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Vita-Mix Blender
Over the past two months, my wife and I helped my Aunt start a small but quaint cafe in the city that we live in. After three years of hoping that one or more of our relatives would move up to our city from Toronto, to finally have it happen was a cause for celebration!
Not only were we excited about having my Aunt live nearby, we were also charged up about establishing a smoothie bar for her cafe. I won't exactly call myself a contender for the region's "Best Smoothie Maker" title, but if I can let my let my hair down for just a moment, I'll say that I make some pretty darn good smoothies.
The first step to establishing a smoothie bar at my Aunt's cafe was to purchase the best blender possible. I spent about a week researching commercial blenders on the market, and in the end, I went with a Vita-Mix, the brand used by professional chefs worldwide, as well as by popular juice bars like Jamba Juice and Jugo Juice.
Before the grand opening, my wife and I spent about two weeks testing dozens of smoothie recipes in our kitchen. Right from the get-go, we were blown away by the quality of the smoothies that came out of the Vita-Mix blender. It turned fresh and frozen berries, mangos, bananas, and other fruits into incredibly smooth and creamy smoothies that just weren't possible to make with our Cuisinart.
The final menu of healthy smoothies that we created for the cafe looked like this:
Berry Blast Smoothie
(Blueberries, strawberries, banana, nut or soy milk)
Marvelous Mango Smoothie
(Mangos, banana, freshly squeezed orange juice, nut or soy milk)
Peanut Butter Power Smoothie
(Banana, peanut butter, nut or soy milk)
Chocolate Power Smoothie
(Banana, cocoa powder, peanut butter (optional), nut or soy milk)
We used a combination of room temperature and frozen fruits to make all of our smoothies.
To make the smoothie bar run as efficiently as possible, we pre-measured the frozen ingredients that went into each smoothie and packaged them into small, freezer-friendly containers, to be kept in the freezer until their names were called. Whenever an order came in for a particular smoothie, my Aunt could easily combine the contents of one container with the appropriate wet and room temperature ingredients in the Vita-Mix blender, and let it create a fresh smoothie in less than 20 seconds.
An interesting thing happened during the first week of the cafe's operation: for a couple of days, my Aunt forgot to add room temperature fruits to the frozen fruits and wet ingredients, which led to the Vita-Mix churning the frozen fruits and wet ingredients into smoothies that were so thick that they tasted like ice cream! Her customers loved them so much that she decided to continue making them that way. Now I think it's most accurate to call her smoothie bar a "dairy-free ice cream bar," but it's still called a smoothie bar, and her regular patrons love eating their "smoothies" with straws that have flattened ends that act as mini scoops.
After experiencing firsthand the versatility and power of the Vita-Mix blender, I can recommend it without hesitation to anyone looking for a high quality blender to help make it easier to enjoy a program of healthy eating for adults and kids alike. During the testing process, we made a variety of smoothies, dairy-free ice cream dishes, dips like hummus and salsa, and several fresh soups. We were so impressed with the Vita-Mix that we actually bought one for our own kitchen after my Aunt was off and running on her own at the cafe.
The Vita-Mix blender is particularly good for making green smoothies, which call for fresh fruits and a variety of leafy greens, a great way of ensuring regular intake of nutrient-dense greens. It blends our super green food mixture and cherry powder into smoothies more completely than any other blender that we have tried in the past. It also does a fantastic job of making pure Goji juice out of soaked goji berries and filtered water.
Another great feature of the Vita-Mix blender is that it's extremely simple to wash. There's no need to undo the bottom and wash separate components. In most cases, just a simple rinse will do. If peanut butter or other foods that are dense in healthy fats are used in the blender, then simply running the blender for about 20 seconds with warm water and a drop or two of dish soap, followed by a quick rinse, is all that is needed to get it perfectly clean for the next round.
Here are the key features of the Vita-Mix 5000 blender that make it an excellent investment for your kitchen:
- The super-powerful Vita-Mix motor matches the power on Vita-Mix commercial blending equipment found in the finest restaurants worldwide.
- Feedback-type variable speed control provides consistent power regardless of load. Speed ranges from 11 m.p.h. to 240 m.p.h., wider than any standard blender.
- Unique stainless steel hammer mill and cutting "wet" blades process whole foods like no other appliance to deliver up to 3 times the nutritional value.
- Durable, precision-designed 64 oz. container helps drive every particle of food into the blades for consistent results every time.
- Spill-proof vented lid with removable lid plug lets you measure and add ingredients safely while machine is running.
- Tamper (plunger) for extreme processing power helps when preparing foods such as nut butters and frozen treats.
- As mentioned before, clean-up is quick and easy.
As is to be expected with a blender of this quality, the Vita-Mix comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, as well as a full 7-year warranty. It's more expensive than blenders that you'll find at a department store, but in my opinion, the price is completely justified; if it's within your budget, then I think it's a wise investment for your health.
To learn more about the Vita-Mix blender, you can visit the Vita-Mix page at Amazon by clicking here.
As the smoothie bar menu expands at my Aunt's cafe in the months ahead, I'll be sure to share more recipe ideas. Please stay tuned to my weekly newsletter for regular updates on how to use a good blender to promote your best health.
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Comments
quietness of the Vita-Mix
Many years ago a friend loaned me a Vita-Mix to try out. I was not making the blended salads as I do now, so I found it not that much more effective that my Oster blender that I made fruit smoothies with. But the loudness of the machine was the worst problem. Now I eat blended meals most every day for breakfast and lunch. The blended salad really stretches the capacity of the Oster and I would like to know if the Vita-Mix is the way to go. Thanks for any comments.
Variable-speed dial
Hello Tommi,
The new vita-mix has a speed dial that allows the user to apply different levels of blending power to whatever is being blended. For smoothies and ice creams, I have found that I don't have to turn the dial past the halfway mark, and that the machine operates at a comfortable decibel level while it is in this range.
Hope this is helpful,
Ben Kim
Vita-Mix can it take the place of a food processor?
I've never had a food processor. I would like to use one to make Dr. Kim's recipes and chunky salsa. Would the Vita-Mix be able to do the chunky salsa too? Thank you in advance for your kind assistance.
Vita-Mix or Food Processor
I have had my Vita-mix for nearly 30 years and it's still going strong. I don't grind flour (at least wheat) in it as it doesn't get it fine enough to suit me. But that consistency does make it work well for grinding corn for grits or coarse cornmeal. It spends a lot of its working time making smoothies of all types. It is a workhorse and can't be beat for what it does. What it DOESN'T do is the type of thing I use my food processor for - to shred or slice. So if you need something that purees well, you can't go wrong with the Vita-mix. The initial cost may be scary, but you will be using it for many years; probably well past the warranty period. I almost wish it would go out so I could get a new digital one, but I am thankful for it and will use it until it gives up the ghost. It may outlast me - then the kids can fight over it.
VitaMix
You didn't mention a grain function. My VitaMix which I bought several years ago has a separate blending container where you can grind grains to get fresh flour for baking. I use this almost more than the other one, since I can't eat wheat so have learned to make wonderful basmati rice and teff flour waffles with a pure fruit sauce and yogurt. My husband, who can eat about anything he wants, enjoys them with me every Sunday a.m.
Vita Mix
You probably won't catch me buying a Vita mix blender! Mine is over 20 years old and still going strong! Since the year started, I have made Wednesdays my semi-fast day. I only drink healthy shakes from the Vita Mix...I should have done this years ago! It gives my body a break, and of course I always feel great after. I don't sell or have business with Vita Mix, I am being honest with you, you cannot buy a better blender!
I agree ***** star. I've had
I agree ***** star. I've had mine probably 2 years. I use it most every day. I have used it to grind grain and it does just as good as my grain mill. I like it because I can make one loaf at a time if I want whereas my Bosch makes way to much (doesn't grind, I have a separate mill for grinding). My step daughter drove 2 hours to make her baby food for her baby and that child is 3 now and has never had a cold, ear infection, allergies. Only a stomach virus once. If I was a young mother I would invest in a Vita-Mix for that reason alone. She would freeze the food in ice trays and what a colorful diet that child had. She has since bought her one. Can't go wrong.
Vita-Mix
I purchased my Vita Mix about 2 years ago. I was reluctant to speed that kind of money on a blender but it was well worth it. I use it for smoothies, blended salads, soups, etc. I enjoy hummus but found that the Vita-Mix tends to overprocess the mixture. Anyway, I hope to have my Vita-Mix for many more years to come and thanks to the other posters for sharing thier experiences with the blender. Great article on the Vita-Mix and its uses.
Another Great Blender
Thank you, Dr. Kim, for your site and newsletter. I am enjoying receiving them and checking out your articles.
Here is another great blender I would recommend to folks: the blendtec (http://www.blendtec.com/). I actually wanted to purchase the VitaMix after seeing someone make a great vegetable smoothie, but my wife surprised me with the Blendtec, which is a little cheaper and, according to reviews, gives as good as performance as the VitaMIx. After trying it out and seeing what it can do (check out http://www.blendtec.com/willitblend/ for some laughs), I was very happy with her purchase and have done many happy blendings since.
blenders
My Master Researcher husband also researched blenders and we ordered the K-tec brand. It is very powerful and does a great job. I don't know how it would compare with the VitaMix but I sure do appreciate it!