Vitamix Costco roadshow questions

[FIRE me]

The Vitamix Costco road show is coming to my local Louisville KY Costco on April 27. This road show started in other areas on March 31.

https://www.costco.com/vitamix-schedule.html

I am hoping some Mustachian who were at these earlier product demonstrations can answer a few questions about this particular Vitamix tour.

Are they selling the new Ascent models at the current road show? If so, I think I would like the A2500 best for my usage and preferences. Are they selling that one?

[FIRE me]

I called the local store. They said that they will be selling the 5300 and the 6500. Both are the old and now low end C-Series blenders, so not even one quieter G-Series to choose from. And no new Ascent models.

Kind of disappointing, as based on their website, Costco thinks I am interested in Rolex watches and diamond rings that cost half as much as my house. I thought Costco was all about top end merchandise.

On the good side, the 5300 will be priced great at $325. Additionally, the old design blends just as well as the new designs, even though the old are substantially louder.

[Gumption]

without trying to be disrespectful, this purchase is decidedly unmustachian.

In the overall timeline of humanity, you don't need this.

If you really must have a blender, go do Kohl's and pick one up for $10; or just keep using the one you have.

[MayDay]

I got an older model. Noisy, but eh. It causes the kids out of the kitchen!

Blah blah debate about blenders, I've killed multiple cheap blenders (never last more than a year) and my Vitamix is going strong after 5 years.

[FIRE me]

without trying to be disrespectful, this purchase is decidedly unmustachian.

In the overall timeline of humanity, you don't need this.

If you really must have a blender, go do Kohl's and pick one up for $10; or just keep using the one you have.

I admit it is an extravagance and a luxury.

But it's also about healthy eating and quality that lasts. The Vitamix will do things for decades that a $50 or even $100 blender won't do on day one.

Many Mustachians here own Vitamixes and swear by them, including at least one of the most active moderators. That said, if anyone buys a Vitamix and doesn't use it frequently it is indeed a giant waste of money. Used daily, it is money well spent.

How about your bicycle? Is it a $99 department store bike? No way you would ever need to spend more than that on a bicycle.

[Gumption]

i agree and you bring up a good point. i think its just worth asking what this will really bring you that you cant get yourself for free - such as health. at least, thats what ive been asking myself lately with purchases.

i dont mean to be on a high horse here. believe me, in my earlier days, I have purchased numerous small appliances - including a $400 slow juicer. i can say, in the end, all those brought me was regret. i am human, and i do get the desire for new, ridiculous items. and i can come up with great arguments for justifying them. and then i wait a few days and it will pass.

what did work was running 6 times a week. its free.

[FIRE me]

i agree and you bring up a good point. i think its just worth asking what this will really bring you that you cant get yourself for free - such as health. at least, thats what ive been asking myself lately with purchases.

i dont mean to be on a high horse here. believe me, in my earlier days, I have purchased numerous small appliances - including a $400 slow juicer. i can say, in the end, all those brought me was regret. i am human, and i do get the desire for new, ridiculous items. and i can come up with great arguments for justifying them. and then i wait a few days and it will pass.

what did work was running 6 times a week. its free.

Fair enough. It is indeed wise to delay luxury wants and impulse buys.

My own circumstances are that I'm recently FIRE'd. I expected that I would be even more adverse to spending because I no longer have a paycheck. But at least for now, it has had the opposite effect for me. I have more money than I am likely to ever need and I feel like the time has come to enjoy some of it.

[ooeei]

I got a Blendtec about 5 years ago, and have used it a ton of times to make "green smoothies" after workouts.  Instead of having a milk and whey shake, I have a kale, carrot, cucumber, hempseed, chia seed, blueberry, banana smoothie.  With the number of times I've used it, it's well under $0.50/use at this point with no signs of slowing down.  I quit using it for awhile there, but am back to using it 3-4 times a week.  I did have to get the container replaced, but it was under warranty so no worries there.

I tried the same thing with a cheap blender in college, and it was awful.  It was more like a chopped salad suspended in water than a smoothie. 

Obviously you could go the cheaper route of just eating the salad.   For me when I'm trying to put on muscle mass, my appetite is relatively low and smoothies are an easy way to get extra calories in.  Eating all of those ingredients in a solid salad would be a huge pain, and I probably just wouldn't do it.  Right now I can drink the smoothie and have dinner an hour later.  Eating all of that in a salad would fill me up for a good 2+ hours.

[Tyson]

OK, I have a vitamix and I'm about to use it to make chocolate almond butter for the first time.  Hoping it turns out OK because it'll be a MAJOR cost savings over store bought chocolate almond butter (hey, I have a 10 year old daughter!).

[JLee]

I got a Blendtec about 5 years ago, and have used it a ton of times to make "green smoothies" after workouts.  Instead of having a milk and whey shake, I have a kale, carrot, cucumber, hempseed, chia seed, blueberry, banana smoothie.  With the number of times I've used it, it's well under $0.50/use at this point with no signs of slowing down.  I quit using it for awhile there, but am back to using it 3-4 times a week.  I did have to get the container replaced, but it was under warranty so no worries there.

I tried the same thing with a cheap blender in college, and it was awful.  It was more like a chopped salad suspended in water than a smoothie. 

Obviously you could go the cheaper route of just eating the salad.   For me when I'm trying to put on muscle mass, my appetite is relatively low and smoothies are an easy way to get extra calories in.  Eating all of those ingredients in a solid salad would be a huge pain, and I probably just wouldn't do it.  Right now I can drink the smoothie and have dinner an hour later.  Eating all of that in a salad would fill me up for a good 2+ hours.

I love my Blendtec.  I should use it more often.

[Dicey]

Just blending this into the mix. There is more goodness in the comments section.

http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2017/03/vitamix-vs-ninja/

[FIRE me]

Well, speaking of blending, I bought a Vitamix 5300 last Thursday at Costco for $325. It's a great machine. As a bonus, I now expect that I will never have to throw out another banana that went bad before I could eat it.

So far, the only recipe that I have tried but didn't turn out was Tortilla Soup.

[CutTheFat]

Well, speaking of blending, I bought a Vitamix 5300 last Thursday at Costco for $325. It's a great machine. As a bonus, I now expect that I will never have to throw out another banana that went bad before I could eat it.

So far, the only recipe that I have tried but didn't turn out was Tortilla Soup.

Always save any ripe/over ripe bananas that you don't get to in time!  Peel and freeze in a freezer bag until ready to use.  Frozen bananas make the best smoothies!  Also good move purchasing from Costco, they have an amazing warranty on top of Vitamix's!!!     

[ooeei]

I got a Blendtec about 5 years ago, and have used it a ton of times to make "green smoothies" after workouts.  Instead of having a milk and whey shake, I have a kale, carrot, cucumber, hempseed, chia seed, blueberry, banana smoothie.  With the number of times I've used it, it's well under $0.50/use at this point with no signs of slowing down.  I quit using it for awhile there, but am back to using it 3-4 times a week.  I did have to get the container replaced, but it was under warranty so no worries there.

I tried the same thing with a cheap blender in college, and it was awful.  It was more like a chopped salad suspended in water than a smoothie. 

Obviously you could go the cheaper route of just eating the salad.   For me when I'm trying to put on muscle mass, my appetite is relatively low and smoothies are an easy way to get extra calories in.  Eating all of those ingredients in a solid salad would be a huge pain, and I probably just wouldn't do it.  Right now I can drink the smoothie and have dinner an hour later.  Eating all of that in a salad would fill me up for a good 2+ hours.

Turned it on after my workout yesterday and the cycle count showed a bit over 1100 uses since I bought it.  I'd say it's worth it at this point, and shows no signs of slowing down.

[Tyson]

Warning about the Vitamix if you make nut butters.  Run it on high, not low.  I ran mine on low, thinking it was like a car engine, that lower speed would mean higher torque.

Nope, lower speeds just means poorer cooling and then the motor overheats and shuts down.  I thought it was burned out but the Vitamix support people had me plug it back in and test it out before sending it in.  It works fine after cooling off.  But man I was pissed for a minute there.

[aceyou]

without trying to be disrespectful, this purchase is decidedly unmustachian.

In the overall timeline of humanity, you don't need this.

If you really must have a blender, go do Kohl's and pick one up for $10; or just keep using the one you have.

I think buying high quality used products on craigslist that have appreciated is more mustachian than buying lower cheap stuff at the store that a) isn't as good, and b) loses tons of its value. 

I bought a used vitamix one on craigslist for $200 4 years ago, and I still see the model selling for $200 on there when they pop up.  It's holding it's value, and I use it constantly. 

I've done the same thing for bike trailer's, quality strollers for the kids, etc.  Get a high quality good, use it and maintain it properly, and sell it for nearly the same amount if it is no longer needed.

[Tyson]

BTW, I took the costco support person's advice, ran it on high right away and the almond nut butter turned out fine.  Added some chocolate chips and a tablespoon of sugar and my daughter likes it better than store bought.  It certainly is smoother.  Almond butter from the store has a bit of a rough texture.  The batch I made yesterday is smooth....

[msmarieh]

without trying to be disrespectful, this purchase is decidedly unmustachian.

In the overall timeline of humanity, you don't need this.

If you really must have a blender, go do Kohl's and pick one up for $10; or just keep using the one you have.

I have to disagree with this comment (in context). I have purchased several cheap blenders over the years. They haven't held up - between noise, leaking, lack of quality with harder blending, etc. Vitamixes last for decades, literally. I picked up a Vitamix myself recently because I use my blender every single day (and I had run out of other ideas for a birthday gift for hubby to get me and this was for my 50th birthday - we go big on "0" birthdays LOL).

I have a Kitchenaid mixer. Yes, I could have purchased a cheap crappy mixer, but I've had my Kitchenaid for 25 years and it is still a workhorse going strong. I am a very active cook and use it regularly.

Buying something cheap and replacing it annually with another cheap item just feeds the landfill and ultimately wastes money and leads to great frustration when using the item. I cut corners in areas that don't matter, but when it comes to things that I will use every single day and want to keep for a lifetime, I buy the highest quality I can, even it is far more expensive. The key is identifying which purchases are investments versus unnecessary luxuries and which things you use often enough to justify the higher quality.

Buying the very best quality that will last a lifetime is eminently frugal in my book.

[Kl285528]

Slight  detour question . Any high end blender models you would recommend that have a glass pitcher. Trying to get away from all of that plastic in touch with my food.