Which Vitamix Blender Should You Buy? We Compared (Almost) All of Them (2024)

If you’re looking to buy a Vitamix blender, chances are you’re overwhelmed. There are more than a dozen Vitamixes out there, and they all sound confoundingly similar. What’s the difference between the Vitamix A3300 Ascent and A3500 Ascent? Or the Vitamix Professional-Grade vs. Professional Series models? Adding to the confusion: There is indeed a wide variance in functionality and price between all of the different Vitamix models.

If you’re looking for a quick answer about the best Vitamix, here’s the TL;DR version: Our long-time favorite high-end blender is the Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender. It’s expensive, but it's also by no means the highest-priced Vitamix.

However, we were curious about how other Vitamixes stack up (including some of the pricier, newer touchscreen models). So, we rounded up 12 popular ones and put them through the paces.

How We Tested the Vitamix Blenders

Here's the thing: When you get a Vitamix, you're guaranteed a powerful blender that works pretty well. Our goal wasn't to determine which Vitamixes were the best and the worst, as we stand by our long-term favorite the 5200, and a lot of these blenders' utility ultimately comes down to what features you want and what you intend to use them for. Instead, we wanted to establish a performance baseline and share any helpful UX observations to serve as more of a guide when determining which Vitamix is right for you.

The Tests

• Green Smoothie Test: We blended 15 grams of 1-inch kale stems, 30 grams of kale leaves, four ounces of frozen pineapple, and eight ounces of orange juice in each blender. We blended the smoothies for 15 seconds, then poured six ounces of it through a fine mesh strainer and weighed, in grams, the fibrous material that remained to gauge blending efficiency. We continued to blend the rest of the smoothie for one minute, again strained and weighed the amount of fibrous material left in the remaining smoothie, and noted the smoothie's final texture and aeration.
• Peanut Butter Test: For our second test, we made peanut butter in each blender with two cups of roasted, unsalted peanuts. On models with variable speeds, we blended the peanut butter first at medium speed, while agitating the contents with the tamper, for 30 seconds. (Models with just two speeds were tested first on low). After 30 seconds, the consistency of the peanut butter was evaluated, then blended for an additional 10 seconds.

• UX Observations: Of course, we considered user experience and design. Handling, the blender's controls, and ease of cleanup were all evaluated. We also measured in decibels, using a sound decibel meter, how loud each Vitamix was and took note of its price.

Here's what you need to know about each Vitamix blender to help you decide which one's (mostly) ideal for your kitchen.

The Best Vitamix Blenders

This incredibly powerful blender has been our top pick for years and for good reason: its slim, tall jar creates a vortex that pulls ingredients down and keeps them close to the blades, creating silky-smooth smoothies, soups, purees, and nut butter.

Best For:

You can blend almost anything with the 5200. It has a no-frills, 10-speed control panel, and lacks presets, but this has never bothered us: with a little use, you'll figure out which speeds work best for what. A lot of Vitamixes, including this one, have an auto shut-off feature should the motor start to get overworked, which provides nice peace of mind. It also features a slow-start which allows you to blend soups with less trouble (too much turbulence too fast can cause hot soup to release steam, sending a blender's lid off and soup everywhere).

Challenges or Shortcomings:

Its tall, narrow jar makes it tougher to fit your hand and sponge into the base (although running the blender with soapy water does the trick). At 84 decibels, it's not the quietest blender and if you're interested in a ton of presets/functions, it doesn't have them.

Key Specs:

• Noise level: 84 decibels
• Stated capacity: 64 ounces
• Number of speeds: 10
  
• Warranty: 7 years
• Weight: 10 pounds, 9 ounces

At about $500, the Vitamix 7500 sits solidly in the middle when it comes to price and it has a simple, no-frills interface. It did supremely well with liquidy foods (read: smoothies) and we liked its shorter profile, which easily fit under an overhead kitchen cabinet. It was the second-loudest model we tested, though.

Best For:

This produced a nicely aerated smoothie with ultra-fine grit, containing just four grams of unprocessed fiber at the end of blending. If you're mostly blending smoothies, soups, sauces, and frozen drinks, it'll work well.

Shortcomings or Challenges:

This model struggled with the peanut butter; one tester noted that the peanut butter “painted” the inside of the jar instead of being pulled down into the blender's blades and processed to a smooth consistency. It lacks the high-speed setting that the 5200 has.

Key Specs:

• Noise level: 84 decibels
• Stated capacity: 64 ounces
• Number of speeds: 10
• Warranty: 7 years
• Weight: 10 pounds, 9 ounces

With a simple control panel that offers a few presets, this smaller blender performs solidly. We liked its smoothie setting, which starts on low for 10 seconds and then ramps up to high for 45 seconds. Otherwise, its control panel is very similar to the 5200: just a couple of switches and a dial.

Best For:

If you want a smaller, but still powerful Vitamix with a few presets (smoothies, hot soup, and frozen desserts). Overall, we found this blender to be a super consistent, more compact offering.

Shortcomings and Challenges:

For those looking to blend batches of soups or enough smoothies for a crowd, the 48-ounce container may be limiting compared to the 64-ounce ones of other models.

Key Specs:

• Noise level: 87.5
• Stated capacity: 48 ounces
• Number of speeds: 10
• Warranty: 5 years
• Weight: 9 pounds, 9 ounces

While it certainly isn't cheap, the Vitamix One is the least expensive Vitamix model out there. But, it has its limitations (which you can read about below) and we can't recommend buying this blender unless you're using it to just make smoothies once in a while. And even then, this blender is too expensive for what you get.

Best For:

For the occasional blending of smoothies, sauces, or dips, this blender will work. But, again, for the price there are better, non-Vitamix blenders that can do all that and more.

Shortcomings or Challenges:

Testers noted the “borderline intolerable” sound of this model’s motor. Indeed, at 93 decibels, it was the loudest blender we tested. While we did make peanut butter with it (which was gritty), it’s worth noting that the manufacturer’s care instructions state that making nut butter, blending hot soups, or grinding grains with the ONE will void its two-year warranty. The plastic blender base felt cheap in comparison to other Vitamixes and the ONE was also smaller (a 32-ounce stated capacity). The control panel has a single dial and lacks another on/off switch, so if the dial is turned to the right whatsoever when you plug the blender in, the ONE will start.

Key Specs:

• Noise level: 93 decibels
• Stated capacity: 32 ounces
• Number of speeds: N/A
  
• Warranty: 2 years
• Weight: 6.25 pounds

A small and tidy blender, the E310 Explorian has a manual interface that resembles the 5200 and a control dial that allows you to easily toggle between 10 different speeds. Vitamix considers this model its entry into professional-level blending, so you can expect a moderate price and performance.

Best For:

This model is best for those looking for a compact blender for smoothies, sauces, and less-tough blending tasks. It's a little more expensive than the ONE, but if you're searching for a smaller, starter blender, it's a better investment.

Shortcomings or Challenges:

It’s one of the weaker Vitamix models, as evidenced by the fibrous smoothie it produced (14 grams of mass was left in the strainer after one minute, which was the highest of the bunch and double that of the 5200). During the peanut butter tests, its motor emitted an overworked smell.

Key Specs:

• Noise level: 84 decibels
  
• Stated capacity: 48 ounces
• Number of speeds: 10
  
• Warranty: 5 years
• Weight: 10.5 pounds

This blender features an LED, a touchscreen display, a control knob, and a built-in timer that testers found helpful (no setting a separate timer to tell you when one minute of blending is up). For those looking for a blender with pre-programmed settings, this comes with five of them, including ones for smoothies and hot soups. If you keep your blender out on the countertop, this is a nice-looking appliance and comes in six finishes.

Best For:

This blender excelled during our smoothie test, resulting in a smooth, frothy smoothie with super-fine grit. It struggled more with peanut butter and if nut butter is something you want to make in this blender, we suggest doing so with the tamper, which will help to an extent.

Shortcomings or Challenges:

In general, we found that Vitamixes with wide jars struggled with small-batch tasks, lacking the stronger vortex of tapered containers that pulled ingredients towards the blades. With a tapered container, the tamper is also able to make more contact with the ingredients and push them downwards easily. With wide jars, all of this can make cleanup more challenging, too, as bits of ingredients are more readily thrown upwards, sticking on the walls and lid. The A3500 is also the most expensive model we tested.

Key Specs:

• Noise level: 69.8 decibels
• Stated capacity: 64 ounces
• Number of speeds: 10
  
• Warranty: 10 years
• Weight: 14.92 pounds
  

This blender is very similar to the A3500 and also has an LED, a touchscreen display, and a built-in timer. It lacks the presets the A3500 has, which makes the A3300 about $100 cheaper. It's a touch louder (at 72 decibels) than the A3500, but still fairly quiet for a blender.

Best For:

This was also a high-performer for smoothies and left nine grams of mass left over after a one-minute blend. In comparison, the A3500 left 11 grams and the 5200 seven grams.

Shortcomings or Challenges:

The A3300 shares the same struggles as the other wide-canister blenders: It couldn't successfully make smooth peanut butter—a small-batch, tougher task that really benefits from a blender with a narrower, tapered jar.

Key Specs:

• Noise level: 72 decibels
• Stated capacity: 64 ounces
• Number of speeds: 10
  
• Warranty: 10 years
• Weight: 11.86 pounds
  

At a slightly more palatable price point, the A2300 is part of Vitamix’s Ascent line. Like the rest of the Ascent models, the A2300 is better suited for liquids and larger batches of foods, as it has a wide blender canister. It also has a LED screen with a built-in timer, a pulse button, and a 10-speed control knob. We liked this mix of digital and manual control features.

Best For:

This blender is an excellent choice for liquids (smoothies, soups, sauces) and we found that it produced an ultra-smooth, well-aerated drink.

Shortcomings and Challeges:

Again, the wide design of this canister required a higher volume of ingredients to properly blend.

Key Specs:

• Noise level: 77 decibels
• Stated capacity: 64 ounces
• Number of speeds: 10
  
• Warranty: 10 years
• Weight: 11.86 pounds

This model has wireless connectivity, a LED screen with a built-in timer, and a control knob with 10 settings. It also has three different program settings (smoothies, hot soup, and frozen desserts), which as far as we can tell is the only difference between the the A2500 and A2300 and the reason for the $50 price difference.

Best For:

The A2500 performed nearly identically to the A2300. It made a great smoothie—perhaps a hair smoother than that of the 2300, but the difference was really negligible.

Shortcomings and Challenges:

Another wide jar meant another model that struggled with the tough, small-batch task we gave it of making peanut butter. For these wider jars, we suggest scaling up the amount you make or just opting for a model with a tapered jar.

Key Specs:

• Noise level: 75 decibels
• Stated capacity: 64 ounces
• Number of speeds: 10
  
• Warranty: 10 years
• Weight: 11.86 pounds
  

This blender has analog controls (i.e. a manual control knob, not a digital interface), but also five presets. For those looking for a large-canister, non-smart blender with some "extra" features, this is a fine option.

Best For:

The word “professional” in this blender’s name is key: We found it to be lacking for small-scale home cooks. The jar is wide and it struggled with a small-batch blending task. That said, if you really only make smoothies, like cooking in batches, or regularly tackle large-scale projects, this is a good investment.

Shortcomings or Challenges:

The wide, squat blender jar resulted in less peanut butter being nicely blended and more of it thrown upwards, sticking in the lid and jar's grooves.

Key Specs:

• Noise level: 75.1 decibels
• Stated capacity: 64 ounces
• Number of speeds: 10
  
• Warranty: 7 years
• Weight: 12.5 pounds
  

The control panel of the 5300 is reminiscent of the 5200, with a manual knob that can be adjusted mid-purée. We found its no-frills, straightforward interface to be very easy to use and liked the blue light located towards the bottom, front left of the blender's base, indicating whether or not the blender was switched on.

Best For:

The 5300 produced one of the silkiest smoothies we made, with just four grams of fiber left in the strainer after a minute of blending (the 5200 had seven grams, for reference).

Shortcomings or Challenges:

This was another wider blender jar that didn't measure up to a tapered jar's ability to create the vortex necessary for the tougher task of blending a smaller batch of peanut butter (its motor emitted a "cooked" smell after about 40 seconds as well). The tamper tool also appeared to be made of cheaper, thin plastic and didn’t fit snugly into the lid, allowing food to splatter up and out.

Key Specs:

• Noise level: 87 decibels
• Stated capacity: 64 ounces
• Number of speeds: 10
  
• Warranty: 7 years
• Weight: 11.95 pounds

We reviewed the Vitamix Immersion Blender separately and found it to be incredibly powerful and simple to operate. In fact, we were so impressed with it we added it as a winner in our immersion blenders review.

Best For:

If you're looking for a powerful immersion blender that you can control one-handed (the power button and speed controls are easy to adjust with just your thumb), this is an excellent option. Its head twists on and off, too, for storage and cleanup.

Shortcomings or Challenges:

It can be, at times, too powerful. When working with small amounts of ingredients, its vortex caused splattering to occur.

Key Specs

• Number of speeds: 5
  
• Warranty: 3 years
• Weight: 2.5 pounds

FAQs

Is a refurbished Vitamix model worth it?

Yes, with a caveat. If you’re looking to buy a used Vitamix, it’s advisable to purchase directly from the brand. Used, or as Vitamix calls them “reconditioned” blenders, are thoroughly inspected and repaired by their professionals before reselling. Although a certified reconditioned Vitamix blender may cost more than a Facebook Marketplace score, it comes with a three- to five-year warranty.

If you’re in the market but not in a hurry to buy, it’s worth regularly checking the certified options available—the stock is always rotating and refreshing.

What's the quietest Vitamix blender?

The A3500 is the quietest Vitamix model. This is part of the brand’s Ascent series, featuring smart technology, a touchscreen, presets, and more. Of course, you’ll pay a premium for the noise control, as well as a bunch of other features. At just under $600, it's one of Vitamix’s most expensive models.

Can you clean a Vitamix in the dishwasher?

This is a “can you” vs. “should you” situation. Some Vitamix blender jars are dishwasher-safe (on the top rack). But as with all high-quality kitchen equipment, you’re better off cleaning your Vitamix by hand.

How do you clean a Vitamix blender?

For liquid jobs, like smoothies and soups, a drop or two of dish soap and a splash of water in the carafe will get the job done—just blend the detergent, then dump it out. Refill with water and repeat until the soap and food debris are gone.

Sticky or solid items are a little trickier to clean from a blender jar, which is where the right tool will come in handy. Long-handled bottle brushes tackle stuck-on bits while keeping your fingers safe from the blades.

It’s also worth noting that the dishwasher can leave behind a filmy residue that can lend off flavors, so if you do go that cleaning route, be sure to rinse it out a few times before using it.

Do Vitamix blenders go on sale?

The short answer: sometimes! Vitamix usually has sales on Prime Day and Black Friday. For the rest of the year, we created this Vitamix sales page, which we will be updating as discounts come up.

How much does a Vitamix cost?

Our favorite Vitamix blender, the 5200, is about $400 at the moment, though we've seen its price climb upwards of $480. The least expensive Vitamix blender that we think could still be worth buying, the Explorian, is about $350. And the smart series Vitamix blenders can cost upwards of $650.

Should you buy a Vitamix?

Whether or not you need a Vitamix is, of course, a personal decision. However, for blending smoothies, soups, sauces, and more, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more powerful, user-friendly, and long-lasting blender.

Why We're the Experts

• Rochelle Bilowis a food writer, novelist, former professional cook, and Serious Eats commerce editor.
• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the senior commerce editor for Serious Eats. She's worked at the company since 2021 and has reviewed kitchen equipment professionally for the past six years. She's written many reviews for the site, including on Ooni pizza ovens and air fryers.
• For this review, we tested 12 popular Vitamix blenders. Our favorite Vitamix blender, the 5200, has been our top pick since 2014. It's stood up to constant re-tests and use in the Serious Eats test kitchen and in our homes.
• We're always looking to evaluate new Vitamix models, to add them to this review and beyond. For example, we tested the Vitamix immersion blender and highly recommend it.