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That was really helpful—thanks for typing it all out! I buy my almonds online in bulk but I only go through one cup of almonds every 2 days, here's the kind I use. I use so little I don't mind the expense too much. Feeding a little one this way could get super expensive though! If it makes you feel any better, you also get the lovely byproduct of almond meal, which you can use in all sorts of recipes. The recipe I linked to produces a least a cup of meal, probably more. Not to mention, the taste from homemade milk is much better than the store bought stuff :)

Sorry I am very late but for what it is worth:

Small bag of frozen blueberries. One ripe banana. Add ice and water to your ideal consistency. Viola! a simple easy to make blueberry bowl. Add toppings as you wish.

Added bonus:

Here is my go to website for recipes with my vitamix

http://healthyblenderrecipes.com/

Also try checking out the book Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko it is really beneficial to read this while owning a vitamix:

http://www.amazon.com/Green-Life-Updated-Smoothie-Nutrition/dp/155643930X

There are a few solutions that can help your problem #1. A long, narrow, rigid spatula is quite helpful for scraping things out from the bottom near the blades. I like this one, because it also has a nice long edge that is useful for scraping the sides.

If you get the 32-oz container, that can also help, since it is not as tall, which makes scraping things out slightly easier. It has essentially the same dimensions around the blades though, so it would help much for your other issues.

Another approach is to make a "clean-out" recipe after your thick blend. For example, after making nut butter, you can make a smoothie or shake, which will make use of the residual nut butter left in the container. That way you don't have to worry about scraping every last bit out, and none goes to waste. For hummus, blending up a savory soup works as a nice clean-out.

If you're looking to do small amounts then the 20oz to 8oz blending, cups/bowls will do you just fine. If it's going to be the 2500 the new ones, I'll attempt to post a link from Amazon at the bottom as it's going to be your best deal, if your kit doesnt come with the blade adapter. At Costco our reps sell the 20oz cups with no adapter for 24$ and two of the 8oz bowls for 24$.

You can do everything in the big container exactly the same though, so I'd try it without the cups as in my experience, I've used them much less than I expected.

For mayonnaise or whipped cream if you want that perfect fluff, then the AER disc container will be amazing for you!

You're always and I mean always going to get the best bang for your buck at a Costco as per our contracts with them. You cant get an amazing kit with our venturist 1200s at Costco that have everything in one package for 500$ standard and about 450$ around mother's day, with the 10 year warranty and everything!

Vitamix 62846 Ascent Series Blending Cup Starter Kit, 8 oz. with SELF-DETECT, Clear https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XKC98PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_sWQQCb2DWYBW7

I'm sure someone here can give a better answer than me. But I've owned a Ninja blender. This one, and I currently own a Vitamix.

I remember when I originally bought the Ninja. I thought "1,000 watts? Cool." and I liked the industrial design, I thought it looked serious. Once I used it for a month or so, I was less impressed. I ended up not being a big fan of the multi blade design. It really gets in the way as far as I'm concerned. Also, I found that that the lid was (in my opinion) over engineered.

The Ninja never seemed to blend anything truly smooth, like maybe it didn't reach a high enough RPM. It was fine enough for a smoothie and whatnot, but I never was impressed with the results that I expected. To be as loud as it was, it seemed like it should be doing more.

What ultimately did it in was one day when I was blending up some ice, and the blades caused a piece of ice to knock a hole in the pitcher. I didn't think it was worth the cost of a new pitcher. I ended up buying a refurbished Vitamix on Amazon for $329. I'm really happy with it, and I find that I use it a lot more than I used my Ninja blender.

I understand if that is more than you want to pay for a blender. It's not for everyone. However, if I were going to buy a blender, and my budget was in the $100 range, I wouldn't go with a Ninja again. I'd search around for something else.

Yikes, my first ever comment about something I can't live without. Smoothies!
I use an insulated steel bottle with a perfectly wide mouth made by thermos. Add a couple cubes of ice to an already cold smoothie and it stays cold till the evening if need be.

I hand wash this bottle with a bit of soap and a bottle brush. The trick is to rinse it out as soon as you finish the smoothie, makes it super easy to clean.

Here's a link on amazon, mine is an older model from about 4 years ago
Thermos 18-Ounce Stainless Steel Hydration Bottle, White
http://amzn.com/B0057FQVYC

I know most of y'all are already owners, so wanted to share this Amazon review of The Perfect Mix with ya:

I have a Vitamix and this book is perfect to remind us just what this machine can do ...

I have a Vitamix and this book is perfect to remind us just what this machine can do and why what it does is so important - to our health and to our lives. Thank you to the authors for making something that is so easy to read but packed with information. THANK YOU!

I purchased a Costco membership for $50 and used a coupon code from retailmenot.com to get a $10 off cash card useful towards any purchase with any new membership.

It took 2 weeks for the cash card to arrive. When it did, I bought the VitaMix 5200 Ultimate Package online. When the machine arrived I canceled the membership for a full refund. They are very easy going about canceling a membership. With free shipping and tax the total was $666, after the refund the total came to $616. The knife they include in the package sells for around $90 new on Amazon. It comes in it's own sealed package, if I can sell it for $60-$70 on ebay that would bring the total investment down to $546-$556. That is a huge savings considering you get the 64 oz wet container, a 32 oz wet and a 32 oz dry container. The 32 oz containers retail for $150 from VM and $100 from a Costco affiliate.

I think this will answer some of your questions. http://nymag.com/strategist/amp/article/refurbished-vitamix-blender-good-deal.html

Also it’s only $10 more from Amazon if you want the peace of mind that the warranty will be honored as well as Amazon’s return policy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01688AFFC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pVmzCb78HHAGR

You might try searching/asking this over at /r/askscience. Although, unfortunately, good scientific research on diet questions like this might be pretty lacking and inconclusive.

My non-scientific observation is that, unlike the stuff you buy on the juice aisle at your supermarket, homemade smoothies are not filtered don't necessarily have extra sugar added to them. The format can still make it pretty easy to consume several portions of fruit in a matter of seconds, and the fact that it's blended means your gut would absorb it faster than whole fruit, which combined could cause a spike in blood sugar. Personally, I avoid putting anything that has high levels of sugar (other than fruit, obviously), and add plenty of veggies, greens, nuts, etc to give it a milder flavor. Then I put it in one of these and sip it throughout the day rather than gulping it down in one sitting.

Thanks for the tip!

I got a refurbished 7500 ("Creations Elite") and I agree about the noise level. It's a tiny bit louder than the Oster it replaced but the quality difference is out of this world. The Oster was never able to blend things like apples and spinach into anything smaller than fine chunks but the Vitamix has blown through everything I've thrown at it and turned it into a smooth, uniform consistency within seconds.

It's a nice-to-have, which is significantly less nice because of being overcharged for it. I mean look, this ENTIRE Ninja personal system costs half of just this accessory for doing the same job. Sure the blade isn't as good but it has a whole motor in there too. I love my Vitamix, which is why I paid a ton for it already and don't want to store EXTRA blenders for lesser jobs - but I don't like being wallet-raped either. It's a really narcissistic move.

I bought this sound mat from amazon. Works pretty well!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C3DFX3U/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_C7GqDbXHKKA7J

I got mine from Amazon cause I have 2 day prime and couldn't wait but it can be found cheaper here with free shipping

I found these for like $5 that made it a little easier. https://www.amazon.com/Handy-Caddy-Sliding-Counter-Tray/dp/B003LQZKIC/ref=pd_sim_79_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6TYQ336H0QG58RSW0BK7

You can buy a retainer nut wrench for about 7 dollars which will allow you to clean the stuff off. There are videos about how to disassemble it. You might want to replace the blade too because it looks bent.

https://www.amazon.com/Vitamix-15596-Wrench/dp/B0028Y4CVO

I thought it was $100, but maybe that's just at the road shows. That's where I saw the one without the container, and the demo lady told me it was a better deal to buy it separately, so I never checked.

But, FWIW, Amazon Prime has it for $100 with the recipe book.

Thanks. Ive been looking at the standard without programs. When I checked the seller, it is Amazon, not vitamix.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LBFUKIA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_d.bzCb68VZPZ3

https://www.amazon.com/Vitamix-5300-Blender-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B01688AFFC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1509891331&sr=8-1&keywords=5300+vitamix

$259 this morning

I got a reconditioned from vitamix via Amazon because I had a bunch of gift cards. I looked HARD for signs of prior use, but there weren't any. Couldn't be happier.

edit: this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LBFUKIA/