We Put the Top Vitamix Blenders to the Test — Here’s How They Performed Against Each Other (2024)

Since its inception in 1921, Vitamix has become the go-to for chefs and in-the-know home cooks who want the best blender on the market. If you are reading this, you might have a hunch that Vitamix is the right brand for you, and you may need help deciding which is best for your morning smoothie or making almond butter.

Why are these blenders so popular? The answer lies in the container, designed to create a vortex that draws the ingredients into aircraft-grade stainless steel blades. The tamper plunges the contents to eliminate air pockets and blend more smoothly without exhausting or overheating the motor. The metal drive system improves the lifespan and enables the machines to make smoother blends. This is all to say — Vitamix is unparalleled in efficiency, power, and durability for blender tasks.

The company now boasts some 20-something types of blenders at various price points, from $150 to $900. We tested 11 top options in our lab to find the best for smoothies, soups, and nut butters. Since Vitamix is so prevalent in professional kitchens, it is no surprise that they all performed well in our tests. We narrowed down a winner for three categories to make it more useful for those navigating the extensive catalog and to find the best blender for your needs.

Types of Vitamix Blenders

Vitamix has five categories of blenders, including handheld models, their most basic entry-level model (the Vitamix One), and the three most robust categories (which include our three winners): Ascent, Explorian, and Legacy.

Beginner Vitamix Blenders

For some people, a blender is simply a vehicle for a smoothie. If you need a few features, digital touch screens, and presets, you can find plenty of entry-level options from Vitamix. They'll be less powerful than more pricey models, but they do the trick. Many come with smaller tampers. The Explorian models are the perfect entry-level blenders for most households. With ten variable speeds, a 48-ounce container, and a pulse feature, most cooks will find the Explorian blender more than enough. Its high-powered motor will make easy work of any ingredient and is adequate for nearly every cook who isn’t looking for a more professional-grade motor.

Smart Vitamix Blenders

Some households want something more than a manual dial. As you can imagine, Vitamix has updated its features to include digital screens and Bluetooth, so there are some advanced features to break down. The Vitamix's Ascent series models we tested ranked at the top of our results. While the blenders are pricier, they boast much more control and flexibility, like the mix-and-match "self-detect containers" for personalized blending programs. The Ascent technology can detect your chosen container and adjust the settings accordingly. It also comes with various controls, from switches to touchscreens, so you can tailor the machine you choose to your lifestyle.

Classic Vitamix Blenders

Most professional-grade blenders offered by Vitamix have few bells and whistles. The main draw is power and capacity, which are the mixers for you if you need to do bigger jobs. The Legacy blender containers are perfect for everything from soups to milling whole grains. They come with pre-programmed settings for smoothies, hot soups, frozen desserts, purees, and self-cleaning. The commercial-grade 2.2-peak horsepower motor makes easy work of robust tasks, and the 64-ounce container can handle large recipe batches.

How We Tested Vitamix Blenders

To test how the blenders performed at different speeds, we made peanut butter from roasted unsalted peanuts and smoothies with kale leaves, frozen pineapple, and orange juice. We first looked into its ease of use. We want a blender where the display is easy to understand and program. We also like it when there is a timer. We checked to see if the lid locked easily and had any unnecessary buttons or functions that didn't noticeably impact performance. We looked into how many speeds it offers and if it had a pulse function.

We then rated the performance in the kale and peanut butter test. We tested whether it produced the most effective vortexing action that easily pulled ingredients into the spinning blades. We also determined the blade design shape and quantity and compared how it impacts performance.

We also paid attention to how loud the blender was at lower and higher speeds, using a sound decibel meter. Quality blender motors should not make excessive noise (or overheat).Finally, we assessed how easy it was to clean, looking for any hard-to-reach corners and noting whether the pieces were dishwasher-safe.

Factors to Consider

Containers

Containers are a consideration for Vitamix machines from capacity to type of container. Check the specifications for a blender that works with every Vitamix container and attachment. Some only work with the standard container. The brand recommends a grain container to grind things like flour. During testing, we found that blenders with wider jars struggled more with the peanut butter test, even with the assistance of a tamper. If making nut butter is vital, look for a Vitamix with a more tapered container.

Controls

Vitamix offers numerous controls, from old-school dials to digital touch screens with all sorts of smart features. If you are more of a Luddite looking for a straight utilitarian model, opt for a more classic knob style in the variable speed dial. Specific Vitamix controls have preset blending programs for recipes like smoothies, hot soups, and more. You can also control the blades' speed with most models, so presets are only necessary if you are a set-it-and-forget-it kind of cook.

Motor

Each model has different features, including motor speed and power. If you need more power, make sure to check the specifications. Sometimes, you need to make a smoothie when the rest of the household is asleep, so check the decibel levels on each model. The variations may seem minuscule, but even a few make a difference.

Weight

Vitamix bases are sometimes difficult for some to maneuver in and out of storage if you need help lifting heavy items. If you have such concerns or mobility issues, check the weight of the unit you are considering to make sure you can use it without a problem. Most Vitamix blenders weigh between 10 and 13 pounds, and the lighter models are generally Explorian and Legacy options.

Our Expertise

Jennifer Zyman is a Senior Commerce Writer for Food & Wine and a former restaurant critic with a culinary school degree and over 15 years of food writing experience. Her work has appeared in Atlanta Magazine, Bon Appetit, Eater Atlanta, The Kitchn, Local Palate, National Geographic, Simply Recipes, Southern Living, and Thrillist. She wrote this story using testing data, research, and culinary expertise.