latest computer technology news: Vitamix : Ultimate Healthy Blender

Vitamix is a counter top, professional quality blender that does much more stuff than blending and one of high end kitchen product at a hefty price.Vitamix is loved by many professional chefs and critic and touted as one of the healthier way to eat and drink food made from Vitamix. The company means it when their logo says ?It is not a blender, it is Vitamix?.

Vitamix products claims to make flour from grain, or cook a soup in seconds. It breaks down whole fruits such as pear, apples with its peel, stems and leaves so you can get more fibers and nutrients from the whole food. Its powerful motor can break nuts, and frozen ice in friction of minutes.

Blender container is made from material that looks like hard plastic but made from co-polyester material that is almost unbreakable, BPA-free and chemical resistant. It has tight fitting and locking lid which is must for not getting food all over your face while fast blending.

Usually experts will tell you to cool the food before making soup, but Vitamix reviews says it can blend and grind hot and thick food safely.? Vitamix has toggle switch to vary the speed of blending as needed. Vitamix product usually comes with instructional DVD,? recipe binder, owner?s manual, lid that doubles as a cup and tamper that can be used to push new food down while blending. It comes with 5 year warranty and in 3 colors, red, black and white.

Let?s face it. A Vitamix blender isn?t exactly what most would consider to be an inexpensive appliance, so are they really worth the expense of purchase?

There are two types of people in this world, those who will always buy the cheapest products on the market (even if quality is subpar), and those who true believers in the concept of ?buy once, cry once?. I like buying it quality product once rather than buying cheap product many times over and over.

While there are obviously blender options that are much less expensive than a Vitamix, they don?t typically have a long life-span ? and before long, you?ll wind up having to replace that cheap blender model that you ended up compromising on. On the other hand, Vitamix blenders are backed by a 7-year warranty which will fix or replace any manufacturer problems for up to 7 years from the original date of purchase.

Add to that the fact that there?s simply no comparison between normal blenders and a Vitamix when it comes to blending capability and owner satisfaction, and we?ll shell out a little extra for a Vitamix any day of the week.

Advantages:

Powerful 2 peak motor
Grinds and Blends super fast
Smooth texture at the end
Variable speed to control blending with various type of food
Larger container/blending jug to hold more
Super easy cleaning
Healthy way to eat and drink
Can blend super hot food such as hot soup
Can blend super cold food such as frozen fruits and ice
Nuts and Thick blending options
Can drop whole food with peels, no peeling or cutting needed
Grind grains and beans in to flour
Makes soup, knead pizza dough, frozen smoothies, ice-creams and more
5 year warranty
Great customer service

Disadvantages:

Price: It is running from $400 and upwards
Blender much more noisy
During hot blending there are air bubbles that needs tamper push down
Not affordable for many
Container jug is too tall, can cause traditional cabinet storage issue

Real Life Customer Reviews:

Wilton B Says:

I had arthritis so bad I could hardly walk. Then I started making whole food juice in the Vitamix. I juice oranges, apples, bananas and pineapples every day.

I juice vegetables too. Now I do not take any medications, laxatives, or anything and I have no problems walking. I have had my Vitamix for over 6 years and there is no comparison.

I can?t put a price on what the Vitamix has done for my health.

Kate Says:

I have owned the Vita-Mix Super 5000 since 1997, and I love it. I can grind flour, make juice, soup, ice cream (the fruit smoothies I make with this are to die for)?in short, every kind of food processing you can imagine. This baby is built to last and has a 7-year warranty.

In 2004, a couple weeks after the 7 years were up, I was very upset when it broke down. I thought, ?Isn?t that just the way these things tend to go with warranties?? I searched for Vita-Mix on the web (the URL is their name, and there is a link on this page, to them, too). I clicked on the button for service, got their 800 number, and called them at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time, and they were there. The service rep was friendly and knowledgeable. She asked me to describe in detail the symptoms of my ailing Vita-Mix. She then said, when I asked about it, that even though I was past the window period to do so, the company would still allow me to buy a three-year extended warranty for $120. I jumped at that, and found out that I could use it to cover the parts (and shipping) to fix the problem. She said I needed an ?assembly piece? that sold for $75 without a warranty, a ?drive socket? worth $12.00 and the shipping of $9.95 would be no charge to me. She said she was including a small wrench and instructions and I can fix it myself. So right off the bat I used most of the $120 to fix my first problem.

I?ve never seen anything like this kind of service. When our tabletop water distiller broke, we had to send it in for warrantied repair, which cost $50 shipping (we paid), and weeks to get back. I think shipping the Vita-Mix to the company might have cost nearly that much, so I was delighted to have this option of getting the parts in 10 days to fix it myself and have my beloved Vita-Mix back working within a week and a half.

If you are ever in the market for a food processor that is professional quality that works great with amazing customer service, this is it. The price is very competitive for what you get, and the product itself is fabulous. (Only one tiny little caveat?which is true for =any= blender?wear earplugs when you do the very high speeds or you could hurt your ears.)

Update March 23, 2009: I?ve owned the Vita-Mix 12 years now, and I still love it! See my comment to this review with today?s date which contains information on my experiences with the sales personnel of the Vita-Mix company today.

Nancy Says:

We are both suffering from high cholesterol, my own has been 257.

After purchasing our Vitamix machine I read through the booklets that came with it to see what foods would be beneficial in lowering my cholesterol level. I have used a combination of 1 cup soy milk blended with ? cup oats, honey to taste, and strawberries or raspberries (1/2 c). In three weeks of consuming this at breakfast, my cholesterol has come down 32 points to 224!!! It would not have happened if not for this wonderful machine that made it so very easy and fast to prepare.

So, What can what kind of food/recipes you can make it in Vitamix Blender?

You can make smoothies, fondue, soup, dips, spreads, dressings, marinades, bread, dry ingredients, breakfast, appetizers, sauces, batters, baby food (pureed food). You can also make vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, healthy, low carb, low cholesterol food inside Vitamix. Here are some yummy, vegetarian recipes;

Almond Leek Soup

1 cup blanched almonds

6 cups (1.4 l) chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups (240 g) coarse chopped celery
1 medium coarse chopped leek, white parts only
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Simmer almonds in broth until soft, about 30 minutes.
2. Saute leeks and celery until soft.
3. Add sauteed vegetables to almonds and broth. Simmer until soft, about 15 minutes.
4. Place soup into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
5. Select Variable 1.
6. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
7. Blend for 45 seconds or until smooth.
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Health Classification: Diabetic Friendly, Low Carb, Low Cholesterol, Vegetarian

Meal Type: 5 Ingredients or less, Soups

Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Yield: 6 1/2 cups (1.6 l)

Speed: Variable to High to Variable
Time: 6-7 minutes

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup (240 ml) lowfat buttermilk
1/2 cup (80 g) chopped onions, sauteed
3 roasted garlic cloves
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1/2 reserved)
15-ounce can artichokes, drained and rinsed (1/2 reserved)
1 cup (136 g) chopped roasted red peppers (reserved)
1/4 cup (15 g) parsley leaves (reserved)
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Place all ingredients, except reserved vegetables, into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
4. Blend for 6-7 minutes.
5. Reduce speed to Variable 4 and remove lid plug. Add reserved ingredients through the lid plug opening.
6. Blend for an additional 10 seconds. Serve immediately.

Variation: to make this recipe dairy-free, substitute soy milk for buttermilk.

Health Classification: Diabetic Friendly, Low Cholesterol, Heart Healthy, Vegetarian

Meal Type: Soups

Cheesecake Pancakes

Yield: 10-12 pancakes

1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
? teaspoon baking soda
? teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
2 tablespoons (30 ml) melted butter
2 graham crackers
8 ounces (227 g) cream cheese, cut into 8 cubes, room temperature

1. Place dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix to combine fully. Set aside.
2. Place egg, buttermilk and melted butter into the Vitamix container and secure lid.
3. Select Variable 1.
4. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10.
5. Blend for 10 seconds.
6. Reduce speed to Variable 4, remove lid plug and quickly drop in cream cheese cubes through the lid plug opening. Use tamper if necessary to guide cubes into the blades. Blend 10 seconds or until cream cheese is reduced to the size of large curd cottage cheese.
7. Gently fold liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. Batter should be slightly lumpy.
8. For each pancake pour about ? cup (60 ml) batter on a hot, greased griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on top of batter, flip and continue cooking until the bottom is golden brown.
9. Serve with Strawberry Syrup, fresh sliced strawberries, syrup or powdered sugar.

Health Classification: Vegetarian

Meal Type: Breakfast

Our recommendation:

Vitamix is a great product for those who wants to eat healthy and make quick meals. However it is on high end price range and if you want to do dry grinding, you will need to buy a deluxe model or special dry grinding cup from them. If you can afford it, it is sure well worth it as it can last you long time.

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