For the best smoothies, try the Costco Vitamix 6500, the new and improved version of the 6300. It has a higher rated motor than the 6300, weighing in at a whopping 2.2 horsepower - that’s enough to pull a carriage! For smoothie lovers, the Vitamix is the go-to brand, dating all the way back to 1937.
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In 2014, 88% of smoothie cafes in the U.S used a Vitamix, so it’s almost synonymous with those delicious creamy smoothies you can get while out and about. It’s also virtually famous, after appearing in the very first infomercial, it has also been featured on numerous tv shows, such as Chef, Blackish and This is Us.
Even celebrities love Vitamix for helping keep up a healthy lifestyle. Gwyneth Paltrow uses her Vitamix to create healthy soups with “no added cream”, as well as “extra light” smoothies, healthy homemade dressing, and even breadcrumbs. You can also make vegan soups using a handful of nuts as a base, to create a rich and creamy, dairy-free alternative.
The Review
Breaking Down The Goods & Hardware
- Here’s a quick summary of what comes with the Vitamix 6500 and minor details as well.
- 10 Manual Speed Settings
- A Dedicated Pulse Switch
- 3 Auto Presets
- Low-Profile Tamper
- Low-Profile 64-ounce Wet/Dry Container
- 7-year Warranty
- 6-foot Power Cord
- Weight: 11.95 lbs.
- Dimensions: 17.3” X 8.8” X 7.3”
- 2.2 Horsepower Motor
Benefits & Features
The new features of the Costco Vitamix 6500 make it a competitor with Vitamixes designed for professional use, such as the Pro 750, which is almost identical, and the Vitamix 7500.
The extra horsepower of the new motor opens up the possibilities of making homemade nut butters, from whatever your favorite nuts are. Don’t stop at the classics, like peanut butter, you can also try making your own cashew nut butter, or even experiment with pistachios, macadamia nuts or superfood walnuts, for a unique nut butter you can’t easily buy in the stores.
The Costco Vitamix 6500 is also a great blender option for making your own sorbets and ice-creams at home, as it is powerful enough to blend frozen ice.
The Costco Vitamix 6500 is styled with the wide 64 ounce container, which is much better for personal use at home, as it fits in a standard kitchen cabinet. When compared to the Vitamix models with taller containers, which are designed for professional use, the Costco Vitamix 6500 is much more convenient for family meals and creating blow-away dishes while entertaining, such as purees. The Costco Vitamix 6500 has longer blades because of being shorter and wider. They measure a full inch longer than the taller models’ 3-inch blades. The longer blades and low profile shape mean that whatever you are blending doesn’t move around the container as much, making blending quieter, and the container doesn’t move worryingly when the blades are on, like some of the high powered blenders on the market. There’s also the added benefit of not having to tamp down the contents as much to get a super smooth blend.
THE CORE
The 6500 utilizes a low-profile 64-ounce container. The fact that it is shorter makes it easy to store in and on top of cabinets and countertops while still yielding as much product as, let’s say, the 5300 model which is tall and slender.
4-inch stainless steel blades are a great addition to the Vitamix. You can chop, dice, and blend items faster and more efficiently.
The 2.2 horse powered motor allows users to add tough-skinned fruits and vegetables with ease, as well as, blending fresh peanut and other nut butters from fresh raw nuts.
When they say fast they mean fast! A majority of the recipes that accompany the Vitamix 6500 can be processed in 60 seconds or less.
FUNCTIONS
The functions of the Vitamix 6500 are similar to the previous models with advantages and upgrades of course!
Variable speed control settings allow you to make anything from smooth purees to chinky salsas.
3 automatic preset modes: Smoothies - Frozen Desserts - Hot Soup. All you have to do is add the desired ingredients, selects the preset setting of choice, tamp the fruits/vegetables, and let the machine mix the magic.
Frozen treats, smoothies, and soup ?!? That’s right! The Vitamix 6500 being a 2.2 horsepower means it works hard, fast, and it also generates a lot of heat especially with the longer and more continuously it’s used. This heat is put to good use when it comes to making soups. No worries! The Vitamix has a self-cooling motor that sucks in the cool air around it and blows it over the motor in order to cool it off so that it will continue to function properly and to high standards.
Pro's
- Three pre-programmed settings, making it easier to make smoothies, hot soups and frozen desserts at the press of a button.
- Variable Speed, this allows you to control the speed of the blades with precision, so that you can make things the exact texture you want, from chunky purees to smooth nut butters, whatever you crave is easier to achieve.
- The low profile 64 ounce container. It’s great for preparing large and medium batches of food, which is perfect for families or those who entertain ofen. You can process 3 cups of food at a time with the Costco Vitamix 6500!
Con's
- Standard 2.2 hp motor. Despite having one of the most powerful motors made by Vitamix, the 6500 model does not have the latest suspended motor, which is said to be 40% quieter.
- Standard housing. Some people love the old school design of the classic Vitamix blenders, but as the 6500 comes in the older style, it doesn’t feature suction pads on the bottom. However, this doesn’t affect its functionality at all.
Vitamix 6500 VS 5300
Compared to the Vitamix 5300, the 6500 model is a total upgrade. It has the power to do some really intensive blending of hard foods, like nuts. Both models have an incredible pulse feature that works even at peak speeds, meaning that it needs to be tamped much less. However, the Costco Vitamix 6500 also has longer, 4 inch blades, which help with tackling tricky ingredients quickly and effortlessly. The blades themselves have also been upgraded to ones laser-cut from hammer-milled stainless steel. The container design of the 6500 model has also been improved from the 5300, which was difficult to use because the handle could not be moved fully to the side for pouring.
Vitamix 6500 VS 7500
The main difference between the 6500 and the 7500 models is the motor. The 7500 has an upgraded suspended motor. Although it is actually still the same power as the 6500, at 2.2 hp, the 7500 is quieter than the 6500. However, the 7500 does not have any pre-programmed settings, compared to the three you get with the Vitamix 6500. Both have illuminated control panels. Both have ten variable speeds and pulse features, but the container of the 6500 has been designed to facilitate making nut butters, and it definitely works better for that purpose!
Vitamix 6500 VS 750
Unlike the Costco Vitamix 6500, the Pro 750 has five pre-programmed settings, instead of the three that come with the 6500 model. With the 750 model, you can also tackle hot soups without cooling them first, before blending. This is designed for people in the restaurant industry as it saves time, and makes the soups fresher. However, the 750 model also has a clip-on lid so that you don’t have to worry about hot contents exploding out if the lid gets loose.
The other added setting is self-cleaning, which again is designed to be convenient for professionals who use their blenders several times a day. However, if you’re a smoothie addict, you might want to consider it for its quickness. The only problem is that because of the self-clean setting, the container is not dishwasher safe. It is difficult to clean around the blades at the base because you can’t just throw it in the dishwasher.
In terms of styling, the Vitamix 750 only has symbols for the options. Whereas the 6500 has both words and symbols, making it a little easier to understand and use if you are new to Vitamix.The vitamix 750 is also a little too large to fit in most kitchen cabinets, and struggles with making smoothies from frozen fruits, as they come out more like ice-cream. However, the 750 does have more functions than the vitamix 6500, with everything from chop, cream, liquify, beat, heat and puree.
FAQ
Why are there black specks in my food from using the Vitamix 7500 and Pro 750?
A small number of reviews online mention finding black specks after using the Vitamix 7500 and 750. Vitamix has said that this is just carbon and completely safe. However, at other times they have also suggested that it might be grease from the engine, but that is also safe. It is also possible that the black specks are from only using the ‘self clean’ function, and not properly cleaning the base around the blade between use.
Which Vitamix model is best for home use?
You can use some of the lower end Vitamix models for home use. However, if you are an adventurous home cook you might want to consider upgrading to the 2.2 horsepower motor, found in the Costco Vitamix 6500. It can tackle almost every ingredient, and has easy preset programs for trying something new, like making your own ice-cream. But, it still fits in a kitchen cabinet and is convenient for using at home.
What warranty comes with the Costco Vitamix 6500?
There is a fantastic seven year warranty with all Vitamix models, you can get your blender fixed or replaced if the worst should happen.
