Garbage That GOO!

R.I.P. Vita-Mix Maxi-4000

About a month ago, my twenty year old Vita-Mix Maxi-4000 blender started showing signs of imminent death. I started seeing chunks of ice, fruit, even spinach left in my smoothies, the motor didn't sound good at all and it was starting to emit some nasty burning smells.

I was immediately sad. I used this kitchen appliance daily, sometimes more than once a day. It ground my flax seeds and made my smoothies and protein shakes. I've made fresh applesauce in it, ground wheat berries to flour and more. Truth is, I barely tapped the full potential of the machine while I owned it, but for what it did do well, it was super! And it provided such a neat retro look in my kitchen.

If you are familiar with Vita-Mix blender models at all, I'm sure the first thing you are thinking is "WHY is she writing a review/obituary on a 20 YEAR OLD MACHINE?"

I'm not entirely crazy... yes, this model is OLD, but I've heard of machines that have lasted as long as thirty years with daily usage! Furthermore, there is a thriving trade in old Vita-Mix blenders, parts and accessories on eBay. It's possible to find barely used or even like new machines with all stickers intact! Given the high price of a brand new model, many folks DO search for these older models! You can still buy replacement parts for the 4000, including Action Domes and seals and in fact, Vita-Mix will still repair the Maxi-4000 motor bases for $110. So I hope that shoppers for used equipment find this information useful.

Besides... I was fond of my Vita-Mix 4000, it had served me long and well. Respect is due. I am the kind of person who buys quality, takes care of it and has her stuff last for many years.

With the death of my 4000 coming, I knew I'd like to upgrade to the new 5200 model. Fortunately, my wonderful husband said I could for my birthday! Needless to say, he is now reaping the food rewards! Vita-Mix offers a $75 credit trade-in program on some models including the 4000 and they don't have to be working!

Why I bought my Vita-Mix 4000

I guess I've always had a streak of health consciousness in me, in spite of my weight issues. The idea of juicing to get extra veggies in appealed to me way back when. Now, these days, I'd just as soon eat my veggies. But I still like making smoothies and incorporating some veggies and fruits in them.

Twenty years ago, I went out and bought the Juiceman juicer and was unimpressed. The amount of produce you had to feed it to get a single glass of juice was appalling and out of the range of my grocery budget! And then, there was all that leftover fiber, which seemed like such a waste! Nor was it a particularly easy appliance to clean up. The Juiceman was returned to Macy's the very same week.

Having seen the Vita-Mix ads and liking the idea of not losing the valuable fiber from my fruits and veggies, I decided to take the plunge and bought my Vita-Mix 4000 in 1988. Never regretted the purchase!

Does this appliance DO what they say it can?

Yeah, well, "mostly" was my verdict. Face it, it's a blender. A very powerful and well-built blender! So it does blender type tasks REALLY SUPERBLY WELL. For other tasks, perhaps not quite as well as a more dedicated kitchen appliance might accomplish them.

It *is* the supreme smoothie machine, no question! It handled everything I threw at it all these years, from all fruit smoothies to my protein shakes. Toss in a cored but not peeled apple... you get a smoothie with no trace of peel. Put in a handful of spinach, other than the green color, you'd never know. Handled ice cubes with nary a problem.

Chopping tasks were a slight disappointment. Oh, the 4000 did it, but who likes to have to drain their cabbage after wet chopping it? Not me. Dry chopping was a little hit and miss, I felt my Cuisinart DLC-8 simply did that better.

Grinding flax seeds into meal and wheat berries into flour... great job! Both got accomplished quickly. I made a lot of bread in my Zojirushi bread machine with whole wheat flour from my Vita-Mix. I did try kneading the dough in the Vita-Mix once... but that was tricky and I never tried it again. Easier to let the bread machine do it.

Let's see... yep, the machine made soft serve frozen desserts just fine. Fresh applesauce was easy and a treat! I made peanut butter at least once, but decided it was a little more effort to clean up than it was worth. I buy the kind you stir in jars now and am happy enough. Making simple hot soups... yep, did that OK too! Same for mixing pancake batters. I never tried about half of the tasks they mention!

The thing I think I have liked most, besides the FAST smoothies, is the SHEER EASE AND SPEED OF CLEAN-UP! This machine is its own dishwasher. I just rinse it, fill with hot water, add a couple drops of Dawn liquid detergent and run it for a minute then rinse out the soapy water. No disassembly of blades from container. You can literally fix your smoothie and clean your blender in mere minutes. However... don't put your Action Dome in the dishwasher. Mine developed a lot of fine cracks after doing that!

OTOH... if you are the sort who will not clean things up immediately, then the Vita-Mix may not be for you. I don't want to think of how tough it might be to clean under those blades if one ever let food thoroughly dry on them! I'm sure it could be done, but it wouldn't be easy.

Two aspects of the 4000 model I did not like

The standard container has a spigot. Well, honestly, I found that annoying. You had to rinse it out each time you cleaned the container, plus, when grinding wheat berries or flax seeds, some would inevitably get trapped in the spigot and it took an extra step to remove the container from the base to knock them out into the flour, then resume grinding. I ended up buying a separate, no spigot container, which is the one pictured above! The newer models eliminated the spigot "feature" and I say good riddance! Unfortunately, the spigot-less steel containers are hard to come by.

I can also say that these machines are NOISY! My new one is better, but they are still quite loud. Hearing protection might not be a bad idea.

Shopping for a used machine

Now, if anyone is thinking of buying a used Vita-Mix on eBay or Craigslist, be a careful and cautious shopper. Both venues can be a GREAT source for used equipment, but you've got to do your homework and ask questions. If you are confused about the older models, try giving Vita-Mix customer service a call. They are amazingly helpful!

On eBay, try if possible to deal with sellers who have no worse than 99% feedback. Ask about whether the seller guarantees the item in working condition. Ask about return policies. Pay with a credit card if at all possible. Though the containers are stainless steel, ask if there are rust spots or dried on food. Ask if the container has been checked for leaks or if the Action Dome has cracks. Ask if the spigot is working. Ask if the motor works in both forward and reverse and if the speed switch works properly. Be wary if pictures are unclear or the seller does not fully answer your questions! A bargain is only a bargain if you get the working, clean item you pay for!

Prices can vary quite widely depending on condition and how much original equipment comes with the machine, but expect to pay between $100-$250 for a 4000 model.

I'd recommend the Maxi-4000 as the last stainless steel model made, it has the well-known "12 point drive" that is still in use today on the new 5200 model. I think the 3600+ also had the 12 point drive, but I'm not entirely sure. You can still get parts for the 4000 and 3600+ models direct from Vita-Mix. One of the drawbacks to the older stainless steel machines is that you must regularly replace the seals for the Action Dome lids. That necessity has been eliminated with the newer machines.

The 5000 model is a great choice if you want to spend a little more and don't mind a polycarbonate container and more modern look. Having gotten the new 5200, I can safely say I love it even MORE than my 4000 both for function and appearance! It's truly nice being able to see what's going on inside the blender, especially with things like grinding and frozen desserts.

I'll review the Vita-Mix Super 5200 at a later date, but so far I'm thrilled!