VitamixPersonal Cup Adapter - 61724, Clear

Been doing Vitamix for some 45 years now (since the original 3600 all-metal with the reversing blades) and Mom was a dealer, so as a kid I learned all the demos (making ice cream, bread dough from wheat grains, peanut butter, hot soups). We all disliked cleaning the all-metal versions as the built-in spigot, while useful, was a pain to clear of solid food pieces. But we knew once clear, you add some warm water, and a few drops of liquid dish soap and run it clean. Same goes for these cups and adapter. While from time-to-time you have to break out a toothbrush (e.g., if you decide to make just an 8oz cup of peanut butter) for smoothies, works fine to ensure you slosh through some warm water before you leave for work, and when you get home, run the pieces through the dish soap water routine.Likes: the smoothie cups and the small 8oz blender cups work with the same cup adapter, which for once makes a few accessories from the newest version (Ascent series) compatible with all of our older 4-prong rubber on steel base models (as long as your drive is the 12-tooth splined version and not one of the vintage hex drive models - though if you're an old-timer, someone even fashioned an adapter for thos to fit the splined accessories once upon a time). Same super-sharp blades (warning for parents teaching kids) and that explains the kind of over-sized safety design of the adapter. And no, don't do hot drinks, like making champurrado for 1 in these - heated liquids will blow out the silicon gasket seal and you'll end up with mess - regular pitcher containers for those.Dislikes: having threads on a container, means switching from the adapter to either the cups' storage lids, or the smoothie pourer lids requires some clean-up wiping of the cups' threads or you'll leak. Don't over-tighten them unless you've got a 5-inch jar opener handy. The adapter has holes drilled in the bottom for a non-stated safety reason (otherwise we'd all be tempted to use the adapter as a make-shift 1/2 size blender bowl and stick a plate across the top to cover it - don't do it.) The "remember it after doing it once" reason is that if you do ignore the advice and do something to build up pressure in the sealed cup and adapter and the gasket gives, the mess goes straight down the sides of your Vitamix to have to clean up even more later.Those who have had them in the past (or even visited a Jamba juice and noticed why theirs have a plastic noise box over every one of them) remember the original models used an electric chainsaw motor. These really were designed around restaurants and not quiet home kitchens. So they clean up well, and aside from the cups, which cannot be completely disassembled and sanitized because of the double-wall seal (thus no NSF certification for restaurant use), these are made for a lifetime of use. No microwaving because of the double-wall design for one, and 2 on the 8oz cups there are magnets used by the Ascend series to detect when the container is mounted (another safety-related thing.) They work as designed, give more flexibility to your lifetime Vitamix appliance (mine's a Total Nutrition Center model) and are useful for smaller quantity blending (though, I guess you either wash a big container, lid, and the tamper, or are washing the cup adapter, and later the cup and lid - not exactly a time-savings.) And the Blade Scraper is a long-handled silcon 90-degree squeegee whose shape was designed to fit the curved contours of the smoothie cups, along with cleaning under the blades.) A nice to have accessory if you like getting the last drops back out of the smoothie containers - they have 2 strengthening columns on the interiors of the cups, so they're not simple cylindrical shapes inside - the scraper works perfectly for getting around those 2 things.

I mostly wanted to be able to make single-serve smoothies - as others have stated, I tended to make too much in the pitcher. Plus making salad dressing etc - you just want a smaller vessel. I have tried making a few things to test it out & so far I like it. No problems for all the things I tried. I would not blend anything hot in here, as it's not vented (could cause a pressure build up during blending), and it's explicitly labeled not to do it. Nor would I make peanut butter in this - you need the tamper for that. (I noticed questions about these while I was shopping for this item) I don't understand the confused reviewers... this seemed very simple to use, and not difficult to clean. It fits just fine on my creations series blender (a few years old - not the newest type). The tumblers are are double walled to help keep your drink cold and latch tightly closed. The hole is big enough to put my smoothie straw in (metal, reusable type - don't hate me). It feels pretty durable & looks like tritan plastic (the no-stain type). The base does seem a bit large when you screw it on the tumbler, then flip it over & set on the blender, but it stays put (No visible vibration or movement). I guess there's a reason for it to be so big..? Short version - it's Vitamix quality... which means the Vitamix price tag.

My Vitamix is ancient - I think 15 years old with lots of use. So my blades are a little dull and I do make smoothies often, so I thought I would give this attachment a try.In the box is one blender attachment thing with its own blades (yay) and two smoothie drink cups.The first big plus is not having to wash out the blender when I'm rushing out the door to get to work. I just have to wash the attachment, which is much quicker.The second is not making too much to fit in my cup. I usually had a little extra that I hated dumping down the drain, but I knew I wouldn't drink it later. That problem is solved with this setup. I just toss my ingredients into my travel cup, attach, blend, quickly wash the attachment, and leave. Super easy!The cup also works if you use a service like Daily Harvest. Depending on your DH drink, you might have to break up some of the ingredients to get it into the cup, then fill with as much liquid as you can. If you don't completely fill it up, it will be too thick to blend. So it barely works, but it does work.Even though it's pricey, I still gave it 5 stars for value, because of the longevity of Vitamix products.Smoothie pictured contains:cooked sweet potatoes - diced - frozenchopped raw carrots -frozenBanana - whole banana frozenwalnutspitted datecinnamonnutmegcollagenalmond milkI don't measure, I just guess and it always works out.