Vitamix Vita-Mix 5006 (VM0100A) Drink Machine,Black

I bought it from La Costa Gourmet here on amazon. This is a commercial vitamix blender that coffee/smoothie shops use to make dozens of drinks a day.After a lot of research (reviews, youtube videos, friends, etc...) I realized that you get what you pay for. I paid $385+shipping (june 2013), but I've seen the drink machine form $385-$600... if you find it for $385 to $485, it's a good deal in my opinion.I ordered from La Costa Gourmet and they gave me a choice of the regular silver vitamix drink machine w/ 1 jar or the big train black/burgundy model w/ two jars. I chose the big train because it came with two 32oz jars. I also like the black color too.I think this is a great deal from La Costa Gourmet, especially if you consider that you get TWO 32oz jars with the "advance" blade (a 32oz jar w/ advance blade cost about $120-$150 ! ! ! ). I'll add some pictures so you can see the unit I got; it is not the one shown on the amazon picture.How did I go from a $40 blender to a $400 blender?Well, I thought my $40 blender could do smoothies but it was too much work and I got tired of it. It would not blend frozen fruit well even if I ran for over a minute. Sometimes it would overheat too. So, I decided to look for a better blender and did a lot of research.The Ninja, Nitribullet, etc... all seemed like good options at first, but after watching a couple of youtube videos that showed that many "cheaper" blenders have cheap plastic parts made in China, I decided to keep looking... Yes, the cheap-china blenders cost 1/2 of what you usually pay for a vitamix like this one, but you get a blender that is 10X better built with metal parts made in the USA. I've taken a few pictures that I will try to post here that show the gears, blades, etc...Now a little bit more about the blender...32oz JAR: I got the one with a 32oz jar because I thought the 64oz was just too big; I only do 2-4 drinks at the time and the 32oz works perfect for what I need to do. It also like that it is short and fits under the cabinet. The jars also come with the new "advance" blade. The lid is very nice and seals everything very well. The 32oz jar is shorter and wider on the bottom... I think that helps blend things better too.POWER: A LOT of power. I can make smoothies in about 20seconds with frozen fruit; my old blender would take over a minute and still leave big pieces. I've seen people blending entire avocados w/ pit in seconds... I cant image any home user needing any more power than this. I've also used it to make soup. It is so powerful and spins so fast (I think it's 37,000 spins/minute) it actually heats up the soup if you run it for a minute or two.COOLING/DURABILITY: This is a commercial unit that is designed to "cool" very well. after all, a lot of bars, smoothie shops, etc... use it to make dozens of drinks a day. Again, I cant imagine any home user ever having any problems with this unit overheating or simply not lasting.SETTINGS: The drink machine is designed to make drinks, so the 6 settings/programs run the unit in different ways for about 20-30 seconds depending which program you choose. One runs fast for 20 seconds, another starts slow, then goes fasters for 25 seconds, etc... The 6 programs available should be more than enough for 99% of users... There is also a "pulse" switch (the one on the right).CLEANING: It is very easy to clean this unit after use. I just put a little bit of water and run the blender for a few seconds. I think the 32oz jar is also easier to clean than the 64oz jar.what about the other vitamix for home use?They are great blenders too. I think the also come with a recipe book and longer warranty. I chose this commercial unit because La Costa Gourmet offered TWO 32oz jars and I don't need the recipe book. The shorter warranty is not a factor. I believe the commercial unit has a shorter warranty only because 'commercial" blenders are expected to be used/abused 100X more than home units. I also chose this commercial unit because it has a better cooling fan and has the 6 easy-to-use programs. The black/burgundy color was also a plus.If you are reading this review, my best advice is to do your own research and do NOT fall for gimmicks or cheap offers. Not everyone can afford to spend $400 for a blender, but if you can save enough money to buy the vitamix... do yourself a big favor and buy it. The worst thing you can do is buy a cheap-china blender and then realize you now have to throw it in the trash and get the Vitamix... Another very good blender is the Blentec. It is also an expensive blender, but I just think the vitamix was a better choice for me.I've been a amazon customer for over a decade and this is my first review. I'm not affiliated with La Costa Gourmet or Vitamix. I'm very impressed with this blender and glad it is made in the USA.

Easy use

Just as I spected...

Loudest blender ever!!! Hate it!

Excelente

Amazing machine it makes smoothies in seconds. Pulverizes all the greens. Worth the money

Love, love this blender. It makes great smoothies.

It's very good