If you’re looking for ways to improve your health, owning a good blender
is a really great start!
Owning (and of course using) a blender means that you can create great tasting concoctions out of things that you may not really like eating. For example I add lots of leafy greens and sprouts to my smoothies – more than I’d ever eat in a salad! I also add seaweeds such as Dulce flakes that I really don’t like the taste of, but in a smoothie I can disguise the taste with other ingredients. It means I’m getting great nutrition and lots of it, but in a form that’s partially pre-digested (by being blended it makes it easier to digest) and with flavours that I love!
I currently own a very overworked Sunbeam Café Series blender that I bought when we returned to Australia two and a half years ago. I’ve used my blender a lot since I bought it – it gets thrashed to be honest. In a house with several adults that regularly consume juice, smoothies and other such healthy stuff it’s earns it’s keep – believe me!
With my return to a predominantly raw vegan diet, it’s now getting used even more and I fear for it’s continued ability to do my bidding. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great blender for it’s price and has handled most of the jobs I’ve thrown at it fairly well but I’ve been considering what sort of blender I will eventually buy to replace it and the Vita mix blender sprang to mind.
I’ve looked at the Vita mix blender in the past because, let’s face it, they’re an amazing machine. Vita mix have set the benchmark for all the other brands of blender on the market, but no others seem to be able to match that benchmark, let alone beat it.
My recent investigations into the Vita mix blender have brought me to the Vitamix 4500. I’ve decided to do a Vitamix review to see what this blender has to offer so let’s get started.
So just what are we looking for in a blender?
1. A really strong motor – we want a motor that can handle anything. I remember using a blender that my Mum and Dad owned a few years ago. I was trying to make hummus in it – you know – cooked chick peas, olive oil, lemon juice and spices. Nothing tough about that, but this pathetic excuse for a blender was overheating and really struggling!
I ended up taking it all out and mashing it up by hand as I was scared that the smell that was coming from it might mean I was about to burn the motor out. As for my own current blender, it does pretty well, but it still leaves bits of unblended stuff in my not so smooth smoothies and it does struggle a little at times.
2. Variable speeds – for most jobs, a really fast speed is what you want but sometimes slower is better when using a blender, so being able to adjust the speed while not essential, is definitely handy.
3. Tough blades – the blades have to be strong so that we can blend nuts and seeds and hard things. You never know, we might decide that we want to eat ground avocado seeds!
4. A large container – there is no point in having a blender with a small container. We need at least 1.5 or preferably 2 litres. That way we have enough capacity for most jobs we might want to do.
5. A clear container – so that we can see what’s going on.
6. A strong container – so that it lasts and can handle the treatment it’s going to get blending ice and other hard objects as well as heat and cold.
7. A Plunger – this is really handy for pushing ingredients down towards the blade when they get stuck.
8. A lid that seals well – to keep liquids inside the blender while blending – where they should be.
9. Easy cleaning – that speaks for itself really – who wants appliances that are hard to clean?
10. Easy operation – we don’t want anything in the kitchen that we need a license to drive!
If you rush in and buy a blender based on price, chances are you’ll get a piece of kitchen equipment that will join the others in the cupboard collecting dust because it doesn’t do what you want it to. So, does the Vitamix 4500 meet this list of requirements?
Is the motor strong enough?
This is a tough, grunty 2+ peak horsepower motor which is exactly what you want in a blender. As you’ll see when you read the feedback on this machine it’s not quiet, but the sheer power of this blender and the speed at which it blends makes up for that.
You want a motor that can blend whatever you want it to blend. The Vitamix 4500 will have everything blended and silky smooth in a matter of seconds!
The motor on the Vitamix 4500 is thermally protected. This means that it’s a cool running motor that is designed to handle the toughest blending jobs with the blades reaching speeds in excess of 200mph. As an extra feature it does also have an automatic cut off to protect the motor from overheating.
Dual speeds
This is a 2 Speed Blender. This means (obviously) that this blender has two speeds which means that you don’t have to blend flat out those things that might require only a slow speed.
..and what about the blades – can they go the distance?
The Vitamix 4500 has a stainless-steel enclosed blade assembly with sealed ball bearings. The blade assembly is made from hardened stainless steel making it tough enough to handle pretty much anything you can throw at it (or in it) including nuts, seeds and ice cubes and even avocado pits! The fact that it’s a sealed unit mean that no liquid or food can get in to the bearings and clog things up or cause damage.
Ok, so how about the container? Is it clear, strong and large enough?
The container on this Vita mix blender is a clear 64-ounce non-toxic polycarbonate container. So this container is a good size (2 litre) and being made from polycarbonate means that is contains no PBA – that’s the not so human friendly chemical that’s been hitting the news in recent times because of it being in plastic baby bottles.
The container is clear so that you can see what’s going on and it’s virtually unbreakable (unlike my Sunbeam blender which has a big crack in the base of the container). It has a non drip spout.
It comes with a plunger – right?
The Vitamix 4500 does come with a plunger that can be used while the machine is running to push ingredients down into the blade. It is designed so that there is no danger of the plunger hitting the blades and as I said above, this is a really handy tool to have when ingredients get stuck and don’t want to move – the stuff down the bottom of the container is being blended but further up the ingredients are stuck and not moving. It saves having to turn the blender off each time this happens and open it up to push down the stuck ingredients.
Does the lid seal in liquids?
The lid has a simple locking mechanism to lock it on to the container and it has spill proof vents to allow the safer blending of hot foods – the vent stops any pressure build up which can be dangerous and cause burns. There is also a plug in the lid that can be removed when blending to add more ingredients. The plug is also marked with measurements to allow it to be used as a handy measuring cup.
Is it easy to clean and simple to use?
The Vitamix 4500 is designed to be easy to clean – pop some water in and turn it on for a short burst pretty much does it and it’s simple to use – it has two switches. You can’t go wrong with two switches
Additional Features – This Vitamix 4500 has an easy-to-clean front panel and it comes with a full-color recipe book included.
The Vitamix 4500 measures 7-1/4 by 8-3/4 by 20 inches
Does the Vita mix blender have a warranty?
It sure does! This Vita mix blender has a generous 5-year limited warranty
This Vita mix blender has strength and durability that you definitely won’t find in a cheaper blender or (from what I’ve uncovered during my research), even in other blenders in the same price range. It’s like the ‘Rolls Royce’ of blenders I guess.
However, the fact that it’s arguably the best blender on the market isn’t all it’s got going for it. There’s more! The Vitamix 4500 is not just a blender. It really can do the job of several kitchen appliances, which is gives us another reason to take a really close look at this machine. (This was what impressed me when I first came across the Vita mix).
The Vitamix 4500 can be used to make hot soups and sauces! Yep, that’s right – I said hot. Put the ingredients in your Vita mix Blender and turn it on. Leave it to run for a few minutes and you’ve got steaming hot soup or sauce! For example, to make a silky smooth cheese sauce, put in your milk, butter, flour (grind that first before adding the rest of course) and cheese. Pop the lid on and turn it on. The sound that the machines makes changes once the sauce is ready. No stove required. Hot, smooth, satiny cheese sauce and not a burned pan or lump in sight. That’s pretty cool!
Your Vitamix 4500 can also be used to grind flour from wholegrains, or grind fresh linseed meal, coffee beans and even to make bread or pizza dough. Just grind your grains into flour, add water, yeast and sugar and then make your dough right there in the Vita mix blender.
Use it to crush ice, make frozen ‘slushy’ drinks, chop cheese, make coleslaw, emulsify salad dressings, blend pesto and even make cold compost fertilizer for your plants!
What should you expect to pay for the Vitamix 4500?
Most of the prices I’ve seen for the Vita mix blender have been around $500. The cheapest I’ve found has been at Amazonwhere the price is under $400.
What others are saying
This Vita mix blender has received rave reviews and has been rated 4.5 stars out of 5 on Amazon. Here are some of the comments to date:
· I have had my Vitamix 5000 for 5 and 1/2 years and could not be happier with it.
· This thing is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Yes, it’s loud. VERY loud. But what it can do completely makes up for it.
· I highly HIGHLY recommend this blender, and think it will rock your world. You will never want to use a cheapo blender again.
· When I used it for the first time, I was in awe of the power and efficiency of this baby.
· To date I have never heard it bog down, no matter what we put in it.
· A breeze to clean. Totally worth the money
I found very few complaints on this Vita mix blender. A couple of people have commented on the noise but have said that it’s worth it for the power that this blender has. Nearly all the people who buy and use this blender seem to be extremely happy with it.
Where can you buy the Vitamix 4500?
The Vitamix 4500 is available from Amazon for less than $400 which from what I can tell comparing prices with other online merchants is the best price available. Amazon also offer free shipping which means Amazon currently have the best deal available. Click here to view on Amazon.
Where can you read more reviews for the Vitamix 4500?
The best place to read more reviews from people who actually use this Vita mix blender is Amazon. Click here to read more.
