VitaMix Turbo Blend 4500 Blender is $345 at overstock.com. At least a little less than $400+.
I am an excellent blender.
Cooks Illustrated put the Kalorik model toward the top of their list. I’ve been happy with it.
Cooks illustrated posted this review of blenders last week
Error" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Bumping this old thread . . . my kitchenaid blender broke and I need a new one. I primarily use it for smoothies and not that often, so I can’t see spending $400 on the Vitamix. The Breville looks great, though. Any more recent thoughts? Thanks.
I have both the Waring Bar and Oster Beehive. The Waring is better (and better looking), but the Oster is eternally serviceable.
My girlfriend has a Vitamix and the thing is unbelievable. We made a squash soup in it and if you blend it for about six minutes its actually heated! Why buy something that can do about half the things a Vitamix can do? Buy something once and be done with it.
I thought this line of thinking was BS…until I bought one! Price-wise, it is an “adult portion” but its a great machine. If not a Vitamix I’d second the Waring recommendation.
JD
There are probably 10+ Vitamix blenders for sale on Amazon. Which one should I put on my wish list? I would mostly use it for smoothies.
Another vote for Vitamix. I got one a few months ago and love it. It’s well worth the money, and you can buy refurbished ones direct from Vitamix that still have a five year warranty (as opposed to a 7 year for the full price ones). They also do payment plans but I think you have to call them for that.
If you use it a lot, it’s worth it. If you use it once every couple of weeks it might not be. I use mine almost every day and don’t know how I got by without one previously.
Buy a blendtec or vitamix. Nothing else will even come close and once you start using it you will be glad you spent the money. They will last a very very longtime.
I have a Vitamix professional and love it. It has the smoothie setting for super ease of use. I splurged last January when Macy’s had a big online sale for all blenders. One of my best purchases ever.
Beware! The Kalorik works great, but has a plastic washer in the spindle that breaks down over time. This is a well known issue, an internet search will show you the details.
Buying a blade attachment to replace the offending washer costs $10 + $7.50 shipping, half the price of the blender! If you buy two at once, shipping gets doubled too. Looking through my records, I have replaced the blade attachment / washer exactly once every year, and I only use my blender about once every couple weeks. If you don’t replace the blade in time, the added resistance will burn out your motor. The washer on mine is breaking down for the 3rd time, and I am NOT replacing it again. I’m going to buy a better blender.
I’m currently in the same position as the OP, I want to buy a Vitamix, but that’s a lot of money for a blender. Also, if they’re so reliable and awesome, where are all these refurb’s coming from that people are buying???
Both of these are sold at Costco.
YUPPPP
My wife, who is the chef of our house, will tell you that if she could keep only one tool in her kitchen, it would be her Vitamix. Expensive, but nothing like it.
How many times per day do you use your blender on average?
Also how many times is ice included in the blend?
I was a total Vitamix cynic. I could not understand how on earth a very simple high powered blender could cost so much. Honestly, why are there not competitors undercutting their ridiculous pricing with similar performance??? It’s just absurd to me. But the wife won and damn, the thing is just a rock star. Price is still stupid but for whatever reason it doesn’t have competition. My $100 italian chinois became obsolete on the spot.
So, what is the advantage of the Vitamix? Is it that the blade spins so fast that you end up with super tiny particles for smoother concoctions (soups, etc.)? I’m willing to spend “one-time” coin on good equipment, but I want to see what it does better. My current blender purees just fine. Or, so it seems. Maybe I would discover the difference if I tried the Vitamix?
Chris
It will pulverize and purée ANYTHING in a matter of seconds. Typically. 20 seconds is long enough to get a nice consistency and full mix of anything you put in it. Look up “does it blend, blendtec” on YouTube for examples of these monsters. The Blendfec and Vitamix are equally good in my opinion. Because of the shape of the bowl and the blades you also don’t suffer air pockets like with other blenders.