Blender know-how has come a good distance over the previous few many years, which is why Vitamix just lately unveiled a brand new, techy line of blenders known as the Ascent X sequence. The Ascent X line consists of 4 blenders: the X2, X3, X4, and X5. Whereas these blenders share some design components, the options—and value—improve with every quantity. (On the time of writing, the X2 prices $550; the X5 tops out at $750.) I’m all for luxe upgrades, however I imagine should you’re going to pay $750 for a blender, it had higher be implausible. So, I received a pattern of the X5 and put it by a wide range of assessments.

The Ascent sequence’ actual worth lies within the base, which is outfitted with the model’s Self-Detect characteristic. Which means it’s appropriate with any Self-Detect Vitamix attachment. For instance, you may swap out the blender jar for the meals processor or Aer Disc Container. However my assessments for the X5 had been all concerning the handbook speeds and presets: It has a whopping 10, together with sizzling soup, smoothies, smoothie bowls, nut butter, and spice grinding. After placing the X5 by the wringer, I believe it’s a terrific blender—for a sure kind of cook dinner.

The Checks

• Actual World Take a look at: I used the blender for a sequence of duties, relying solely on the handbook pace controls. Included within the trials had been a smoothie, a lentil soup, and a creamy avocado dip.
• Almond Milk Take a look at: To guage the blender’s potential to course of arduous, sticky components, I made almond milk utilizing the nut milk preset and ran one cycle. Then I strained the milk by a cheesecloth-lined mesh strainer and recorded how a lot almond milk it yielded, its consistency, and the way it tasted.
• Inexperienced Smoothie Take a look at: Utilizing the smoothie preset, I made a inexperienced smoothie with kale, a banana, and frozen blueberries. I recorded notes on texture and temperature. 
• Sizzling Soup Take a look at: To check this blender’s potential to make sizzling soup from uncooked components, I made butternut squash soup utilizing the new soup preset. I took the temperature of the completed soup with an instant-read thermometer and tasted the soup for texture and temperature observations.
• Nut Butter Take a look at: Can a blender make good nut butter in below a minute? I added nothing however three cups of roasted, salted peanuts to the blender and used the nut butter cycle, being attentive to the “tamper help” characteristic.
• Frappé Take a look at: The X5 has a preset for creamy, frozen espresso drinks. I adopted the recipe included in Vitamix’s recipe handbook for a frappé made with espresso, half-and-half, and ice cubes.

What We Realized

The Tamper Helper Was a Cool Characteristic

It is a new characteristic for Vitamix blenders. For those who use your blender loads and are a detail-oriented cook dinner, you’ll just like the tamper help characteristic on this blender. Among the X5’s cycles, just like the nut butter preset, sign that you must use the tamper. As somebody who has by no means used a blender’s tamper as a result of I didn’t know when to (or didn’t suppose it could be all that useful), I discovered that characteristic useful. Throughout the peanut butter take a look at, an icon within the form of a tamper appeared on the touchscreen—I used it to pressure the peanuts down towards the blade, which made the method way more environment friendly. Distinction that have with the smoothie take a look at. I used to be prompted to make use of the tamper, and I selected to not as a result of it seemed easy sufficient. However after I strained it, chunks of blueberry had been left behind within the cheesecloth. There’s additionally a removable tamper holder that slides beneath the aspect of the blender—I beloved that characteristic.

The +15 Seconds Characteristic Was Most Helpful with Quick Cycles

In concept, the flexibility so as to add 15 seconds to your mixing cycle with out beginning an entire new spherical is sensible. I didn’t discover it to be helpful throughout a lot of the presets assessments. For this characteristic to work, you must press the button earlier than the cycle ends. However I solely seen that extra time was wanted after a cycle completed and I opened the lid. From exterior the jar, my almond milk combination seemed completely easy. However it wasn’t till I stirred it that I noticed larger items of dates and almonds. At that time, I had already accomplished the nut milk cycle, so including extra time wasn’t an choice. As a substitute, I began a second cycle and stopped it earlier than it had completed. I skilled the identical state of affairs after making soup—a minutes-long cycle. 

This characteristic turned way more helpful for presets with quick cycles. The smoothie cycle solely lasts 45 seconds. Whereas this blender is highly effective, I’m nonetheless uncertain that’s sufficient time to show leafy greens into an appetizing drink. I’ve gotten within the behavior of tacking on extra time simply in case. (You may hit the +15 button twice earlier than it’s good to let the cycle full.)

Some Presets Had been Extra Helpful Than Others

All the presets have a countdown timer, which was useful: It allowed me to examine the progress of my recipe towards the remaining time. As for the precise presets, I can’t say sufficient good issues concerning the nut butter preset: I by no means thought making easy peanut butter in a blender was a risk, however the tapered jar—just like our favourite blender, the 5200 Skilled-Grade—creates a vortex splendid for biking components by. The smoothie characteristic was one other winner; it regularly ramped up the pace, making a easy drink with minimal pulp. The new soup characteristic produced combined outcomes. The 7.5-minute cycle pulverized the uncooked greens, making a silky, creamy soup with the right texture. However at 132˚F, it wasn’t sizzling sufficient to take pleasure in straight from the blender. Nonetheless, I appreciated how fast it was to make soup, even when I needed to end heating it on the stovetop to cook dinner out the uncooked taste.

Nevertheless, the frappé characteristic might use some work. I used standard-sized ice cubes (made in this tray, a winner in our evaluate). Following Vitamix’s steered recipe, I added the components to the blender and toggled the preset. I wasn’t prompted to make use of the tamper, however the blender refused to crush the ice cubes. I added two further tablespoons of liquid, which didn’t assist. Lastly, after including a complete of one-third of a cup extra liquid and working the cycle thrice, I had a combination of uneven ice and watered-down milky espresso. I believe this characteristic can be higher with smaller, softer ice cubes—like those from a nugget ice maker.

The Variable Speeds Had been Nice

As we’ve defined in our blender evaluate, variable pace settings are essential for a blender’s usefulness. They provide you higher management and can help you steadily ramp up pace when going handbook. The X5 has 19 pace settings (1, 1+, 2, 2+, and so forth, as much as 10). That makes it extremely versatile and provides a ton of worth, even should you don’t plan on utilizing the numerous preset buttons. In actual fact, all of my real-world assessments proved you can make wonderful meals within the X5 with out even touching the presets—you simply want the persistence to start out slowly and work your approach as much as a speedy clip.

The Self-Clear Characteristic Was Incredible

I’ve all the time been skeptical about self-clean options on blenders: They didn’t appear any higher than merely filling the jar with water, urgent “Begin,” and letting the motor run. However all through my assessments, I used the self-clean characteristic to nice success. It makes use of completely different speeds to agitate soapy water all through the container. Whereas one cycle didn’t solely clear the sticky peanut butter out of my blender jar, it got here fairly darn shut. I’ll be utilizing this characteristic as a substitute of hand-washing any longer.

The Verdict

The Vitamix Ascent X5 is well worth the cash should you use your blender loads and need the presets. This blender has 19 speeds, and the easiest way to utilize them is with the applications. Don’t sleep on Vitamix’s recipes, both. Your buy of an Ascent blender comes with a recipe e book. Use it: It’s created that can assist you discover all the X5’s options.

The Execs

I’ll begin robust: I like the tamper holder and I wager you’ll too! It slides out and in of the bottom seamlessly and works nice—no extra rogue tampers rolling all around the counter. AI know-how prompts you to make use of a tamper if the blender is struggling. Many of the presets are implausible, and with 19 handbook speeds, this blender is actually versatile. The X5’s base is appropriate with all of Vitamix’s Self-Detect containers, like its meals processor jar. It’s a handsome blender that you just gained’t wish to disguise in a cupboard.

The Cons

The worth is steep. The blender jar is simply 48 ounces; for $750, I anticipated a 64-ounce jar. For those who don’t plan on making use of the presets (or at the very least most of them), the X5 isn’t purchase for you. 

Key Specs

• Jar capability: 48 ounces
• Variety of presets: 10 (smoothies, frozen desserts, soups, frozen cocktails, dips and unfold, smoothie bowl, frappé, nut butters, non-dairy milks, spice grinding)
• Management panel: Digital touchscreen and toggle dial
• Watts: 1500
• Guarantee: 10-year customary guarantee

FAQs

Are you able to examine the Vitamix Ascent blenders?

Vitamix makes 4 blenders within the Ascent sequence: The X2, X3, X4, and X5. All the Ascent blenders have a self-cleaning program and 48-ounce containers. Nevertheless, the X2 and X3 solely have three presets (smoothies, frozen desserts, and soups). The X4 has 5 presets (the earlier three, plus frozen cocktails and dips/spreads). The X5, reviewed right here, has 10 mixing applications. There are another key variations: The X2 is the one blender within the Ascent sequence and not using a touchscreen. The X4 and X5 are the one fashions with the “+15 seconds” characteristic. The colour choices fluctuate from mannequin to mannequin, too.

Why We’re the Specialists

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Severe Eats. Beforehand, she labored at Bon Appétit and Cooking Mild magazines. 
• Rochelle is a culinary college graduate and former line cook dinner, and has written and edited lots of our top-performing blender critiques, together with our comparability of Vitamix blenders.
• For this evaluate, Rochelle put the Vitamix Ascent X5 blender by a sequence of assessments, together with making nut butter, smoothies, and sizzling soup.