Is a Vitamix worth it? I asked several experts for their opinions

The first time I got my hands on one Vitamix BlenderI was in culinary school. While I honestly thought I was making great soups and purees with my hand blender or traditional smoothie model, the Vitamix made it all seem like child’s play after just one use.

Gone are the tiny plant particles that otherwise defined my first attempts at velvety butternut squash soup. A truly emulsified, consistent mixture was apparently only available with a professional appliance, a truth I recognized time and time again, no matter which Vitamix model I encountered in various restaurant kitchens.

However, professional machines have professional prices and I have never appreciated the exceptional result offered by a Vitamix in the privacy of my own home. But small kitchen appliances have come a long way in the last decade, and with successful brands like Ninja in the mix, it begs the question: Is a Vitamix worth it?

What makes a Vitamix blender better?

One of the main attributes that sets Vitamix apart from many other blenders is its high-speed motor. If you’ve also had the privilege of using one, you’ll be well aware that the speed of its highest setting puts most other blenders squarely in the rearview mirror. Its power seems like something that could reasonably be used for supersonic travel.

Unlike a food processor and some standard blenders, which contain sharp blades that churn their contents into smaller and smaller pieces, a Vitamix also relies on blunt-edged stainless steel blades that essentially pulverize your food when combined with its lightning-fast rotation and the gravitational pull of the vortex it creates. This is what creates its unmatched smoothness, since nothing inside the pitcher is actually cut into pieces.

Vitamix vs. Ninja Twisti

In our most recent lineup of the 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 features, power, and price.

One thing that stands out here is that while the Ninja model has more power available, its lighter base can make mixing less stable at top speed, especially with harder objects such as nuts. The pitcher is smaller, which is suitable for smoothies, but can make blending soups more tedious, as you’ll likely have to do it in multiple batches. The warranty is also paltry compared to Vitamix. Does this warranty justify the price of the Vitamix, at almost 2.5 times what you can pay to take the Ninja home?

Is a Vitamix worth it? Experts weigh in

I asked several chefs and cooking experts to share their thoughts on whether a Vitamix is ​​worth it. Similar to the results of the same experiment with Le Creuset — the (expensive) standard-bearer of Dutch ovens — brand loyalty is real, although everyone I asked raised valid considerations about functionality, longevity, warranty, origin, and whether you’re actually going to use the thing often enough to justify it.

First, “ask yourself, “How often should I use a blender?” » suggests Joanne Gallagher, co-founder and recipe developer at Inspired Taste. “Consider what you actually cook in a week. If a blender lives on your counter and is used regularly, it’s worth the investment,” she says. “If you make a smoothie every day, like to make your own nut butter, or blend hot soups straight from the jar, a Vitamix might be your best friend. »

Maybe you think you’d do all of this more regularly if only you had a world-class device that encouraged you to do it. “As I end up cooking and trying new things, the more confident I feel in the kitchen,” says Gallagher, and the right appliance can help. “When you know you’ll get the perfect tomato soup, for example, you’re likely to branch out and try new recipes and cooking methods,” she says. This thinking of course has merit, but it’s a potentially costly gamble if you’re not already doing this stuff regularly.

As for the quality of the result, “in the past, I struggled with cheap blenders that left smoothies clumpy and couldn’t handle harsh spices like cinnamon when making homemade mole sauce,” says Jessica Randhawa, founder and chef de cuisine of The Forked Spoon. “I now have two Vitamix blenders, one in each of my test kitchens,” she says. “One is an entry-level model, which is an incredible blender and does everything a blender should do perfectly every time.

The other is one of Vitamix’s newest, high-end models with food processor attachments, which allowed me to get rid of my old food processor in this kitchen. “This last point here is worth considering. If a Vitamix can do the work of two household appliances, the price starts to look a little less like a reach.

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

Chef Molly Pisula of Vanilla Bean Cuisine offers a workaround. “The price is high, but reconditioned blenders are available and even sold directly on the Vitamix website,” she explains. (“Refurbished” in Vitamix-speak.) “And Amazon often has great Black Friday sales on Vitamix blenders.”

If you take a gamble on the cost of a new model, Randhawa points out some serious advantages: “I like that Vitamix is ​​made in the United States,” she says, “and comes with a better warranty than most cars.”

My own Vitamix alternative experiment: Chefman Obliterator

I recently came into possession of a Chefman Obliteratorwhich has very similar specs to the Vitamix Explorian model, including a self-cleaning mode and a speed dial up to 5. (Each speed setting is subdivided by 5 hatches, effectively giving 25 speed settings.) It’s listed for $75 on Amazon, putting it squarely in the budget blender camp. Without wanting to abandon the moral of the story too soon, without explaining my approach to you: Run, don’t walk to get this blender at this price.

I freely admit that I was initially attracted to the Obliterator purely by the hyperbole. “Obliterate” is a serious claim that makes it seem like the blender should also come with a wand and spell book. It turns out that these accessories aren’t even necessary.

Since butternut squash soup is apparently my personal benchmark for gauging the success of a given blender, butternut squash soup was made. Into the Obliterator’s generous chamber went the thick country-style pre-mash, and then out came something that could reasonably be described as obliterated, but in a good way. It was as smooth and non-grainy as could have been served at any high-end restaurant, and all but erased the fantasy that I might ever spring for a Vitamix.