I have a Vita-Mix 5000 (bought a few years ago). I purchased a shorter (4 cup) blender top that is wonderful. My sis got it for me from Vita-Mix at the state fair when she bought her machine. I keep my Vita-mix on the counter with the blender top and lid on it. It fits with a little space to spare before the upper cabinets start. (I only get the bigger top out of my cupboard when I do something like Tortilla soup, etc.) It is worth the investment!

My husband uses our vitamix every day, Mon-Fri, and my daughter is also a smoothie nut, so it lives on the counter.

When we had our kitchen re-done, we moved the cabinets up one inch. The base and mixer can fit under, but we store the top on the protein powder container, in the cabinet right over the blender.

Maybe have a taller appliance garage, with more of a hutch type of appearance? There are some nice ones that people have been designing lately...maybe on 3apple's thread or Breezy's kitchen?

When I saw Vitamix...for a second I thought of this. Sorry, but I couldn't resist posting a picture :) {{!gwi}}From Cottage house plans

Thanks for the advice!

Getting the smaller container is a good idea, we seldom fill it anyway.

As for a taller appliance cupboard, it would be a waste of space as the vitamix is the only tall thing we need to store.

I have a Blendtec and it happily sits on my counter. It gets used daily. You say it won't fit in the cabinet in 1 piece but sits on the counter in 2. Why can't you put it away in the cabinet in 2 pieces? That is what I would do.

The Vitamix is a bit taller than the Blendtec, so it doesn't on the counter under the cabinet with the blender on the base, though getting the smaller container may help with that.

I find that all the pieces that go with it, the lid, poker thingy, container, base, all end up on the counter. If it had a single convienent location to live close to where it was being used it may get put away more often between uses.

I'm going to admit something here... My DH and I are not the most tidy people! There, I said it ;) ha Seriously, we are awful at putting things away and keeping things tidy. One of my goals with my new kitchen (and new house as we are building from the ground up) is to create spaces that are easier to keep clean and tidy. That said, I'm a messy person who hates mess, I know, it doesn't make sense! I would rather not have anything live on my counter at all if I could help it!

I also bought the smaller container so that it would fit under my shelves. For a while I toyed with the idea of an appliance hideway by David Smith. I think they can make a custom hideaway if the folk style isn't a fit for your kitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: David T. Smith Appliance Hideaway

petuniatwelve & motodetroit! Those are both fantastic ideas!!!!

I simply store mine in 2 pieces in a pantry cabinet. You can put the dome lid on the base...or turn it upside down and fit it in the container.

There is a new Vitamix sold exclusively at Williams Sonoma that has a shorter, wider 64 oz carafe. It also has a pluse function!