Some people think that splurging on Vitamix is a luxurious overspend. Why pay more than you have to for a kitchen appliance? Well, because it works.
Vitamix is expensive. Way more expensive than most other blenders. But comparing the Vitamix to other blenders is like comparing a Tesla to a Chrysler - they're not even in the same ballpark.
So, in this review, I discuss why Vitamix is worth its high price tag and how I personally save over $3,100 every year just by using Vitamix.
Is Vitamix Worth the Cost?
Everyone knows that Vitamix is not cheap. Even the entry-level models at $350 are an "investment piece" price point. So, the question stands - Is Vitamix really worth it?
Here are 5 reasons why I believe that Vitamix is worth every dollar.
Vitamix Is Built to Last
Vitamix might not be the cheapest blender on the market, but it's the most cost-effective one. There is a difference between cheap and cost-effective. Cheap means getting something at a low price, regardless of the value. Cost-effective is about getting the most value for the price. Vitamix is the later.
As they say, "buy cheap, buy twice". Well, in my case, four times.
Before owning a Vitamix, I went through four different blenders in seven years. A burnt-out motor, a jammed blade shaft, and a shattered (glass) container was nothing uncommon. Those 'standard' blenders were obviously not designed to blend frozen fruit or grind coffee, but I didn’t know better at that time.
After my nearly new blender stopped working again, my husband’s grandma gave me her now 25-year-old Vitamix (she was upgrading to a newer model). I am using that blender to this day and never had to replace a single part in it.
When you invest in a Vitamix you can rest assured your machine will work for a long time. The warranty spans 5-10 years (depending on the model) and covers parts, performance and return shipping both ways. Talk about built to last.
Vitamix Is a 7-in-1 Appliance
Vitamix is not just a blender. It is a blender, a coffee grinder, a grain mill, an ice cream maker, a juicer, a mixer, and a food processor (with the food processor attachment). If you add up the price of all these appliances, you could easily pay a few thousand dollars.
Vitamix is truly the most amazing and versatile kitchen appliance I own. There is literally no blender on the market that can do the work of seven kitchen appliances. And yes, that includes Blendtec.
Vitamix is Extremely Powerful
Have you ever noticed that the Vitamix motor power is measured in HP? That’s horsepower – yes, the same metric cars use!
A Vitamix will chop and pulverize the nutrition found in skins and seeds and other unappetizing parts of food into something smooth and drinkable. I often add kale stems, pineapple cores, grapes with seeds, or strawberries with caps into my smoothies and still get no chunks. Low-cost blenders, on the other hand, have trouble pureeing anything but the softest items. Trust me, I know. I have owned a few of them.
Vitamix works so fast that when you add frozen ingredients into the blender, they have no time to melt. In fact, as you blend, the frozen ingredients refreeze themselves, producing instant ice cream. Dangerous. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you.
On the other end of the spectrum, the blade spins so fast that Vitamix can literally heat up your food. I often serve soups straight from the container – no need to reheat.
Because the Vitamix blends everything into shop-style smoothies or soups, you have no desire to order take outs. In fact, you begin to enjoy preparing food at home. Ever since owning a Vitamix, I have easily tripled my consumption of vegetables and fruit. That fact alone has made my Vitamix more than worth it.
How Vitamix Can Help You Save Money
Making your own food is one of the most important health decisions you can make. Even people who don’t know how to cook can easily make their own smoothies and soup. But even if it wasn't critical to your health, I’d still recommend buying a Vitamix blender, because it will quickly pay for itself.
Here are just some of the foods that will save you money if you invest in a Vitamix blender.
Smoothies
As far as I’m concerned, standard blenders don’t even make smoothies. You can’t compare them to the smoothies that are made by blenders with 2 HP motors. So, in that regard, I’d say a high-speed blender is priceless!
Here in Canada, you pay at least $6 for a smoothie. At home, I make smoothies and smoothie bowls for an average of $3. I make about 14 smoothies a week (I love smoothies for breakfast and my kids have smoothies for their afternoon snack).
14 homemade smoothies = $42/week
14 store-bought smoothies = $84/week
Savings = $42/week = $2,184/year
Dips
I used to make hummus in my food processor but found that unless I peeled the skin off each chickpea, the hummus wouldn’t blend perfectly. Who needs perfectly smooth hummus? Well, my picky children do! I would literally spend at least 30 minutes peeling chickpeas whenever I made hummus. Until I found out that I can make silky smooth hummus in my Vitamix without having to peel a single chickpea.
Our family easily goes through a large container of hummus every week.
1 (32 oz.) container of homemade hummus = $16/week
1 (32 oz.) container of store-bought hummus = $40/week
Savings = $24/week = $1248/year
Nut Butters
As a raw food chef, I use nuts and nut butters all the time. But as you might know, nut butters are expensive! Especially if you want to eat anything other than peanut butter.
A high-speed blender can easily turn whole nuts into butter for less than HALF the cost of store-bought! Depending on how much you use, the savings can really add up quickly. Let’s say that you go through a small jar or nut butter each week. (Just FYI, I go through much more than that!)
1 small jar of homemade nut butter = $4.50/week
1 small jar of store-bought nut butter = $9/week
Savings = $4.50/week = $234/year
Nut milks & Nut flours
My husband and I used to joke that buying nut milks will make us bankrupt. Have you ever noticed how expensive nut milks are?!
Since I don’t buy regular milk, our family relies on nut milks for breakfast cereal, smoothies, desserts, creamy soups, hot drinks … yes, we go though a lot! I buy whole almonds for $8 per pound. So, 4 cups of almond milk (at 1:4 ratio) costs me $2.54. Pretty close to the store-bought version. If you want your milk creamier, you might be even paying more when you make it yourself. So why bother with homemade then?
Well, because you can dehydrate the leftover pulp. I dry the pulp first, then add it to a Vitamix and blend into fine flour. I get about a cup of almond flour from 4 cus of almond milk (depending on how tightly I pack the flour). That’s a lot of savings right there!
3 (32 oz.) containers of homemade almond milk = $7.62
3 (32 oz.) containers of store-bought almond milk = $8
Savings: minimal
3 cups homemade almond flour = $0
3 cups store-bought almond flour = $9.50
Savings: $9.50/week = $494/year
Ice Cream
I love my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. The only disadvantage is that it doesn’t make ice cream instantaneously. You can’t just decide to have ice cream like right now. I know, I know. Sometimes you gotta wait for the good things. But do you?
Throw some frozen fruit into a Vitamix blender, add a splash of nut milk, and your ice cream is ready in minutes. For more complex flavors, you can add nut butters, melted chocolate (that creates beautiful chocolate chunks as it freezes), superfood powders, extracts, some flavored liqueurs (OMG!).
If you’re as crazy abut ice cream as my family is, you can easily go through 3 cups of ice cream a week.
3 cups (690 g) homemade berry ice cream = $7
3 cups store-bought vegan berry ice cream = $12.50
Savings = $5.50/week = 286/year
Is Vitamix Worth It?
I know that spending a few hundred dollars for a high-speed blender may sound frivolous. But consider how much money you can save. Getting an expensive blender like a Vitamix is absolutely worth the cost. If you add all the savings, it comes to CAD 4,446/year (USD 3,174)! Yes, you could literally pay off your Vitamix in a few months.
Another way to look at it is that a $100 blender replaced every five years would cost you $20 a year. A $300 refurbished Vitamix blender that will easily last you 15 years will also put you at $20 a year. Of course, you can buy a Vitamix blender at a much higher price tag (the new A3500 currently sells for $600), but if you don't mind sacrificing features like pre-set programs and a programmable timer, a more entry-level Vitamix blender will perform just as well.
At this point, the only question left for you to ask is – which model should I buy? Here is a quick summary:
- Best on a budget: E310 or Certified Reconditioned
- Best value: 5200
- Best features without new technology: Professional Series 750
- Best you can get (the most advanced with the newest technology): A3500
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment below. I respond to all comments within 24 hours.
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