is really cool is that it heats & cools things by the friction. There is not a button for "heat" or "cool". It works without gears so you can switch the blades spinning one direction to going the other instantly (it reverses the polarity).

I''m definitely amazed and would use one if I could afford it. Meanwhile, I will continue to borrow my moms when she goes out of town.

 

[poshpepper]

Date: 8/31/2007 12:30:54 PM
Author: IslandDreams
Well, I borrowed my mother''s Vita-Mix and thought I''d give an update.

This thing rocks.

It works way better than any blender I have ever owned. Things I made and the time it took.

Whipped jello--Sugar Free 2 packets, water & ice. Whipped up and ready to eat in 5 minutes. The whipped version makes a lot more volume...my family LOVED this!

Glad to hear the blender is worth the price, sounds interesting!

Please tell me more about this whipped Jello.... FI and I love jello... and this sounds yummy

 

[eks6426]

Posh--The best way I can describe the whipped jello is that it is kind of like a jello mousse. Has that foamy sort of consistency. You put it in the freezer to chill for a few minutes after it comes out of the Vitamix. It stays very firm & foamy even in the bowl. I would say the volume is at least 3 times what the normal jello method would have made. Lots of air is whipped in.

The way you make it in the Vitamix is to add 2 smaller packets of jello and 1 cup of boiling water. Turn the machine on and let it run about 20 seconds. Then start adding icecubes..slowly until you reach 4 cups of icecubes added. Let it run for about a minute more then pour out & chill for 5 minutes or less. My husband was so happy because he had this huge rimmed soup bowl of jello that was zero calories and really looked like a lot and made him feel full