Best Vitamix Blender

You have been thinking about it for a while and now you’re finally sure. You are going to bite the bullet and buy a Vitamix! The only problem now is figuring out which one to buy. Seriously. There are so many options! In this post, I put together a list of the best Vitamix blenders, so you can choose the most suitable one for yourself.

I have owned my Vitamix blender for over five years. I inherited it from my husband’s grandma (who had it for over 20 years) and use it at least once day. It purees even the hardest vegetables into smoothies, makes steaming-hot soups, blends frozen fruit into ice cream, crushes ice into a drinkable slush,  turns grains, legumes, and seeds into flour, and makes the smoothest nut butter.

So, if you plan on improving your diet, revolutionizing your meal prep, or upping your culinary game, then a Vitamix blender is a worthwhile investment. I have already written about how Vitamix pays for itself in a couple of months. (I personally save over $3,100 a year just by using Vitamix).

So, in this post, I’m going to tell you what I feel confident is the best Vitamix blender you can buy. Not just because I am a Vitamix owner, but because I have personally tried and tested Vitamix blenders from 3 different series. 

Best Vitamix Blender

Choosing the best Vitamix blender can be a bit tricky. However, the most important thing for you to know is that all Vitamix blenders can make smoothies, soups, drinks, and frozen desserts. The question is whether (and how much) you want to pay for extra features.

Best for a Home Cook

The 5200 is an excellent durable blender from the Vitamix Classic C-Series (now also called Legacy Series). It’s built to handle repeated daily use, which is why all new Vitamix blenders come with a minimum of seven-year warranty.

The Vitamix 5200 is the model I own and personally use – a smoothie for breakfast, soup for lunch, and pesto to go with pasta for dinner. You’ll be amazed how versatile a blender this powerful can be in your day-to-day cooking. 

Advantages

The blender comes with a 2.0 horsepower (1400 Watts) motor, premium 3-inch stainless steel blades, a 10-speed dial and a mode switch between high and variable option (it doesn’t have a pulse function). It has an overload safety function which enables the motor to automatically shut down to prevent circuit damage when the machine runs for too long or is straining too much.

The Vitamix 5200 comes with a narrow 64-oz container, which makes blending smaller batches of food easier than in a wide 64-oz pitcher.

Disadvantages

The unit is quite tall (20.5 inches/52 cm) and doesn’t fit on the counter under an upper cabinet like a standard mixer. The common standard between the cupboard and counter is 18 inches/45.7 cm. Another complaint is that the container is not dishwasher safe. Vitamix recommends cleaning the container by pouring in water with a little bit of dish soap, and blend to let the parts clean themselves.

The biggest disadvantage I see with any of the Legacy Series models, the Vitamix 5200 included, is that they are not future-proof. The Smart System – which includes the Ascent and Venturist blenders – is the system on which Vitamix is building its future. So, if you are planning on getting additional Vitamix containers and/or attachments in the future, the Ascent 3500 might be a better choice.

Best for a Professional

The Vitamix 750 is an incredible machine from the Classic G-Series (now also called Legacy Series). It’s the most powerful yet quietest models Vitamix has ever created. 

This is the blender my local gym owns. I used it several times a week when I worked there as a fitness instructor and I mean, it’s powerful! 

Advantages

The blender comes with a 2.2 horsepower (1640 Watts) motor, 4-inch stainless steel laser cut blades, a 10-speed dial and a pulse control, 5 pre-programmed settings for “walk away” convenience and consistency. Despite the very powerful motor and efficient cooling function, the 750 has a slightly better sound insulation than the 5200. 

The Vitamix 750 comes with a wide 64-oz container (the entire unit is 17.4 inches/44.2 cm tall), which might be important to you if you’re conscious of space. 

Disadvantages

The drawback of the wide container is that it’s, well, wider, so it requires more volume to work properly. Single-serving smoothies or small amounts of food such as peanut butter or ice cream are difficult to make, as the volume is not sufficient and can get packed under the blade due to the larger base. Just like the tall 64-oz container, the container is not dishwasher safe. Vitamix recommends cleaning the container by pouring in water with a little bit of dish soap, and blend to let the parts clean themselves.

The biggest disadvantage I see with any of the Legacy Series models, the Vitamix 5200 included, is that they are not future-proof. The Smart System – which includes the Ascent and Venturist blenders – is the system on which Vitamix is building its future. So, if you are planning on getting additional Vitamix containers and/or attachments in the future, the Ascent 3500 might be a better choice.

Best for a Gadget-Minded

The Ascent 3500 is categorized as a Smart System blender (it falls under the Smart System Series).

It’s one of the most convenient and “independent” blenders on the market right now. It’s used for both personal and commercial purposes because it’s powerful and full of interesting features. Ever wonder why blended drinks from Starbucks or Booster Juice taste nothing like what you’ve tried to make at home? They’re all made in a Vitamix! I had a chance to test this model when Vitamix launched the Ascent series and one of their representatives sent me the Ascent 3500.

Advantages

The Ascent 3500 comes with all the features the Vitamix 750 does, but on top of that it has a 10-year warranty, a LED touchscreen, built-in timer, self-detect technology (i.e. the blender knows what type of container you place on it, and automatically adjusts its output based on the container you are using), and a WiFi capability (to unlock 17 timed presets and 600 recipes). In other words, your blender detects the container size you placed on it, you choose the program, and it runs the program by itself, so you can walk away and do other things. 

The Ascent 3500 comes with a wide 64-oz container (the entire unit is 17.4 inches/44.2 cm tall), which is dishwasher safe. Perhaps the biggest advantage of the Ascent 3500 is that it’s compatible with any of the Vitamix SELF-DETECT™ containers and attachments. 

Disadvantages

The biggest disadvantage of the Ascent 3500 is its price. Sure, it is the top-of-the-line model from the Ascent Series, but if cost is important to you, you may want to consider one of the more affordable Vitamix models or buy a reconditioned model.

New vs Reconditioned vs Refurbished

If you really, really want a Vitamix blender but just can’t justify the price, you should consider buying a reconditioned model (which sells over $100 less than a new one).

Reconditioned and refurbished models are machines that get returned by consumers and were either never or only slightly used. Before reselling them, Vitamix inspects each blender and replaces any parts that don’t meet its standards. The process of reconditioning machines is a serious, formalized 17-step process. It includes testing all of the components to ensure that they work, fixing the ones that don’t, and replacing items like the container, lid and tamper, before re-boxing and selling as reconditioned. 

You may notice that some Vitamix blenders are labeled as reconditioned and others are refurbished. Technically, a reconditioned product has gone through more extensive inspection, but the terms are used interchangeably. What is important is that it says that the product is certified by Vitamix and that it comes with a 5-year warranty.

The only reasons I would avoid a reconditioned Vitamix are if it is for a gift for someone who won’t understand, or if you want some of the features not available on reconditioned machines.

Vitamix Series and Models

If you’d like to make sense out of all the blenders Vitamix offers, here is a simple breakdown. 

Believe it or not, Vitamix has only 12 different models. Three series, with and without programs, with and without touchscreen. The iconic Vitamix 5200 is categorized as a Classic C Series blender. The incredible Vitamix 750 falls under Classic G Series blenders. And the feature-heavy Ascent 3500 is a Smart System blender. 

If you need further help deciding which model would best suit you, check out this handy Vitamix recommender tool. It’s hard to go wrong here though – whichever model you buy, you’ll love it!

This post was created in partnership with Vitamix (a brand I’ve loved and used for years) and contains affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions are my own.