Vitamix 5200 vs A3500: Which Blender Has A Better Performance For Making Large Batches?

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If you’re blending enthusiasts and looking for a premium blender, you may consider Vitamix 5200 vs A3500. But which is the better option among the two?

In this battle, Vitamix A3500 had defeated the Vitamix 5300 and came out on top. As part of the Ascent series, A3500 has more great features than 5200, such as SELF-DETECT technology, a programmable timer, and a touchscreen interface. It also comes with a Pulse mode, pre-programmed modes, and Bluetooth-compatible, so you can access extra recipes via the companion app. In short, A3500 is an outstanding blender for multi-purpose use from making smoothies, crushing ice, dips, hot soups, and nut butter, etc.

As a runner-up, Vitamix 5200 still has incredible performance in making all kinds of smoothies, dips, crushing ice, grinding nuts, etc. The 5200 even blends fibrous ingredients for smoothies better than the A3500.

Vitamix 5200 vs A3500: Comparison Chart

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Vitamix 5200 vs A3500: Differences

The Vitamix E3500 wins 4-0 against 5200.

Both Vitamix 5200 and A3500 are excellent high-performance blenders. But the E3500 has more features, better blending performance, 3 presets, a digital timer, and it is easier to clean with dishwasher-safe.

1. Blending Performance

The Winner: Vitamix A3500

+ Container Material

The Vitamix A3500’s container is made of BPA-free Tritan that is a kind of plastic. I was expecting the container to be made of glass, so I was disappointed at first. But thankfully, it’s is heavy and not cheap plastic.

I was not concerned with the safety of using this material because Tritan is the safest plastic in the world. Besides, I was also pleased with the appearance. The material has a very aesthetic look, is transparent and clear as glass.

Tritan is not easy to scratch like plastic, so it is a very durable material. Even though I used it for a few months to grind hard objects such as ice, it was still in the same condition as when it was new.

The Vitamix 5200’s container, on the other hand, is made of standard plastic. While this plastic isn’t cheap, it is high-quality, it does not perform as well as Tritan material. I have heard from a few Vitamix 5200 users that their container is already scratched inside even though they did not blend ice or any hard items. If you run this blender at high speeds, it can also give off the smell of burning plastic.

+Power

Horsepower is a factor affecting the blending performance. The higher the horsepower, the more powerful your Vitamix will be when blending tough ingredients like ice or raw grains into snow or fine particles. You’ll be able to blend tough ingredients such as ice into snow or grains into microscopic pieces more efficiently by having a Vitamix with a higher horsepower number.

Vitamix A3500 and 5200's motor is powerful enough to handle even hard ingredients to produce high-quality blends — Vitamix A3500 and 5200’s motor is powerful enough to handle even hard ingredients to produce high-quality blends

About Vitamix 5200 vs A3500, they are both outstanding for all-purpose use, capable of blending everything from soup to dough. The motor on the Vitamix 5200 is 2.0 HP, which is pretty good for a blender. Meanwhile, the motor of the E3500 is 2.2 HP that is 0.2 higher than 5200. Can we conclude that the E3500’s motor is better? Yes, but it is not significant. The truth is, the powerful 2 HP motor can still handle even hard ingredients to produce high-quality blends.

However, if you are a mixologist enthusiast who often blends hard ingredients, I think you should invest in Vitamix A3500 with higher horsepower. This is because the 2.2 horsepower seems to be more durable long-term.

+ Testing The Blending Abilities

The following are my observations from testing the blending abilities of these two machines. I have to admit that both do a fantastic job making crushed ice, smoothies, and almond butter. Hard food like almonds isn’t a problem for them, and they can process ice very quickly into a snow-like consistency.

However, not everything is perfect. There are some issues with the Vitamix A3500 when it comes to fibrous fruits and vegetables such as kale (it still makes a good smoothie overall). But for 5200, this task is not challenging, so you get a smooth blend.

In terms of crushing ice, I appreciate Vitamix A3500 over 5200. The Vitamix A3500 makes crushing ice a breeze. This well-built blender can make snow-like crushed ice in under a minute and don’t have any struggle. A Vitamix 5200 also works well for crushing ice cubes, but you really should add a few ice cubes at a time so that there aren’t any chunks in the mix.

2. Controls/ Settings

The Winner: Vitamix A3500

+ Programs or modes

I like the idea of simply pressing a button to make smoothies or soup, etc. I also like having the manual button option. Between Vitamix 5200 vs A3500 machines, only A3500 can perform both of those functions.

You may find it unnecessary, I know, but it does add convenience. It has up to five preset settings (Smoothies, Soups, Dips & Spreads, Frozen Desserts, and Self-Cleaning). All we have to do is push the button, and the blender will produce awesome results.

The Vitamix 5200 is no match for the A3500 because it doesn’t have any programs or modes. This means we need to monitor the blender manually and turn it off when it reaches the desired consistency.

+ Self-Detect Technology for Container

As part of the Ascent Series, the A3500 is engineered with Self-Detect technology. This technology allows the machine to recognize exactly which container is on the base and adjust blend settings accordingly. If the wrong container is used, certain programs are automatically disabled, and the machine won’t power on until the correct container is seated on the motor base.

Meanwhile, Vitamix 5200 doesn’t have this feature.

+ Control Panel

Vitamix A3500 is easy to control with a touch-screen control panel

With its touch-screen control panel, the Vitamix A3500 becomes sleeker and more modern than those that use rocker switches. Pulse mode, on/off, and program timer function are on the touch screen while It’s still got the speed control dial in the middle.

The control panel of Vitamix 5200 is two rocker switches and a dial. We can adjust up to 10 speed settings by turning the dial.

3. Cleaning & Maintenance

The Winner: Vitamix A3500

The Vitamix A3500 is very easy to clean. You can easily clean most messes without disassembling each part. Just rinsing the container by filling it up with dish soap and warm water and running it at the highest speed. You don’t need to do anything; it will self-clean in just a minute. In case you want to throw it into the dishwasher to clean thoroughly, you can do that as all the containers, lids, and blade assemblies are dishwasher safe.

With Vitamix 5200, we also can easily wipe up almost all messes using hot water and dish soap. However, I noticed the self-clean mode is still having trouble eliminating the sticky residues. We have to use a brush to clean around the blades’ nut assembly manually because all parts aren’t dishwasher-safe.

4. Utilities

The Winner: Vitamix A3500

+ Cord Length

The cord length of the 5200 is 6 feet, which is longer than the 4 feet cord of the E3200. 4 feet is not short but the longer cord is still more convenient in accessing the outlet.

+ App and Timer

You can even access more pre-set recipes through the App. That right! A3500 can pair with the Vitamix Perfect Blend App which provides 17 programs and 500+ recipes.

A3500 also equips a built-in timer. It works like a stopwatch, so you just choose a speed setting and let it run. I also like this feature because it increases my productivity. It will turn off automatically after done the process. I don’t have to keep an eye on blending time, I will do other tasks meantime instead.

Vitamix 5200 vs A3500: Similarities

1. Container Size

Both Vitamix A3500 and 5200 come with one large 64 oz/2-litre container that is great and ideal for large batches. This capacity can handle up to 8 cups of blended ingredients, and I could have fit two more servings in the pitcher without issue

With this capacity, I can blend up to 8 cups of ingredients at a time,

and I could even have easily blended two more servings in the pitcher if I wanted.

2. Blade

The blade assembly of these two machines is made up of four sharp and thick blades. It cannot be removed but, thankfully, cleaning it is quite easy for both machines. Especially for Vitamix A3500, just let the dishwasher do the job.

Quick Rundown of Vitamix A3500

No products found.

Pros

Its powerful 2.2 HP motor can handle even the toughest ingredients, such as seeds and nuts
Well built-in, good material
Easy to clean with dishwasher-safe
It has more features than the 5200
Quick and user-friendly interface with touchscreen

Cons

Has a little bit of difficulty processing fibrous food

Quick Rundown of Vitamix 5200

No products found.

Pros

It can easily blend fibrous food
Multiple speed settings
It has a large capacity container
Self-cleaning feature makes cleaning easy

Cons

Loud at max speed
Not dishwasher-safe
It is difficult to get the lid off

Product Videos

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References

Vitamix A3500 from Vitamix: https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/shop/a3500

Vitamix 5200 from Vitamix: https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/Shop/5200-Getting-Started

5/5 - (1 vote)

Foodplayer Linda

I am sure you love food. Otherwise, you won’t be here. As a full-time and a part-time chef at a local restaurant, I know my way around food. Ever since I was a young girl, I enjoyed helping my mom in the kitchen.

We would often experiment with the spices, ingredients, and flavors and create great meals for my brothers and dad. Since cocking was my first passion, I decided to go in that direction. I finished culinary school, got my first job, and started developing my skills.

Later when kids came, I had all the liberty in the kitchen to combine some of the unique flavors. A lot of them were a success, but now and there I would make a couple of mistakes.