FAQ - Top Answers

Check Your Speed
The Vitamix machine performs best on high speed to pulverize food and process thick mixtures.

Check Your Quantity
Processing cooked potatoes, cooked rice or cooked beans creates a heavier than normal load on the machine.  You may want to consider reducing the food quantity placed in the container by half (depending on how much food you started with) and possibly adding a bit of liquid.

Follow Order of Ingredients
When following Vitamix recipes, be sure to place ingredients into the container in the order listed.  If using your own recipe, follow this order for full-size containers: liquid ingredients first (water, juice, yogurt), followed by softer ingredients (tofu), then juicier fruits and vegetables (grapes, cucumbers), firmer fruits and vegetables (apples, carrots), frozen ingredients (frozen berries), and finally ice.  Dry ingredients like protein powders should follow the ice.

Use the Tamper
If ingredients are not freely circulating, the tamper can be used to improve the flow of food.  While the machine is running and with the lid firmly in place, insert the tamper through the lid plug opening and hold it in one of the corners of the container.  As the food travels around the side of the container, the tamper directs it right into the blades.  If there is an air pocket around the blade, the tamper will release the air pocket and create a continuous flow of food through the blades.

The Vitamix motor is designed with Automatic Overload Protection to protect itself from overheating.  If the motor overheats:

Turn the power off for up to 45 minutes, allowing the machine to cool down or reset.  Reset time will be extended if high room temperarutes exist.  To reduce the reset time, remove the container, unplug the machine, and use a hair dryer on the cool setting to   blow air into the center section of the bottom of the motor base.    

If you are still unable to start your machine, please contact customer service.