Hi guys,

Could you tell me how much better the Vita-Prep 3 is than a Vitamix 5000. Also does any one know a good place online to buy a Vitaprep 3?

The motor in the Vita-Prep 3 is designed & manufactured by the company that builds them (not Vita-Mix) to withstand continuous everyday usage under heavy loads without failing..These types of motors are aimed at restaurant kitchens, caterers, juice bars, etc..

Serious raw foodists who are prepping food for themselves & their families purchase the Vita-Prep 3 as it is the least expensive model in the commercial Vita-Mix product line-up..

The Vita-Mix 4000, & 5000 series blenders are aimed at the so-called consumer or home market..The motors in these blenders are NOT designed for continuous everyday usage, which is reflected in their lesser price..

Properly used, any of the Vita-Mix blenders should last for at least a decade in a home environment before needing to be replaced..

There are 20 & 30 year old Vita-Mix blenders still in use today, just as there are 20, 30, & 40 year old Oster Osterizer blenders in use today..

Longevity is all a matter of NOT overloading the motor; both when it is first turned on, & while it is running..

Something that many people do not realize is that there is a small frame of time when any electric motor is first turned on where the motor is drawing peak current from the electrical supply..

This peak current is required in order to overcome the inertia of the motor itself, anything that is attached to the motor's shaft, & whatever mass the motor's appliance is designed to process..

If more mass is applied to the motor's appliance then it is designed to overcome, then the peak electrical draw will be exceded & the motor will begin to fail..

Sometimes the motor will fail the first time that this occurs, & other times it will require an accumulative number of excesses in order for the electric motor to fail..

Raw foodists, because of their desire to create raw foods with the minimum amounts of liquids (fats, water, fruit & vegetable juices, nut milks) in them are usually subjecting their blenders & food processors to the levels of stress that the same appliances would find themselves being subjected to in a commercial environment..

It is for this reason that you will see so much being discussed on health & raw foods forums about the Vita-Mix blenders..Simply put, they have been around longer then any other blender of comparable wattage & horse power; & their track record for performance, longevity, & customer service is excellent..

In my personal experience I have had little to do with the 4000 & 5000 series blenders..I know that they are good machines, both from friends' personal experiences, & what I read on the WWW..

As far as rating the 5000 vs. the Vita-Prep 3, my guesstimate would be that on a scale of 1 to 100 if the Vita-Prep 3 was given a rating of 100, then the 5000 would be somewhere in the low 90's..This rating would only apply to the electric motors as regards to their ability to perform the most difficult tasks (such as making hummus) without immediate failure..

As I said above, the user must exercise restraint & use some common sense when initially filling the carafe before turning the machine on..

If not subjected to unreasonable stresses by the user A Vita-Mix blender should give it's owner at least 2 decades of trouble free use before needing replacement..

Bruce

Bruce,

Thank you for your reply! It was very helpful. I am excited to start blending!

Regards,
S

Hi there,

I also have a question about the Vitamix blenders. I'm new to the raw foods lifestyle, so I would appreciate any input. I was looking at buying a Vita-Prep 3, however, I wonder if I really need that much power. I have a great food processor and a grain mill that can turn any nuts or seeds into a fine powder. I don't plan on really using my vitamix for anything but green smoothies, and liquid-based foods, such as soups. I think I might do just fine with a 4000 or 5000 Vitamix model. Then I can spend more on other kitchen equipment, like an excaliber dehydrator that I've been eyeing. Any suggestions from those who own Vitamix blender? Thanks!

blackfoot98,

I am new to blending too, so I cannot give you firsthand experience regarding which model to buy. However, I just purchased the Vita-Prep 3, and here is why: I think baltochef gave some very good reasons to want the commercial motor in the Vita-Prep 3 over the motor in the 4500 or 5000. The tradeoff, of course, is the extra money spent. I have found the 4500 for around $360 online and the 5000 for around $400. I ordered the VP3 off ebay (Prima Supply) for a total of around $455, which inlcuded shipping.

So I paid about $95 more than had I purchased a $4500. If the Vita-Prep 3 lasts 20 years (and I think it will), then an extra $95 over 20 years works out to be an extra 40 cents a month. To me, it was worth the extra price to have a slightly more powerful motor that runs quieter and cooler.

Now I just have to be patient until it arrives and I can start playing with it.

Don't let money stand in your way when it comes to buying a Juicer or a Blender.
I used a Vita-Mix 5000 for years before I bought a Vita-Prep 3. You'll appreciate the extra burst of power that the VP3 offers. You'll also enjoy the manually operated control knobs. However, many people here like the pre-programmed cycles of the Blendtec.
Vita-Mix has recently come out with a 5200 model with a safer container. I think the Motor is made in France but it is still rated at 2 HP, as is the 5000. The VP3 is a full 3 HP, and maybe more. I bought mine on eBay.
Happy Blending......WY

Blackfoot wrote...

"To me, it was worth the extra price to have a slightly more powerful motor that runs quieter and cooler."



Do you think the Vitaprep3 runs quieter than the Vitamix 5000? I thought I read somewhere that it was noisier.

LaPieta Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do you think the Vitaprep3 runs quieter than the
> Vitamix 5000? I thought I read somewhere that it
> was noisier.

You asked Blackfoot, but I'll put in my 2 cents.
Noise won't be an issue with any of the Vita-Mix
Blenders. I'd say the Vita-Prep 3 is slightly louder than the
5000 because of the extra Power, but you only use it on the Highest Speed
for 30 seconds or so, if you make a Green Smoothie the way I do.
Noise is an issue with the 20 AMP Blenders, and most of them
come with a Sound-Enclosure.......WY

Thanks WY!

LaPieta Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Do you think the Vitaprep3 runs quieter than the
> Vitamix 5000? I thought I read somewhere that it
> was noisier.


LaPieta, I have only heard the 5000 run and not the Vita-Prep 3, so I cannot back up my claim that the VP3 runs quieter--I'm just going off of what I've heard others say. Upon thinking about it more, I suspect that there probably is not a big difference in noise levels between the two. I should not have assumed there was and listed lower noise as a benefit of the Vita-Prep 3.

When I receive the Vita-Prep 3, I can run it next to my sister's 5000 and report back as to whether there is a discernable difference in noise levels.

Thank you Luminous, and I see that I misquoted Blackfoot. Sorry 'bout that.

Another VitaPrep 3 question...
Does it have a separate dry container?

Vitamix question - is it worth buying the dry container or would I be better off using other appliances for dry stuff (coffee grinder, food processor, mandoline, etc).

I have a very small kitchen, so less is definitely better.

(Maybe I should start a new thread for this one).

La Pieta

Yes, all Vita-Mix blenders can be equipped with a dry mix container for an additional cost..

I personally do not own the dry mix container for my Vita-Prep 3..From dozens of posts that I have read on various forums the consensus seems to be that while the dry container WILL process grains (what it was designed for) better then will the wet container that comes standard with all Vita Mix blenders; it is a fairly expensive tool for what should be a limited application for the majority of raw foodists..

Allow me to clarify my last sentence somewhat further..

It's a generally accepted principle of raw foodism that severely reducing, or eliminating one's intake of all grains is necessary in order to detox & find one's way to better health..In other words, as raw foodists, we would be better off spending the dollars needed to purchase a dry mix container on some other kitchen tool..

Assuming for a moment that a raw foodist in transition will be consuming grains at all, the best way for the body to process grains is after they have been sprouted..Eating sprouted grains implies that the grains will no longer be rock hard (with minimal moisture content); thus easy to process in either a food processor, or the standard wet carafe that comes with all blenders..

Allow me to postulate another scenario..The raw foodist in question has, or is in the process of eliminating grains from his or her diet..However, they are a member of a family and find themselves cooking for a husband, a wife, or children that are still consuming grains in the form of breads, pasta, cakes, cookies, etc..This raw foodist feels compelled to offer the SAD mambers of their family the highest quality grain-based foods possible..In order to do so they will be grinding large quantities of grains into various types of flours & meals..

The Vita-Mix dry mix container is not the proper tool for this application..It was designed to process SMALL quantities of grains at a time..The key factor in preserving freshness & vitality when grinding grains is to NOT overheat them..Doing so destroys the enzymes in the grains, & degrades the oils in them, leading to rancidity..Blenders, with their extremely high rotational speeds, are not a good tool for processing grains as overheating the grains before they are completely ground into flour is more probable than not..

This is also true for nuts & seeds that are processed into flours & butters in a blender..I own two Thermapen digital thermometers..One is kept in my chef's tool roll (or tool box), & the other resides in the drawer of the kitchen cart on which my Vita-Prep 3 sits..The Thermapen folding digital thermometers are amongst the easiest to use, as well as the fastest & most accurate thermometers on the market..Both Cook's Illustrated & King Arthur Flour (The Baker's Catalog) highly recommend them, as do I..I have done extensive tests where I have repeatedly tested the temperature of raw hummus, raw nut butters, raw seed butters, and both nuts & seeds that I have ground into a flour-like consistency in both my Oster Osterizer blender, & my Vita-Prep 3 blender..I have also used my Krup's coffee bean grinder to process small quantities of nuts & seeds..

My conclusions are that ANY blender or grinder with a high rotational speed has at least a 50% chance of raising the temperature of the processed food above 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit before the raw foodist is aware of it happening..Each & every time that you prepare such foods..The key factor is the length of time necessary to break the whole nuts, seeds, or grains down into the desired end product..The finer the desired end product, the longer the processing time required..And the greater likelihood that overheating will occur..

For most of us, myself included, we are just NOT going to stop the blender multiple times for however long that is needed in order to allow the mixture to cool off before resuming the blending process..The Vita-Mix (and other similar blenders) spin so fast, & heat foods up so quickly; that stopping the machine every time that the foods reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit would triple, quadruple, or even further extend the processing times for such foods..For most of us that is unacceptable, so while thinking that we are truly raw; in many cases the enzymes in these prepared raw foods are damaged by heat....

A dedicated grain mill would be the proper tool for this application..A high quality grain mill will cost from $200.00 to 1000.00..The more that you spend, the slower that the mill runs, the cooler that it grinds, & the higher the quality of the end product..Personally, if I was going to be grinding grains, I would look at some of the offerings at Pleasant Hill Grain..The Country Living Grain Mill, in particular..

[www.pleasanthillgrain.com]

The Diamant Domestic Mill Type D.525 hand grain mill is generally considered to be the Rolls Royce of grain mills..It is constructed from cast iron, as opposed to the cast aluminum of the Country Living mill..It would last for several lifetimes, even used for hours every day..Designed as a tool for farmers & homesteaders, the Diamant has top notch quality that is probably overkill for most people..If interested, check the Diamant out at Lehman's..

[www.lehmans.com]

Both the Country Living mill & the Diamant mill can be electrified if so desired..

To recap:
1. Reduce, & or eliminate altogether the consumption of processed DRY grains, and their attendant processed foods..

2. If you are going to eat dry grains (or cook with them for the SAD members of your family), seek out organic, heirloom varieties that have been minimally hybridized..Process & grind them yourself for every use so that they will be completely fresh each & every time that you cook with them..It is the rancidity of the oils in grains ground into flour that is one of the primary factors in why humans have so much trouble in digesting them..

In addition, modern wheats bear little resemblance to the ancient wheats found in the Egyptian pyramids..By the time of the pharaohs, wheat had already undergone extensive hybridization in order to transform it from a wild plant into a cultivated one..The wheats that are grown today have been extensively hybridized during the 20th Century..The ratio of starch to oil in modern wheats is also another reason that humans have trouble digesting them..

3. Grind the dry grains yourself..If using a coffee grinder for small quantities, or a blender for larger amounts; realize that stopping often to allow the mixture to cool off is the ONLY way to preserve nutrients, & to stay raw..If true rawness is a requirement, then a manual, hand-cranked grain mill is almost a necessity for the regular grinding of medium to large quantities of grains into flour..

4. Sprout the grains that you intend to eat..Try to cultivate a taste for the sprouted grains, as opposed to the dry ones..Seek out & invent recipes for sprouted grains..This will require a sea change in how you (& your family, if that's an issue) taste grain-based foods..

Some of you reading this are wondering why I have not mentioned food processors..The reason is that, at the very best, food processors will only do a poor job of processing grains..Grains are hard & they tend to bounce around the bowl of the processor without much happening..The best that you can expect from a food processor is a mixture of coarsely broken grains along with everything else down to finely ground meal..Flour is not possible..Although food processors do not spin as quickly as blenders, they still tend to heat foods up that are being processed in them..

For hummus, nut & seed meals, nut & seed butters, etc., this is where I use a food processor..Primarily because I am able to better monitor the progress of their breakdown due to the foods being spread out over a larger surface area in the bowl, as opposed to the much narrower & tapered carafe of a blender..The second reason is that when the foods heat up, as they always do, I am able to remove the lid to the bowl, & stir the food around to cool it off much easier..Being spread out over a larger area, the food cools off much quicker..Finally, stickier foods are just so much easier to remove from a food processor's bowl, then they are from the carafe of a blender..

For me, the machinations that are necessary in order to duplicate the taste & textures of SAD foods in a raw version; are slowly, but surely leading lead me away from these types of foods..

Hope this helps..Sorry for the long ramble in this post!!

Bruce

Hope this helps..Sorry for the long ramble in this post!!

Bruce

The length of your post here must have set a Record for posts not copied and pasted.
It's very good advice. I've eliminated the grains in my diet. I was experimenting with a little Corn and Oats in my Green Smoothies, but all Raw.
Keep your informative posts coming as you feel the urge......WY

WY

I too was putting raw oats in my smoothies for the longest time..Reduce the cholesterol & all that..Then I came to the realization that every time I did so my stomach would become upset as a result..So I stopped..

Bruce

Bruce,
Thank you sooooo much for taking the time to write such an informative message. That is so helpful. But of course now I have more questions.

Would making nut butters and hummus work well in a Green Star or Omega 8003? Seems like that might be the best lower heat method, if it works.

Can you use a hand crank grain mill for seeds? Is there a lower heat way to grind seeds than with a food processor?

I'm primarily thinking of flax seeds right now but I'm just starting out - who knows what I might want to grind in the future.

I actually really like the hand crank idea, seems more natural and less wasteful of our natural resources. I hate being dependent on so many electrical appliances.

Thank you again for your wonderfully long and helpful message. You more than answered my questions; I won't be getting the dry container.

La Pieta

I have never used a single or twin-screw juicer to homogenize nuts or seeds..I do not own a juicer of either type..From what I know of these machines it would seem to be a lot of work to clean them compared to a food processor..Perhaps the owners of these types of juicers will chime in with an opinion as to your question..

Yes, small hand crank seed mills can be used to grind flax seeds..There are ones designed for poppy seeds..Many European homes contain them..They have a history of poppy seed fillings in pastries in that part of the world..

As far as a food processor for seeds, if you read my original post you will notice that I do not recommend the processor for this task..For the reasons stated..

I am blessed (cursed?) with an abundance of tools, both hand & electric, for the kitchen..More than I need certainly..Eventually I hope to reach the stage where I only eat simple mono meals with the absolute minimum of preparation..Hopefully, no preparation at all..

I will in all likelihood keep a very substantial tool kit, both hand & electric, if I do ever reach this stage in order to be able to prepare more elaborate raw vegan meals for guests that visit my abode..

As I progress down this interesting road on my raw journey, I find myself more & more inclined to embrace the thinking of folks like Bryan & others who are seeking (and have found) simplicity in the way that they eat..

My ultimate goal, if I am able to eventually achieve it, is to NOT focus on food nearly as much as I currently do..In other words, to spend as little of my day thinking about food & eating as possible; & to spend more of every day on other more important aspects of life..

I have been trying to figure out whether or not to invest in the really nice juicer, or a vita mix. I was totally prepared to get the juicer, until reading this thread.....and going back to Victoria Boutnenko's book 12 steps to raw. She doesn't really juice her greens. She instead makes more green smoothies than anything else. I think I really need to get the 80-10-10 book,any other recommendations? Baltochef - do you juice, or just blend?

veggiefreak

I am perhaps not the best person to advise you on the green smoothie vs. green juices path..The following will further explain..

When I started on this journey in earnest last year, I went ahead & purchased all the goodies (read tools) that I didn't already own as a chef..

These included the following:
1. High-powered blender (Blend Tec, returned, didn't like it [see old posts of mine]--then Vita-Prep 3)
2. Twin-screw juicer (returned, never used it--seemed too complicated to clean by hand [no dishwasher] several times a day)
3. 9-Tray dehydrator (Excalibur)
4. Horizontal spiral slicer (Benriner)
5. New MicroPlane graters (old ones were very dull)
6. Citrus juicer (Breville--have used this A LOT--good tool!!)
7. Centrifugal juicer (Breville--I thought it was easier to clean)

Very early on I realized that I just do not like the taste of very many mono vegetable juices..Virtually all of them tend to slightly to violently trigger my gag reflex..

Being the extremely hard-headed person that I am I persevered in trying to force myself to drink them as all the books & forums (that I was aware of at that time) said that drinking juices was a vital part of the transitioning process..

Then I discovered this forum & Alissa Cohen's forum where the green smoothie is promoted heavily..

So I tried making & drinking green smoothies..Again I was finding that when I made a green smoothie with the "normal" ratio of greens to bananas & other ingredients the greens were still triggering my gag reflex, although not quite as violently as with pure mono veggie juices..

Again I persisted in forcing myself along the green smoothie path, only to find that my body would only tolerate a small percentage of greens to sweet fruits..So , for all practical purposes I was not deriving very much in nutrient benefit from greens in my so-called green smoothies..They were mostly fruit..

Now the real interesting thing is that I quite like the taste of most raw greens..I can sit & eat an entire head of romaine lettuce with no ill effects..But if I put more that 2-3 leaves of romaine in a large green smoothie my body wants to rebel..The only green foods that I don't each much of raw are the members of the cabbage family..Things like kale, mustard greens, etc I consume in small quantities as they tend to upset my stomach when I eat large amounts of them..

It was about this time that job pressures started to overwhelm me, & I fell partly off the raw wagon..As summer progressed into fall, & then winter last year I stopped trying to be raw in any meaningful way..Although I continued to lurk here & at Alissa's, only posting where I felt that my kitchen experience might help someone with a procedural or tool question..

After spending some serious time here at The Living & Raw Foods forum reading thousands of posts, I came to see that I wanted to concentrate my energies in progressing towards a diet that emphasized mono meals & proper food combining when not eating mono..

I started 2008 trying to do some 1-2 day fasts..Drinking a mixture of 75% orange juice & 25% grapefruit juice; with clean filtered water mixed in every 6 hours or so..Without success..I'd get 12-14 hours into the day's fast & then the cravings for food would become overwhelming..The first couple of days I'd eat some raw nuts & dried fruit..Then about a week into the new year I just binged on cheese steak subs & French fries..Although I still drank the juices & water every day..Then I went several more days fasting for 12-16 hours, & eating fruits & nuts..Then for 6 days I binged on home-made veggie pasta sauce & pasta, again drinking only water & some citrus juices throughout the day..Then another week of cheese steaks, fries, juices & water..

When I started out in 2008 it was not with resolutions..Resolutions as regards to dieting had never worked for me before, & I had no hopes that they would work for me now..I just gave myself some goals..First I would do my best to physically change my eating habits from SAD to raw..Since discovering raw in March 2006, I have been intellectually ready to make the change..However, my body did not seem physically prepared to transition to a 100% raw diet..

The main difference between the past & the present is that this time around I have given myself permission to fail..In other words, even though through the entire month of January I was trying, unsuccessfully, to fast & be 100% raw; I didn't stomp around & get worked up emotionally & physically because I failed..

Currently, as I type this post, I am a third of the way through my third day fasting on the citrus juice mix & clean water..The first day was tough as far as food cravings were concerned,,Yesterday was much easier, & so far today has gone well..I have no preconceived idea as far as how long I will stay on the fast..As others on this forum have stated I will listen to my body, & come off it gently when my body tells me it is time to do so..

I will attempt to drink some green smoothie when the time comes to break this fast..Perhaps my body will be cleaner & will accept the greens..Who knows??..I'm just going to take it one day at a time..

Bruce

Bruce,
Good luck with your raw goals. I am taking it quite slow myself. What I really appreciate about this forum (besides all the knowledgable help choosing equipment!) is the lack of judgement on people who aren't completely raw yet, as we try to transition.

Thanks again for the information on manual seed grinders. What I really was wondering though is if there is a smaller manual grinder that will work for both nuts and seeds (although I only asked about seeds.) If you have any recommendations that would be super (the links you already gave seem to be for higher priced ones, out of my price range).

I understood from your original post that you didn't really recommend food processors for seeds, that's why I was asking if there is a lower heat way to grind seeds than with a food processor (I wasn't sure if the grain mills would grind seeds or not, but now I know there are some that will).

Thanks again for sharing your extensive knowlege with us.

Anyone have any thoughts on using the greenstar or omega 8003 for nut butters?

Bruce,

That was the BEST info i have gotten yet.. out of searching many forums, and boards.. Thank you!

I have a question for you.. What is your opinion of purchasing a refurbished Vita Mix through the company.. cheaper price with a 7 yr warranty?

~Jenna

Mauigirl206

I have no personal experience, nor do any of my acquaintances, with re-furbed Vita-Mix blenders..

I've read mostly positive things about the experience on the net..

Good luck

Bruce

Baltochef
can you tell me about dehydrators? i don't know anything about them. they seem to need a lot of time. can you run them over night? is it dangerous? i assume you shouldn't leave the house when they are on.
thanks

robinbird

I own & occasionally use an Excalibur 9-tray dehydrator..

My main issue with it is the noise pollution that it creates..Because the machine is basically a hollow plastic box the noise that the fan makes is magnified by echoing within the dehydrator..As well as the noise that the trays make rattling..

The majority of the recipes that I have executed with it took no less then 10 hours to reach the texture & dryness indicated by the recipe..Most took between 15-20 hours, with a rare few requiring as much as 48 hours to fully dry out..

You are correct in that electrical appliances with heating elements should be unplugged whenever you must leave them completely unattended by a human being..

By all rights the proper thing to do is to turn them off while sleeping, since in essence they are unattended while you are asleep..

However, to do do would pretty much negate their usefulness, as the wet foods on the dehydrator trays would need to be refrigerated overnight in order to retard bacterial growth..Unless one had a separate refrigerator where a fairly large portion of the shelf space could be dedicated to the dehydrator trays, this would not be very practical..

So what virtually everyone that I know, myself included, that owns one does is to allow them to run while sleeping & hope for the best..Admittedly, there have been very, very few reports of Excalibur dehydrators malfunctioning & causing a fire..They seem to be particularly well made..I don't know if I would trust the less expensive models, especially some of the round ones that I have seen in other peoples homes..I once owned one of the Ronco dehydrators & I never allowed it to run unattended overnight..

That's my opinion..YMMV..

Bruce

thank you so much! this really helps!

La Pieta

Sorry I took so long to respond to your request for info on a manual nut grinder..I somehow skipped over your post, & read the ones after it..

I am unaware of any manual grinder that handles both nuts & seeds..To my knowledge a manual nut only grinder along the lines of a seed or meat grinder does not exist..At least I have never encountered one..That is not to say that one might not exist..I don't know everything..There may be some culture that I'm not aware of where such a tool exists & is used..

That being said, my experience leads me to believe the attempting to grind nuts in such a tool could possibly be problematic..

Seeds tend to have both a lower moisture & oil content, then do nuts..Regardless of the method used to grind nuts; very soon after starting the process, large quantities of the oils within the nuts begin to be released..I am theorizing that the nuts would tend to clog the grinder..The screw mechanism would have a difficult time moving the nuts through the grinder..I actually own & have packed away some place an antique meat grinder, the kind that clamps to the edge of a table..If I could ever find it I will attempt to grind nuts & let the forum know the results..I may be completely wrong, & it might work o-kay..

Good luck in your quest..

Bruce

You don't save much money with a reconditioned Vita-Mix. I think it's $50. I'd like to hear from someone who owns the new Vita-Mix 5200. Bruce and I 'Highly Recommend' the Vita-Prep 3. Bruce, I can speak for you there, can't I? In fact, I like my VP3 so much, I bought a back-up (just in case). Call it 'insurance' or 'insecurity', but there it is......WY

I own a new vitamix 5200. It truly is great. In the beginning I was not using enough liquid and food was just sitting there....hence the busted up tamper. However, once I got my measurements down and realized that I need more water with veggies than I do when I am blending fruit, etc. it has been a dream. I love it. I am truly loving how the smoothies taste and also the texture - totally smooth with no chunks. And, I think I probably am blending like you do WY - I use the top speed for "maybe" 10-30 secs if that. I really haven't even *had* to use it at this point with the green smoothies I have been making.

Funny that you bought a second back-up, I can totally relate to it as silly as it sounds. I almost wanted to do it when I ruined the tamper - I felt like I had damaged goods! I am certainly not that way with other items I own at all, just protective of my juicing/blenders. I am saving for a greenstar next! veggie

WY

The Vita-Prep 3 is one of the best kitchen tools that I have ever owned..Easily in the top 5 tools, hand or electric, that I have used professionally or purchased for my own use in the home..Properly used & cared for it should give several decades of use..

I hate to sound like I'm beating a dead horse again, but I do not feel that the following points can be made often enough..

One reason that I am so adamant about newbies not using their Vita-Mix blenders, especially the consumer models, to make frozen banana ice cream is that it is SOOOO easy to overload the blender's electric motor when making this treat..Especially if the chunks of banana are the size of a standard ice cube..It's just too much stress for all but the most powerful commercial blenders that come stock with enclosures..

If you just have to make this, or any other frozen ice cream dessert using dense fruits, then cut the fruit into VERY small pieces (1/2" x 1/2" square MAXIMUM size) before freezing..Don't overfill the carafe..Make sure to use enough liquid, 50% by volume to the solid ingredients, so that a vortex will be created by the blades..Then freeze & stir, freeze & stir the dessert until the desired soft-serve consistency is reached..Eat & enjoy!!

Bruce