Hi Everyone!
I' an aspiring raw foodist and have been making green smoothies for the past few weeks with my cheap $20 blender, I've had since I moved out on my own. I;m totally in love with my green smoothies, BUT not in love with making them. My blender totally stinks! obviously It takes me forever because I freeze my bananas and strawberries and it has a real hard time grabbing those ... so I have to constantly stop, shake it around, push down, or whatever.... to get it to mix. Its way too time consuming.

So I am ready to make a purchase... and would love to get the Blendtec or Vitamix but I'm so shocked at how expensive it is. Times are tough. Is it really worth it?

Do those blenders really grab frozen bananas and strawberries with ease?

Are they any other blenders that are not as expensive, but can still make smoothies with ease for one person? (I'm not making big batches)

Thanks so much for your help!

I too scoff at the price of these machines but. . . .

The boss' wife bought an ancient Vita-Mix off of an acquaintance and brought it into work. I had put off using it because the little voice in my head said "Don't use it, you'll love it and want one."

Well, I first used it a couple of months ago - the voice was correct.

I was using a Black and Decker blender (cheap) at work - sounded like a Sherman tank and really did not do a great job.

At home I have a Cuisinart (about $100) does a better job than the Black and Decker but does not compare to the Vita-Mix at all.

Oddly, I found the Vita-Mix quieter than the other two.

I dig banana and raspberry smoothies. The other blenders did nothing with the raspberry seeds and hence they would get stuck in my teeth and drive me bonkers. The Vita-Mix pulverizes the seeds.

I also like to blend oranges - in the other blenders, not so smooth. The Vita-Mix does a fantastic job. Just the right consistency of pulpiness.

Green smoothies have a nice velvety texture.

I don't have any experience with a Blendtec, but from what I've read, a lot of people say it is fantastic as well.

I'm saving my pennies.

I just purchased a Blendtec not too long ago, so maybe I can give a little info on it.

Apparently, not all Blendtec's are created equal. I purchased the one with the larger caraffe and the 4" blade - reason being I saw a video on Youtube with a Vitamix, 3" blade Blendtec and a 4" blade Blendtec - all 3 had the same ingredients... The Vitamix has the handy jammer stick thingy, it's designed to use it, so they used it and it worked. The 3" blade Blendtec needed to be shaken to get the ingredients back into the blade area so it would work... the 4" blade kept bouncing the ingredients up and down so it did everything without having to jab or shake or anything.

Sounds good, right? WELL.. I'm new to all of this, so I was kind of surprised to learn that the Blendtec requires water to blend many things. When I've seen it turning solids into liquids, I thought it was so incredible (as it should be for that price) that it was almost like a juicer (it's not).

I don't know how a juicer can take a bunch of carrots and turn them into juice - but a blender can only turn it into a paste unless you add water.. BUT.. that's kinda the deal.. Add water, add your stuff, blendo-chango, you've got a fine smoothie OR juice, depending on what button(s) you push.

It SEEMS (to me at least, the newb) that to REALLY rock and roll in this world of raw, wonderful things, it'd be most useful to have a blender, a juicer and then a wheatgrass type juicer - because it sort of seems where I'm standing at the moment in my lack of education, that 1 machine won't do ALL. Just my 2 cents, don't know if it will help or confuse.. My intent is help.

there is another post that addresses vitamix vs blendtec. considering cost is relavent to you, i'd say go with the blendtec. But yes, it is CRUCIAL to invest in a phat blender. I have a friend who keeps buying cheap blenders and they keep breaking, and of course her smoothies suck too. Firstly, one of the main reasons you want a high speed blender is that it breaks down the foods on a cellular level. second, it can do this so quickly that it reduces the oxidation breakdown of the minerals and vitamins. these blenders ARE that awesome. imagine putting a whole avocado seed in your blender and see if it comes out smooth like soft serve ice cream. Imagine taking 5 frozen solid bananas out of the freezer and blending them on a cheap blender with no liquid. you sure wouldn't come out out with perfect sorbet, and your blender would smell like melting plastic and smoke.
the vita mix's very name pays tribute to the exquisite vitamin releasing qualities of a high speed blender.
When deciding between vita mix and blendtec you must think about a few things.
do you prefer digital buttons, or analog switches????

Are you going to be using the tamper often, making things like hummus or dips, or thick things like pie fillings???? blendtec has no tamper.
Blendtec is truly a little more powerful, though only maybe an extra 1/2 horsepower. I've found that the blendtec would rip up every single blackberry seed, while the vitamix must be run longer and still doesn't get em all. Therefore increasing the amount of oxidation. This is proven on a YOUTUBE video. Some guy tests vitamix, blendtec small carafe and blendtec big carafe. The blendtec BIG carafe has significant lighter color, showing less oxidation to achieve same or better blended quality.

Blendtec is less expensive out the door.
3 year warranty vs 7 year warranty.
you aren't gonna find that kind of warranty with a black and decker !!
these are real equipment, designed for real use. 450 is nothing when you are looking at 10 years of daily heavy use !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Raw Lion 440 pounds to 225 pounds!

What about an older Vitamix model?? I found the Vitamix Turboblend 4500 Counter Top Blender for $337. Is that model still good?

If you want a high power blender for a little less, the Waring XTreme MX1000XT is worth considering too. It's a very powerful machine (3.5 HP), but otherwise is comparatively no-frills. I've been using mine for a couple of years, and it has been a workhorse. The Waring carafe is actually a little easier to clean than the Vitamix because there's more room to reach fingers and a sponge around and under the blades. (Many people clean their carafes by blending water with a little soap, vinegar or lemon juice.)

The Waring sometimes needs help when the food isn't falling within the range of the whirring blades, generally when there's limited liquid in the machine. In that respect I think a Vitamix with a tamper or a Blendtec with 4" blades might be slightly easier to use. If I'm making a frozen smoothie, I may need to stop the blender a few times to push the frozen mass down toward the blades. Since this isn't a problem most of the time, and even then the job does get done, it might be worth considering the less expensive Waring.

(I've heard that the Waring is compatible with the Vitamix carafes, and I may confirm that and invest in one someday if I ever get sufficiently frustrated with not having a tamper.)

I did it! I bought the Blendtec this morning! Its my birthday today so I fugured .. what the hell!! can't wait till it arrives!

Congratulations on choosing a blender and Happy Birthday!!!!!

Maritza: I bought a Hamilton Beach blender at Walmart several years ago. I don't recall what I paid for it but it was most likely under $35. It has worked surprisingly well, to the point that when I was deciding which to buy first, a Vitamix or juicer, I chose the juicer because I honestly felt that I could live with my cheapo blender for a bit more. I also have their food processor. I think they make very decent products in terms of power! I have made green smoothies before and I make regular ones with frozen papaya (mmm...) or mangos often. Yeah, sometimes there are some lumps, but if I had run it longer, I bet I could have removed them. Sometimes I get totally velvety smoothies and I wonder what the difference is. In any case, if you have the dough, I suppose you could get the Vitamix, but if you are really strapped, maybe get a better cheap blender?

I start my day, everyday with a green smoothie that consists of lots of spinach, pineapple, flax seed and either oranges or frozen organic strawberries. I killed two cheap blenders, prior to purchasing my vitamix 5200. I have had it for about 8 months and could not imagine life without it. I have also been unemployed for about six months and I sincerely believe that eating raw food has contributed to keeping me from becoming very, very depressed about my current employment situation. I will never be without the Vitamix and just feel that a hi speed powerful blender is very worth the money, Enjoy your blendtec, I am sure that it is comparable to the vitamix, although I have never used one. Oh, and Happy Birthday!

Deb

happy birthday !!!! the blendtec is really fun. everytime i made a smoothie in mine, the whole house would converge and watch in joy!! SO POWERFUL !!!
i also own a waring pro big boy blender. thing is HUGE, has a gallon carafe, made of stainless steel. i do also reccomend waring ! its all about the wattage.

The Raw Lion 440 pounds to 225 pounds!

1goneraw Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
I have had it for
> about 8 months and could not imagine life without
> it. I have also been unemployed for about six
> months and I sincerely believe that eating raw
> food has contributed to keeping me from becoming
> very, very depressed about my current employment
> situation.

that's the main reason I switched to a raw fod lifestyle. I just started... but I am hoping its going to help with my emotional (depressed) slumps I get into!
Just hoping it will keep me happy and emotionally stable! So glad to hear its ben working for you!
You feed yourself crap, you are going to feel like crap. You feed yourself good things, you will feel good. I always believe in this, which is why I always ate organic. But eating raw I fee is taking it to the next, ultimate level!
Hope it has some real positive effects on me and my life!

Buy a used one on Ebay. The motor on my 40 year old 2200 Vitamix is still as powerful as the day my mother gave it to me.

I just saw an ad somewhere on the Web offering a 5200 for $349. I think it just didn't have all the goodies on the side (recipe DVD, apron, etc.). I would Google it and see what you get!

The Blendtec Total Blender is the best for frozen blending. It is a phenomenal blender and the container is BPA free. The list price is $399 but there is one site I came across just recently that has it for $349 with free shipping! I wish I would have found it before I bought it. I may get another one for my mother. She isn't really interested in raw food diet but she does like smoothies and working with frozen fruits is tricky in some of the lower end blenders.

Here is the link to it: [www.specialtyblenders.com]
They also have vitamix as well.


Good luck!

Curious--I saw a demo with the Blendtec and 4-inch blades. It looked to me like it would make everything into mush (in other words, its power only allows for total blending, while the Vitamix would allow more control at each stage, in case someone wanted more of a puree with texture). I also am not gaga about pushing buttons; I'd rather flip a switch. It seems more durable or less likely to break down. Any thoughts?

Just wanted to say thanks for the link to specialtyblenders.com. They saved me $60!

I ended up going with the Vitamix 4500 just because it seemed like it would last for a lot longer. The Blendtec just didn't look as sturdy. The 4500 is just too tall to fit underneath my cabinets, which is an annoyance, but besides that it's been great so far.

Congrats on your purchase. To be honest, it's less important whether you buy Blendtec or Vitamix than that you don't go cheap. You get what you pay for still matters. Let us know how the 4500 performs for you.

To Banana Who, the Blendtec does allow speed control if one doesn't want one touch convenience. It's not all or nothing.

Paul

Thanks, Paul. I have seen demos and it seemed like it just liquified everything. I think I'm gonna get a Vitamix, though, and keep it old skool.

I'm digging my Vitamix 4500 that I bought about a month ago.

Outstanding. Welcome to the club!

Thanks Paul - Once you go high power you can never look back.

I had been making green smoothies and hummus in a crappy food processor and started dreaming of about owning a Blendtec. I did some research and at that instant they happened to be running a contest. I dreamed about winning the contest... and I DID, and now I own a Blendtec and love it so far! But I'm overwhelmed, there are so many possibilites now, I don't know where to start!!

I JUST found this forum, I've been looking for something like this for awhile. So many are cluttered with politics and battling doing without favorite junkfood, it's hard to get straight health info and suggestions. I hope I can get that here.

ANYWAY - keep a lookout, maybe you can win a contest. I knew getting a high power blender would help me continuing the massive improvements I am making in my life. I am excited!

Stellium,

Welcome to you too! Your blender will help you immensely in preparing not only smoothies but also blended salads, salad dressings, and soups. It's all about breaking cell walls down so that nutrients are more bioavailable. You've made a good choice with a Blendtec. Once you are used to it and have the money, upgrade to the 96 ounce carafe. The performance improvement is awesome.

Paul

My sister-in-law runs a kitchen designed to produce healthful foods for her family. She has a Vita-Mix and a separate juicer and finds the combination works well to meet her needs.

I would love to have a Vita-Mix, but find the price somewhat hard to justify for my level of cooking. I use an Osterizer 10-speed blender which makes smoothies from frozen bagged ingredients (frozen Yoplait smoothie mixes) very nicely.

I am extremely cheap. I spent $400 on a Vitamax and it was worth every penny. Trust me! I use my Vitamix EVERY DAY, multiple times a day. It'll pay for itself in use.

I've had my Vitamix for over 12 years. It's a workhorse. I've been making green smoothies for over 5 years now. Yes, I use water and ice (to make it drinkable and not hot!) and I'm very happy with this product.

I bought a BlendTek for my kids. It has a smaller container, is faster (more HP), has a higher pitched sound (I use ear plugs), works just fine.

I have a juicer I no longer use because I hate seeing the pulp (fiber) as a waste product and no, I don't have the imagination or the time to reuse it as additives to raw soup or making dehydrated crackers (just too much work). I also have a wheatgrass juicer which I no longer use. Why? because I just throw the grass into the smoothie. And I drink the pulp AND the juice from all my fruits/veggies/greens so I get all the fiber.

Everything has it's place, but for me, the Vitamix does it all.

If there is a Costco near you, check on the VM site for a roadshow and a reduced price. Also check on Ebay or other online auction for used ones. My friend got a great buy on an older model that is STILL cranking away.

Enjoy!

Well, I have a Greenstar juice machine but if you put in the blank ( plastic thingamajig that has this square opening in it), you can pulverize nuts and also vegetables (soft ones) . Its not so great with fruit unless you put just a small amount otherwise it gets mushy. But if you just want to put in a few fruit bits, its pretty good. The thing that really impressed me was when I made a green smoothie ( just dark green leafy veggies and tomato) and the flavor, and how my body FELT was out of this world. I did the same combo and put it in my cheapie blender and I didn't feel the same effect. My blender is a lugubrious forlorn little thing that deserves a philharmonic orchestra of compassionate violins empathizing in unison at how weak the little blade is and how much of a workout I get shaking that contraption, singing to it, cooing to it, mixing stuff around in it by using a wooden stick etc. Its downright DANNNGEROUS LOL I get a good laugh at how I am still alive after wrestling with the weak lion of a machine time after time.( okay, so maybe i'm exaggerating just a tad bit).. Anyhow, my point is that if you are looking for a juicer and blender in one, you may consider the greenstar machine. If you want to make a green smoothie, it works fantastically well with soft leafy greens. I didn't even need to add water. The cylindrical blades rotate very slowly. You can actually peer through the slot and SEE how slowly it is turning so that things are spinning at warp speed, creating a magnetic vortex of strip- o - rama and getting oxidized. then again, with rapid speeds comes shorter duration of time needed to masticate the fibers with the blades so maybe it equalizes out in the end. '

Oh, I made a little ( or maybe big) error in my last post, I meant to put in the word 'NOT" in front of this place ( see below where i put in the capitalized word "NOT"

<<cylindrical blades rotate very slowly. You can actually peer through the slot and SEE how slowly it is turning so that things are NOT NOT NOT NOT spinning at warp speed, creating a magnetic vortex of strip- o - rama and getting oxidized. then again, with rapid speeds comes shorter duration of time needed to masticate the fibers with the blades so maybe it equalizes out in the end. >>

well, happy blending everybuddy

blendtec and vitamix sound tempting

the reason why i didn't get a vitamix was because a friend of mine had a vitamix
but it was probably VERRRRY old because i can't imagine why it didn't work as well as the vitamix everyone here is raving about

firstly, the vitamix was

as loud as seven mowing machines

when i put in celery, it barely blended it and it came out all stringy

i would shake and move that thing while shaking my head saying " THIS is VITAAAMIX???" in complete awe at how unbelievably poorly it performed

my only conclusion was that it was probably extremely old or broken or someone
just put the label "vitamix" onto that contraption

since then, i never dreamt about the vitamix

can SOMEBUDDY please tell me if i just IMAGINED my experience or did anyone else have the same experience?

then again, several years later, i go to a friend's house and his parents have a vitamix

and i am thinking to myself " Oh Gosh.. here we go again."
I put stuff in it including nuts and lo and behold it worked like a BEEEEAAAAUTTTTTYYYY and threw all my deeply entrenched resentments, incredulity and deep seated hatred against the vitamix and hurled them out the window. It worked fantastically ... so ... i am not sure how it was sooooo different then the first vitamix i used... it was like,,.. night and day. maybe the first vitamix was just like a freak accident or something.

ain't life interesting

if it weren't for that incident however, i would probably have a vitamix by now

maybe i should get over my little initial vitamix trauma and just get on with it LOL

and stop thinking that hanging around with inferior little blenders will build character and sympathy for weak entities.

i'm ready for the rolls royce

but like everyone else

i'd like to buy it for pennies

so i could feel like i'm stealing it

where could i get it at half price or third price?

so i can use the remainder of the money and take myself and friends to disneyland twenty times?

and put our arms up in the air on a roller coaster
and scream and shout

and say "PRAISE VITAMIXXXXX"


WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!