I have to say, I am pretty skeptical about the basic concept of a $500 blender. The Vitamix is basically a cult kitchen appliance, if you can believe such a thing.
However, I do finally begrudgingly admit that there is a difference between blenders, because I recently received a Ninja blender as a gift. As an upgrade from my $20 Kitchenaid model, it really was an impressive difference. When I make green smoothies, I don't spend the next hour picking flakes of spinach out of my teeth, the Ninja blends the leaves up completely.
Still, though, $500 for a blender? Could it really be THAT much better?
This Slate columnist bought a Vitamix on a whim (a $500 whim?) but quickly came to love it. I have to say I was swayed by hearing the results of the Cook's Illustrated test which pitted the Vitamix 5200 against nine machines (including my model, the Ninja Professional).
The Vitamix 5200 (which is beloved by professional chefs) won by such a large margin that it wasn't even really a competition. By the sounds of it, it was like pitting a Porsche 911 against a tricycle. Like, why would you even bother?
The Vitamix is not only insanely powerful (it had twice as much horsepower as the other blenders in the Cook's Illustrated competition), it also has a pitcher with a scoop-shaped bottom that helps draw food down into the blades. Everything about the Vitamix is designed to puree your food - whether it's pineapple, kale, ice cubes, whole raw almonds, or soup ingredients - as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Still, though, there is the matter of price. A Porsche would be a lot better than my current car, but I can't afford one of those, either. Where do you draw the line?
Image courtesy Flickr/vasile23
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