What’s the Difference Between All the Vitamix Models?

The only thing harder than coming up with the cash for a high-powered Vitamix is figuring out

which one to buy

Note: These first two are the biggest players in the Classic Series. They are the tried-and-true line that made the company’s reputation. If you see others on the market with similar model numbers, don’t be confused — that just means they’re made exclusively for that retailer, like Costco, QVC, and others.

Best for: Serious home cooks who love a classic and are willing to shell out the big bucks.

For when only the best will do, there’s the top-of-the-line Professional Series 750. While it will cost you at least $600 bucks, it’s among the most powerful of the Vitamix blenders, which means it whips up the smoothest of the smooth soups, frozen piña coladas, and, yes, smoothies. Margaritas come out just like the machine-churned ones at your favorite Mexican restaurant.

You’ll find preprogrammed settings for smoothies, hot soups, frozen desserts, purées, and self-cleaning that set the time and power automatically. Even though the large 64-ounce jar is relatively short, this blender may be just a little too tall to fit under your upper cabinet. With it, you get a whopping seven-year warranty.

Best for: Cooks who want to see what all this Vitamix hype is all about but don’t care about fancy buttons or settings.

The Explorian 310 is considerably cheaper (yet still pretty expensive, at around $350), but only slightly less powerful than the 750. It comes in black, has a 48-ounce jar, and is definitely too tall to fit under your cabinets. When it comes to blending, you’re on your own, as there’s no automatic programming here. The Explorian is pretty industrial-looking, so it will definitely earn you some cred in your kitchen.

Best for: Cooks who care about having the latest and greatest. Anyone who prefers to be in total control of the process would probably prefer the A2300 or A3300. Those looking for all the bells and whistles should opt for the A3500.

Vitamix started from scratch when designing the four models in this collection, which are clearly the brand’s most stylish and come in very basic colors (like red and white!). While they’re as powerful as the Professional Series, what really distinguishes them is their wireless and Bluetooth connectivity.

Various jars are available to extend your Ascent’s versatility, and the machine automatically detects which size you’re using and adjusts the setting. Let’s say you buy a travel mug or a baby-food sized Vitamix container — this means it won’t fly off the base if you press high power. All of these blenders have 48-ounce jars, built-in timers, will fit underneath a cabinet, and come with a 10-year warranty. The Ascent blenders are also compatible with Vitamix’s food processor attachment. Here’s a breakdown of the models in this collection:

• A2300: The A2300 costs about $450 is the cheapest of all the Ascents. With this blender, you get a dial control and no automatic settings.
• A2500: The next step up, the A2500 includes three preprogrammed settings for smoothies, hot soups, and frozen desserts. It goes for about $500.
• A3300: On the A3300, there are touchscreen controls for the timer and pulse function. It costs about $500 as well.
• A3500: Lastly, there’s the A3500 which has five settings (smoothies, hot soups, dips and spreads, frozen desserts, and self-cleaning) and touch controls for them as well as the timer and pulse. It’s the most expensive, at about $600, and one of the best kitchen investments to make.

Best for: Anyone who loves a bargain. For tag sale or thrift store shoppers, this is a big step up in quality assurance.

You’ll notice a lot of reconditioned Vitamix blenders on sale. These are current or older models that are either slightly or never used and returned by consumers. Before reselling them, the company rebuilds them and puts them through a 17-step process to make sure the machines will give you the same performance as brand-new products.

With reconditioned blenders, you still get a five-year warranty. While they make having a Vitamix up to 25 percent more affordable, you have to decide your comfort level with knowing your blender may have been used before.

Browse Certified Refurbished Vitamix Blenders here.

Do you have a Vitamix? Which one do you have? Or, if you’re thinking about getting one, which one is in the lead? Tell us in the comments below.