I just got my vitamix prep 3, and notice that when I am blending, the blender moves off kilter from the square pad it sits on top of. I was just wondering whether this is normal. Thanks for your help!

If you're referring to the canister moving, then yes, it is normal. The blades spin in a counterclockwise direction forcing the canister to move until it comes into contact with the rubber stoppers. A remedy would be to turn the canister by hand until it hits the stops, then turn the blender on......WY

The lifespan of the carafe can be significantly extended by applying downwards pressure with one's hand to the lid of the carafe while the blender is running..

Lollipop, as you have observed, the carafe moves counterclockwise until the square base of the carafe comes into contact with the 4 rubber projections that are a part of the blender's base..After the carafe's base encounters these projections & ceases moving counterclockwise, it then tends to vibrate; ie. to jiggle up & down..The severity of this upwards & downwards movement depends upon the weight of the ingredients in the carafe, & the speed of the blender..As the carafe moves up & down it is not making full contact between the teeth on the bottom of the carafe & the matching teeth in the blender's base..This intermittent contact between the opposing sets of teeth is what tends to wear out the carafe prematurely..It does so by damaging the teeth & wearing out the bearings in the carafe that the blades spin on..

Some estimates are that the carafe's lifespan may be reduced by as much as 50%, compared to applying the pressure to prevent excess movement..

I cannot remember where I read this info..It was recently, within the past 3 months or so..

Most commercial blenders have this weakness to one degree or another, as they are designed for the bases to be easy to clean..

Most home blenders have carafe bases that are designed for a much larger area of contact between the carafe's bottom & the blender's base..Generally speaking, the carafe on a home blender fits very snugly into a matching recess in the base of the blender..Combined with the much heavier weight of a glass carafe, this makes for very little movement; even on high power settings..

The recess on the base of the home blender makes them a pain-in-the-butt to clean compared to a commercial blender..

Bruce

Thank you both for your advice!

I had thought that the rubber stoppers were designed to keep the carafe in place once it was set on it, so I wasn't expecting any movement.

I will definitely be using the tip to apply pressure to the carafe as it blends - I want it to last as long as possible!

baltochef Wrote:
-----------------------------------------------------
>
> Some estimates are that the carafe's lifespan may
> be reduced by as much as 50%, compared to applying
> the pressure to prevent excess movement..
I hold the carafe down with my right hand
and work the switches and dial with my left. It just
felt like the thing to do.....WY

Hi everyone, I'm new to this board. I cannot decide which vitamix should I get, the 5200 or the Vita-Prep 3. Please give me some advice.

The price difference between the two are not that much. The 5200 is about $400 + tax at a roadshow and the VP3 is around $419 + shipping. I like the 5200 it comes with the new container and 7yrs warranty, but then the VP3 has 3HP. I'm just afraid the VP3 will not last as long as the 5200. I'm gonna use the machine for normal household use, ie. smoothies, soup, frozen desserts.

The carafe moving problem you mentioned above, is it a big concern?

thanks
Vivian

vc2008 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi everyone, I'm new to this board. I cannot
> decide which vitamix should I get, the 5200 or the
> Vita-Prep 3.
I'd go with the VP-3

> The carafe moving problem you mentioned above, is
> it a big concern?
Not at all. It's like driving a car. You get
better with experience.....WY

Is the VITA PREP 3 all its jazzed upto be ?

£595 seems steep.. $1190

hmm..been looking at some lower end commercial ones..its all very xonfusing!!

rawdanceruk Wrote:
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> Is the VITA PREP 3 all its jazzed upto be ?
It's the best blender I've ever owned, but
I'm always open to something better.

> £595 seems steep.. $1190
That's way too much. I've seen them recently
for $419, but can't remember where.

> hmm..been looking at some lower end commercial
> ones..its all very xonfusing!!
When you do buy a blender, let us know how
you like it.....WY

Yeah.. I know you can get cheaper in US, but then pay £70 customs(if not more), then £100 for a HUGE transformer. Just isnt worth while..my friend is mortified with her vitamix from US due the above reasons!!

saving for 6 months..is a longgg time..with chunks in ones smoothies!!

The plastic carafe that comes with the blender, will the odor stay after making savory dishes? ie. soups and dressings

Is it necessary to get another container for smoothies and desserts?

vc2008

Living one's life in a hermetically sealed bubble without ever contacting / breathing / eating modern pollutants is the only way that I can envision living a truly clean life..

The issue of outgassing in the plastics used to construct the carafes / bowls / parts of our food making appliances that come into contact with the foods that we eat seems to me to be somewhat blown out of proportion in relation to the every day concerns of the average raw vegan..

I am in no way belittling the concern that you & others are expressing regarding the plastics used in our food making appliances..

I have these concerns myself..

However, I feel that attempting to be 100% raw, & finally achieving a 100% raw status is far more important than the minutia that we raw vegans seem to revel in bogging our minds down in..

It must be the human condition to obsess with the small things & tend to ignore the bigger picture..

I know that I have had & continue to have this priblem myself..

Eating a 100% raw diet is more important than whether or not ALL of the produce that you consume is organic..

Or whether or not there is SOME outgassing of the plastic used in the construction of your blender's carafe..

If the plastics in your blender truly stink from outgassing, then by all means attempt to replace the carafe with another that minimizes the outgassing..

IMO, removing ALL of the other things in the average home / apartment that outgas
pollutants that we breathe in 24/7/365 as we live our lives seems to me to be a much greater priority than the carafe of my blender..

Bruce

baltochef Wrote:
----------------------------------------------------
> Eating a 100% raw diet is more important than
> whether or not ALL of the produce that you consume
> is organic..
> Or whether or not there is SOME outgassing of the
> plastic used in the construction of your blender's
> carafe..
I like what you said about the Big Picture too.
It's up to each one of us to Draw-the-Line somewhere. Some
Raw Foodists I know are downright Paranoid.....WY