Update: This QVC deal is over. For the best deals right now, check out the Certified Reconditioned models.
QVC is running a one-day-only sale on the Vitamix 7500 13-in-1 Under Cabinet Variable Speed Blender today, August 17th, 2014. How does this “Today’s Special Value” (TSV) compare to other Vitamix deals?
If you want a detailed description of the differences between all of the different Vitamix models, check out my Vitamix comparison page.
Usually I recommend reconditioned models as the best deal, but this TSV gives the reconditioned units a run for their money. If you want a Next Generation machine, this deal is only $10 more than the Reconditioned Next Generation. QVC usually offers Vitamix machines with 5-year warranties, but this TSV comes with the same 7-year warranty that most new Vitamix models come with. (Reconditioned machines come with a 5-year warranty.)
For August 17 2014 only, here are my top shopping recommendations:
- If your budget is tight, skip the 7500 and get a Reconditioned Standard for only $329.
- If you want to go for Next Generation: go with the Vitamix 7500 13-in-1 TSV for $469.
- If you want truly top-of-the-line (with preset modes), go for the Pro 750 either reconditioned for $519 or new for $639.
You can read about the differences on my Vitamix comparison page, but I’d like to stress one important point: The wide container of 7500 does not work well for small volumes. The wide container starts to have problems when you go under 2 cups of blended product. You can go down to 1 cup, but it splashes a lot and can have trouble circulating ingredients. For these reasons, if you frequently blend under 2 cups, I recommend buying an additional narrow container to go with the 7500. Both the 32-oz container and the 48-oz container work for this purpose (I prefer the 32-oz container because it’s smaller, but some people prefer the 48-oz container for it’s versatility–they both have the same narrow bottom that works well with low volumes).
If you want to blend small volumes and don’t want to have to buy an extra container, go for one of the Standard Vitamix machines. As I mentioned above, my first pick is the Reconditioned Standard. However, if you have 18-inch cabinets and want your blender to fit under them, you might want to go for a Vitamix Creations II 48-oz model instead.
Note that Vitamix has a more generous return policy than QVC. They both have a no-questions-asked, 30-day, full-refund trial period, but QVC will charge you the return shipping, whereas Vitamix will pay return shipping so you are not charged a penny.
This TSV comes with two smoothie cups that are solid, but small (15 oz). I usually drink my smoothies in a single serving, but if I were to take one on the road I would want a bigger cup. The TSV also comes with an extra cookbook, but I wouldn’t value that too much given how many free recipes are available on sites like this one.
If you like quirky colors, QVC has a wider color selection than anywhere else. This time around the new color is a green “lemongrass.” QVC also has a better payment plan than Vitamix. QVC offers 6 equal payments at no extra charge, whereas Vitamix only offers 3 payments and charges an extra $15. (To use the Vitamix payment plan you must place a phone order)
Vitamix 13-in-1?
If you’re wondering what “13-in-1” refers to; it is the number of appliances that QVC and Vitamix say that the Vitamix 7500 can replace. Here are the 13 appliances:
- Whole food juicer
- Ice cream maker
- Hot soup maker
- Blender
- Cheese grater
- Chopper
- Meat grinder
- Ice crusher
- Peanut butter maker
- Stick blender
- Food processor
- Hand mixer
- Fondue maker
What a timely post. I came right to this site this morning to try to once again review my options and get your opinion and here you are addressing the exact issue. 🙂 I have been agonizing over purchasing a Vitamix for over a year. I happen to come across this special on QVC and once again became excited about purchasing one. I had borrowed a friends standard vitamix. For some reason I had difficulty removing ice cream/ nut butter etc from the bottom of the tall narrow container. I was excited to see the shorter wider container and felt that might be the way to go. I would use mine for of course smoothies but also for soups, nut butters, sorbets etc. It’s too early for me to think this through but other than marinades, sauces etc. are there other popular recipes that use less than two cups of ingredients? All of these with the exception of the sauces I would think would be using more than two cups of ingredients. But now that is my anxiety point. Do I go with the standard that does it all but it not as user friendly for me or with the shorter container but risk losing out on using it for those recipes that call for less than two cups. I am not sure this makes sense I am sure this is a petty issue for most but if I am going to invest in a long term piece of equipment I want to make sure I am getting what I will use.
Did you have a good spatula when you were borrowing your friend’s machine? You want something long, narrow, and relatively narrow to scrape around the blades. (The Vitamix-brand spatulas work great.) Yes, the shorter containers are easier to scrape stuff out of, but with the right tool, I don’t think the tall narrow container is too bad.
I’d say the most common low-volume use is for people who make single-serving smoothies and prefer a small smoothie. If you want to make certain sauces or salad dressings, those may also be low volume. Another place I use the narrow container is for making sorbet for two people. With the wide container I would have to make significantly more than we would want in a single sitting, and sorbet is best straight out of the blender.
As I mentioned, many people end up getting a 7500 with an additional 32-oz container if they want to blend small volumes without any compromises.