GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Maintenance Tips
•
Never bang the container against a surface to loosen the ingredients.
Remove the container from the base and use a rubber spatula to remove thick
mixtures from the bottom of your container.
•
Never shake or rattle a container while in use.
•
Never remove the container before the machine has come to a complete stop.
•
Never start the motor before the container is in place.
8
Blending Tips
1. If your ingredients freeze up, try reducing the amount of ice.
Compared to other blenders, you do not need as much ice to
make an equally frozen drink in a Vitamix XL™ blender.
2. Place liquids and soft foods in your container first.
Hard items and ice should be placed last.
3. Whole, hard or frozen ingredients should be small. Solid frozen fruit
is extremely difficult to blend. For best results, use semi-frozen fruit.
Using same-size batches of semi-frozen fruit and ice will keep your
drinks consistent. If you notice chunks, reevaluate the batch size.
4. When creating recipes, always allow for enough liquid
to ease the blending process. For recipes with minimal
liquid, use the Variable Speed Dial to run the machine
on its lowest setting until it is processing smoothly.
5. When using the 1.5 gal. / 5,6 L container,
both hands should be used when pouring.
Slide one hand under the spout and use the
other hand to hold the handle (Figure A).
6. When blending hot product, gloves and long
sleeves should be worn when pouring (Figure A).
7. Start blending on low and increase to high. Processing
recipes on high allows for efficient motor cooling.
8. If a recipe requires processing heavy blends at low
settings, there is an increased possibility of engaging the thermal protector.
To avoid thermal protector shutdown, when the motor seems to be heating-up,
stop the machine and remove the container from the base. Turn the machine on high
and let the machine run without the container. This will circulate air around
the motor housing cooling the motor.
9
IMPORTANT NOTES!
The automatic overload protection shuts the motor off to protect the motor.
The motor may stop working if it is overloaded or overheated.
If the motor shuts off, it could be due to:
• Recipe being too thick
• Recipe having too many ingredients in it
• Recipe was being processed too long at too low a speed
If the motor shuts off, review your processing techniques and your instructions.
Resettable Circuit Breaker:
When the circuit breaker pops out, it does so to
protect the motor from electrical overload. If this occurs, it can be easily reset by
gently pushing it back into place.
Thermal Protector:
The thermal protector may shut the motor off to protect
it from overheating. To restart, wait for motor to cool down with the power off
(up to 45 minutes). Cooling may be quickened by placing the motor base in a
cool spot. (Unplug first.) To speed up the process, try circulating the air with
a vacuum or fan aimed at the bottom of the base. If the motor seems to be
overheating but the thermal overload protector has not turned the machine
off, stop the machine and remove the container from the base. Set the dial to #10
for the Variable Speed machine or press the pulse switch for the Programmable
machine. Turn the machine on and let the machine run for 1 minute. Be careful
never to touch any moving parts while in use. If both protection devices are
activated, follow the instructions for resetting the circuit breaker, and then cool
the motor according to the instructions for the thermal protector.
FIGURE A
IMPORTANT NOTES!
• Check your blades daily. If you find something is loose, nicked or missing,
replace the blade assembly before use (see page 15). Do not tighten hex-
headed screw (on top of blade assembly). If loose, replace blade assembly.
• The instructions appearing in this Use and Care Manual cannot cover every
possible condition and situation that may occur. Common sense and caution
must be practiced when operating and maintaining any appliance.
