Female with Vitamix blender in kitchen — This woman using her Vitamix as a juicer will help extract nutrients from raw foods.

Using Your Vitamix Juicer

Juicing is a popular choice for people looking to get more fruits and vegetables into their diets. The problem for people interested in juicing is that juicers are expensive and they take up precious kitchen counter and cupboard space. The solution is to use a Vitamix juicer instead.

Juicers can only juice. So, while they are a good investment in your health, they can only do one thing. The Vitamix juicer is technically a blender, but because it is so powerful, it works like a juicer. A high-quality juicer and the Vitamix both come with significant price tags, but the Vitamix does more – so you get more bang for your buck.

Woman pouting freshly made juice into a glass. — Woman juicing making green juice with juice machine in home kitchen. Healthy detox vegan diet with vegetable cold pressed extractor to extract nutrients for smoothie drink.

Vitamix History

The Vitamix has been blending foods since 1937 when William “Papa” Grover Barnard first saw a blender and created his own version called the “Vita-Mix.” The Vitamix as we know it debuted in 1969, when Papa reconfigured it and called it the Vitamix 3600. This kitchen dream machine had various attachments that kneaded bread dough, blended ice cream, and grinded grain.

In the mid-80s, Vitamix commercial blender debuted. The brand continues to be the choice of restaurants all over the world. Vitamix is approaching its 100th birthday and continues to be one of the most respected companies in Cleveland and the United States.

Where to Buy a Vitamix

The Vitamix has become more than a staple at restaurants all over the world. You can find these versatile kitchen tools at stores near you.

Shop at Costco

Finding a Vitamix is as easy as stopping into your local Costco. The big box store offers several Vitamix products on its website and in the brick-and-mortar stores. You can find Vitamix blenders and the attachments that make your Vitamix juicer even more convenient.

Along with offering Vitamix products, Costco also offers “Vitamix Roadshows” for its members. To make it easy for members to learn about the versatile blender, all you have to do is click on the Vitamix Schedule and find a Roadshow event near you. The latest roadshow involves the Venturist V1200 from Vitamix. This high-tech model actually uses Bluetooth and the company’s proprietary Self-Detect technology for smart blending and juicing.

Costco usually has lower prices than other retail locations.

Shop Vitamix

You can also find the perfect Vitamix on the brand’s website. When you shop on the Vitamix website, you can buy reconditioned models for lower prices than new ones. The website offers all of the newest models, like the Ascent, Explorian, and Legacy series models.

The brand’s website has a chat tool so you can ask questions before you invest in a new Vitamix. The Vitamix site offers financing through Paypal Credit, so you can pay in four convenient payments rather than one lump sum.

Find Your Vitamix on Amazon

The biggest store on the planet also offers Vitamix blenders. You can find new and reconditioned models on the site. Amazon offers the commercial models like the Vitamix 5200. They also offer the brand’s popular immersion blender and the food processing attachment.

Warranty and Customer Service

No matter where you buy your Vitamix, know that you get a seven-year warranty on your blender. The warranty covers household use. To access the warranty, you have to register your Vitamix blender. My Vitamix actually broke, and the company replaced it immediately. I purchased mine several years ago at a Crate and Barrel store, and was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the warranty and the speed of processing my claim. If you do not register your Vitamix, you need your receipt with a date of purchase to file a warranty claim.

Differences Between Blending and Juicing

Juicing and blending are different processes that have different results. They are not interchangeable, but they do both work to turn fruits and vegetables in tasty, healthy beverages.

What is Juicing?

When you juice fruits and vegetables, you remove the pulp and fiber from the fruits and vegetables you pass through the appliance. The result of juicing is that you get just liquid – thus the juice. When you use a juicer, you get a beverage that is loaded with nutrients and is easy to digest. The pulp and fiber are separated from the juice, with both products going into separate containers. When you juice, you can put the whole food into the appliance. You do not have to remove the outer peel and the inner seeds.

Juicing fruits leaves you with a sugar-filled beverage. If you drink juice made only of fruit, you might experience a sugar rush from the natural sugar content of sweet fruits. To avoid this, juice vegetables with your fruits to balance the nutrients.

What is Blending?

When you blend, you mash up the pulp and fiber of the fruits and vegetables. Before you blend fruits and vegetables, you have to remove the outer peel and the seeds, otherwise, they end up in the smoothed beverage. Nothing is separated when you blend. If you blend only fruits, you will not notice the same sugar rush, as the blended beverage has the pulp and fiber along with the naturally sweetened liquid.

Blender with ingredients to blend smoothie. Spinach, apples, banana, kiwi, oranges. — Smoothie preparation with spinach, apple, orange, kiwi, healthy eating and diet concept, smoothie ingredients in mixer, detox, nutrition consultation

Why Blend Your Juice with a Vitamix?

Because juicing removes the fiber from fruits and vegetables, you need to use a lot of food to get a decent amount of juice. When you blend, you get more from your fruits and vegetables. Juicing takes a long time, as you have to put several fruits and vegetables into the machine and wait for the separation to occur. When you blend, you remove the rind and seeds, then put the foods into the blender. The whole blending process is quick – especially with a power Vitamix.

Juicing is healthy, especially if you have digestive issues and you need less fiber. But, most people need more fiber in their diets, so blending your fruits and vegetables into healthy smoothies is beneficial.

When you juice, you end up with a noticeable amount of wasted food. In fact, your juicer’s waste bin will fill faster than the juice collector. With a blender, you produce less waste.

Waste produced on left by juicer along with juice produced on right. — Making fruit juice with juicer machine at home in kitchen, healthy eating lifestyle concept

How To Make Juice in Your Blender

Before you make juice, you have to make a smoothie. The first step is to remove the rind or peel and the seeds. Then, roughly chop your fruits and vegetables. Put them into your Vitamix and mix. Blend your beverage until you have a smooth texture. To get a smooth texture, you might need to add water or another liquid. Because you are going to press it through a strainer, the beverage does not have to be completely pulp-free.

The next step is to pass the smoothie through a cheesecloth to remove the excess fiber. Your blended beverage will have pulp and fiber, so pushing it through a cheesecloth or a mesh strainer will remove the pulp. You should end up with a fine juice. This part of the process can be messy, so take your time as you press the blended beverage through the straining material.

Juice being pressed through a cheesecloth removes pulp and leaves you with fine, smooth, juice.

Other Ways to Use Your Vitamix

The benefit of buying a Vitamix rather than a juicer is the versatility of the Vitamix. Along with making beverages with your Vitamix, you can also mix dry foods like grains and coffee beans. The Vitamix can knead dough and it can make ice cream, too. Many Vitamix owners use different containers for blending wet and dry foods. If you love to make sauces, the Aer Disc Container can make whipped cream and hollandaise sauces with ease.

The Vitamix is a kitchen tool you can use every day. You can use it to chop onions and to grate fresh parmesan cheese. With the Vitamix, you no longer have to worry about crying when you chop onions. And, you can buy the big blocks of parmesan from Costco or your favorite cheese shop and use your Vitamix to chop enough for your spaghetti or other pasta dish. You can also buy fresh coffee beans and grind them in your Vitamix so you get the perfect cuppa.

The Best Vitamix Blender

Vitamix makes several blender models. Each model has a simple design with easy-to-read knobs and buttons. Vitamix puts its technology into the blades and motor, rather than into gimmicky features like LCD panels.

A popular model for new Vitamix buyers is the E310. This affordable model costs less $299 on the Vitamix website, and it comes standard with a five-year warranty. It comes with the motorized base, a 1.4L container, a mini-tamper, and a cookbook. The E310 has 10 blending speeds, a pulse feature, and 2-horsepower motor. When you are finished with the E310, you put dish soap and warm water into the container and run it for about a minute. The Vitamix cleans itself!

If you are ready to move to the best of the best, invest in the Vitamix 5200. For $499.95 on the Vitamix website, you can buy the best high-end blender. This model comes with the seven-year warranty, the 64-ounce container, the motorized base, and the Getting-Started Guide. This model also has 10 speeds and an option to pulverize seeds. The Vitamix 5200 can blend so quickly that it heats up food; in six minutes, you can turn cold ingredients into hot soup.

The Vitamix is an investment in your health and your kitchen experience. If you’ve been working with a bargain blender, you will certainly notice the difference when you start using your Vitamix juicer.