Most long-term raw foodists will tell you that the Vita-Mix is the most used piece of equipment in their kitchen. They may or may not tell you that their Vita-Mix has a good chance of outlasting their car and that its resale value stays high. The $450-$550 price tag is still steep, no matter how you look at it!

You can usually find a VitaMix 3600 on ebay. These were made in the 1970’s. My mom has one. It’s a kick-butt machine with extra "cool points" for being vintage. These run about $125-$150 and generally work as well as the new machines.

Vita-Mix often sells refurbished blenders that are still under the same warranty and look to be brand new. The following links only bring you to the older refurbished models when they are available. When available, this one is around $300 and this one is around $379-399.

When they are not available, you can call Barbara at Vita-Mix between 9 and 6 EST on business days. Her number is (800) 848-2649, x.2310; she will see if they have other refurbished models available. She can set you up with 3 payments and no extra fees for that convenience.

[Eva’s update May 14, 2009: I just ordered a refurbished VM that was the newest model and no shipping from using my code. It was right at $399. MUCH cheaper than the new model when it’s not refurb!]

Use coupon code 06-003381 on any Vita-Mix direct from the company to receive free shipping and to support unCooking101.com with a small affiliate commission.

If ordered directly from Vita-Mix, there is a 30-day money back guarantee.

I’m laughing as I write this because I truly did not intend for this section to be an advertisement for Vita-Mix, but it is what it is. What a GREAT piece of equipment!

Excalibur 9-tray Dehydrator The very best price I have found for this anywhere is here, even including compared to buying a refurbished model directly from Excalibur!

As for other equipment -- and Vita-Mixes as well -- look on Craig’s List, Freecycle and at local Salvation Army stores and garage sales to see what you can find.

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