Vitamix A3500 Ascent Blender - Soup in 5 Minutes & Ice Cream in 30 Seconds

Product Information

We loved how much control we had over the power even though this isn't digital. During testing, we were blown away by how rich and frothy the smoothie came out, with very little need to scrape down the sides. Like with most models, the wide container caused some issues during the peanut butter test, so larger batches are encouraged.

Vitamix blenders come with a high price tag. The more tech and features a Vitamix has, the higher the cost. Choosing a basic or Legacy model with simple manual controls is one way to save some money when shopping for a Vitamix. Any kind of nutmilk is a nothing affair. You won't be stressing the motor even a little if you make almond milk at home. Same with nut butter although it's not terribly easy to get nut butter out of the bottom. Instead of the blender you will be better off swapping to the food processor attachment. The power is more than enough though. Ice crush test: It took several pulses at low speed to break up cubes, but the higher speed pulse was more efficient at turning them into snow.This excelled in our tests, blending an aerated smoothie with a very smooth texture. When it came to making peanut butter, we found that the wide and large container is best suited for larger batches. If you know you'll be frequently blending up small quantities, there is a compatible 32-ounce container sold separately that will be best suited for those recipes. At this point make sure you've got the lid secured because you are going to make a mess otherwise. There's not much ability to start slowly even if you've got the power turned down. There's a lot of power and it jumps to life rather suddenly. The lower speeds are more than enough power for crushing ice and aren't too loud. Turn the dial towards full power though and get ready for a lot to happen. Not only is there lots of noise but the air expelled from the side is pretty dramatic. There's no second guessing that this is a powerful system when you watch it spinning at full power. Smoothie performance: We used each blender to make a smoothie using the same amount of pineapple, kale (leaves and stems), and orange juice. To create an objective comparison, we blended each smoothie on high for 15 seconds. After tasting for flavor and texture, we ran the rest through a fine sieve to see the size of bits left behind. For blenders with smoothie-specific settings, we tried those out in separate tests also using leafy greens.

Although it seems like an odd use of a blender, this beast of a machine has the power to knead dough. Our dough came together in record time and emerged from the appliance, slightly warm and ready to rise. Noise: As we ran our tests on each blender, we noted the maximum decibel level it registered. None of the machines were silent, but noise levels ranged from 70 decibels—similar to a vacuum cleaner—to over 90—similar to a lawnmower. Peanut butter performance: We ground a 2-cup batch of peanuts into peanut butter in each blender, timing how long it took to get a smooth texture. To compare consistency between peanut butters, we smeared some of each on a white plate. We also noted how many times we had to stop and scrape down the sides to get a complete blend. With a sleek and stylish appearance from every angle, the Vitamix® A2300i blender features Variable Speed Control and Pulse to create every texture. The machine features many new conveniences, including a built-in digital timer to help you monitor each blend and achieve perfect results every time.Celebrate 100 years of innovation with this Special Edition. The 100th Anniversary Collection includes everything you need to enjoy healthy meals at home or on the go. You’ll love how easy it is to explore new flavours, textures and ingredients.~ Features and functions: We considered all the settings available on the machines, from basic pulse mode and speed settings to a variety of timers and automated smart features. To determine if they truly add usefulness, we ran batches using a variety of settings in addition to our kale and peanut butter tests. We also noted whether the controls made using the blenders more or less difficult. MediaMath sets this cookie to avoid the same ads from being shown repeatedly and for relevant advertising. Although it seems like an odd use of a blender, this beast of a machine has the power to knead dough. Store your Vitamix machine and tamper in one place with the Tamper Holder. The Tamper conveniently attaches to the left or right side of the Vitamix motor base and provides easy access to your tamper while blending.

One of the features we loved most was the Vitamix Perfect Blend app. The app wasn’t mentioned in the manual or cookbook that came with the blender, but we knew it existed from seeing it mentioned online. We found it easily, installed it on our phone (it’s free), and connected it to our blender. The app can pair with a wireless scale (sold separately) that makes it easy to measure ingredients right into the blender jar, but the recipes can be made without the scale as well.Vitamix blenders are the cream of the crop—and and are priced as such. If you're hesitant about spending so much, you can still get top-quality blending power for a little less money by choosing a model with fewer bells and whistles, like this one. Operation is easy, with a variable-speed dial, an on/off toggle, and a pulse toggle, so you can do your blending exactly the way you want. Blend an individual smoothie right inside the (600ml) Blending Cup and take it to go. Use the (225ml) Blending Bowl to make smaller servings of your favorite blends, like salad dressings, dips and baby food. Clean-up is easy because the cup, bowl, lids, and blade base are all dishwasher safe. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. While it's not dishwasher-safe, it's simple to fill the blender jar with warm, soapy water and run the cleaning cycle. Peanut butter and other oily substances may require an additional scrub, but overall, we thought cleaning couldn't be easier. This blender is on the louder end of the spectrum, but we didn't consider that to be a dealbreaker. This Vitamix 5200 comes with a tall, slim, 64-ounce container that’s perfect for smoothies, purees, and hot soups. It has a variable-speed dial that lets you change the speed as you blend, and a pulse button for chunky blending and precise textures. The on/off toggle rounds out the controls.

We were thoroughly impressed with its ability to blend smoothies, iced lattes, rice flour, and even whipped cream. We even used the blender to turn the whipped cream into butter, which turned out perfectly, as well. If you want something simple for smoothies or sauces, a basic blender with knobs, buttons, toggles, or dials for speed control will likely work for you.

Features

The motor base has wireless connectivity, so it can read the size of the container that is in use and adjust the program settings and blending times appropriately. It comes with a 64-ounce container, but other compatible containers are available separately. An integrated timer turns the blender off when time runs out, so you can walk away and know that you’ve blended for exactly the right time. The intuitive controls are a touchscreen for a sleek appearance and easy cleaning. Like other Vitamix blenders, this one has variable speed controls as well as a pulse button for ultimate control of everything you blend. At the bottom of the Ascent series is the 2300. All the Ascent series bases have 10 speeds, a Bluetooth radio, and a pulse control. The 2300 stops there. The 2300 represents the workhorse model without the extra niceties. Look higher up the model options if you want a programmable auto-off timer, touch screen, or program settings. The wireless scale that pairs with the Vitamix app isn’t necessary, but it’s good to have. The scale can be used without the blender for everyday kitchen tasks, and two additional apps, Apple Health and Google Fit, can integrate with the scale. The Ascent has also been improved with a count-up digital timer, so you can view the time for which you’ve been blending. This means that you can easily replicate good results without wondering at what point you stopped a programme yesterday or how much extra time you added. While there are options for containers, in the box you will find the 64-ounce Low-Profile Container. The large capacity allows for blending six to twelve servings in a single batch but the height remains low enough for storing. At 10 inches tall you won't need to turn the container on it's side although at 17 inches on the base you will probably need to separate the two pieces.