Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

March 2020 update: Just checking in to say this baby is still going strong after 2 1/2 years! 6 MONTH UPDATE: Still going strong. Since its winter I used this a little less than I once did, but still use it 2-3x a week for an occasional smoothie or margarita, and have used for soups! Still works just as good as it did on day one. 9/13/17 UPDATE: Have had this baby a month and have used it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Often, I use it twice a day. My boyfriend also uses it freuqnetly and he is kind of rough on appliances. Well, it still works AMAZINGLY. Just as good as day one. No problems what so ever. I mainly use it for smoothies - it crushes ice, frozen fruit, etc. very well. When I make green smoothies with spinach or kale, the leafy greens are always completely pulverized. I am a life-long vegetable hater, but since getting my Vitamix I've been getting my daily recomended serving every day in the form of a delicius smoothie. I'v also made some mean frozen marharits and coffee beverages. Will update again in a few months! I have a feeling I will be using this blender for years. 100% pleased with my purchase! THE SHORT REVIEW: Best purchase ever. Pros: -Certified reconditioned = literally as good as new and monumentally less money. Some of these blenders were returned without ever being opened or used. Some were used 1-2x. All have motors less than 1 yr old. - Came looking and feeling new, with a working parts, instuction manual, cookbook, and reconditioned checklist (see image). - CRUSHES ice. This was my biggest complaint for my previous blender. Makes perfect smoothies, margaritas, etc. -Easy to operate , easy to clean, easy to store (fits on counter under cabinet, cord rolls easily under appliance) -Seems like an extremely durable piece of equipment. Great for daily use. Cons: -Zero. THE LONG REVIEW: I'm a poor college student, so spending more than $100 on anything (much less a blender) had me extremely anxious. Alas, my $12 blender was on its last legs - I had to crush ice in a bag before blending it, and it smelled of burning plastic. I drink smoothies everyday so knew I needed something better. As I obsessively researched Blenders, the Vitamix kept calling to me. Time and time again I would talk myself out of it. "You can't spend $700 on a blender. Are you kidding? Keep looking." Time and time again I opted to put a mid-price blender in my Amazon cart. But...time and tine again I double checked their reviews to find complaints of even the most initially well-performing models falling apart after 1 year. I wanted a blender that would last, and I wanted a blender that was cheap. This, I realized, was a fool's errand. When I discovered Vitamix's certified reconditioned blenders I felt, at first, that they were too good to be true. But I did more research, poring over the Vitamix website, youtube video comparisons, and owner reviews. I found out that many "certified reconditioned " blenders have in fact never been used! Example: your great-grandma orders on off QVC, forgets doing so, orders another, and sends the 2nd one back. Though never opened, this returned blender is inspected and resold as certified reconditioned. Even IF used before, parts are replaced to male the blender ad good as new. No moter is over 1 yr old in a certified reconditioned vitamix. So...I decided to click "order now." I was still nervous until it arrived. But as soon as I saw it and used it I knew I'd made the best decision. My certified reconditioned Vitamix looked and smelled so pristine and new! It worked great the first time. I made a chocolate banana smoothie and it effortlessly pulverized the frozen banana and ice cubes in less than 30 seconds. The result was the smoothest smoothie I've ever had. I have used it several times and every time I am amazed! Cleanup is a breeze. Simply fill the blender halfway with warm water, add a few drops of liquid dish detergent, then blend amd rinse! Storage is also easy - it fits nicely on my counter top under my cabinets, and it's 6ft cord wraps neaty under the base. If you order a reconditioned vitamix, which I encourage, it will come with a little note and checklist explaining it. I've attached mine with my review. I intend to update this review every so often. But as of now I give ny certified reconditioned vitamix a solid 5 stars!