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Blenders are a staple appliance for all kinds of cooks, and if you’re one of them then here’s an upgrade you should consider. In my 12+ years as a professional chef, most of the time I would tell folks to consider a good food processor instead of a blender. That is, until I tested the Vitamix Ascent X5. After some rigorous food testing of this Vitamix’s features, I must say, I’m pretty damn impressed.
The Vitamix Ascent X5
Vitamix is a well-established name in the blender world, so it didn’t surprise me that the newest line of their brand would be a force to reckon with. There are four models in the Ascent X series, the X2, X3, X4, and X5, ranging in price from $550 to $750. These aren’t budget models, that’s for sure. Keep in mind that good blenders from lower-priced brands are still $200 or more.
This blender has 10 preset programs, including for smoothies, dips, nut butters, and hot soup. It also comes with a tamper (more useful than I imagined), and the digital touch display is backlit and easy to navigate.
The display is easy to use and the presets help make recipes even easier.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
This particular unit comes with a 10-year warranty. Not only is it reassuring to know you can get help if you need it, but also that the company fully expects this appliance to last at least a decade. You can think of the expense as $75 per year of use.
Even still, I wanted to know if the performance was worth the price tag. So I put the machine through tests that many blenders fail at.
Testing the Vitamix Ascent X5
Even the crummiest blender can make a smoothie, so I skipped over that and instead set up a series of three trials: bean dip, nut butter, and hot soup. These recipes have sticky ingredients that most blenders can’t fully run down, let alone make into a smooth paste. The soup might seem easy, but the special task here is that Vitamix claims you can make and heat the soup right in the blender. Apparently the friction of the blade will get hot enough to heat an entire batch of soup in about seven minutes.
The bean dip test
I decided this was a good time to make my favorite kalamata and white bean dip, so I gathered the ingredients and chucked them in. I normally make this dish in my food processor. Since beans are sticky, if I make this (or any other bean dip) in a blender some beans get smashed just above the blade, leaving the bottom beans to over-purée and the top beans to barely get crushed. It becomes an annoying process of stopping the machine and pushing beans down multiple times.
Mid-blend, as the Vitamix finishes the preset dip cycle.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Not with the Vitamix Ascent X5, however. I navigated to the dip preset with the rotating knob and pressed start. The machine used two different preset speeds to absolutely devour the ingredients. In less than three minutes I had the smoothest kalamata bean dip ever. The only thing I missed from my food processor was pulsing in a few olives, so I chopped them up with a knife instead and mixed them into the dip at the end.
The hot soup test
For this test, I decided to make a simple tomato soup. I knew at this point that the soup would be smooth, so I basically wanted to see if the heating feature was all lip service.
Well: I was floored. Stunned. Slightly intimidated. This machine did exactly as promised and made me perfectly hot soup.
I roasted tomatoes in the oven and added them, seeds and all, to the blender. I dropped in a few roasted garlic cloves, tomato paste, chicken broth and seasonings, navigated to the hot soup icon on the touch screen and pressed play. Most of the other features do their business in three minutes or so, but the hot soup feature carries on for seven. I initially noticed the color of the mixture was pale pink, which you can make out in the picture. After a couple minutes, I didn’t see much change so I left the room to check back in a bit.
A minute or so after blending began.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Once I returned with a couple minutes left in the program, there was a markedly different color and steam collecting at the top. The machine was really heating the soup to the point where the ingredients were cooking, to what I now know was a near simmer.
Toward the end of the soup cycle, the soup had become bright orange-red.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
After it finished, I tested the temperature: 180°F. The soup was as good as if I had simmered it for 20 minutes on the stove, and a texture silkier than my immersion blender could have ever managed. (Keep in mind that it doesn’t get hotter than that so you’d want to add pre-cooked vegetables to the blender.)
The nut butter test
I would never ever ever tell anyone to make nut butter in a blender. You’ll burn out your motor, end up with an inconsistent texture, or get tired of waiting because it can take 20 minutes of constant blending. Even in a food processor, which is much more equipped for making nut butters, you’ll be waiting for some time.
I settled on making cashew butter this time because the cashews in the bulk bin of my corner store were especially handsome. Nut butters are nothing as far as ingredients go. I dry roasted the cashews for about seven minutes in the oven, cooled them, and added them to the blender. I found the cute nut butter icon and let ‘er rip. This is when the tamper comes in. I was too enthralled by the machine’s power on the first run, so I started tamping too late, but on the second spin I was smashing and pressing the nut butter the whole time with great success.
You must tamp! The Vitamix also has a tamping notification feature in case you need a reminder.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Within four minutes I had top-quality cashew butter from my blender. (The preset is for two minutes, so if you tamp right away you’ll be faster than me.) It was faster than opening a store-bought jar and stirring in the separated oil with a knife and cleaning up the resulting oily mess.
Is the Vitamix Ascent X5 a good blender?
This is the best blender I’ve ever used—no contest. One thing that I didn’t love, however, is that it’s also loud AF. My cats hated it, my fiance grumped at me, I considered ear plugs during the soup cycle. Still, this blender absolutely crushes any challenge you throw at it. I’ve never had smoother soups or dips from an appliance. I can actually understand now how and why folks make baby food with this particular brand of blender. It’s fast and uncompromising in its velvety results. Making a hollandaise or mayonnaise in this blender would be carefree.
Is it worth the price?
This is a question only you can answer but here’s what I would consider. What do you make, and how often? If you can see yourself ripping soups, nut butters, or baby food on a regular basis then you absolutely should invest in this blender. If you use a blender for smoothies, or sauces every day, or you’re considering starting your own at home business where this appliance can serve a purpose, then yes, this blender can handle the pressure.
But if you dig your blender out of the closet when you occasionally need it, make smoothies in the summer and store your blender away for the rest of the year, then I would consider a cheaper model from another brand.
The last thing you have to consider is cleanup. My favorite feature is the self-clean program: I hate cleaning as much as I like cooking. Unlike other blenders where you have to take the container apart to clean every piece, the instructions forbid you from taking off the bottom with the blade. But that’s okay, you see, because aside from a soapy sponge to wipe the tough spots, the self-cleaning feature works like a charm.
The Vitamix Ascent X5 is on sale from the Vitamix online store for 649.95 right now, $100 off the original price. It’s a great time to nab one for yourself or as a gift.
