Is Vitamix worth it? Yes! Last year my Vita-Mix Total Nutrition Center Super 5000 outlived its 7-year warranty for the third time. After more than two decades, my Vita-Mix blender continues to mix, blend, chop, puree, and grind like a champ. For me, the Vitamix is worth it because of its durability, performance, and longevity.
Every summer for more than 20 years my Vita-Mix pureed countless pounds of roasted tomatoes freshly picked from our garden. The puree was the star ingredient in my marinaras, spaghetti sauces, and various soups and other sauces. I blended icy cold frozen treats during the hot months and steamy hot soups in the cold weather. I didn’t think a kitchen appliance could get any better.
Then I discovered the Vita-Mix Dry Grains container. I enjoyed my bread maker, but many of the flours available today weren’t available in my local stores back then.
My new Dry Grains container made it easy to grind whole grains into flours. I could make bread, pizza dough, and other baked goods from all sorts of whole grains.
I ground brown rice, buckwheat, and oats into flours for bread, pancakes, and cookies. It was easy to make multi-grain bread dough from freshly ground wheat, oat, and barley flours. I remember my surprise when the Vita-Mix reduced those hard barley kernels to flour in about 90 seconds.
Nothing slowed down my Vita-Mix.
I purchased yet another Vita-Mix container, this one for making compost for our large garden. Turned out, we didn’t have as much leftover to compost as I thought we would. But even the small amount of compost we generated fed several plants, which thrived and produced beautiful veggies.
Vita-Mix Total Juice and Vitamix Smoothies
Vitamix Health Benefits for Older Adults
Physical changes increase our need for more nutrient-dense foods as we age. As we slow down, our appetites and our ability to absorb nutrients may decrease. As a result, it’s more challenging to meet our nutritional requirements.
“Good nutrition can boost immunity, fight illness-causing toxins, keep weight in check, and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, bone loss, and cancer.”
The Vitamix blender can help us consume the recommended vegetables, fruits and fluids displayed so prominently on the Tufts University MyPlate for Older Adults. MyPlate for Older Adults colorfully illustrates the dietary needs of older adults on a dinner-size plate. MyPlate contains
- half vegetables and fruits
- one-quarter grain products
- one-quarter protien-rich foods
The graphic also emphasizes the importance of taking in fluids to avoid dehydration in older adults. Healthy oils, herbs and spices round out the ingredients for healthier aging in the MyPlate for Older Adults.
The pulverizing action of the Vitamix means I don’t have to worry if we’ve chewed our greens well enough to extract all their nutrients. All the vitamins and minerals are easily crushed and crumbled so our aging digestive systems don’t have to work as hard. And the extra fluids can help satisfy the extra fluids requirement on MyPlate.
Time for a new Vitamix 750 Professional Series?
I mentioned the amazing longevity of my Vita-Mix to a friend who had recently purchased a Vitamix 750 Professional Series (Amazon link). She hopes to benefit from the health advantages this powerful machine offers. For fun, we decided to compare our machines.
Total Nutrition Center Super 5000 and the 750 Professional Series
Vitamix has made some noticeable upgrades in the past quarter century. And it looks like they’re still committed to producing quality products. Comparing my decades-old plain white Vita-Mix Super 5000 to the current brushed stainless Vitamix 750 Professional Series (model VM0158A) might not be a fair comparison, but it was fun. The Super 5000 is still a formidable kitchen appliance. But it lacks some of the finer points and more powerful motor of the newer 750 Professional Series machine.
The 750 Professional Series has five presets. So at the flip of a switch you can make Smoothies, Hot Soup, Frozen Deserts, Purees, or set the Vitamix to Self Clean. Of course, the same flip of the switch works similarly on my older model, but the presets take the guesswork out of timing each function. The 750 Professional also includes a Pulse button, another feature lacking on my Super 5000.
One of the most noticeable differences is the 750 Professional Series container size. My Super 5000 has a tall, narrow 64-ounce container. The 750 Professional Series sports a short, wide 64-ounce container. Shorter is definitely a plus because the shorter container fits under the kitchen cabinets. The lid is more arthritis friendly than the older lid because now it includes tabs for easy removing. And the container handle is thick, soft, and grippable, a nice upgrade for older hands.
The blades inside the containers are noticeably different. Compared to the 3-inch blades of the older model, the 750 Professional Series blades measure a wide 4 inches across.
The newer model now contains a separate On/Off switch on the side of its base. And Vitamix configured the air flow vents on the base of the 750 Pro Series differently. I imagine this helps keep the more powerful 2.2 HP motor as cool as possible.
Conclusion
After 21-plus years, my Vita-Mix model VM0103 continues to mix, blend, chop, and puree with ease, so I really don’t need a new one. A visit to Amazon shows a replacement for my machine would be the Vitamix 5200. My 5000 has performed well for so many years and I do feel loyalty towards it. But after trying out the 750 Professional Series, it’s hard to resist this upgraded model. And there are any number of relatives who would love to be gifted my old Vita-Mix.
Recipes
Here are the Roasted Tomato Puree and Roasted Tomato Puree Spaghetti Sauce recipes I’ve made with the help of my Vita-Mix every summer for more than 20 years. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
Roasted Tomato Puree
6 lb ripe tomatoes, cored
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Place tomatoes in large stainless steel, glass, or enamel roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle salt and pepper over them. Roast uncovered in 350-degree oven until lightly browned on top and reduced in size by one third (3 to 4 hours). Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes. Lift tomatoes out of pan using slotted spoon. Place in blender and puree. Pour into freezer containers and freeze. (Pour remaining liquid into containers and freeze. Use this liquid in soups, sauces, etc.) Use puree for tomato sauce. (Below)
Secret Sauce
The liquid that remains after I’ve pureed the roasted tomatoes is perfect for adding to soups, especially fish chowders. Whether you add to a creole bouillabaisse, a seafood gumbo, Manhattan clam chowder, a Mediterranean seafood soup, or a wonderful vegetable soup, this liquid adds an extra layer of delicious to the finished dish. I found that adding a cup of the liquid to my recipe was enough for my guests to ask what I had added to get such great flavor. Since then I’ve referred to it as my secret sauce.
Roasted Tomato Puree Spaghetti Sauce
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup bell pepper, diced
1-1/2 cup sliced button mushrooms
One tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
4 cups roasted tomato puree (recipe above)
1/2 cup fresh basil, slivered
In a large pot, sauté oil and garlic one minute over medium heat. And onion, pepper, and mushrooms and sauté 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper and puree, reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes. Add basil and simmer 5 minutes. Serve over pasta.
What’s your favorite Vitamix recipe?
Hello. I had the 5000 series that lasted for 20 plus years. It was lost in a house fire. I have searched for years to replace the recipe book but cannot find it. I have contacted Vitamix but they do not keep those older books. Could you please be so kind as to see if your older recipe book ha the recipe for Lemon Grog? Thank you.
Hi Traci,
Sorry to hear about the house fire. Surprised Vitamix does not keep old recipe books!
Here is the Lemon Grog recipe from the Vita-Mix TNC Super 5000 book. Enjoy! 🙂
Lemon Grog
1/2 cup white grape juice or white non-alcohol wine
1/4 cup white seedless grapes
1 lemon, peeled, seeded, and quartered
1/4 cup fructose or other sweetener, to taste
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup ginger ale
1 cup ice cubes
Speed: High
Time: 15 to 20 seconds
Yield: 1-3/4 cups
Place all ingredients in the Total Nutrition Center container in the order listed. Secure complete 2-part lid by locking under tabs. Move black speed control lever to HIGH. Lift black lever to ON position and allow machine to run for 15 to 20 seconds.
Martha. You are truly a beautiful blessing. I am forever grateful to you. I am so excited and getting ready to call my best friend to let her know that we have the recipe for Lemon Grog once more and again. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.
Glad to help! Cheers! 🙂
My vitamix super nutrition center is from 1995. I am a vegetarian, so I use it a lot. It is still going strong! I use it 2-3x/week. Soups, purées, etc. it is my prized possession. I wish I had one of the really old ones with the metal canister and the “heat dome.”
Hi J. Curran!
I had to look up the “heat dome” you mentioned. Seems like it was a helpful addition. I wonder why it’s not included on the newer machines.
Thanks for stopping by. We love learning more information about these helpful kitchen gadgets!