The Little Heavy-Duty Appliance You Should Consider Buying Secondhand

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Replacing an old or damaged kitchen appliance can be costly. Whether you find yourself needing a new refrigerator or dishwasher, or are just looking to upgrade your small appliances, you can end up spending way more than what you budgeted for if you limit yourself to shopping for new, name-brand appliances. Luckily, you can save hundreds of dollars on kitchen appliances by buying refurbished or second-hand appliances.

One small but mighty kitchen appliance landed on Tasting Table's list of the 10 best kitchen appliances to buy secondhand. The Vitamix is a powerhouse blender known for its durability, speed, performance, and longevity. Unfortunately, new Vitamix blenders can cost between $360 and $900, depending on the model, attachments, and accessories you choose.

By contrast, a secondhand Vitamix may still have many years left, as some satisfied owners have attested on Reddit. A refurbished or certified reconditioned Vitamix has also been carefully restored and tested for performance, will still be under warranty, and may even contain new parts — all for a fraction of the price of a new Vitamix blender. Even refurbished Vitamix blenders on Amazon have a 4.6-star rating, with customers highlighting the brand's power, quality, and value. And best of all, they cost about $100 less than a new one.

Vitamix sells certified, reconditioned blenders on its website. When you purchase these blenders directly from Vitamix, you can rest assured that you are getting a quality product that is under a three- to five-year warranty and has been meticulously refurbished according to stringent requirements, including a 17-point inspection process. The blades and containers are cleaned and sanitized with high heat or replaced if damaged. Blades over a year old are also replaced, as are any faulty components. Vitamix's reconditioned units can cost up to 30% less than a new blender, with most prices ranging from around $276 to $550, depending upon the model.

Amazon also sells Vitamix Renewed Premium products that have been carefully refurbished, inspected, and tested for quality and performance. These blenders range in price from $379.95 for a Vitamix Explorian to $449.95 for a Vitamix A2500 Ascent Series Smart Blender. When purchased new, the Vitamix Explorian costs $479.95, and the A2500 Ascent Series costs $599.95.

You can also search for used Vitamix products at estate sales, yard sales, and in second-hand stores. If you feel comfortable buying used appliances online that haven't been inspected and refurbished, you can look on your local Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace pages or on eBay, where you can find used Vitamix blenders for less than $150. eBay also has occasional listings for certified refurbished Vitamix products.