Dynamic, high-powered Vitamix blenders are all the rage, and have been a consumer-adored, go-to splurge for long before. But why? The near-$500 kitchen appliance is just that good.
Taking a whole new spin — or should we say, blend — on pureeing, condensing and even heating up your food and drinks, the multifaceted blender is the gold standard of convenience and precision.
“You can do things you just can’t do in an average blender,” Desiree Nielsen, RD, a Vancouver-based nutritionist and author of the bestselling cookbook, “Eat More Plants,” told the New York Post. “You can make nut butter and turn cashews into cream, so you can turn very dense foods into very smooth and creamy soups or sauces. You don’t get that same effect from a food processor or standard blender.”
Since Nielsen previously raved to The Post about the Vitamix and shared all the chef-level creations she shared using her beloved blender, we decided to test it out for ourselves. Specifically, we’ve blended many smoothies, sauces and even homemade hummus for months, all with our handy-dandy Vitamix 5200 Blender.
Vitamix 5200 Blender, $399
The Vitamix 5200 Blender has an array of noteworthy features, including variable speed control to achieve a variety of textures, hardened stainless steel blades to chop effectively and a self-cleaning feature to make cleanup ultra easy.
Is the Vitamix 5200 Blender worth the price?
I don’t know about you, but spending upwards of $550 on a blender just seems like a stab to your bank account. It’s not something you can wear or use as a home decor piece per se, but it’s a heavy-duty appliance that’ll last you for years — if you decide to bite the bullet and indulge.
Speaking of bullet, I’ve been using my NutriBullet ($72) for years to make strawberry, banana and almond milk smoothies and it’s the perfect size for me. But, if I wanted to make a summertime mixed drink or make anything that requires a food processor, I felt limited.
Luckily, the Vitamix has a large capacity, variable speed control to adjust pulsing levels and texture, and aircraft-grade stainless steel blades that work so quickly they can heat up soups. Yeah, pretty amazing.
The Pros
When I took the Vitamix 5200 Blender out of the box, it just felt sturdy and a great quality kitchen gadget. The thick handle is practical and safe, as is the pour spout for mess-free transfer. It also comes with a long tamper that “maintains circulation by preventing air pockets from forming during blending,” per Vitamix’s instruction manual.
Impressively, and the cherry on top of all selling points, it’s self-cleaning. Why is this important? Well, if you’ve ever made anything from a blender, you know that cleaning leftover residue and scrubbing all the nooks and crannies can take much scrubbing and stress trying to make it pristine.
After making smoothies and my homemade romesco sauce for filet mignon (which consisted of throwing in near-whole roasted peppers, may I add), I simply added two pumps of dish soap and warm water and blended it for about thirty seconds, repeating twice. Though I had to use a sponge to clean off some of the lid, the container was spotless.
I made a multi-step sauce and even homemade hummus with my Vitamix. The variable speed control was a nice touch to control the consistency of the chickpeas I was blending along the way. And, it turned out delicious!
The Cons
There aren’t too many cons, other than the Vitamix 5200 Blender is a pretty large piece of equipment. But, just like a KitchenAid Stand Mixer ($380), you make room if you love it. But, a potential silver lining — it doubles as a food processor, so you can skip two appliances with the Vitamix 5200 Blender.
The bottom line
The Vitamix 5200 Blender isn’t for everyone but, even as someone who doesn’t use a blender daily, I’m glad I have one to rely on. It’s great if you’re looking to entertain in the future and the perfect gift for anyone who doesn’t usually splurge on themselves. Not to mention, you don’t want to cheapen out with a blender. This one has everything you’ll ever need.
Other Vitamix Blender models to shop
Check out the New York Post Shopping section for more content.