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blender
Category
Blender
Type
High-speed blender
Capacity
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Model number
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Power
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What owners keep saying · from 94 reviews

solid build43powerful16broke down14smooth blends13loud4bulky3easy to clean3great value3

Is part of the 5200 club and calls it a workhorse.

positivesolid build

Bought a used 5200 and finds it very powerful and likely to outlive them.

positivepowerfulsolid build

Their refurbished 5200 makes peanut butter without breaking a sweat.

positivepowerful

Says the narrow 5200 container does very well with small volumes and little splashing, though it is tall.

positivesmooth blends

Has owned their 5200 for over a year, bought on a Vitamix site promotion.

positive

Has used the same 5200 for about 10 years, twice a day, for nut milk and smoothies, and it still works like a charm.

positivesolid build

Had a 15+ year old 5200 before moving to an A3500 and notices no significant difference between the models.

positivesolid build

Bought their 5200 15 years ago and uses it nearly every day or every other day; waiting on a new drive socket.

positivesolid build

Has had two 5200s in 15 years and uses it every day for banana ice cream, smoothies, soup and hummus; the first died after about 14 years.

positivesolid build

Got the 5200 recently and has made beet soup, squash soup, nut butter, smoothies and hummus without regret.

positive

Bought a used Super Q to compare against their 5200, found no advantage and returned it.

positive

Bought the professional 5200 and says it is built like a tank with nothing complicated to break.

positivesolid build

Got the 5200 on a sale after a Ninja container cracked and finds it incredible so far, with velvety smoothies.

positivesmooth blends

Bought their 5200 eight years ago, uses it almost daily and it works perfectly.

positivesolid build

Likes the 5200 as a workhorse without bells and whistles.

positive

Had both a 5200 and a Venturist Pro on the counter and kept the 5200 as the more basic machine with less to go wrong.

positive

Has had their 5200 for 27 years, using it often twice a day, and it still makes greens and berry seeds disappear.

positivesolid buildsmooth blends

Loves their 5200 with the tall container like no other kitchen appliance and would replace it with the same model.

positive

Makes peanut butter every second week and macadamia butter in their 5200 in one to two minutes without stopping or overheating.

positivesmooth blends

Loves making peanut butter with roasted peanuts in their 5200.

positive

Two 5200s used only for smoothies keep burning out their motors after three to four months, needing warranty repairs.

negativebroke down

Their 5200 makes perfect, silky smooth peanut, almond and cashew butter, though pistachio butter needed a food processor.

positivesmooth blends

Used their 5200 almost daily for smoothies for nine years until it broke, and still recommends it.

positivesolid build

Got a 5200 for their wedding anniversary and finds it absolutely incredible, blending everything efficiently.

positivepowerful

Has had the 5200 for three weeks and doesn't love it, so ordered an A3500.

mixed

Has had a refurbished 5200 for 10+ years with no issues.

positivesolid build

Has owned their 5200 for nearly 10 years, uses it several times a week and has never had a problem.

positivesolid build

Makes daily smoothies and biweekly almond butter in their 5200 for over a year and finds it rock solid.

positivesolid build

A couple of days into owning the 5200, their smoothies end up as either all liquid or ice sludge.

mixed

Makes chunky salsa in their 5200 by starting on the lowest setting and pulsing four to five times.

positive

Bought a 5200 plus an extra 32 oz container because the 64 oz is too big for one person; uses the 32 oz daily and the big one for hummus.

positive

Has had a 5200 for about 20 years and says it pulverizes far beyond a Ninja personal blender.

positivesmooth blendssolid build

Makes smoothies in their 5200 with whole kale, stems and all, and notices no weird textures.

positivesmooth blends

Owns the 5200; it is too tall for regular cabinets, but the tamper is useful for peanut butter and juice.

positivebulky

Got the 5200 specifically for green smoothies and couldn't be happier.

positive

Has had a refurbished 5200 for 10 years and is keeping it as a backup even after buying an A2500.

positivesolid build

Returned the 5200 after a single use because the noise was too much for their sensory processing disorder.

negativeloud

Their first Costco 5200 stopped working properly and Costco returned it with no issues; the second one is working great.

mixedbroke down

Says the 5200 they bought is amazing and way better than their old Ninja.

positive

Makes smoothies almost every day and would pick the 5200 every time for the container shape and analog controls.

positive

Their 5200 is eight years old and still a monster blender.

positivepowerful

Found a thrifted 5200 and has used it almost every day since; says it's great and quiet.

positivequiet

Had a 5200 for 10 years before losing it in a move and calls it the best of the OGs.

positivesolid build

Has had a 5200 for about 10 years and calls it a tank that makes the thickest frozen-fruit smoothies.

positivesolid build

Owns three 5200s and says they are great; the core motor design has hardly changed.

positive

Bought a 5200 for the ginger and garlic paste it makes.

positive

Their 5200 from Amazon arrived and has already made the silkiest tomato soup and great açaí bowls; they don't miss their Ninja.

positivesmooth blends

Ground raw farro into flour in their 5200 for bread, though the batch wasn't uniform and needed sieving.

positive

Their 5200's pitcher developed a rusty blade assembly, and Vitamix sent a replacement pitcher under warranty easily.

mixed

Found a gross layer stuck under the blade of their recently bought 5200 and can't take the blade apart to clean it.

mixedhard to clean

After years of use they need a replacement container and have loved the classic 64 oz jar on their 5200.

positive

Finds their 5200's narrow jar crushes ice for protein smoothies better than their sister's wide-jar Costco Vitamix.

positive

Chose the 5200 for themselves because it's cheaper and easier to repair than newer models; a 15-year-old thrift 5200 they gifted is still going great.

positive

Their 5200 is 29 years old, used a few times a week and taken on a dozen RV trips; one of the best products they've bought.

positivesolid build

Bought a roughly 13-year-old 5200 motor base on eBay for $85 and it works fine with a new stainless container.

positivegreat value

Makes a 16 oz shake in their 5200 every day; it's ideal for that size.

positive

Loves their 5200 as a workhorse for individual smoothies and many other uses.

positive

Their 16-year-old uses their new 5200 for smoothies and nut butters; it's fine for 16 oz volumes.

positive

Enjoyed their 5200 for many years, like driving a manual sports car, before switching to an A3500 for looks.

positive

Loves their 5200 and will buy another 5200 if it ever croaks; a blender needs only switches and a dial.

positive

Their 5200 is 18 years old and going strong with never a single regret.

positivesolid build

After a couple of months with their 5200 they wished they'd got a model with presets, later picking up a 3600.

mixed

Got their 5200 factory refurbished over ten years ago and it's still in great condition.

positive

Loves their 5200 for smoothies for two and cooking sauces in small, short batches.

positive

Returned their 5200 for a vacuum blender, which gives much better consistency for green smoothies.

negative

Was happier with their Magic Bullet: their 5200 makes things airy and needs a loading order and tamper, though it makes more at once.

mixed

Loved their secondhand 5200 for about 14 years, but only two speeds still work and the feet need replacing.

mixed

Their 5200 is 13 years old and simply won't die.

positivesolid build

Has owned Vitamixes since 1988 and still likes the 5200 best of all.

positive

Their 12-year-old 5200, used for frozen fruit smoothies almost daily, still works like new.

positivesolid build

Found a fully working 5200 at Goodwill for $14.95 and says the thing is amazing.

positivegreat value

Their 5200 is a monster that handles everything; not one problem with anything they've put in it.

positivepowerful

Their reconditioned 5200 has had no issues in 7-8 years with soups, smoothies, nut butters and oat milk.

positive

Prefers the 5200 they got for $130 over their old 750 Pro: easier to clean and doesn't stain, with negligible sound difference.

positiveeasy to clean

Uses their Vitamix 5200 every day for sauces and evening collagen smoothies, plus almond milk.

positive

Has had a 5200 for about 16 years; the motor is still good and only the pitcher needs replacing.

positive

Got a 5200 recently; after four days of smoothies it's a beast, with small and large batches coming out better than expected.

positivepowerful

Has used their refurbished 5200 several times a day for 15 years after trying cheaper blenders, and it's great.

positive

The bearings in their 5200's blade assembly failed, so they replaced the blade assembly.

mixed

Uses their 5200 daily for smoothies plus salsa, soups and dips and smiles every time they use it; clean-up is easy.

positiveeasy to clean

Their Prime Day 5200 popped and stopped working 20 seconds into a smoothie after only about five uses.

negativebroke down

Their roughly 10-year-old 5200's blades have become very stiff to turn, likely worn bearings.

mixed

Their almost 20-year-old 5200 still works great overall; only the container cracked after a fall.

positive

Loves their 5200: not a looker but one of their best appliances, and it really does make peanut butter and hot soup from cold vegetables.

positivepowerful

Had a 5200 for 15 years before switching to a blender with presets.

positive

Got the 5200 for $299 in September 2024 and loves it, using it almost every day.

positive

Has used their TNC 5200 daily for about seven years and couldn't be happier, until a drive socket screw got blended into the motor base.

positive

Uses their 5200 for soups and smoothies alongside an old 3600 for flour and nut butters.

positive

Their 5200 is their third Vitamix and has handled bread flour, soups and tens of thousands of smoothies.

positive

The 5200 they bought last year kept a burning smell from first use, so they returned it.

negative

Has had their 5200 for over a decade with lots of use and abuse from four kids, and would buy another if stolen.

positivesolid build

Bought the 5200 and it blends exceptionally, with a short learning curve for avoiding air pockets.

positive

Their legacy 5200 has gone strong since 2009 with one minor repair, making smoothies daily plus soups.

positive

Had a legacy 5200 for 9 years before a minimalist purge, then came back after Ninja, Beast and Blendtec.

positive

Needs the tamper for nearly every two-serving smoothie in their 5200 and twice the liquid recipes call for, so wouldn't buy it again.

negative

Their new 5200 keeps stopping mid-blend on a simple frozen dessert and won't restart for 5-10 minutes.

negative

Bought a 5200 a month ago after a cheap Ninja; it's insane but the tamper has to be used.

positivepowerful

Their trusty 5200 is 15+ years old and still runs great, but blends now come out less smooth with chunks.

mixed

Bought the 5200 last year mainly for smoothies and it works amazingly well; a rinse right after blending keeps it clean.

positiveeasy to clean

Noticed moisture trapped under the blade assembly of the 5200 they bought in July.

negative

Their 5200's pitcher bearing failed and they couldn't stop it leaking after replacing the bearing, so they're giving up on Vitamix.

negativebroke down

Their 5200 is nearly 10 years old and still going strong with use 4-5 times a week.

positive

Makes two smoothie servings at a time in their 5200, drinking one and chilling the other; works well.

positive

The container of their 5200 cracked during normal use while under warranty.

negative

Their new 5200 keeps overheating making hummus even after resting it and adding liquid.

negative

Their 5200's high speed blends a thick frozen-fruit smoothie in under 15 seconds; money well spent.

positivepowerful

The bearings wore out in their 5200's 64 oz pitcher so the blade seized, but Vitamix is replacing it under warranty.

mixed

Has used their 5200 daily for 15 years and it still runs like a champ; returned a Blendtec because they prefer a knob.

positive

Their 8-year-old 5200 had major problems from recalled stripping blades, just past its 7-year warranty.

negativebroke down

Has the 5200, never feels the need for presets, and really likes the tall jar.

positive

Their new 5200 works like a dream, just like the one they had 15 years ago.

positive

Has had their 5200 for about a decade and it still works.

positive

Their legacy 5200 has been amazing for mid-size portions, but they're disappointed by the lack of small containers for 4-8 oz pastes and chutneys.

mixed

Upgraded from an old Ninja to the 5200 and loves it: frozen fruit and spinach smoothies come out very smooth with a little tamper use.

positive

Has had the 5200 for over a decade and it's been great.

positive

Their two-year-old 5200 still makes grainy cashew cream even after soaking and tamping, so they finish it with an immersion blender and aren't in love.

negative

Their 5200 blends cashew cream smooth just fine, even without soaking.

positive

Has the 5200, which America's Test Kitchen ranked above the Ascent and 510.

positive

Their old standard 5200 has run their daily smoothie for over 18 years and is only now showing signs of retiring.

positive

Has had a 5200 with the plastic container for years and uses it almost every day.

positive

Got a used 5200 after seeing one turn hard food into juice; a great machine.

positive

Bought and returned a 5200 after one thick smoothie because its motor felt weaker than their Explorian E320.

negative

Loves their 5200 with the tall narrow jar for single-serve smoothies and soup; simple controls and no RFID.

positive

Ordered a 5200 via Amazon on Black Friday and it has made smoothies beautifully.

positive

Just made a Cajun cashew sauce in their 5200, whose container is foggy after much use.

positive

Bought the 5200 for its container and their partner is very happy.

positive

Their new 5200 from Amazon arrived dead with no power, and feels much lighter and cheaper than their 15-year-old Pro 500.

negativebroke down

Their 5200 bought from Amazon in October ran fine until January, when it powered on but the blades stopped turning; customer support kept them on hold.

negativebroke down

Their new 5200 is great, though the lid plug turns freely and bounces around while running.

positive

Has a 5200 with the tall 64 oz container and finds it super great.

positive

Their new 5200 from Vitamix arrived with a worn-looking logo and missing decals; Vitamix replaced it quickly, paid shipping both ways, and the replacement looks perfect.

mixed

Has a reconditioned 5200 and loves it, using it every day.

positive

Happy with their 5200; doesn't mind turning a dial by hand.

positive

Their culinary version of the 5200, bought in 2013, is still going strong with no app or special containers.

positivesolid build

Their refurbished 5200 was as awesome as their Ascent apart from the presets.

positive

Their new 5200 bought late 2024 has vibrated and stalled into safety shutdown from the start, even with the tamper, while their two Explorians lasted over six years.

negativebroke down

Their 5200 has been used weekly for over 15 years without fail.

positivesolid build

Their marketplace 5200 can't even make a pâté without repeatedly shutting off.

negative

Their 5200 with the tall container sucks air under the ingredients every time, despite following the ramp-up and tamper instructions.

mixed

Their new 5200 handles smoothies and frozen fruit with ease but takes 15–20 minutes of stopping and tamping to make hummus.

mixed

Got a reconditioned 5200 for $350 from Vitamix and it works great.

positive

Their 5200, bought new on sale for $329, is used weekly and has saved them a lot of money.

positive

Bought a new 5200 to replace a ten-year-old KitchenAid blender, but its narrow jar won't mix their cookies-and-cream milkshakes evenly the way the old blender did.

mixed

Has owned a 5000, a 5200 and a Total Nutrition Center, all essentially the same VM0103 machine and comparably rugged; still uses the 5000 and won't give it up.

positivesolid build

Absolutely loves their 5200: a powerhouse still going as strong as the day they got it.

positivepowerful

Could not be happier with their 5200: the best container for smoothies, a manual process to dial in, repair parts readily available and a great warranty.

positivegreat value

Their only downside of owning a 5200 is having no small container for small batches.

mixed

Got a new-in-box 5200 for $140 as their first Vitamix; its smoothies have much better texture than their hand immersion blender.

positivesmooth blends

Just got the 5200 to replace a Ninja and is amazed how much smoother it gets, even pulverising strawberry seeds, with the tamper keeping thick blends moving.

positivesmooth blends

Bought a 2009 5200 on eBay for $100; it works flawlessly and blends insanely fast.

positivefast

Their 5200 went strong for over ten years, and after servicing by Vitamix it came back like new.

positivesolid build

Their 5200 is over ten years old, used multiple times daily and still as powerful; but a new 5200 bought two years ago had a much lighter base and blended worse, as did its replacement.

mixedpowerful

Their new 5200 doesn't feel as powerful or blend as quickly as the 2013 Total Nutrition Center it replaced, and the base and pitcher feel cheaper; they're considering returning it.

negative

Just bought a 5200 and is underwhelmed: it didn't feel more powerful than their old KitchenAid blender on frozen fruit, milk and yogurt.

negative

Their 5200 is sturdy but its motor and blades don't cope with thick blends, so they're always tamping to unstick the blades.

negative

Their new 5200 is amazing on its first smoothie, though they noticed a faint burning smell after a couple of minutes on high.

positive

Has used their Costco Classic (VM0103) for 10–15 years, sometimes daily, until the blade seized up.

mixed

Has used their 5200 for over 14 years for super-thick smoothies; the tall narrow container, blade shape, ingredient order and tamper make it work where their son's Ninja can't compare.

positivesmooth blendssolid build

Their new 5200 hasn't struggled with anything so far: peanut butter, oat flour and frozen-fruit smoothies.

positivepowerful

Has a 12-year-old 5200 used almost daily and calls it a beast.

positivesolid build

Really likes their 2016 VM0109 (5200) manual model with no smart features or presets.

positive

Their 5200 from 2012 lost variable speed when the potentiometer failed; Vitamix quoted $239 to repair or a $100 trade-in credit.

mixedbroke down

Their 5200 kept having issues after two repairs and finally died.

negativebroke down

Bought a reconditioned Vitamix over a decade ago and it's still going strong with a lot of weekly use.

positivesolid build

Their 5200 just does its thing: spins really fast with no smart features.

positive

After eight years with a 5200 for smoothies and frozen cocktails sees no need for alternatives; values its simplicity and serviceability.

positivesolid build

Would pick the 5200 with the stainless container: it's so simple that replacement parts like the speed control are cheap.

positive

Their reconditioned 5200 from 2013 looked brand new and still works great.

positivesolid build

Their 5200 just arrived and is comically huge, far too big for their smoothies, so they're returning it.

negativebulky

Got their 5200 for $100 from someone who had it a year; no issues.

positive

Their 15-year-old 5200 operates just like new.

positivesolid build

Their 5200 is over 15 years old; the circuit board failed after a couple of years leaving only fast or slow, but it has worked since they replaced the board.

mixed

Has had their 5200 since 2013 and gave up trying to kill it; it's immortal.

positivesolid build

Their restaurant has run two 5200s, kitchen and bar, all day every day for ten years without a motor failure, though they've gone through several jars.

positivesolid build

Moving up from an old Oster they use only occasionally, they feel they over-bought with the new 5200: they keep losing the vortex, aren't sure how to use the tamper, and found chickpea pieces left after blending a stew base.

“I want to love my new blender (it is the 5200), but I lose my vortex and then panic. My ancient Oster was suitable for my occasional blender needs and I feel like I over purchased.”
negative

Their 5200, bought in 2010, is still going strong; they cook a lot at home and are amazed how sturdy it is.

positivesolid build

Their 5200 started overheating, which they put down to age, but a loose set screw in the drive socket was rubbing and making the motor work harder; tightening it fixed the problem.

mixed

Has had a 5200 for 17 years and also bought an Alta Pro on sale; both are very good, but they prefer the 5200 and plan to fix it, though the newer Vitamix handles heat better.

positivesolid build

Their out-of-warranty 5200 broke and Vitamix quoted about half the price of a new blender for the repair, so they fixed it themselves for under $1 in parts.

mixed

Made small batches in the 5200's 64 oz container for years without problems, but now prefers a 48 oz container for pestos and vinaigrettes because it is easier to get food out of.

positive

Owns a 5200 and loves it: very basic, powerful and noisy.

positivepowerfulloud

Their new 5200 kept overheating and needing a 30-minute cool-down while puréeing a thick roasted squash soup with skins, never got past speed 5, and then died when they switched to high.

negativebroke down

Can't get their 5200 to overheat even trying; they make skin-on roasted squash soup several times a year and just let it rip, adding stock as needed.

positivepowerful

Bought the personal cup for their 5200 and it works less well than the big container: the small cup won't blend a frozen spinach cube in their shakes, which the standard container handles fine.

mixed

Got a 5200 on Prime Day last year and finds it outstanding.

positive

Has used their 5200 for 13 years with all original parts and calls it one of their best purchases, though it is big so they keep it in a cabinet.

positivesolid buildbulky

Loves their 5200: loud, but it makes everything super smooth, and its simpler design means less to malfunction and cheap, easy replacement parts.

positivesmooth blendsloud

Bought a refurbished 5200 about 15 years ago and recommends it as the one to buy.

positive

Bought a new 5200 to replace their 2014 Vitamix and finds it flimsier: the base is 7.2 lb against 8.6 lb and the plastic feels less sturdy, though it draws similar current and the speed control is really nice.

“I just bought a new 5200 on Amazon to replace my 2014 CIA version that doesn't have a speed control knob. After opening it, I feel like it's a lot flimsier than my old one.”
mixed

Bought a 5200 last year, found the bottom half was clipped and returned it right away.

negative

As a chef they have abused many 5200s, reheating soups, pureeing whole fish and even running one on high for an hour by accident, and have never broken one.

positivesolid buildpowerful

Bought a 5200 on sale last week: it is loud, about like a hair dryer, which is fine for a minute-long smoothie but too loud for early mornings in their apartment, and nut butter pushed their tolerance.

mixedloud

Their 13-year-old 5200 wobbled on high, gave off a plasticky smell and smoke from the motor, and the bottom of the jar turned out to be damaged.

negativebroke down

Their 5200 still works like it's brand new, so they would find it hard to part with it.

positivesolid build

After more than 10 years of near-daily use their 5200's container failed; they plan to buy a genuine Vitamix replacement container despite the $175 price.

mixedsolid build

Bought a 5200 recently and is unimpressed with the build: the plastic feels cheap, it blends decently but not noticeably better than their previous Ninja, and a piece of carrot got stuck under the blades.

negative

Their 5200 blends things to a consistency other blenders never could: on high there are no visible bits, just completely smooth.

positivesmooth blends

Bought a 5200 this year and hasn't felt any build quality issues; it blends like a champ and is everything they expected.

positive

Has had a 5200 for about 10 years and it works as well as when they bought it, with no issues at all.

positivesolid build

Has used the 5200 for 22 years in professional kitchens and owned one at home for six and a half years; it has never let them down.

positivesolid build

Their 5200 blends big chunks of pineapple, oranges, unpeeled ginger and turmeric root with coconut water without struggling, and handles nut butters too.

positivepowerful

Their 5200 shuts down from overheating whenever it is more than a quarter full, even following recipes and advice exactly; customer service won't accept it is defective, leaving them with thin smoothies at best.

negativebroke down

Has been sold on their 5200 since buying it at 60% off on Prime Day six years ago, though mayonnaise from the included cookbook has lately come out too thin.

positive