Kitchen

Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender, 64 oz.

The Vitamix 5200 is the blender other blenders get compared to, and it's held that spot for good reason. It's old-school in all the right ways: a big dial, a lot of power, and not much to break.

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Key features

• The tall, narrow jar creates a strong vortex, which is why smoothies and purées come out so smooth
• Variable speed starting low means hot soups and delicate blends are easy to control
• It can heat soup through friction alone, which turns it into a genuinely versatile kitchen tool
• Simple analog controls mean nothing fiddly or digital to fail
• The self-clean trick with warm water and soap makes daily cleanup quick

Best for

Frequent blenders who make smoothies, soups, sauces or nut butters and want something built to last.

Things to consider

• It's tall; many reviewers note it won't fit under standard upper cabinets with the jar on
• It's very loud at full speed, so skip it if you blend early in a quiet home
• No presets or timer, and the narrow jar can be awkward to scrape out by hand

Verdict

Highly recommended if you blend often and value texture over bells and whistles. If cabinet height or presets matter, look at a lower-profile Vitamix model.