Is Vitamix Worth It? I asked several experts to weigh in

The first time I got my hands on a Vitamix blenderI’m in culinary school. While I honestly believed I could make great soups and purees with my immersion blender or regular smoothie model, the Vitamix makes all that seem like child’s play after one go.

Gone was the mild, vegetable element that defined my first attempts at butternut squash soup. A truly emulsified, homogeneous mixture was apparently only available with a technical device, a fact that I would admit time and time again, regardless of which Vitamix model I encountered in various restaurant kitchens.

Professional devices come with professional price tags, however, and I have never enjoyed the unique effect that comes from the Vitamix in the privacy of my home. But small kitchen appliances have come a long way in the past decade, and with high-performance products like the Ninja in the mix, it begs the question: Is the Vitamix worth it?

What makes a Vitamix blender better?

One of the main qualities that sets the Vitamix apart from many other blenders is its high-speed motor. If you’ve ever had the privilege of using one, you’ll know well that the speed of your high-end setup puts many other compilers equally in the rearview mirror. Its power sounds like something that could be used for high-powered travel.

Unlike a food processor and other conventional blenders, which contain sharp blades that break their contents into smaller and smaller pieces, the Vitamix also relies on stainless steel, blunt blades that grind your food when combined with its very fast rotation and the gravity of the vortex it creates. This is what creates its incomparable smoothness, because nothing inside the jug is cut into pieces.

Vitamix vs. Ninja Twist

In our latest round of best blenders, the Ninja Twisti model was neck and neck with the entry-level Vitamix Explorian for top honors. Here’s a side-by-side look at how they compare in terms of features, power and price.

One thing that stands out here is that, while the Ninja model has more available power, its lighter base can make the assembly unstable at high speeds, especially with hard materials like nuts. The jug is small, which is great for smoothies, but it can make blending the soup more difficult, as you’ll need to do it in several batches. The warranty also pales in comparison to the Vitamix. Does that guarantee justify the price of the Vitamix, though, about 2.5 times what you’d pay to take home a Ninja?

Is Vitamix right for you? Experts weigh in

I asked several chefs and kitchen experts to share their thoughts on whether a Vitamix is ​​right for you. It is similar to the results of the same experience with Le Creuset — (expensive) general manager of Dutch ovens — Product reliability is true, although everyone I’ve asked has raised valid considerations about performance, longevity, warranty, origin and whether you’ll use the item often enough to justify it.

First, “ask yourself, ‘how often do I use a blender?'” suggests Joanne Gallagher, founder and recipe developer at Inspired Taste. “Consider what you actually cook for the week. If the blender sits on your counter and gets consistent use, the investment is worth it,” he says. “If you make a smoothie every day, like to make your own peanut butter, or mix up a hot soup from the pot, the Vitamix can be your best friend.”

Perhaps you believe that you would do all of this if only you had a world-class performance machine that inspired you to do it. “I end up cooking and trying new things when I feel more confident in the kitchen,” Gallagher says, and the right appliance can help. “If you know you’re going to get the perfect tomato soup, for example, you’re more likely to connect and try new recipes and recipes,” he says. There’s merit in that thinking, of course, but it’s a very costly gamble if you don’t do those kinds of things regularly.

As for product quality, “in the past, I struggled with cheap blenders that left smoothies too thick and I couldn’t handle strong spices like cinnamon when making mole sauce,” says Jessica Randhawa, founder and executive chef at Forked Spoon. “I now have two Vitamix blenders, one in each of my test kitchens,” he says. “One entry-level model, which is an amazing blender and does everything it’s supposed to do right every time.

Another one is the new Vitamix, high-end models and food processor attachments, which allowed me to ditch my old food processor in that kitchen.” The final point here is a fair consideration. If a Vitamix can do the job of two appliances, the price tag starts to feel a little more affordable.

Not all cooks believe that it’s worth it if you don’t use it all the time. “For most home cooks, I don’t think the Vitamix is ​​really worth the price,” says Rena Awada, executive chef and owner of Healthy Fitness Meals. “Unless you make soups, nut butters, etc., every day, or run a small food business, the speed and smoothness it provides rarely justifies the cost.”

Chef Molly Pisula of Vanilla Bean Cuisine offers a workaround. “The price is high, but refurbished blenders are available, and sold directly on the Vitamix website,” he says. (“Reconditioned” in Vitamix-speak.) “And Amazon often runs great Black Friday sales on Vitamix blenders.”

When toying with the cost of a new model, Randhawa reveals something worse: “I like that the Vitamix is ​​made in the USA,” he says, “and it comes with a better warranty than most cars.”

My other Vitamix test: The Chefman Obliterator

I just got the The Chefman Obliteratorwith details very similar to the Vitamix Explorian model, including a self-cleaning mode and speed dial up to 5. (Each speed setting is divided into 5 hashmarks, making it effectively 25 speed settings.) Its price is listed at $75 on Amazon, placing it squarely in the budget blender camp. Despite not wanting to give up the moral of the story too soon, without taking it through my process: Run, don’t go and get this mixer at that price.

I freely admit that I was initially drawn to Obliterator by hyperbole alone. “Obliterate” is a serious claim that sounds like a blender should also come with a wand and spell book. It turns out that those props aren’t needed.

Since butternut squash soup is obviously my personal benchmark for evaluating the success of a given blender, butternut squash soup is done. Into the Obliterator’s generous chamber went a chunky, “country style” pre-puree concoction, and out came something that could be called off, but in a good way. It was as smooth and unappealing as anything that would be served at any high-end restaurant, and it pretty much extinguished the dream that I might one day get myself a Vitamix.