Vitamix Smells like Burning? Here’s What To Do!

When you fire up your Vitamix, there are plenty of smells you expect to encounter. Maybe you’re juicing some mango and pineapple, and a fruity aroma starts to fill your kitchen. Or, perhaps, you’re making a green juice, and the powerful and invigorating smell of kale and spinach being pulverized dances around your nose. One thing is certain: if you smell anything burning or electrical, something has gone wrong.

In this article, we’re going to help you identify what might be causing your Vitamix to emit a harsh, burning smell during use. We’ll also cover some general usage tips that can minimize your machine’s chances of producing a burning smell and keep your juicer healthy.

Diagnosing the Issue

The first step towards finding the source of the burning smell is to assess how you’re using your Vitamix. Like many blenders and juicers, the Vitamix has an auto shut-off feature that stops the motor when it’s getting too hot. This is meant as an emergency failsafe and shouldn’t be relied on to keep your machine cool regularly. If your Vitamix is engaging the auto shut-off feature frequently, you need to find the root of the problem causing it to overheat.

A common cause of overheating is running the blender at a low speed for an extended period. The best practice is to use your blender in short bursts, regularly taking breaks to prevent excessive wear and tear on the motor. Also, be sure to use the proper speed for the type of ingredients you’re using. Running your Vitamix at higher speeds for smaller amounts of time is better for its longevity.

If you’re sure you aren’t pushing your Vitamix too hard and that you’re using the speed settings properly, it might be a different problem.

Use the Correct Blades for the Job

Some Vitamix models come with separate blades for wet and dry ingredients. Using the wrong blade can cause the motor to work overtime and cause it to give off a burning, electrical smell even if it isn’t running for very long. Dry ingredients like grains, cereal, or nuts require you to use the dry blades while wet ingredients like soft fruit and liquids will cause the dry blades to struggle.

Worse is using the wet blades for dry ingredients. Since the blades will interact differently with the wrong ingredients, you run the risk of jamming and burning out the motor, especially if you accidentally use the wet blade set on dry ingredients.

Make Sure it Isn’t Overloaded

Now that we’ve covered the less obvious potential causes let’s cover some simpler fixes. One of the most common ways you can overstress your Vitamix is by simply overfilling it. When the hopper is too full, the motor has to work harder than it’s designed to.

If you think this might be your problem, try making a smaller version of one of your usual recipes and pay attention to the smell. If the smaller version doesn’t produce the smell, overfilling the blender is likely the culprit.

Keep it Clean

The last possibility is an easy fix, but it also is something most people don’t like to hear. Keeping your Vitamix clean is essential if you want to get the most out of it in the long run. If you let residue and gunk build-up, your recipes will taste weird, and your machine won’t function properly.

If you’re Vitamix is exceptionally unclean, the solid deposits could be clogging the motor and blades, preventing them from spinning freely. The extra force the motor has to apply to overcome sticky build-ups of goop could easily cause a burning smell.

Give your Vitamix a deep cleaning, paying particular attention to the area around the blade housing. Make sure to get all the hard-to-reach places since these are the most likely areas for a build-up to form.

Conclusion

There are many possible reasons why your Vitamix might emit a burning smell when you use it. We hope this article has given you a clear path to follow when troubleshooting your machine. We covered most of the common causes, but this isn’t an exhaustive list. If you work your way through the entire list and still have a problem, you should contact the manufacturer. They might be able to help you figure out the problem, or your machine could be covered under warranty.

See also: 6 Proven Ways to Remove Burnt Popcorn Smell From Your Home

Featured Image Credit: Karen Culp, Shutterstock