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Apparently sometime last year an executive at Vitamix walked into the engineering department with a brick and said “I’d like to blend this”. What was created from that moment, was the most powerful blender on the market, the Vitamix XL.
I got the chance to see this blender in action at the NAFEM show a couple of weeks ago. The Vitamix booth had the XL front and center along with some chefs doing menu demonstrations and then passing out the results.
It was pretty amazing the things this blender can do. At one point a pico de gallo was made, handed out to the crowd and then with the flick of the switch turned into a puree almost instantly. You could visibly see the chef’s enjoyment over using such a powerful piece of kitchen equipment.
Up until now, if you needed a food blender most likely you would be shopping for a Waring CB15 or Vitamix Vita Prep which are significantly less expensive than the Vitamix XL. So what are you getting for that extra dough?
- Larger capacity: The XL features a true 1.5 gallon container as opposed to a 1 gallon container. The way this container was designed allows for it to actually hold a full 1.5 gallons. Also included is a 64 oz container for smaller batches.
- Horse Power: 4.2 peak HP. For comparison, that’s most likely more than your kid’s go-cart.
- Control: Features include a smooth variable speed control, a pulse function and pre-programmed timed cycles that allow you to set programs for your various menu items.
- Food Safety: The clear copolyester container is BPA free.
In addition to all the usual features and benefits talk, the Vitamix XL is just plain cool. Walking into the kitchen everyday and seeing this monster of a blender is sure to put a smile on any chef’s face and cutting down on prep time is certain to make any owner happy. So happy in fact, he or she might let you take it home at night to whip up some margaritas for you and your friends.
this blender would be a crowd pleaser at your next pool party. I’m interested to see if this product has a true fit in the chef’s kitchen and the owners wallet!
I’m very interested in hearing more from people with experience with this blender. It looks like it’s been out for a year or so now and I don’t hear that much about it. The 1.5 gallon capacity is appealing, but how powerful is it? I know that the the 20 amp blendtec blenders can blend some pretty thick creamy ingredients without being bogged down, but unfortunately only half the capacity. What happens when you load this machine up with a challenging load? Obviously in practice we want to add ingredients slowly and not overload, but can this machine make nut butters or coconut creams or thick creamy dips?
This machine was a total let down. After much research, I decided to take the plunge and purchase($1600 for a blender, ouch!) Anyways, it seemed great, blending capacity is awesome. The construction of the unit was very poor. Housing cracked within two weeks of light usage. The company was very cool about it and replaced promptly, new one cracked, same place, after three days of use. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS MACHINE.
Sorry to hear about your bad experience Derek. Thanks for sharing with others who are looking at this blender!
And now four months later, my third XL is broken. This machine is such a failure. Time to send it back again.
Hi Derek,
What part of your XL keeps breaking? Tell us some more about your experiences with this blender!