Vitamix Best Practices
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I adore my Vitamix. I use it at least once each week, and at different times of the year (depending on what type of meals we’re having, based on the season) I will sometimes use the Vitamix several times in one day.
The Vitamix can be used for all kinds of things, from the obvious smoothies and soups, to also making peanut butter, nut flour, and so much more. But while you’re having fun using your Vitamix, you definitely want to pay attention to some Vitamix best practices so that you can make the most out of this excellent piece of kitchen equipment.
Blueberry banana smoothie!
Vitamix best practices:
1) Clean it immediately after using it.
The Vitamix is very easy and straightforward to clean: just add some hot water and a couple drops of dish soap, then blend on high speed for 60 seconds or so. However, the longer that you leave the blender with dried food on the inside of the container, the harder it will be to clean! Wash it immediately to make cleaning a snap.
2) Use the correct container for different foods.
This means using the wet-blade container for wet ingredients, the dry-blade container for dry ingredients, and the massive (standard) container for bigger batches. The different styles of blades really will have a different impact on your ingredients!
If you want to use your Vitamix like a food processor, go with the smaller wet-blade container; it’s a little wider so it’s easier to “process” instead of blend when you use that one (as compared to the taller standard container, which is better for smoothies and soups).
One of my favorite green smoothie recipes!
3) Learn how to use the tamper effectively.
This is super important when looking at Vitamix best practices! The tamper is an awesome tool when you are processing food and trying to make nut butters, etc.
Be very careful to follow the manual instructions and use the tamper properly—-and only use the spatula provided when the machine is turned off!
After the initial blend, turn off the machine, use your spatula to get the ingredients off the sides of the container, then use the tamper to mush it all down towards the blades. Replace and secure the lid before turning the machine on again to continue blending.
4) Get beyond the recipes that Vitamix provides for you.
It’s not that they are bad recipes; there just aren’t a ton of great ones that they provide. For Vitamix best practices, I recommend adapting recipes you already know and love to your Vitamix (such as blended soups, etc.).
Tweet This5) If you have smaller amounts of ingredients in the Vitamix, choose a setting around 5—7.
When you do this, you’re ensuring that the blades move in such a way as to not just whip the ingredients up around the sides of the container, but instead actually puree the ingredients. Choosing a setting around 5—7 is a good idea when you’re making something like nut butter; if you’re blending a smoothie, always choose the highest setting.
What’s your favorite blender? Do you have a Vitamix? What kitchen appliance could you not live without? Share in the comments section below!
I have no affiliation with Vitamix and was not compensated in any way for this article.
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I love using my Vitamix machine. Good to see you make a resource like this.
However, in my experience, some of those practices are not 100% correct. My thoughts:
1) Excellent point.
2) The 32 and 48 oz containers are not wider around the blades. They are shorter though, so scraping stuff out is easier. The new style 7500 and Pro 750 containers are wider at the bottom, and they do make for slightly better chopping tasks.
3) The tamper is designed to be used with the machine running. As long as the lid is in place it will not hit the blades (as long as you don’t push down with your full body weight). No need to stop the machine to use the tamper.
4) Good point. These are my favorite Vitamix recipes.
5) Using medium speed while making nut butter is the best way to overheat the motor. It won’t overheat every time, but you increase the chances by doing that. Running it at maximum speed runs the cooling fan faster so that it cools the motor more efficiently. It has a thermal protection system so you will not do permanent damage, but it’s best to blend thick things like nut butter at full speed.
Thanks for your comments on this, Adam! You’ve made some good points here.
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