6 Best Vitamix Blenders of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
Whether you're looking to blend smoothies, make hot soups or grind your own flour, we found the best Vitamix blender for you.
Our Top Vitamix Blender Picks
- Best Overall: Vitamix Explorian
- Best Value: Certified Reconditioned Vitamix Blenders
- Best Basic: Vitamix One
- Best for Pros: Vitamix Legacy Series
- Best Smart Blender: Vitamix Ascent A3500
- Best Handheld: Vitamix Immersion Blender
By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen
Vitamix blenders are synonymous with high-speed performance and durability, earning them a loyal following among professional chefs and home cooks alike. Purchasing a Vitamix is an investment (there’s a reason they’re called “the Cadillac of blenders”), but how do you know which Vitamix is best for your needs and budget? Whether you’re blending superfood smoothies, crafting hot soups and sauces, or grinding nut butters and spices, here’s how to decide which Vitamix blender is right for you.
What to Know About Vitamix Blenders
Vitamix blenders have earned the nickname “the Cadillac of blenders” for a reason — they’re powerful, durable and have the price tag to match. Depending on the model, the manufacturer backs up the investment with a warranty that ranges from two to 10 years and includes parts, labor and two-way shipping. All Vitamix blenders come with a motor base, container and tamper.
Vitamix
How to Choose the Best Vitamix Blender for You
Price: Vitamix blenders are an investment but knowing your budget going in can help determine which model is best for your needs. Entry-level priced models will perform the basics, like blending smoothies, soups and sauces. You can expect to pay more for blenders with pre-set programs, smart capabilities, and professional grade blending capabilities. As with most products, the more bells and whistles, the higher the price tag.
Capacity and Size: Consider how much space you have in your kitchen, both countertops (for when the blender is plugged in) and for storage. Think about if you’re more likely to use your Vitamix to blend a smoothie for one or a batch of soup for family supper. Vitamix blenders come with a 32-ounce, 48-ounce and 64-ounce capacity, but some containers feature a tapered design while others have a wide-mouth design. Keep in mind that the larger, wider containers are harder to blend small batches in.
Control: Decide if you prefer a control knob to manually adjust speed or an LED, touchscreen interface. Check to see if the model comes with a separate on/off switch or additional settings such as pulse to give you greater control. If you want a model with pre-set programs, explore which are included, such as hot soups, dips and spreads, or frozen desserts.
Power: Vitamix blenders are capable of blending smoothies and purees, but some are better suited to breaking down tough ingredients and producing a smoother texture. Models with a high-powered motor tend to be more conducive to blending things like nut butters, hot soups, whole spices and grains.
Accessories: There are a variety of different sized containers and accessories available — be sure to check that they are compatible with your model. Examples of accessories include a dry-grains container, ideal for milling grains, rice or nuts into flour. There’s also the Aer Disc container, which pulls liquid through the spinning disc’s holes, making it ideal for emulsifying sauces, while firmer ingredients like ice, fruit, and herbs are agitated but not puréed, so it works well for finely chopping herbs. The Ascent model is compatible with a 12-cup food processor attachment that includes a multi-use blade and two shredding/slicing discs for varying thicknesses. Vitamix also offers colored carafes ideal for households with varying dietary restrictions or blending ingredients that can stain a clear carafe like turmeric.
Photo c/o Amazon
How to Clean a Vitamix Blender
Be sure to consult your owner’s manual for cleaning instructions that are specific to your model. To best advise general guidance for cleaning your Vitamix, we consulted the manufacturer’s website. Note that the manufacturer does not recommend washing the Vitamix container or lid in the dishwasher (only the S-Series 20-ounce and 40-ounce containers are top rack dishwasher-safe).
- If your machine has a pre-programmed Clean setting: After use, rinse the container thoroughly with warm water (not hot). Place one to two drops of dish soap in your container and fill halfway with warm water. Secure the lid and ensure the lid plug is in the locked position. Select the Clean setting and start the machine. The machine will automatically shut off when the cycle is done. Pour the soapy water out and rinse the container thoroughly, then turn the container upside down and let it air dry. Wipe the base with a damp cloth.
- If your machine does not have a Clean setting: Ferform the following steps: After use, rinse the container thoroughly with warm water (not hot). Add 1 to 2 drops of dish soap to the container and fill it halfway with warm water. Secure the lid and turn lid plug to locked position. Start the machine on the lowest setting, slowly increasing it until it reaches the highest setting. Run on high for 30 to 60 seconds. Pour contents out and rinse container thoroughly. Turn the container upside down and allow it air dry. Wipe the base with a damp cloth.
- To perform a deep clean (monthly, or as needed): Pour 4 cups of cool water and 4 cups of white vinegar into the Vitamix container and let it soak, about four hours. Pour contents out and rinse the container thoroughly.
- To remove cloudiness or stains: If you notice a film on your Vitamix container, pour one cup of white vinegar into the container and fill half-full with warm water. Allow the container to soak in an upright, standing position for several hours, then pour the contents out and use a soft pot scrubber to clean the inside of the container. Be especially careful while cleaning around the sharp blades at the bottom.
How We Picked
To select the best Vitamix blenders, we relied on our experience using them both in the test kitchen and in our own homes. We checked review sites to see what recommendations were made by other sources and also read user comments to find out what home cooks have to say.
In addition to considering each model’s performance and function capabilities, we considered the user interface, how intuitive it is to use, container capacity, design features and extra bells and whistles. We also took price into consideration when making our top picks.
This model is our top tested blender and offers an excellent introduction to Vitamix, demonstrating its reputation for high-performance, professional-grade blending but at a lower price point than other models. It has a compact, 48-ounce container that’s suited to blending medium batches of food — just right for small family meals. The powerful motor can handle tougher ingredients, which means you can easily process nut butter, almond milk or whole spices. The speed dial’s 10 variable speeds give you control to adjust speed depending on the desired texture, from silky purees to thick soups. This model also has a pulse setting which is ideal for recipes such as chunky salsas or hearty pasta sauces. The Explorian comes with a 5-year warranty.
If you’re on a budget, consider shopping for a Certified Reconditioned Vitamix blender. Each pre-owned machine is tested by a Vitamix technician to ensure that it meets the manufacturer’s quality standards for high-performance blending. Following a 17-point checklist, technicians check the base, motor, control panel and blade. Any component that doesn’t pass inspection is replaced with a brand-new part. If a part can’t be replaced, the whole blender is recycled. If the blender base is scratched, the motor makes a funny sound, or the machine has a date stamp of more than 5 years old, it’s required to be recycled. Every Certified Reconditioned Vitamix blender comes with a new cookbook package, container shell, two-part lid and tamper. Vitamix also offers a 3- to 5-year warranty, a risk-free guarantee and access to free, unlimited customer support for every Certified Reconditioned blender.
If your kitchen space is limited and you just need basic blender controls with Vitamix’s signature high-blending power, the Vitamix One is the perfect starter Vitamix. Like all Vitamix models, the design features stainless-steel blades that can break down tough ingredients such as fibrous fruits and veggies, and the container pulls the ingredients down into the blades to ensure even textures and consistent results, whether you’re blending smoothies, dressings, dips, sauces, purees or frozen treats. The streamlined design features a single dial with no separate on/off switch, so take care that the dial is turned to off mode before plugging it in. The container’s compact, 32-ounce capacity makes the unit counter-top friendly, so it can fit seamlessly into your current kitchenscape. One major drawback users noted is that it’s one of the noisiest models. Another thing to note is the Vitamix One isn’t powerful enough to blend things like nut butters, hot soup or whole spices and grains (in fact, the manufacturer states that making those items in the Vitamix One will void its 2-year warranty). So, if you want your Vitamix to be able to grind nut butters and spices, but still want an entry-level model, opt for the Vitamix Explorian.
The Legacy Series is the tried-and-true classic line of Vitamix blenders. All models in the Vitamix Legacy series come with a 64-ounce capacity, plastic tamper and 7-year warranty. The 5200 is the classic Vitamix model and a favorite of our test kitchen chefs. The 64-ounce capacity container is ideal for blending medium to large batches. It has both variable high- and low-speed controls which lets users precisely dial-in the speed to achieve the desired texture and consistency, and the dial can be rotated anytime during blending. Its powerful motor makes short work of things like smoothies, sauces and purees. The blades in the Vitamix container reach speeds fast enough to create friction heat, bringing cold ingredients to steaming hot in about six minutes, perfect for whipping up a batch of soup.
The Ascent A3500 features LED, touchscreen controls as well as a control knob and pulse setting to manually adjust speed to accommodate any recipe’s texture. If you’re looking for a blender with pre-set program settings, this one comes with five: smoothies, hot soups, dips and spreads, frozen desserts and self-cleaning. Many users appreciate the built-in, programmable timer, which helps prevent over- or under-processing your custom recipes. One drawback home cooks noted is that the 64-ounce capacity and wide-mouth container makes it difficult to process smaller batches (compared to models that come with tapered containers, which more efficiently pulls the ingredients down to the blades). But the motor base accommodates a variety of compatible container sizes, and its built-in wireless connectivity allows it to read the container size you’ve chosen and automatically adjusts the program settings and blending times accordingly. This model has the most bells and whistles and is also one of the most expensive. Its design makes it countertop worthy, and it comes in a range of finishes, too. It comes with a 10-year warranty.
The Vitamix Immersion blender is our top tested handheld blender and features a powerful motor, 5 variable speeds and a 4-pronged blade, all adding up to a handheld blender that easily blends tough ingredients. It fits in pots and pans and a variety of containers 3-inches or larger, including smoothie cups and a 1-quart wide Mason jar. The manufacturer states that the blade guard’s unique design reduces suction and helps ingredients flow easily through the blades while protecting pots, pans and containers from scratches. The Vitamix Immersion wins points among professional and home cooks for its comfortable grip, ergonomic design and a convenient 5-foot cord. The Vitamix Immersion comes with a 3-year warranty. Vitamix also offers a range of immersion blender attachments and accessories, including a whisk, blending jar, station, storage case and mini chopper.
