As an amateur, will I need to get a professional license to operate this unit?
YES!!
Amateurs could lose some fingers in this thing. It should only be used by a licensed professional.
Are these refurbished? I bought mine ate Costco when it was $300 on sale, then they went back to $400. An armature becomes a professional when someone pays them for vitamixin!
These are great for $300, but not worth much more new. Of course post-covid pricing adds a lot!
You throw in broccoli and carrots and some V-8 juice - then frozen blueberries and mix until creamy! Good enough to eat!
I have one of these and this is numero uno. Easy to clean. No waste whatsoever. Apple skin, core, seeds all nicely ground up. Rips through ice to make slushie consistency. The motor is like a jet engine. You won’t injure your fingers if you use the fruit/veggie pusher. Highly recommend for quality and eating healthy.
What’s the difference between “unopened box” and new?
Overpriced drill 
Hi there. There’s certain things that some companies are very protective of their brands. Unopened means never before purchased without actually saying so. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, and all that.
(Please Note: I’m not employed by Woot, but I volunteer to help in the forums.)
These are not refurbished.
So agree! Bought from woot a while bak. Hubs uses nearly everyday! Easy 2 clean and just a powerhouse thru nearly anything u put in it!
Thank for the info on how well the blenders work but you should not put apple cores into the blender!
The seeds contain cyanide or at least a compound that will release cyanide. It is not an issue if you swallow a few seeds as you do not digest them but chewing the seeds or even worse, blending the seeds makes it so you can absorb the cyanide. If it is just one apple core, you likely will not reach harmful levels but 85 seeds (several apples) could be enough to be toxic. I am not a medical professional so take what I am saying with a grain of salt but if you are putting apple cores into your blender, you should research in what cases and quantity it could be harmful.
Dearest Wooter. You’ve stumbled upon a very special condition. The mysterious “Unopened” is unique indeed. Items with this condition are pristine and glowing in their unsullied beauty. 
Oh, and they come with a 90-day Woot! warranty because reasons.
Well which is it - self cleaning or easy to clean?
If i didn’t own one already, Vitamix is a great blender, mine is probably 13 years old now. They stand behind their product and have great CX.
Question: This says 90 day warranty but Vitamix offers a 7 year warranty. Anyone know why it’s only a 90 day? Are these refurbished blenders?
I have the same question, if its only a 90 day i’ll be shipping it right back to Woot.
These are not refurbished. They have a 90 day warranty through Woot.
See my post above.