The Vitamix 5200 is pretty much what comes to mind when you think of a professional blender. It is able to blend anything, and in addition to that it can be fitted with several accessories so that you can make soups, grind up grains for breads, and of course do all of the other tasks you’d expect from a food processor. But does it deliver enough to justify its price point? We look further into this question to find out whether there’s enough value here to recommend it.
Overview
A top-quality blender is the cornerstone to any well-stocked kitchen. The more your blender can do, the more you can do as a chef, or a wannabe chef at least. This blender is loaded with tons of features, and will expand your realm of possibilities as far as what sort of foods you can make, how quickly you can make them, and how great they turn out when everything is properly blended. But don’t worry, you can still take all the credit, and you don’t have to let anyone know it was a blender that did all the heavy lifting.
The Claim
The Vitamix 5200 says that it propels its blades up to 240 mph, so pretty much nothing can get its way, and whatever you put into it is going to get blended. They say that their newest model features a 40 ounce pitcher that is BPA-free and designed in a way that creates a sort of vortex so that the ingredients you are blending end up bouncing up and down into the blade. This creates the effect of everything getting blended equally, and prevents the blender from jamming up on one big piece of food, or blending thicker ingredients over thinner ones.
They give this blender a seven-year warranty, so if anything should go wrong with it you won’t have trouble getting it fixed. This is the kind of service you expect from a blender at this price point. You should be buying your way into high quality that will give you several years of trouble-free operation.
The Hype
A lot of people say that the price creates some hype for this product, and wonder how people can justify spending this kind of money on a blender, when there are other blenders that seem to get the job done at a fraction of the cost. The other hype comes from the reviews that this gets, they are so glowing you’d think they are endorsed, or fake, but they’re not.
The Cost
The Vitamix 5200 can be found from $570 on Amazon. Some say this is very high, but others say that it comes out to be the same as buying 10 $50 blenders over the span of ten years. What’s more, you’ll be able to have a top of the line blender for all of that time, instead of settling for the sword of run-of-the-mill results you get from lower-priced models.
The Commitment
This should actually reduce your commitment for many different recipes that call for ingredients to be blended, chopped, puréed, or minced. It can also get you thinking more creatively with all of its capabilities. You might start to make your own freshly prepared salsa, homemade soups made from scratch just using the blender, smoothies and mixed drinks become really easy, and you can even make sorbet and ice creams with it. So while things are easier for you, you might be spending more time in the kitchen than you currently do.
Evaluation
It’s hard to wipe the smile off the face of people that own the Vitamix 5200. This is a blender that doesn’t leave much to complain about, and actually lives up to most of its claims, and exceeds expectations in many instances. It is not everyday find a blender that can also double as a juicer, soup maker, and if you buy the right attachments a grain grinder for making homemade breads.
Showing the Love
It’s not every day that you find a product that gets so much love lavished onto it. But it’s not too surprising if you’ve ever tried one of these blenders. They are pretty amazing, and you quickly see that there is a good amount of craftsmanship, and high-quality materials being used here. It just seems like it comes from a company that takes pride in their work, and puts their reputation on the line with each blender they make. It’s a feeling that you don’t normally get these days, with so many products being designed with the “planned obsolescence” of throwing it away when it breaks down and just getting a new one.
Final Vitamix 5200 Review
The Vitamix 5200 is getting our Thumbs Up review. This blender walks the walk, and chances are high that you will love it just as much as the majority of owners that already know how well it works. Many people wonder if the price is justified, and we can say from experience that it is. The price is something that you pay one time, but the blender is something that you use all the time, and can actually get you started off on a healthier lifestyle of green smoothies, fresh healthy soups, and juices of all types.
Our Recommendation
This is one of the best blenders that is available to the public, and trying it out is believing. We recommend it fully, but if you’re not quite ready to jump on board with it, but still want a great blender at a price you can swallow, try out the Ninja Kitchen System 1200, which also earned our Thumbs Up rating, and
I’ll also let you know that not only does it have that 7 year warranty, but the company stands very firmly by that warranty no-questions-asked. I was playing a little game of “will it blend” with my Vitamix some 3 years after purchasing it. I no longer had the receipt or box obviously, but I decided to try putting some pudding powder with a little bit of water into the Vitamix. This particular brand has “corn starch” as one of the main ingredients, and anyone with a little physics background knows that “corn starch” and a small amount of water makes what’s known as a “non-Newtonian fluid”. In other words, it was gonna break the blender, no matter how great the craftsmanship was.
After burning out the motor with my own stupidity, I called the company and even explained to them what happened. I would’ve understood if “stupidity” wasn’t covered by warranty. But they told me, and I quote, “We don’t care, our blenders should NEVER break.” And they sent me a new one in the mail that day. I’ve been using THAT blender now for over 6 years.
For as long as the company continues to create such a great product, and have such great service, not only will I continue to use a Vitamix for life, I’ll also continue to recommend everyone I know do the same.
Amazingly this comes with a seven year warranty. Wow!
But wait, oh yeah… it costs $570!
Who, other than the very rich and those convinced that all food should come in some form of paste, would ever think about buying a commercial blender at that price?
No one, that’s who.
I’m not convinced that I would ever need anything blending so badly that I would need the piece of mind of a seven year warranty, either.
Jesus, if you’re having a party and want to make Marghueritas one night, you can pick a blender up for less than $20. Sure it probably won’t work more than the once, but seriously, how many of us actually use a blender?
I think that the price is just outrageous. I understand that there are a lot of blenders and other consumer products which are not exactly built to last. But I know specifically with blenders, that people tend to try to blend things which were not meant for the blender. Blenders are for specific ingredients and food processors are for other ingredients. When you start using one to do the other’s job, they tend to break down. I can’t see spending more than $100 for a blender. My curreent blender I have had for two years and I got it on sale for $35. I don’t use it more than once a week but I do take care of it and maintain it. But for the price that the Vitamix 5200 is charging, at least they have a good warranty.
Believe me – the fruit gets blended!! Even those giant frozen strawberries that are whole – I believe this thing would grind rocks if a recipe called for it. It’s the first time in my life I’ve gotten most of my daily requirements in one (large) cup on the way to work: banana-pear-pineapple-blueberry is my favorite (with handfuls of spinach that also disappear in two seconds). My only complaint is that because of the powerful motor, it is LOUD. I’m hooked on my smoothies, so the household is awakened by what sounds like a lawnmower in our kitchen. They had gotten used to the sound of our blender – which I thought made a lot of noise until the VitaMix moved in…. (Worth it, though!)
I think I’m going to save up and go for a Vitamix. I hate buying something that needs replaced after a few years, so the warranty on this one is definitely a selling point for me. I really like making things from scratch and avoiding the chemicals and preservatives in packaged foods. Lately, I’ve been wanting to give homemade pesto sauce a try. I don’t want little chunks of pine nuts left floating around in the sauce, though, so I need a blender that really works. This review also intrigued me with the talk of grinding your own grains . Wow, that’s really doing things from scratch – something to aspire to anyway. 🙂
I’ve had a lot of friends recommend the Vitamix to me. I really want to eat more fruits and vegetables, and find it hard to get enough servings in a day. I have a smoothie maker but it leaves chunks of fruit in my smoothies no matter how long I leave it blending for. It’s very frustrating. I guess the one bad thing about the Vitamix would be the expensive price, but if the quality is as good as people say it is, I think it’s worth it.
I wish the video included above showed the Vitamix blending the fruits…I wanted to see how well it blended them.
Like the previous post says, this machine comes with a 7 year warranty. Who can beat that? Over the last ten years I’ve owned 7 different blenders, each one lasting just a tad over a yr until I acquired the VitaMix. Actually, the first Vitamix that I owned was used at my restaurant. I liked it so much that I purchased one for at home. I’ve been using the Vitamix 5200 now for over 2 yrs and it’s remaining strong regardless of what I toss at it. I make tons of shakes and other “frozen” drinks. Some say it’s costly which it is, but you will get what you really pay for in the product. It’s an excellent blender that I would definitely purchase again. If you have a family that needs to get more fruits and vegetables into their diet, then this is the blender for you.
You know what? I don’t even need all the gizmos that comes with it. I just need it to last at least a few years and work well within its lifespan. I’m sick and tired of buying brand name blenders and have them go bad after one year of use. They charge over a hundred dollars on the good models and they can’t even make one lasts a year. I don’t care about any other features, but I’m buying this thing because it’s got a seven year warranty.