I have educated myself on what's out there regarding good blenders and I have started to think about the Vita-Mix 4500. It appears to be the most "modest" from the "Hot" blenders on the market right now - mainly because it has only 2 speeds and only 2HP.

The lowest price I found for it is already at the top limit of what I want to spend. In other words I am trying to get away with as little as possible while still getting a good blender that will do the job of providing good nutrition.

I read the stories about "breaking the cell walls" and my thinking is the following:

1. If this is absolutely crucial for good nutrition...and
2. If it is absolutely sure that the 2HP blenders WILL NOT DO THIS while the 3HP-s WILL ...

...perhaps 300$ for the Vita-Mix is still a lot of money and might as well get a really cheap, store-bought one, right?.

However, if the above "cell wall breaking" stories are a bit of a marketing ploy or something along those lines...or if people will agree that the Vita-Mix 4500 will still do a good job in terms of blending food the right way (including breaking those walls or ... whatever) - then I would like to go with that option because the others are just too expensive.

Besides, I am not attracted to the electronic/programmable buttons of the K-Tec/Blend-Tec. I am not a big fan of bells and whistles in appliances. I like the simple, durable types that have manual controls - no electronic hocus-pocuses.

Would Vita-mix 4500 still be a good choice or is it..."so last season!" in the rawfood world?

Thank you so much for your opinions!

Why would you want the 4500 (2-speed), when the 5000 (10-speed plus override) is only $40 or so more?.....WY

Here we are again about Vita-Mix and blenders.

I own the Vita-Prep 3.

I used low power blenders (the kind u can get everywhere with up 2 $50).

I don't regret that I paid over $500 for mine (I bought it with a kind of kit (I never used the vacuum pump and the screen), but those 3 DVD's of Dr. Tom Wu included by the online retailer I bought from saved my life showing me the way in Raw and nutrition.

In my opinion, a blender does not need so many speeds. If u try to use at low/minimum speed, the blenders will overheat if u don't use enough water - their fan is attached direct to motor. No speed-no good cooling-no therapeutic effects (I would say).

I only use the blender with maximum speed and when I listen to the motor running - since I don't chop most of the stuff I blend, I understand why 3+ Horse Power is a MUST. With a low powered blender you will waste so much time chopping everything, you will be sick of doing it, late at work every time and hungry, not to mention the phytochemicals NOT unlocked from fibers.

In other words, If you know that you are serious about using in on a daily basis, don't buy cheap. I heard the expression: we are too poor to afford to buy cheap. Usually, you get what you pay for.

Pls. excuse my English - foreigner.

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Medicine, Food Industry and Commerce are businesses.
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