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UCChemE05 said:
What were you using to make your smoothies? I haven't experienced this problem with mine needing plunging for smoothies I've made so far (nor have I never seen a barista use a blender with a plunger).

TBH, I wouldn't mind a good recipe for a thicker smoothie :)
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Frankly, I don't remember. It's probably been a year since we had it. As far as recipes, I don't use any. We always have a variety of fruit (frozen and fresh), juices and veggies around. Whatever is starting to look old either gets tossed into the blender or frozen and used later. As long as it's sweet enough, isn't too stinky (broccoli) and doesn't come out brown, it seems to go over well.
 
Great thread!

Ok, question for you Vitamix guys and gals.

Can you use the "wet" blade/container set up to make the flours from grains and such... perhaps it just takes longer to grind or doesn't produce a fine enough substance ?

In other words how much versatility does the dry blade/container really add for home use?

Thanks!
 
The variable speed is required.
 
Seth said:
The variable speed is required.
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??

So, as long as my Vitamix model has the variable speed feature I can use the wet blade/container to grind grains, nuts, etc. to flour?

The dry blade/container is just a more efficient way to do this then?
 
Holy Blend-O-Rama!

Bat signal out for you Vitamixers.
 
add said:
??

So, as long as my Vitamix model has the variable speed feature I can use the wet blade/container to grind grains, nuts, etc. to flour?

The dry blade/container is just a more efficient way to do this then?
Click to expand...

It's so powerful you don't even need the dry blade. Hell I didn't even know one existed till now. I've had no problems grinding rice, panko, etc. into a powder. I use the pacojet for nuts though. In fact I pulverized some pistachio into a paste to make a pistachio sorbet yesterday. Had to run it multiple times to make the paste but it works well. YMMV
 
Don't you guys have Thermomix in the States? It can blend anything (variable speed), plus kneads dough, plus cooks (I make a mean vegetable soup and risotto), plus steams, all in one device. It is not cheap but worth every penny.
 
ThEoRy said:
It's so powerful you don't even need the dry blade. Hell I didn't even know one existed till now. I've had no problems grinding rice, panko, etc. into a powder. I use the pacojet for nuts though. In fact I pulverized some pistachio into a paste to make a pistachio sorbet yesterday. Had to run it multiple times to make the paste but it works well. YMMV
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Thanks ThEoRy. :):)

That is the affirmation I was looking for.
Gonna pick up one of these soon and I know we will be churning out some cooking flours.
Don't want to buck up the extra $100 + for the dry set up if it's isn't real necessary.
 
Lukas said:
Don't you guys have Thermomix in the States? It can blend anything (variable speed), plus kneads dough, plus cooks (I make a mean vegetable soup and risotto), plus steams, all in one device. It is not cheap but worth every penny.
Click to expand...

I have never seen or heard of this. Amazon has Thermomix cookbooks (Spanish), but not the unit itself!
 
Andrew H said:
They seem to cost about $1500 :shocked3:
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wow, that's expensive, here I believe it is around 600 euros. Used a lot in pro kitchen (Adrià and such). There's a ton of YouTube videos if anyone is interested.
 
digging up old bones...

Blendtec just came out with a new model - Designer Series - actually it's just a refined version of their old model. Now I wish I needed a new blender...

(marketing hoo-ha)
[video=youtube;CAlFpOB9y6k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAlFpOB9y6k&feature=player_embedded[/video]

This seals the deal for me - it addresses the main complaints I have about the buttons & speed control being a little clunky, the thing being too damn noisy, and kinda butt ugly. Overall I think it's a better designed blender than the Vitamix, but the end result is both do a superb job of blending.
 
I've had the Blendtec for at least five years now. It's hands down better than Vitamix. The Vitamix does have that cool knob but its just a powerful standard blender while the Blendtec's design is advanced. I don't need plunger because the BT jar sucks food into the impeller, its easier to clean and a lot more friendly on the counter as its foot print is smaller.

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/133427-the-high-power-blender-topic/

That being said, for what you pay the Vita-Mix is basically a piece of junk. It took me about six months to destroy one. When I first got it, I told a chef friend and he said "They're great but we break about two a year at the restaurant." The main problem, as far as I can tell, is that there's too much plastic, rubber and other inferior materials used in the construction of the Vita-Mix. In particular, the coupling between the motor base and the pitcher, which drives the blade, is weak. It doesn't seem weak if you just use a new Vita-Mix a few times -- at that point it feels incredibly sturdy. But if you really wail on the thing for a few months that coupling breaks down.
 
retraction

There's a new player in this bracket - Omega BL630

This guy - John Kohler of discountjuicers.com - sells all of these blenders and has done tons of (long, in depth) product reviews with an unbiased opinion. He likes the Vitamax Turboblend VS better than either the Blendtec or Omega, but just by a hair.

I think the Blendtec could be improved with a higher RPM (it's got 28,000 vs the Vitamix @ 37,000) and sharper blades - 'cuz we know sharper is better!
 
I really, really like the manual, analogue controls on the vitamix. I'm sure that the blendtech is a mechanically sound machine, but I think that they are going in the wrong direction with the gimicky touch screen band wagon. No way is a touch screen faster, more intuitive or more accurate to use in a busy kitchen environment than a big fat dial and toggle switch.
 
I'm on the fence about the BT controls. I like the switch and dial combo on the VM. for a pro environment I do think this is better.

At first I thought the pre-programmed buttons on the BT were gimmicky, but the cycles really do work, and work well. Just stuff your stuff in the jar, press the button and let it do it's thing. Manual operation is quite easy - there's a pulse button that I use for most everything - basically blasts it full-steam w/ slight almost non-detectable pauses. And there's up and down buttons to control the speed if you want to start slow for something like an emulsion.

I'd like to see how the touch-screen works on the new BT model. The one I have has buttons, and you have to be positive when pressing them, but the work and respond qucikly.

Another plus for BT buttons is clean-up is easy and no switches or dials to get liquid into.

Blentec has a commercial ine that is obvisouly more approriate for pro work than the new Designer job. The jars look the same, just the housing is bigger because why? Another cool feature of these commercial units is they can be mounted under counter so just the control pad and jar base are on the counter - some day I'm gonna have that in my own kithcen!
 
For me, there just aren't that many things I blend where I hit the switch and walk away. For soups, sauces, emulsions etc. I always start low and work the dial up. Then I leave it. The precise control is what I like about the VM.
 
I have the Vitamix pro model and I now can't see my life without it--i use it every day.

The blend-tec is too loud and has too many electronic parts.
 
mpukas said:
digging up old bones...

Blendtec just came out with a new model - Designer Series - actually it's just a refined version of their old model. Now I wish I needed a new blender...

(marketing hoo-ha)
[video=youtube;CAlFpOB9y6k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAlFpOB9y6k&feature=player_embedded[/video]

This seals the deal for me - it addresses the main complaints I have about the buttons & speed control being a little clunky, the thing being too damn noisy, and kinda butt ugly. Overall I think it's a better designed blender than the Vitamix, but the end result is both do a superb job of blending.
Click to expand...

The ironic thing about this so-called "capacitive touch interface" is that it does not make for a more "simple" blender, but actually more complex. The Vitamix has an on/off, stepless attentuater and a high speed flip. Doesn't get any simpler than that.

I don't want any blender on my countertop--I don't care how "pretty" it is.
 
I can confirm that the vitaprep version can powder sugar and kosher salts and just about everything. One guy rolled his eyes, went to the line then came back for a second look and very amused..
 
Its my understanding from reps that Vmix is dropping the 5000 and all the variants and are introducing a 350 and 750 model. At quick glance the only discernable difference is they have added a cleaning cycle to the auto functions. If you have local retailers in your area you may find new and demo units at good discounts. as they go from the 5000 series to the new models.

Lacking that I would not hesitate to pull trigger on factory warranted/refurbished unit. The wear part is the coupling on the container between the impeller and motor. If that is all right the whole unit is probably all right.
 
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