I already own a Vitamix which is 7 years old and have been very happy with it to the point where I never want to be without a Vitamix again. Since the warranty on my Vitamix had just about run out, I decided to purchase a new one and put the old one away as a back up should something go wrong with the new one. I wanted a model that performed close to my old Vitamix so I decided to try this one. So glad I went with this model. It's powerful and does everything I expect it to. On one side of the dial it has programmed features with, quite frankly, I haven't used all that much. I did try the smoothie program and it did a great job but was incredibly noisy. I prefer to use the other side of the dial where you can manually adjust the speed as you go along. But it's nice to have the programmed features should I find a need for them. I purchased the stainless steel/black and it goes perfectly with the other appliances in my kitchen. I'm very happy with this model and highly recommend it. And it comes with a 7 year warranty, which is a plus. Hopefully, I'll never need to use the warranty!
Pros: Programability, Speed of Service, Texture Quality, Durability, Easy to use, Versatility, Product features, Power
My Vitamix machine is the easiest machine to use and extremely well built. I use it daily to prepare vegetable and fruit drinks which have dramatically improved my health.
This thing is phenomenal. I love making smoothie bowls but could never get the consistency just right with old blenders. If I didn’t add enough liquid, it wouldn’t blend well enough so I’d have to add more liquid and it wouldn’t be think enough. But this baby can liquify anything. So quickly, so easily. I feel like a wiz in the kitchen now because I can use this to make smoothies, sauces, I never used to make my own sauces like come on. I debated this purchase for a while because it’s a bit over budget for me. I took a leap of faith and I’m so glad I did. Worth every penny, I’ll never go back to anything else.
Pros: Texture Quality, Easy to use, Product features, Power
I use my Vitamix mostly every day. The 10+ year old one was so good that I bought the same model. It performs perfectly! The old one is now at a 2nd home - replaced an old Oster.
When I first received the unit after waiting for it to ship for a longer than acceptable period, I was surprised to see how cheaply constructed it appeared to be. The container is plastic - not what I expected for $500.
That said I have been overall happy with it. The design of the container is nice for mixing and the plunger it comes (also plastic) has really improved the quality of my mixing.
I only have used it to make smoothie/protein drinks and it has worked like a champ in mixing quickly and efficiently. I usually put a good amount of kale in these smoothies. In my old blender, I would get large chunks of kale in the smoothie but with this blender (and using the plunger) the kale is pulverized and completely integrated into my drink which I really like.