Q: What makes a Vitamix machine so different from ordinary blenders?
A: Vitamix is dedicated to making only one household kitchen product—the Vitamix blender. Since 1937, their motors, patented designs for their stainless steel blades, and containers have been unmatched in quality performance and durability. These three key components, carefully designed to work together, are what set a Vitamix apart from all other blenders.

Q: Can the Vitamix replace a juice extractor?
A: Yes, but unlike most juice extractors that discard the vitamin-rich skin, seeds, pith, and pulp, Vitamix machines blend whole foods, providing more of the nutritional value than their juice alone.

Q: How do the lid and center lid plug work to prevent spilling the contents of the container?
A: Always read and follow the safety instructions in the Vitamix user guide and cookbook. The lid should never be removed while the blender is running. Always keep it securely and snugly set on the container with its center lid plug in place and set in the locked position. To add ingredients while the blender is running, follow the instructions in the recipe book and reduce the speed to its lowest setting, remove the center lid plug and add ingredients into the opening. To further minimize spilling, always start the blender on its lowest speed setting and slowly increase the speed to high.

Q: Is a blender's horsepower the most important factor when blending?
A: No. Horsepower is the number most commonly used to compare blender power, but it alone is not enough to give world class blending performance. Vitamix incorporates three elements working in concert to provide the best results: a motor that provides optimal power and torque under heavy loads; patented, precision-cut, dual-performance, stainless steel blades that both cut and smash foods; and our patented container design that continuously forces food down through the blades. All three of these features are what make a Vitamix the top choice among professional chefs.

Q: I want to use my Vitamix to support my raw diet. Will it heat soup beyond a temperature that is considered raw?
A: If you follow the instructions in our cookbook, the Vitamix will heat soup to a temperature just below boiling, between 175F and 200F. Typical raw diets try to maintain temperatures below a range of 92F to 118F. Variations in the raw food diet set different temperature limits. Adjusting the time limit of the blend will decrease the temperature of the final product. Blends of less than one minute will typically see no change in temperature to the product. Blends of under two minutes will typically maintain the temperature below 118F.

Q: What's the difference between the blades in the wet and dry ingredient containers?
A: The standard container that comes with the Vitamix has blades that are designed specifically for processing wet ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, oily nuts, and liquids into juices, milks, nut butters, and frozen desserts. They pull foods down through the blades continuously during processing to ensure emulsification of even the smallest seeds. The dry ingredient container has blades designed for grinding whole grains and preparing bread dough. These blades push foods up and away, making it the better choice for dry grinding or simulating the kneading process of sticky dough.

Q: What is BPA, and are all Vitamix containers BPA-free?
A: Bisphenol A, or BPA, is a chemical that can be found in some hard plastic bottles. For household products, Vitamix uses a container which does not contain BPA.

Q: How long is the electrical cord?
A: From the back of the machine, the cord extends 72 inches.

Q: Are other Vitamix containers interchangeable between different Vitamix household machines?
A: Most Vitamix household-use containers manufactured after 1995 will fit and work with all Vitamix household machines manufactured after 1995. Vitamix machines are known to last for decades and there may be some older machines still being used that may not function with today's current containers. If you purchased your Vitamix prior to 1995, please call Vitamix Customer Service at 1-800-VITAMIX to determine your eligibility for a courtesy upgrade of a centering pad convertor.

Q: What's the difference between home-use units and commercial-use units?
A: All Vitamix machines come with high-performance motors and patented blade design. Commercial machines are designed for high volume restaurant/bar operations where they perform specific drink and/or food preparation tasks repeatedly, whereas household units are designed for a wide variety of operations. Household units come with a full 5-year or 7-year Limited Manufacturer's Warranty, cookbook, and instructional video, while commercial units come with shorter, commercial warranties geared to the rigors of heavy commercial use.

Q: Can I fill my container completely with whole food and ice?
A: Yes, each container is clearly marked with a maximum fill line just below the container lip. Vitamix machines are engineered to handle the heavy load of a container filled with whole foods and/or ice. Just follow the container loading instructions in the manual, and your Vitamix will deliver perfect smoothies, desserts, and soups for years.

Q: How do I clean my Vitamix?
A: A Vitamix machine virtually cleans itself. Just put one or two drops of dish soap in the container, and fill it one-third full of warm water. Secure the lid, run the machine at its highest speed for 15 to 30 seconds, and rinse.

Q: My container moves slightly when I set it into the motor base. Is that normal?
A: Yes, it is normal. The container and motor base have a durable, metal-to-metal coupling, which allows a slight bit of movement for the container.

Q: Will a Vitamix work for vegan or raw food diets?
A: Yes. A Vitamix machine is designed to process whole foods, raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, and other healthy foods into delicious drinks, dips, and desserts. By adjusting the blend times in the cookbook, you can make soup from fresh ingredients while maintaining a raw temperature. For grinding dry ingredients such as whole grains or rice, we suggest our 32-oz Dry Grains container.

Q: Does the Dry Grains container actually bake bread?
A: No. The dry container is specially designed to grind dry ingredients such as whole wheat, rice, or millet into flour and prepare dough. The dough must then be placed into a loaf pan and baked in an oven to make bread.

Q: Do I need different tampers for different sized containers?
A: There are three different tampers made for Vitamix household blenders. Our large black tamper has a shaft that is wider near the handle which allows it to be used on our standard 64-oz, 48-oz, and 32-oz containers. Our smaller gray tamper is designed for our 48-oz and 32-oz containers. The Vitamix 7500 and Creations Elite blenders come with our newly designed shorter 64-oz container that fits under standard kitchen cabinets which uses its own unique tamper. Please call Vitamix customer service at 1-800-VITAMIX with questions or for help in determining which tamper is right for your Vitamix machine.

Q: What makes the Vitamix blades so special? They don't look any different from ordinary blender blades.
A: Our patented, hardened, stainless steel blades are very unique. Unlike ordinary blenders that have either sharp blades or dull blades, Vitamix blades are precision engineered to provide both actions. First, the sharp edge cuts and breaks down whole foods, then the flat edge works like a hammermill to smash and pulverize the tiniest bits and seeds into velvety smooth drinks, desserts, and soups.

Q: Which Vitamix machine will fit under my kitchen cabinets?
A: Any Vitamix machine utilizing either our 32-oz container, 48-oz container, or new shorter 64-oz container on the Vitamix 7500 and Creations Elite models will fit in the standard 18'' space between most countertops and kitchen cabinets.

Q: Are the cookbooks included with the machine written for the 48-oz or 64-oz container?
A: The recipes in the cookbooks blend the same way in both container sizes, but were originally written for a 64-oz container. Ingredient quantities may need to be adjusted (reduced by half, for example) when working with a smaller container.

Q: How does the same machine prepare frozen ice cream and heat steaming soup?
A: Our patented blade design, coupled with our high performance radial cooling motor are the secrets to making both hot and frozen dishes in the Vitamix machine. For frozen treats, the high-performance hammermill action of the container blades crushes and emulsifies frozen ingredients in about 30 seconds. For steaming soups, the blades build up friction that heats fresh ingredients into steaming hot soup in 4-6 minutes. Ordinary blender motors could burn themselves out under this type of load.

Q: The motor makes a growling sound when I make frozen desserts. Is that normal?
A: Yes, that change in the motor's pitch and growling sound is the signal that your frozen dessert is ready. The Vitamix motor is specifically designed with a high-efficiency radial cooling fan and built-in thermal protection system to protect against overload or burnout, along with enough power and torque to handle any job. Simply follow the directions in the Vitamix cookbook to make a variety of delicious frozen desserts in just seconds.

Q: How long has Vitamix been in business and where is it located?
A: Vitamix has been a family owned business since 1921 and has been building blenders since 1937 at their factory located in Cleveland, Ohio.

Information provided by Vitamix.