We’d love a Vitamix, but I don’t see paying $400+ for a blender. What else out there is really high quality that doesn’t cost quite as much?
If I were buying one, and I’m not because I have no use for one since I have a food processor and an immersion blender, I’d buy the “bar-tested” and classic Oster beehive blender. I’ve had some experience with Kitchen Aid and others with multiple speeds and, to put it in simple terms, they suck and they break down.
I’m in love with my Blendtec, $350 shipped…not that it’s much cheaper than a Vitamix.
Waring Bar Blender. We have had ours for 8+ years without a hiccup.
I think you are making a mistake… I have several blenders… and they are all crap, I use my vitamix for everything…great machine…
+1
Loved them back when I bartended, and haven’t owned anything else since.
+1
+2
You would have to pry mine from my cold, dead hands. It seems like an extravagance before you buy it, but a week or so in you forget all about that nonsense.
+1 on B. Wood’s disappointment with the KitchenAid … mine (Ultra-whatever model) died a month or so after the warranty expired. I went back to the mothballed Oster (push-button, not the toggle-switch beehive), and it is still going strong at 25+ years. Mind you, I only use a blender a few times a month, but that makes the KA that much lamer, no…?
maybe i’m just being a cheap bastard. i’m happy to spend on high quality especially when it truly outshines the competition. i guess i need to research vitamixs now. thanks…i think 
Another vote for Vitamix. Louder than hell, but amazingly powerful, durable, and cheaper over the long run.
You can sometimes pick up reconditioned machines (same warranty, significant discount off list price) on the Vitamix website.
IMO - Breville Blenders are one hell of a deal for the price. Best Blender I have ever had…hands down.
I only used my kitchenaid a dozen times over two years and it still crapped the bed. Next time, I’ll just burn the $100 bill.
Recent Vita-Mix convert. Nothing else I have owned before this beast comes close.
I concur. I love mine.
Agreed on the Breville. I researched this a ton (couldn’t affort the Vita-Mix), and bought the “Breville BBL600XL Ikon 750” at Amazon for $167. It’s been great thus far.
I got a Warring Pro on craigslist as a stop gap as I wasn’t ready (in my current motley apartment) to bump up to a vitamix. It does the job for shakes and basic functionality but I find myself already wanting more, alas…
I’m pretty sure ours was reconditioned… I think it was $350 or so. For whatever it’s worth, we bought it to replace a KitchenAid that was fine for really basic stuff, but useless for smoothies. I was very reluctant to buy a Vitamix. Breville was my gateway blender, but it was only marginally better than the KA and I took it back the next day.
And you can’t ignore the entertainment value. A Vitamix can crush an entire pitcher or ice into perfectly even snow in about three seconds.
My wife had evidently wanted a Vitamix for quite awhile (since long before we were married). So we went to one of the Vitamix road shows at Costco and bought one (you save about $55 on the base model and the extra bowls are $99). Just got the basic model. So far she has been using it about three times/day and just loves it. However the real confirmation about how great the Vitamix is came this evening. I had to make dinner and we had some fresh peas which had not yet been used. She suggested I make a cold pea soup. The finishing of the soup is to blend the peas and then strain the mixture. With the Vitamix the mixture did not need to be strained as the Vitamix machine had pulverized everything to a nice smooth mixture. To top it off (so I could beat my chest) my wife said that my pea soup was better than what she makes (same recipe). This has never ever happened before (my wife is quite a good cook). Let it be noted that on August 24th at 8:35 p.m. PT my wife stated that I cooked something better than she did. It may never happen again (btw I’d highly recommend the Vitamix).
Another vote for VitaMix. You will not regret it and you will never need to buy another. We use the dry pitcher also for toasted seed and dried herb grinding of a scale that overwhelms small grinders.