Blenders Anyone?

Hi Heather,

We ended up choosing a Vitamix after doing lots of research.  Costco was also having a demo of the Vitamix and a great deal.

From what I have seen, people who are serious health foodies, usually go for the Vitamix, whereas people who just make protein shakes and fruit smoothies go for the Blendtec–though both are pretty comperable.

The Vitamix has a great reputation and great customer service/warranty.  It allows you to customize your drink rather than using a preset button.  The Vitamix does have a plunger which the Blendtec says it doesn’t need, but if you look around online or ebay, you will find plungers for the Blendtec.  The Vitamix did bring a great DVD to show you all that you can do with it as well as a big cookbook (not just a brochure). 

I have really enjoyed the Vitamix.  We use it at least once a day for green smoothies.  There is so much you can do with it.  In fact, my skeptic, non-foodie husband, after viewing the DVD, exclaimed that he would purchase one of these for each of our children before they left home!  That was huge to me!

I did alot of research before purchasing (my 15 yr anniversary gift).  I think they are both good blenders.  I am a little leery of too many preset buttons as, to me, there is more that can go wrong with them.  But that’s just me.  Either way you will have a good blender.

I also got the Vitamix from Costco.  I have a great book of recipes to make in the blender.  The broccoli soup is great, its made in the blender.  You can make any sauce or creamy soup in addition to smoothies, homemade butters and even  mayonaisse.  You can make waffle and pancake batter and even cake mixes and ice cream.
Also, once I was out of powdered sugar and I put white cane sugar in the blender and it turned it into confection for me.
Mine came with a 7 year warranty, so that helps I think.

We start out every day with a green smoothie too!  We’ve been using our Osterizer for years now.  We don’t often use it for nuts so maybe that’s why it’s been lasting so long.  I don’t experiment much with my recipe… I just faithfully blend some bananas, O.J., plain yogurt, lots of fresh spinach and a bit of hemp seed oil.  We all love it, even the two year old:)

Tracy

I have a Vitamix. It’s 24 years old and still going strong. And I use it all the time. I did just last year have to change the blade assembly, but I was grating frozen blocks of mozzerella cheese. I think it got stuck under the blade. It was probably cut too big-my fault. Our family has a lot of food allergies and I think we would have starved if not for the Vitamix. They have fabulous customer service too.

I use it to make ice cream with frozen berries and fresh cream, bread dough, peanut and other nut butters, smoothies, grating cheese, grind course grain-or fine enough for bread. By the way, you can grind whole grain for 2 minutes or so, add the other bread ingredients and knead it in another minut or so in the vitamix–very fast bread. I guess you can grind meat with it too, but that grosses me out so I don’t. You can cook soup in it from fresh ingredients too. 

It is definitely worth every penny. You’ll never buy another blender because it lasts forever. I do have the very old stainless steel one, but I assume the polycarbonate container they use now lasts and lasts too. It comes with all kinds of recipes.

Hope that helps

I’ll share our basic smoothie recipe to which we add/take away depending on what we have on hand.  I have found that baby spinach or swiss chard are the greens with the least “green flavor”.  I usually use coconut water as our base, but when out have used yogurt and water, or almond milk.  For the family (4 smoothie drinkers), I fill the blender to the 3 cup line with whatever my liquid is.  Then I had a handful or two of spinach leaves or swiss chard.  Then I add some bee pollen (about 1TBS) if I have it.  1TBS of flax oil, if I have it.  A cup of frozen mixed fruit and half a cup of frozen blueberries. These are approximate measures, I don’t really use measuring cups.  I usually don’t need to add any sweetener.  If you do need it sweeter, add half a frozen banana.

Another smoothie that I made that is good is 1 cup coconut water, 1/2 cup yogurt, and frozen pineapple (enough to make it thick).  I often add one raw egg yolk.

Berries tend to hide the “green” if that’s an issue for your children.  Frozen bananas make the smoothie nice and thick. 

Heather – Thanks for the title of the recipe book, I shall certainly look into it and hope to make some healthy and delicious smoothies.  So happy you like your Vitamix, if mine ever breaks down, I will look at getting one of those.  Blessings,  Linda