LATEST-Update June 9, 2015
If your Vitamix is within Warranty period, they will supply you with the Revised Container..
No known Retail Vitamixes comes with the Revised Container, so you will still have to call them if you purchase from a brick-n-mortar.Ok.. So.. Way back in April of 2014, it was discovered that Vitamix blending blade-hubs shed black teflon particles INTO the mix.
97% of online users who saw the major threads over @ slickdeals reported black-dust-positive.
Today, I've received 2 replacement containers from Vitamix, under the promise that they are "FIXed" and black dust free.
I am happy to report that, this is INDEED the case.If you take a look at the pictures below.. The black seal ring is now made of a SOFT-er rubber material, and the central post makes direct contact with it.
The seal between the central post and the black ring, is done via what Vitamix will tell you is a FOOD-SAFE lubricant.
As you can see, this lubricant (white stuff around the ring) will get into your food, albeit, in small amounts.
There's no way to make this type of seal work without the lube, so, that's always how it's gonna be.
Originally there were 2 issues with the old hub.. the Original black cap was of a hard material, and would disintegrate upon use.
This was what caused the black specs to enter the blend.
The second issue was, the original blade hub, also allowed SOME lubricant to get into the mix. in the previous case, the lubricant was (black) and was visible during prolonged blends.
The new lubricant seems to be all White, which, means even if it got into your blend, it will be invisible.
With this new hub, Vitamix has rectified the Teflon-Black-dust situation, and took care of the aesthetic Black-lubricant situation.
UPDATE 04/17/2014: Pictures attached to post, last 2 photos are of the black bits poured over a porcelain plate..
Received brand new replacement blade and container..
Ran the same test, blended clear water, poured into white table-plate..
I got black-dust on the first 2 runs... 4 minute blends per run.. scrubbed and rinsed between each blend cycle.
3rd run, still black dust
4th run, still black dust..
sigh....
To Halverson:
When you tested..
Did you pour the water into a non-textured white plate, and let the black dust settle out..
They are very fine/small, if the water was moving at all, you would NOT be able to see them.. Original post Below:Ok.. one of the primary reasons I got the vitamix instead of a blendtec, is because i read reviews of the blade mechanism on the blendtec chewing up the rubber gasket, causing small disintegrated rubber bits to invade one's drinks..
I recived my vitamix today... FIRST TEST... clear water...
Blended clear water for 3 minutes..
I then poured the clear water over a porcelain white plate..
and BEHOLD.... Little black bits of rubber. small but very much present.
I thought, well.. it's new.. so lets use some soapy water and cycle it a few more times..
5 soapy water / clear water cycles later...
Still Little black bits visible in a 3 minute blend test of clear water.. sigh...
Called, Vitamix.. the lady admits that this has been a pervasive problem in the blenders and they know about it..
She's sending me a new jar and blade which will arrive in 2 days..
I have continued to blend clear water ... about 15 gallons worth now... and I clean and scrubbed the jar each time to make sure detection was not residue from previous blend cycles.
THere's still black bits... after all the testing...
I have a theory as to why this is the case.. but the picture is too complex to draw atm...
Can anyone else with a vitamix test this ??
blend up some clear water... then pour into a white plate, check for little black bits.