I remember the first time I heard of the Vitamix brand blender. It was in the mid 90’s when my aunt and uncle opened a small health food café (shout out to Patty and Dale…OG Blenderists). At that point in time, I had zero interest in nutritious, spirulina-infused smoothies. I was a teenager and I was probably trying to get my McDonald’s on.
Once many years later, I was at Aunt Patty and Uncle Dale’s house and they offered me a Vitamix smoothie. I distinctly remember that it was a challenging shade of green. I’m pretty sure it had kale in it. Back then, kale was not the trendy superfood it is now. I begrudgingly drank the smoothie. To my surprise it was delicious. It didn’t taste like a salad. It was fruity and smooth and creamy.
Despite this exposure to the power of the Vitamix; it took me years to get my own. It wasn’t even on my radar as a “must have” when I was in my 20’s. I would have choked at the idea of spending $500+ on a blender. At that time, I was spending my hard earned money on nightclubs and taxis, you know, investment items!
Fast forward to 2012. I’m now an official old person. I am starting to get aches and pains. I realize I need to take better care of myself. I start with food. My new next door neighbor happens to be a Vitamix representative (shout out to Jenn!). Through her, I’m reintroduced to the magic of the high-powered blender. After much humming and hawing over the cost, I decided to take the plunge and get my own.
People often ask me if I think a vitamix blender is worth the money. I truly believe a Vitamix is one of the best investments you can make. I realize that the cost is scary. I know I’m privileged to be able to buy an expensive blender. For me, eating better was a priority and thus the cost was worth it.
If you are thinking about buying a Vitamix, here is a quick list of reasons to help you justify your purchase.
Vitamix blenders consitently score high when tested against other blenders.
Year after year, Vitamix comes out on top when tested against other blenders by organizations like America’s Test Kitchen (http://www.americastestkitchen.com/equipment_reviews/1383-blenders)
Vitamix blenders last a long time.
They come with a 7 year warranty, but many people report having them for 20+ years without issue.
Using a Vitamix can save you money.
You will waste less produce. You will never toss overripe produce again. Put it in a smoothie, or freeze it for future smoothies. Don’t throw money in to the compost!
Professional chefs use Vitamix blenders.
They use them on Iron Chef, if it’s good enough for Morimoto it’s good enough for me.
Vitamix blenders are versatile.
I started this blog to help others get the most from their investment. If you think a Vitamix is a glorified smoothie maker, I hope this blog will prove you wrong. I grind my coffee in it. I make desserts with it. Frozen margaritas? No problem! Hot soup? Let’s do this!
Are there other blenders on the market that can compare to the Vitamix? Probably, but I don’t own them so I’m hesitant to recommend them. I can comfortably recommend Blendtec, since the reviews are consistently strong. I know that a lot of people are very happy with the new Ninja models as a budget friendly alternative. Some of the Ninjas have scored very high marks in formal tests. This is encouraging, but I suspect that those Ninja blenders will have shorter lifespans than the average Vitamix or Blendtec. Time will tell.
I always joke that if our Vitamix broke, we would buy a new one immediately. I love it that much. I have not had one moment of consumer regret. If you get one, I hope you love it as much as I do!
