GW - You would do nut butters in the regular container and not the dry container - I decided that Whole Foods makes great fresh almond butter, so haven't tried it yet.
Yes, you can open the top and drizzle into various items - might want to slow it down and not run full speed...

Anna - you are amazing with all of your ideas - can't wait to try the soup - not sure if I am ready for granola - I like it but it is easier to purchase - downstream???

Hobo - that looks nuclear - what is it? I bet I will figure out as I go up the thread... Yup figured it out - glad it tastes OK - but maybe serve with sunglasses!

JustMakeIt - welcome to the ABVM alumni club - yup, I put some extras into the reno budget - VM came from Uncle Sam - DH didn't modify our deductions when we refinanced the house..

Suska - yum!!

GW, I've been making a variety of nut butters in the 750, 64 oz wet container. The key seems to be making sure I use at least 4 cups of nuts so the tamper can continually push the top layer into the blade as the nuts turn to a paste and warm up and then self blend. The nut butter recipes helped me discover just how ingenious that tamper gadget is.

If the nuts are low in oil - like when making chocolate hazelnut butter - I've got to add more oil, especially if I'm using cacao powder.

First green drink I made I splattered green all over my ceiling...I'm learning that I can add things while it's running only when I'm sure nothing is going to erupt. :-)

a2gimini lol amortize ~ works for me! think it will work in this case if I do use it. This morning I hauled out the Cuisinart and made a smoothie using some of everyone's suggestions of what they do. I used fresh fruit, snuck in some spinach leaves, yogurt and water. I have not been able to leave the house due to continued threat of being too far from the loo. I assume that goes away? I just thought before I succumb I should be sure I could down a spinach smoothie even when disguised : )

Justmakeit, you are so funny!! I am the same way, I could never watch an infomercial, I am just simply too much of a pushover!!! I feel a VM is definitely in my future. I hope our Costco will have a demo soon. I have seen the demos before and thought to myself who would buy a blender for that much money??? Well, it appears it will be ME!!! Trying to be healthier in my food choices. I love to bake, need I say more? Oy vey...

Hoboken, well as long as it tasted good?

We couldn't eat it. The texture was just too off. Does anyone know why broccoli and cheese would go foamy like that? Maybe I should have used water instead of milk?

Ask, and Google attempts to provide. Does the broccoli qualify as greens? Did you try re-blending?

Here is a link that might be useful: Anything here helpful?

Has anyone seen the 750 professional model at Costco? The costco website just list 6300 as the demo model. I was hoping to buy the 750 from Costco as it has the presets and the height that would work for my kitchen. If Costco does not sell the 750, is my best price+warranty bet then amazon? Or some other vendor like WS or Sur La Table. What about ebay? Do you still get the warranty?

Costco does not sell the 750. They are currently selling two models--the 5200 for $375 and the 6300 for $500. When I was there last week, the man doing the demo said that the 6300 was equivalent to some other model. I think he said 600, but I can't be sure. But definitely not the 750. WS and SLT are selling the 750.

I bought the 5200 a few weeks ago before the 6300 came out at Costco. The guy said I could return it for the 6300. But I am not sure that the 6300 is worth the difference.

I originally thought I wanted the 750 because I wanted the unit to fit under my cabinets. I discovered that the taller version fits but without the lid on. I am glad that I got the 5200 though because the larger capacity is important for me. We have been making double batches of gazpacho and the smaller container would not hold all the ingredients. So if you want the 750 because of the height, think about whether it might work for you to leave the unit on the counter with the lid off and put away somewhere.

NYC - what is the capacity of your container?
My large container is 64 oz and my smaller container is 48 oz. I have been chicken to try double batches - I have to look to see if you posted your Gazpacho recipe - I want to make some for this weekend and have some wonderful Amish Paste tomatoes and other tomatoes to toss into the VM.

Hobo - Most of the "cream" and milk recipes add the milk at the end - I wonder if that makes a difference. I did make tomato soup with milk - might have been a bit frothy but it was great.

Sarakat - My mothers food processor never quite achieved the amortization potential - I think she used it about 3-4 times and I only used it a handful as well. The newer ones are larger capacity - but the one time I did use it - for a custard (as per the recommended directions) - I didn't realize the middle is lower than the rim - so I am adding the egg custard and suddenly, I have egg custard flowing down through the center, across the counter, and down the cabinets and DW - fortunately before the remodel...

hobo-
I saw a youtube video on that very issue. At such high speed, lots of air is introduced into your mixture. In order to remove it, (once fully blended) turn up the speed very slowly from 1, just until you see the "tornado" at the surface. You will see the large air bubbles work their way out. That should significantly reduce what you find objectionable. I do know what you're referring to, but it doesn't bother me, it's just different. Sometimes I remove the air, sometimes I just leave it as is.

Suska, thank you for the air bubble tip. I've been trying it lately with nice results. Tonight I made fresh pea soup, and the slow speed after a 20 sec rest made it velvety smooth without the bubbles. And then I made a chocolate coconut banana pudding in my small 32 oz container (am LOVING this size; perfect for 2-person recipes!). Same thing - it smoothed it out nicely.

A2, got a bunch of peaches here and plan on using your peach ice cream recipe in a day or 2. Thank you for perfecting it! Amaretto is chilling!

Sorry A2 just saw your post.

My container is 64 ounces. I used the gazpacho recipe in the VM cookbook but added a jalapeño too. I also tossed in some bread crumbs.

Morning smoothie for the crowd here: one banana, handful of strawberries or blueberries, some Greek yogurt, a handful of almonds, some chia seeds, a squirt of agave and ice cubes. Yum.

NYCBD - thanks! Same size but yours is just taller - the difference is trying to make small batches can be harder in the wider container.

LOL on the Chia seeds - I can remember the Chia pet that almost killed the Chia seed but I have flax and chia in the fridge - but the chia seeds will sprout if you don't eat them quickly - my salad dressing was growing Chia!

Anna - enjoy - I accidentally set my VM to soup last night but figure it out before it was too late!

Suska - I will have to try the air bubble trick - thanks

I love all these recipe ideas!

For those who are questioning the vitamix, I have had ours for over 17 years - the same one. Never had a problem.
I have both a dry and wet container. I use to use the dry one regularly to grind wheat when I made bread (I'm not much of a bread baker anymore). Now I mostly just use the dry one to grind coffee.

My kids love making soft serve "ice cream" with it:
Freeze milk in ice cube trays. Place milk ice cubes, some sugar and vanilla extract in the vitamix and blend. You will be surprised how easy and good this is. Works with yogurt too.

Camp- perfect I wanted to try the frozen milk cubes! Thanks

must. get. vitamix. must. get. vitamix

Wow I think I've been brainwashed! It sure sounds beyond awesome. I think I will be going over to Costco--they were demonstrating one the other day but I was in a hurry and walked by.

I wonder if the Costco price is same as the price they offer at the PX. Problem is they only come to the PX about once a year, and I have no idea how to figure out when that would be.

I keep reading these great recipes and suggestions for the VM. Once I get a working kitchen and everything is back in it's place I am going to buy one. I am anxious for some wonderful morning smoothies and the vanilla ice milk sounds luscious!

We are headed for a heat wave here in the PNW, with humidity - a rare event. And we're hosting a 4th BBQ party. So, we will be firing up the VM for sure! Can't wait to see how the gazpacho recipe turns out - will look for the recipe but think its in the other thread.

I will scan back, but does anyone have a VM mixed drink recipe using watermelon as the main base? Breezygirl had posted some wonderful margarita recipes a while back... What's your favorite VM slushy mixed drink? Thinking of an Italian Ice type drink.

Does anyone know if the different sized containers fit any model? I have the 750 and would love to get a size or two smaller than the 64 oz. I guess I could just search or call...

I've just started using the 32oz container on my 750. It's perfect for most things I make. Amazon gave me the impression that the tamper works in this container but it's too long. I had to order the small tamper from the VM site. Amazon does sell a 32oz dry container set that includes this tamper. I thought the wet and dry 32 oz'rs were shaped differently, but I'm not so sure.

It fits / sits differently than the 64oz - the footprint sits within the rubber bumpers on the base, rather than around it.

The only difference I'm noticing is that my chia seeds didnt totally emulsify, but the drink color was light, and maybe the same thing was happening in the darker drinks in the 64 oz. I couldn't sense a difference in texture, however, which was good.

This morning's treat . . .
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1 tsp instant coffee
blend above until chips blended in
1-1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen skim milk cubes
yield: 2 cups approx

This is our frozen "frappe", and it doesn't have 450 calories !!

Chia seeds tip: soak your chia seeds before adding to the smoothie. 15-30 minutes, a few hours, or overnight.

Go for it Cathy!
Anna-I just sent you an email
Angela- yum! I was thinking dessert as I read your post.

Go for it Cathy!
Anna-I just sent you an email
Angela- yum! I was thinking dessert as I read your post.

Anna - I forgot about your Watermelon - question - there is one in the book that I used.
I used a quart of watermelon (seedless variety but left whatever little seeds were in it - but seeded varieties are sweeter)
I added strawberries (can't remember the exact amount)
The book called for adding rosemary - but I put mint in it as I wasn't sure about rosemary
I blended it via smoothie setting and then poured over ice - if you want slushy consistency, then add the ice before blending.
I think you could make a double or triple batch at once if you don't overdo the cubes.
Yum - too bad I will miss you when out in the PNW.

A2--thanks for the encouragement. Bad news was Costco didn't have them anymore. Good news, the local PX will be having a Vitamix roadshow starting July 13th!!! I have it on my calendar. It will be interesting to see if they are selling the same models that were sold at Costco or different ones!!!

"BTW, I want to warn the newbies to be careful. There are a lot of recipes on the Internet that people rave about but it does not mean they are good for everybody. I once made a smoothie with green cabbage (fresh and organic) and it caused severe vomiting (sorry about TMI). DH had the same experience."

Good point. I know someone who drank a pint of spinach-beet juice and ended up having to rush to the toilet to keep from having an accident. If you aren't accustomed to drinking large amounts of cathartic vegetables this can be a side effect.

I have a Vita mix and after reading some of the posts here plan to use it for more smoothies.

I like the suggestion about freezing milk cubes for a frozen dessert. I'll try that with coconut juice and make sorbet.

Lots of helpful posts here!

Cathy-soon :-) whole foods switched to one of the shorter versions on their last demo, so will be interested to find out what they offer.

Dream- it is a good idea to start slowly when adding new items to diet. Also, it is possible, in your case, the cabbage was tainted with E. coli or another bug causing food poisoning vs intolerance.

We had campylobacter from a pot luck. It was a hot day and a couple had the food in the car all day. They told the host, the ice had melted but they thought it was OK - not! Grrr. It doesn't take much to contaminate a whole dish as the buggers grow fast! (Not our house and not our dish!).

A2, the peach ice cream made simply with peaches and milk has been the best!

Freezing watermelon balls and then blending - the best slushy!

Re being careful with the green drinks - I get that one! If a little was good, my mind thought more was better till my digestive track went into shock. So now I try to envision what a non-blended portion of vegetables would look like and go from there...smaller quantities are better. And I avoid the bagged kale now. It is easier to wash the whole leaves and derib, at least the biggest parts which I don't care for.

Our first peaches of the season are in - not quite ripe but bought some and will watch them ripen - also try with almond milk.
I will freeze some watermelon balls - great idea!

I made my first "lean green machine" yesterday but substituted a bit too much - I used cantaloupe instead of the orange and yes, it doesn't look appetizing... I have been keeping the quantities small.

I bought some Kale at market today - it is Russian Kale - so not as wrinkly - hope it works to make those chips. I watched the video and realized I didn't have everything to make them. (Hazelnuts and a few more things) - so hope it holds up for a few days.

I also made my first gazpacho soup - OK, I deviated again and it is more orange than red - but wow, it is delicious! (I added some roasted peppers that I made last fall and froze into ice cubes and used an orange pepper as the reds aren't in yet)

Been off visiting DM and consulting, so not much time to check GW on a regular basis.

Our first peaches of the season are in - not quite ripe but bought some and will watch them ripen - also try with almond milk.
I will freeze some watermelon balls - great idea!

I made my first "lean green machine" yesterday but substituted a bit too much - I used cantaloupe instead of the orange and yes, it doesn't look appetizing... I have been keeping the quantities small.

I bought some Kale at market today - it is Russian Kale - so not as wrinkly - hope it works to make those chips. I watched the video and realized I didn't have everything to make them. (Hazelnuts and a few more things) - so hope it holds up for a few days.

I also made my first gazpacho soup - OK, I deviated again and it is more orange than red - but wow, it is delicious! (I added some roasted peppers that I made last fall and froze into ice cubes and used an orange pepper as the reds aren't in yet)

Been off visiting DM and consulting, so not much time to check GW on a regular basis.

Love my VM!!
One hint for those 'wading in' to the hearty greens in a smoothy: Citrus is a great addition to green smoothies to brighten the flavors and 'mask' the green bitterness without adding a sweetener. I really like the flavor of Kale and spinach in my smoothies, but chard is tough for me without the citrus!

Also - I started making 'green cubes' with my abundance of Kale/Chard/Collards and freezing for later! I wash a couple of bunches of greens, add water and a lemon or grapefruit and blend. Freeze in ice cube trays and then store in Ziplock freezer bags. The green smoothie at 4AM just got a whole lot easier! I throw in 4 or 5 cubes, a banana, some frozen fruit, water, and a hand full of almonds or other nuts and feel like I'm starting the day off right!

I just got to see one of these at a friend's house. I was shocked to see what it looked like. I know it is a lifetime warranty product but did not expect to see all plastic, lightweight cheap looking plastic at that. At least the cuisinart feels heavy and looks nice.

Even the container is a lightweight plastic. To me, it looked and felt very cheap and flimsy. I will have to check it out again, as I kind of ran out of the room, lol. I was expecting something really sturdy, glass, metal, at least a bit stylish for that kind of money.

I've always like clear, clean glass. I guess at up to $145 to replace that part ??? that it is best nonbreakable or something. My experience with plastic is that it gets those fine scratches that makes it cloudy. My cuisinart bowl is like that. No?

I know everyone loves these things but I am really shocked.

I heard in the vitamix demo that the BPA free poly container is food safe and works best with high speed blending.

see FAQs from vitamix

Btw, I expect to receive my 750 model in 2 weeks. I got it direct from Brenda Kilbane who is the direct sales rep for Vitamix (via Blender lady who had the free shipping code. The machine was $689 but the dry grains and the smaller 32oz container were only $100 each and she threw in the mini tamper for the smaller container, spatulas, boards etc. And the warranty is 8yrs instead of standard 7yrs. Really excited. The 32oz wet container is great for 1cup and 2 cup things like peanut butter, pesto, and ofcourse morning green smoothies for 1 :)

Dream- great idea on citrus. They showed that trick at whole foods.

Snookums- did you pick it up? Mine is quite heavy. I actually held off buying as I wanted a glass vessel also for the same reasons The problem is the speeds are so high, glass would crack. I noticed the new KA super blender(.9 hp) switched to plastic. My old KA is glass.

So far, the plastic has stayed clear.

No I didn't pick it up. I just took a quick look at it and was very surprised at all the thin plastic. I see about the high speed. That's good to know. I can't imagine why a replacement canister costs between $125-$145. They just got it and said it's very noisy.

snookums - I think the reason that a replacement canister probably costs so much is because they don't need replaced very often, if that makes any sense...limited amount of purchases, less sales usually equals a greater cost overall.

Ridiculously expensive. They're already producing enough quantity of them to reduce costs and be efficient. Maybe have to roll up costs of other things into it but geez ... would love to know how much the blenders actually cost to produce versus other brands.

I will have to check it out again, I was on the run and just took a quick peek on my way out. They seem to like it. It's just the BB&B version which looks like a basic blender.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sun, Aug 18, 13 at 12:19

Deep into my yearly season of making tomato sauce with the yard's harvest. Slow roasted...omg, does it smell wonderful!

Usually I de-seed and skin w a sieve. This year I thought, since I VM whole tomatoes w no hint of seeds or skin as they get emulsified, and I've been reading a bit about the benefit of t seeds, why not VM the roasted tomatoes, skin, seeds, & all.

Creamy, silky, sweet, rich tomato flavor, and obviously more sauce for the effort. I will never waste elements of my tomato harvest ever again.

My other experiments continue with making various wet mixes for granola. Last month I made a fig-based mix. A new favorite.

Wish I could say my container remains clear, but the workout I give it shows itself. But, I've had it with the heavy glass (hated my KA glass jar) and will take high speed performance any day.

Gemini- Can I make the almond milk/peach/amaretto smoothie with a blender? No budget for a Vitamix with my husband still recovering...but I do have a metal blender that makes a nice strawberry daiquiri :)

I explored getting a Vitamix, but I wasn't sure if I would use it enough to make the investment worth it. A friend had a NutriBullet and suggested that I get that since it was much, much cheaper and great at making smoothies, which was my main intent for the Vitamix.

With the 20% off coupon at Bed, Bath, & Beyond, the NutriBullet was only 80 bucks, and it has been perfect for meeting my smoothie needs. It does great with spinach and kale, and it even has a milling blade to make almond or flaxseed powder. I love how easy it is to clean, and I love that the blending container doubles as my cup. It comes with a lid, so I can take my smoothie for lunch in the same container I blended it in. I've even been successful with sherbet recipes.

It takes a little bit of a learning curve to master putting the blade on correctly to keep it from leaking, but otherwise, it's been terrific. I'll still probably get a Vitamix one day for making soup and other things my NB can't do. But, for anyone who just wants a good green smoothie maker, NutriBullet is a good, inexpensive alternative.

Jusst a reminder that if you have a doctor's note that you need to use blended food (VitaMix) for nutrition you can get a demo model at a reduced price.

Jusst a reminder that if you have a doctor's note that you need to use blended food (VitaMix) for nutrition you can get a demo model at a reduced price.

For those of you new to your VM, Blendtec or other high-powered blender, QVC is demoing the VM at 9m EST tonight. I don't typically watch shopping channels, but when they do the VM, I like getting recipe ideas as they work regardless of what make or model machine.

Enjoy

Lavender- you can probably do it on a blender but start with the almond milk cold and freeze the peaches into smaller slices.

Anna- I made gazpacho soup tonight and it was great.
I also have made tomato sauce - seeds, skins and all but not in quantity.

What amazes me- the things that took forever are so easy with VM and I look like I know what I am doing as most recipes come our perfect!

A2, gazpacho recipe to share? :-)

Oh dear - let's see what I did :-)
Basically, I started with the Gazpacho recipe in WS but wanted it chunkier and easier.

Chopped 1 red onion in Vitamix - saved 1/4 cup for another recipe.
Put 3/4 to 1 cup in a bowl for later. Add 1 chopped seedless (skinned or not) cucumber, 1.5-2 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes(or whatever you want - I used a mixture of Amish paste, heirloom, and regular tomatoes), 1 TB lemon juice, 2 tsp fresh chopped parsley, 1 TBS oil to this bowl and refrigerate

Start a second bowl and put the rest of the onions in it.
Core(if you want) another 2 lbs of tomatoes and quarter - put 1/2 in the bowl and the rest in another bowl.(or just combine them all - it works a well as you are going to liquify everything in the end).
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste (I keep things low sodium but added a bit for our guests)
2 TBS lemon
1/2 tsp fresh thyme
2 TBS Sherry vinegar (I didn't have any - so used 1 TBS Apple cider vinegar and 1 TBS port wine - LOL)

Blend 1/2 of the tomatoes going from 1 to max until completely smooth. Then turn to level 1 to "burp" it.
Pour into a dish

Add rest of the tomatoes and another cuke and repeat.

Just before serving, add the fresh veggies to the soup or ladle soup and have guests add the veggies.

Now, the WS calls to use 2 cups of cubed french bread and blend that into the first batch of tomatoes(in the vitamin) but I didn't do that step - I didn't have any french bread and wasn't sure about how it would do.

Serve with either plain yogurt or sour cream.

Hope I didn't miss anything.

Just curious what others think about throwing zucchini in any VM creation? I know it will probably just add volume, but since I have so many zucchini, I'm always looking for new ways to use them, and I thought, why not the VM...

I am in the ABVM group right now but getting intrigued....just finishing a kitchen remo & searching the budget for the extra!! Just want to be damn sure I will use & enjoy it (so far, my 6 month old very pricey Breville FP is neglected as its such a PITA to clean!!). I love this thread & all of your inspiring ideas- Trying to decide is such a b.....

suska - I put some in my "lean green machine" smoothies!

Bev - not sure what an FP is, but I had the same thoughts on my Vitamx - would I really use it.

I made a point to try something new almost every day for the first month and managed to make friends with it. Now, I know I can use it - maybe not everyday but at least a couple times per week. Have to get that amoritization to work on the cost of the baby!

Suska: I cut up the zucchinis into ice-cube size and freeze them. So instead of throwing in plain ice cubes for my smoothies, I throw in my zucch-ice-cubes. Another way to add in nutrients/veggie.

In my pale smoothies (like pear/banana, etc), I peel the zucch before ice-cubing it.

I ice-cube yellow summer squash also.

Amanda

Thanks a2gemini and Amanda! I will give it a try.