Vitamix!

Vitamix!

Talk to anyone who owns a Vitamix and they’ll profess love and daily use. I’m a recent Vitamixer and although I don’t use it daily (yet), it’s got a box seat, nestled between two important machines.

A Vitamix is an investment (the company offers installment payments, interest-free), but this machine will replace both your blender and food processor. It’s a powerhouse, with its basic motor and apparatus capable of chopping to pureeing virtually anything. I’ve made chopped salad in it, puréed baked winter squash to a thick, creamy consistency, rivaling canned pumpkin; and I’ve pulverized the impossible-to-pulverize lemongrass. Its motor is so powerful that you simply “add nuts” and make nut butter at home.  Add sesame seeds, make tahini. (Aren’t you just the teensiest bit upset by those do-it-yourself nut butter machines in supermarkets. Like, who doesn’t swipe and lick? I do. Ugh. ) I’m going to make my own Chocolate-hazelnut butter – great for gifties.

Think “Ferrari meets John Deere”. Heaven.

I made my own lemongrass oil! I’ll use it for salad oils and for sautéing. (Easy recipe to follow.)

After some information superhighway sleuthing, (Chowhound is a great resource where you can read and add to what dedicated and passionate foodists discuss about anything food-related.) I concluded that the best choice was to buy a refurbished one, directly from Vitamix. Their newest model (the one I chose) wasn’t available on the website, so I called them up (was put on hold for 23 minutes …aaarrrgh!) and after getting an education from a knowledgeable, helpful and pleasant Vita-rep, I placed my order for the next available model and it arrived on my doorstep within a couple of weeks.

This machine comes with (not inexpensive) options and various bells and whistles. You can buy a “dry grains container” ($140!) to grind your own flours at home. BUT, if you do buy your machine directly from Vitamix (even refurbed),  order another container within 40 days, and they’ll cut you a deal and sell it to you for $100 (sports.) I just caved and ordered one. (I want to grind stuff that isn’t wheat because I’m recently deglutinating myself.) I’ll grind my own rice flour and quinoa flour. Maybe chick pea flour too.

In the U.S., you’ll find the Vitamix at shops like Bed Bath and Beyond, Crate and Barrel, Bloomingdale’s; and Costco carries its own model (as does the Home Shopping Network.) I don’t know if Vitamix has gone global. Anyone west of the Hudson know?

There are ‘other’ similar appliances on the market that I’m sure you can buy and that work very well. But if you can go the extra mile, why not? It's a one way ticket, you know? 

The next recipes I post will be for some Vitamix creations. You’ll be able to adapt them for your farty blender or food processor. Look for my easy lemongrass oil recipe and Carrot Ginger Dressing. I’m also working on some miso dressings.