To see product details, add this item to your cart. You can always remove it later.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Other Sellers on Amazon
Added
Sold by: MySecretPantry
Sold by: MySecretPantry
(20589 ratings)
100% positive over last 12 months
Shipping rates and Return policy
Added
Sold by: The Kitchen Clique
Sold by: The Kitchen Clique
(15489 ratings)
97% positive over last 12 months
Shipping rates and Return policy
Added
Sold by: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
Shipping rates and Return policy

Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container, Graphite

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,473 ratings

To see product details, add this item to your cart. You can always remove it later.
Graphite
Blender

Purchase options and add-ons

Brand Vitamix
Color Graphite
Special Feature Blends
Capacity 64 Fluid Ounces
Product Dimensions 11"D x 8"W x 17"H
Material
Stainless Steel, Tritan
Wattage
1500 watts
Item Weight
14.92 Pounds
Is Dishwasher Safe
Yes

About this item

  • Program Settings: Five program settings (for Smoothies, Hot Soups, Dips & Spreads, Frozen Desserts, and Self-Cleaning) ensure walk-away convenience and consistent results. The A3500 pairs with the Vitamix Perfect Blend App: Unlock the Ascent Series A3500's full potential with 17 programs and 500+ recipes with the iOS + Android app.
  • Touchscreen Controls give the machine a sleek silhouette and are easily wiped clean.Electrical Ratings - 120 V, 50-60 Hz, 12 Amps. Cord: 4 feet. HP: 2.2-peak
  • You're in Control: Variable Speed Control and Pulse feature let you manually fine-tune the texture of any recipe
  • Built-In Wireless Connectivity: The motor base is able to read the container size you’ve chosen and automatically adjust program settings and maximum blending times accordingly. Add a range of compatible container sizes, building a customized blending system designed to fit your needs.
  • Programmable Timer: A built-in timer helps avoid over- or under-processing your custom recipes. Set the timer to the length of your blend, and it will turn the machine off automatically. What's in the Box: motor base, low-profile 64 oz. container, low-profile classic tamper, Simply Blending Cookbook

Customer ratings by feature

Blending power
4.6 4.6
Easy to use
4.6 4.6
Easy to clean
4.6 4.6
Sheerness
4.5 4.5

Frequently bought together

$699.95
Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$203.08
Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Choose items to buy together.

Compare with similar items

This Item
Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container, Graphite
Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container, Graphite
Recommendations
Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Gold Label Smart Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container, White with Gold Accents
dummy
Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Gold Label Smart Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container, Matte Navy with Gold Accents
dummy
Vitamix Propel 510 Propel Blender with Pre-set Blending Programs, Professional-Grade, 48-oz Capacity, Black
dummy
Vitamix Propel Series 750 Blender,Black
dummy
Vitamix Explorian Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container, Black - 65542 (Renewed Premium)
Details
Added to Cart
Details
Added to Cart
Details
Added to Cart
Details
Added to Cart
Details
Added to Cart
Details
Added to Cart
Price$699.95$699.95$699.95-31% $347.24
List:$499.95
-13% $549.00
List:$629.95
$319.95
Delivery
Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
Get it as soon as Sunday, Mar 31
Customer Ratings
Blending power
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.1
4.5
4.6
Easy to clean
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.5
4.8
4.6
Value for money
4.3
4.3
4.3
3.8
3.3
Easy to use
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.7
Sheerness
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.6
Sold By
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Z's Essentials
HALF TIME
Amazon.com
material
Tritan, Stainless Steel
Tritan
Tritan
BPA-Free Tritan
BPA-Free Tritan
Tritan
number of speeds
10
10
10
10
10
10
wattage
1440 watts
1500 watts
1500 watts
1380 watts
1380 watts
1440 watts
blade material
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel
dishwasher safe
voltage
120 volts
120 volts
120 volts
120 volts
120 volts

Discover similar items

& Up
Price: >$200
Motor Power: 1000 W & above
Color: Grey
Capacity: 60-69.9 fluid oz
Brand: Vitamix
Material Type Free: BPA Free
Top Brands in Home & Kitchen: Top Brands
Price
Review
Motor Power
Color
Capacity
Product Grade
Blending Container Material
Brand
Included Components
Special Features
Recommended Uses For Product
Material Type Free
No results available. Please adjust the filters and try again.
No more recommendations. Try adjusting your filters.
Breville Super Q Blender BBL920BSS, Brushed Stainless Steel
346
$539
NutriBullet ZNBF30400Z Blender 1200 Watts, 1200W, Dark Gray
6,441
$82
Calphalon Auto-Speed 68 Oz Blender with Blend-N-Go Smoothie Cup and BPA-free Tritan Jar | 1100-Watt Base, Dark Stainless Steel
237
$69
Ninja Professional Plus Blender Duo - with Auto-iQ
924
$118
Ninja NJ601AMZ Professional Blender with 1000-Watt Motor & 72 oz Dishwasher-Safe Total Crushing Pitcher for Smoothies, Shakes & Frozen Drinks, Black
6,155
20% off
Limited time deal
20% off
$79
Ninja Nutri Blender Duo with Auto-iQ, 72 oz, Black
240
$289
Ninja BN701 Professional Plus Blender, 1400 Peak Watts, 3 Functions for Smoothies, Frozen Drinks & Ice Cream with Auto IQ, 72-oz.* Total Crushing Pitcher & Lid, Dark Grey
15,546
12% off
Limited time deal
12% off
$80
Vitamix Explorian Blender with Programs, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container, Black (Renewed Premium)
144
$379
Vitamix Propel Series 750 Blender,Black
198
$501
Vitamix Propel 510 Propel Blender with Pre-set Blending Programs, Professional-Grade, 48-oz Capacity, Black
202
$347
Vitamix 5200 Blender, Professional-Grade, Container, Self-Cleaning 64 oz, Black/Grey
7,348
$391
Vitamix Explorian Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container, Black - 65542 (Renewed Premium)
9,769
$319

From the manufacturer

Blend Like a Pro

Vitamix Ascent Series A3500


Our most advanced blender features 5 program settings (for Smoothies, Hot Soups, Dips & Spreads, Frozen Desserts, and Self-Cleaning) that automatically adjust to your container size, process your recipes, and stop the blender when complete. Touchscreen controls are easily wiped clean, and a programmable built-in timer helps you achieve your perfect blend, every time.

Create a personalized blending system by pairing the Ascent Series A3500 with a range of compatible container sizes.

The Vitamix Difference

Vitamix Programs: Hot soups, smoothies, cleaning, nut butters, frozen desserts

Program Settings

Make smoothies (and more) with the press of a button. Our program settings offer walk-away convenience & consistent results for your favorite blends.

Self Detect Technology

Self-Detect Technology

This blender is smart! The motor base automatically recognizes your container size and adjusts program settings and maximum blend times.

variable speed

Variable Speed, Pulse & Timer

You’re in control—adjust speed or Pulse to fine-tune textures as you blend, or use the built-in timer for consistent results on your favorite recipes.

Self Cleaning: Easy cleaning, no disassembly

Easy Cleaning

Just blend warm water and a drop of dish soap at your machine's highest speed, and watch it self-clean in 60 seconds—no disassembly required.

high performance motor

High-Performance Motor

Blend frozen fruit, heavy powder, all the greens—our powerful motors transform tough ingredients into smooth blends, year after year.

container design

Precise Container Design

Every angle of our patented container is designed to fold ingredients back to the blades for faster, smoother blends—creating the Vitamix vortex.

stainless steel baldes

Stainless-Steel Blades

Our laser-cut blades are designed to deliver the same quality results, from first blend to last, and are resistant to dulling or bending.

friction heating

Blade Friction Heating

Our blades reach speeds fast enough to create friction heat, bringing cold ingredients to steaming hot in about six minutes.

What You Can Make

Explore all the amazing things you can make in every Vitamix blender.


We’re so much more than smoothie makers. We’re dreamers and doers, on a journey to infuse healthy, delicious food into our lives. From meal time to snack time—explore new ingredients, create classics, never get bored.

Make It In Minutes

Vitamix Hot Soups

Hot Soup without stove

Make steaming-hot soup without a stove—in under 10 minutes. The friction from our blades brings soup to serving temperature, right in the container.

Frozen desserts

Frozen treats in seconds

Create chilled desserts—just add frozen ingredients to your machine and you’ll be enjoying ice cream, fruit sorbet and more in seconds.

Grind nuts, coffee and more

Grind nuts, coffee and more

Making nut butter has never been easier. Grind your favorite nuts into delicious nut butter, turn coffee beans into ground coffee, and more.

Batters doughs

Mix batters & dough

Quickly and easily mix batter for pancakes, waffles, cookies, muffins, crepes, and cakes. Vitamix machines can also knead bread and pizza dough.

smoothies & juices

Smoothies & Juices

Turn fruits and veggies into refreshing smoothies and juices. Vitamix blenders use the whole ingredient, including the fiber, to make healthy snacks.

dips & spread

Dips & Spreads

Whether you’re looking for easy after-school snacks or planning a big party, our simple dips and spreads are healthy and delicious.

dressings

Dressings & Sauces

Create flavorful dressings that can double as marinades for your entrées. If sauce is on the menu, make pesto, tomato sauce, or applesauce in seconds.

baby food

Baby Food

Control exactly what your baby eats. Prep, blend, and make batches of nutritious homemade baby food in seconds in your Vitamix machine.

Product information

Warranty & Support

Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here. [PDF ]

Feedback

Vitamix

Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender, Professional-Grade, 64 oz. Low-Profile Container, Graphite


Found a lower price? Let us know. Although we can't match every price reported, we'll use your feedback to ensure that our prices remain competitive.

Where did you see a lower price?

/
/
/
/
Please sign in to provide feedback.

Looking for specific info?

Product guides and documents

Product Description

Five program settings (for Smoothies, Hot Soups, Dips & Spreads, Frozen Desserts, and Self-Cleaning) automatically adjust to the container size you’ve selected, process your recipes, and stop the blender when complete. Built-in wireless connectivity will allow Ascent™ Series blenders to evolve with the latest innovations for years to come.

Vitamix fuels passions. It’s why we’re the brand most trusted by professional chefs. But you won’t just find us in restaurant kitchens. You’ll also find us in home kitchens around the world. Because whether you’re interested in the culinary arts, making healthier choices, or enjoying restaurant-quality smoothies at home—when you’re ready to move on and move up, when you’re ready to invest in your passion, you’re ready for Vitamix.

Built to Last
A bargain blender's not a bargain if it doesn't last. We know purchasing a Vitamix blender is an investment. But Vitamix blenders are built to last, helping you buy dependable, not disposable.

Easy to Clean
Just blend warm water and a drop of dish soap at your machine's highest speed, and watch it self-clean in 60 seconds or less - no disassembly required.

The Difference Is in the Blend
Since the number-one reason people purchase a blender is to make smoothies, it’s important to get them right. Whether you prefer an icy blend or a perfectly smooth purée, nutrition-packed with veggies or a light, fruity treat, Vitamix smoothies give you a delicious, even blend in every sip.

Power
We don’t aim to have the highest horsepower. You don’t need more horses; you need trained ones. The focused power of our complete blending system causes every component of the Vitamix machine to work together, creating faster, smoother blends packed with flavor.

The Universal Tool
Make smoothies & juices, hot soups, flours & dough, nut butter, frozen desserts, batters, dressings & sauces, non-dairy milks, and more.

Manufactured in Cleveland, Ohio USA

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
3,473 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the quality, ease of cleaning, and ease of use of the food blender. For example, they mention it's a great kitchen workhorse, makes the best queso, soups, nut butters and smoothies, and practically washes itself. Customers are also satisfied with the speed. That said, opinions are mixed on value, performance, appearance, and noise.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

359 customers mention305 positive54 negative

Customers like the quality of the food blender. They say it's a great, restaurant quality machine that makes excellent queso, soups, nut butters, and smoothies. They also say it makes perfect smoothies and is a perfect size for making up a big batch. Customers also mention that the way it processes solids turns the coarsest fruits, nuts, and vegetables into puree. Overall, customers are satisfied with the quality and ease of operation of the product.

"...soup (think Campbell's Creamy Tomato), and this blender gets the ingredients blended so well that you can do just that. No chunks...." Read more

"...'re paying for when getting a Vitamix machine is quality blades, a powerful motor, solid construction, and with the Ascent series a 10 year warranty...." Read more

"...understand how to get the exact results you want, but this Vitamix is absolutely amazing...." Read more

"...about eating my vegetables but the way this blender processes solids turns the coarsest fruits, nuts, and vegetables into pure buttery, velvety..." Read more

88 customers mention79 positive9 negative

Customers like the ease of cleaning the food blender. They say the stainless steel shell is easy to clean, and the self-cleaning button is great. The base is a little heavy, but it's stable. The cleanup was under a minute, and it'll clean up nice in the dishwasher.

"...The other thing I really like is the the self cleaning feature...." Read more

"...My very favorite option is that this blender is truly is SELF-cleaning! I love not having to disassemble and expose my fingers to sharp blades...." Read more

"...As advertised, the bowls and cups are easy to clean with just a drop or two of dish liquid and water...." Read more

"...Everything was easy to assemble and use. Every attachment is dishwasher safe (except the motor base), however the recommended cleaning method using..." Read more

85 customers mention78 positive7 negative

Customers find the food blender easy to use. They mention it's easy to assemble and use, it gets the job done effortlessly, and it'll make eating much simpler and convenient. The controls are easy to read and intuitive, and the blender is well thought out and gives a great user experience. It's also easy to make smoothies and salsas, and has convenient pre-programmed settings.

"...This blender is so easy that I've rediscovered the kitchen - ha!!! Right now, I'm in withdrawal from making "malts" every night. It's so much fun...." Read more

"...The controls are easy to read and intuitive and, as suggested earlier, it’s a very intuitive machine overall...." Read more

"...Also purchased the food processor attachment. Everything was easy to assemble and use...." Read more

"...I love how easy it is to use. I make a frappucino every morning and this does better than my other blenders...." Read more

27 customers mention22 positive5 negative

Customers like the speed of the food blender. For example, they say it starts out slow but amps up. Some say it's faster than the dishwasher, makes great soup quickly, and is efficient.

"...on the unit (followed by a rinse) works very well and is faster than the dishwasher...." Read more

"...Quiet until you get to the highest variable levels 6–10. Makes quick work and no mess." Read more

"This seems much quieter and faster than my previous Vitamix. I love the smaller pitcher. It works better than the 64 oz one for smaller batches...." Read more

"The Vitamix A3500 is the best blender I have owned. Does the job quickly and very easy to clean." Read more

139 customers mention96 positive43 negative

Customers are mixed about the value of the food blender. Some mention that it's worth the money, and saves them money and time, while others say that it is expensive and the cheap plastic blender jar is the fault.

"...So, bottom line, is the blender worth the bucks? Yes. However, there appears to be an issue with the sensor on some Ascent models (a bad batch?),..." Read more

"...I do think it's absolutely worth the price if you can afford it, because you have to consider that Vitamix is guaranteeing that it'll last at least..." Read more

"...Cons: pricy and loud." Read more

"...Worth every penny." Read more

101 customers mention67 positive34 negative

Customers are mixed about the performance of the food blender. Some mention that it works well, gets the job done, and is very useful, while others say that it stopped working the second day of use and would not work out of the box.

"...I'm very glad I have this blender; for me it's very useful and provides all the power to do what it's designed for, with ease...." Read more

"...The shorter tamper works decently, but it doesn’t go in deep enough when I need to push ingredients into the blade...." Read more

"...of use, I started getting an error code E 1, that would keep the blender from working...." Read more

"Expensive but it works great and looks good out on the kitchen counter" Read more

59 customers mention30 positive29 negative

Customers are mixed about the noise of the food blender. Some mention that it's noticeably quieter than their friends' older models, while others say that it has lots of power but is loud.

"...Having said that, the loudness is not intolerable, at least for me. You'll also notice a kind of "burning" smell when you use it the first few times...." Read more

"...And, yes it is loud (don't expect to have a quote conversation standing next to it). They say the Accent A3500 is quieter than other models...." Read more

"...Easy to use button or variable knob. Quiet until you get to the highest variable levels 6–10. Makes quick work and no mess." Read more

"...Yes, it is loud but not nearly as loud as our last blender. This particular model is quieter than some of the other Vitamix choices...." Read more

56 customers mention33 positive23 negative

Customers are mixed about the appearance of the food blender. Some mention it's sleek, beautiful, and well thought out. They also appreciate the attractive brushed stainless steel and cool view. However, other customers say that it'll be a complete waste of money.

"...There were three features in particular that really sold me: the blade design, its ability to make hot soup right in the container, and the 10-year..." Read more

"...However, it is not perfect...." Read more

"...I chose the white label model and it's beautiful with preset buttons + the pulse...." Read more

"...Nothing like the old ones. It was a glorified nutrabullet. Just junk AND they now have a reduced warrantee(2 years instead of 8???),..." Read more

The cost is high, but I consider it an investment in my health...
5 Stars
The cost is high, but I consider it an investment in my health...
This is the first Vitamix blender I've ever owned. I had always wanted one but I just couldn't justify spending the money. I never really understood the hype; don't all blenders do the same thing? I honestly thought I'd be paying 5x more for a blender just because of the brand name. So I stuck with my Ninja blender for more than a decade. It did the job just fine but I was never truly satisfied with its consistency of crushed ice. It was grittier than I would have liked. This prompted my search for a newer, more powerful blender.Initially I only cared about whether the new blender crushed ice into a smooth texture so I could replicate Starbucks Frappuccinos and slushies. As many folks do, I gravitated towards buying a brand I was already familiar with. In my case it was Ninja. So that's what I initially bought. A more powerful version of what I already had. I will say that it DID manage to impress me with its ice crushing ability, but I was less impressed at how little Ninja's design had changed since my last purchase 10 years ago. Water gets trapped in the container handle, and I just hate the blade that takes up so much space in it. So I started looking into alternatives. That's when I decided to learn more about Vitamix and whether it really was worth hundreds of dollars more than my Ninja.Long story short: the answer is yes. Yes, it is worth it. There were three features in particular that really sold me: the blade design, its ability to make hot soup right in the container, and the 10-year warranty. I cannot stress enough how much better the Vitamix blade design is compared to the Ninja. There are two main blade types that you'll find in a blender: those that chop, and those that pulverize.Blades that chop are cheaper but will wear down over time requiring you to sharpen or replace them. Blending hard items like ice cubes can be particularly rough for chopping blades and will cause them to dull faster. Ninja blenders use chopping blades. Vitamix, on the other hand, uses pulverizing blades that are dull by design and never need sharpening. Instead of taking up the entire container, the blade sits compactly at the bottom. It blends by pulling ingredients down towards the blade and pulverizing the heck out of them. Trust me, this makes a HUGE difference in the texture and consistency of your blends.For example, I added mandarin slices one time to a smoothie I made using my Ninja which uses chopping blades. It tasted fine but it couldn't fully break down the little white fibers that hold citrus fruit segments together. I didn't really like that texture so I just considered it a faux pas on my end for using an ingredient that maybe isn't ideal to put in a blender. Turns out that while not ideal for my Ninja, the Vitamix A3500 had NO issues whatsoever pulverizing mandarins into a completely smooth texture. That's the moment I thought, "Ok, I totally get the hype now."The type of blade also determines how much liquid you need to add for it to perform its best. Chopping blades typically need more liquid to keep them moving. That can result in watered down results. With the Vitamix blades, you don't need to add as much liquid. My personal experience is that everything just tastes better coming from the Vitamix, hands down.Ultimately what you're paying for when getting a Vitamix machine is quality blades, a powerful motor, solid construction, and with the Ascent series a 10 year warranty. Ninja offers a one year warranty. Vitamix can pulverize just about everything you put in it into a completely smooth texture. It's actually impressive. But the blades alone are not enough, the motor needs to be powerful enough too...The motor in this thing IS very powerful. People complain about how loud this machine is, and that powerful motor is the reason why. If you want quiet, look for a cheaper blender with less power. But for me the noise is a more than fair trade-off due to the consistently amazing blends it gives me. And to its credit, it's only really loud when used on its highest settings. Having said that, the loudness is not intolerable, at least for me. You'll also notice a kind of "burning" smell when you use it the first few times. Don't be alarmed by this. It's a brand new motor and needs time to cure (or "break in"). The smell will go away after you've done a few blends on its highest speed.The power cord is very short, I think it's 3 feet long. So it'll need to be placed close to an outlet. The length of cord makes sense though given how much power it puts out. It's not ideal to use long cords with high powered appliances, so I don't recommended using an extension cord. If there's no other way, then I'd say use the shortest extension cord possible and make sure it's rated for appliance use. Also, despite its low profile design, it would not fit under my cabinets. To be fair, I think my cabinets sit lower than average. Luckily I have one section of counter space that sits lower which makes it the only place I could put it. Otherwise I would have to store the container instead of keeping it on the base.What started out as a quest for better ice consistency evolved into a more complex obsession with blending. I use the Vitamix every single day. Sometimes more than once. I've made smoothies in it. Frappes. Soups. You name it. It actually got me excited to blend, try new recipes, and encourages me to eat healthier. I'm not someone that enjoys spending a lot of time cooking or preparing elaborate meals, and my laziness led to eating unhealthy (but zero effort) food. But I can make an entire soup in five minutes now using fresh ingredients by just throwing some vegetables and broth into this thing, blend, and eat. It's almost TOO easy and I no longer have an excuse to avoid eating better.What can I say. I am absolutely obsessed with Vitamix now and a total convert. I do think it's absolutely worth the price if you can afford it, because you have to consider that Vitamix is guaranteeing that it'll last at least 10 years. Plus, I'm not sure if any other brand is going to give the exact same results. I had no idea what I was missing until I tried it myself, now I can't ever go back.
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2021
Color: Brushed Stainless Metal FinishStyle: BlenderVerified Purchase
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the Price - But Watch for Error Code
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2021
I had been wanting to purchase a Vitamix for years, particularly because it was advertised to make soup. But I hesitated due to the price. I mean, who can justify paying $600 for a blender. But recently I got into a whole food kick and I decided that eating soups made from fresh vegetables would be a helpful. So I took the plunge.

I decided on the Ascent A3500, because I like all the bells and whistles. I like the fact that I just push a button and it does all the timing and speed transitions for me. I can set it and walk away, where as with some models, you have to manually control the speeds and settings while you are blending. It also got a lot of good reviews and recommendations. So for me, this was the model I decided to purchase.

I also decided to order the blender through Amazon Prime, so I could send it back if I didn't like it. I like the safety net of being able to change my mind if I decide I don't want to keep something. Especially now that I can just drop it off a the UPS store to make a return.

Anyway, out of the box, I really liked the blender. Yes, it smelled like it was burning at first, as the motor was broken in. And, yes it is loud (don't expect to have a quote conversation standing next to it). They say the Accent A3500 is quieter than other models. I can't imagine how loud they are if that is true. It is also really big. But I found a place on my counter for it, and left it there. Right away I made a smoothie. And, I was impressed with how smooth it came out. I had put in spinach, flax and chia seed, as well as frozen fruit and ice. It can out so smooth. Unlike some smaller blenders that left small bits of ice.

I next made some Leek and Artichoke soup that was delicious and it had me convinced I had made a good choice. Although there are some soups you can just blend straight in the blender (tomato soup for one), most soups you have to do some prep work and cook the ingredients on the stove first to meld flavors. But after that, you just throw everything into the blender and voila! Pureed, hot, steaming soup. The friction of the blades is what heats the soup. And, again, so smooth. I like drinking my soup (think Campbell's Creamy Tomato), and this blender gets the ingredients blended so well that you can do just that. No chunks.

I continued using the blender almost everyday in some fashion. However, after a few days of use, I started getting an error code E 1, that would keep the blender from working. After doing some research, I learned that it was a sensor error; the blender was having problems reading the container connection. The literature said just to turn it off and turn it back on. That worked at first, but I started getting the error code a lot and turning it off and on didn't work.

I looked on line and found this was a problem for some of the Ascent blenders and people had been instructed to send the blender back for repair if it persisted. Since I bought mine on Amazon, I returned it and ordered another. The first order was a package deal with a book. Wanting to see if I could get a blender from a different batch, I ordered it without the book.

The new blender has been great! I have had it for a little over a month, with no error codes so far, and I use it almost everyday. My main uses are smoothies, soups, and a new one for me, nut butters. I've made three batches of cashew butter and it was delicious!! So much so, I had to quit making it, as I was eating too much. Note: I had the blender plugged into a power strip and it would trip the strip when making nut butters. However, when I put it in a regular plug (no strip) it did fine. I think the power strip was too sensitive.

The other thing I really like is the the self cleaning feature. While you may have to take a wash cloth to the inside once in a while, for the most part, the self cleaning does the trick.

So, bottom line, is the blender worth the bucks? Yes. However, there appears to be an issue with the sensor on some Ascent models (a bad batch?), so you may have to send it back or send it to Vitamix for repair. If that sort of thing makes you crazy, I would use caution. Other than that, I really love the Vitamix A3500.
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image Customer image Customer image Customer image Customer image
Customer imageCustomer imageCustomer imageCustomer imageCustomer imageCustomer image
62 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2023
Customer image
5.0 out of 5 stars The cost is high, but I consider it an investment in my health...
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2023
This is the first Vitamix blender I've ever owned. I had always wanted one but I just couldn't justify spending the money. I never really understood the hype; don't all blenders do the same thing? I honestly thought I'd be paying 5x more for a blender just because of the brand name. So I stuck with my Ninja blender for more than a decade. It did the job just fine but I was never truly satisfied with its consistency of crushed ice. It was grittier than I would have liked. This prompted my search for a newer, more powerful blender.

Initially I only cared about whether the new blender crushed ice into a smooth texture so I could replicate Starbucks Frappuccinos and slushies. As many folks do, I gravitated towards buying a brand I was already familiar with. In my case it was Ninja. So that's what I initially bought. A more powerful version of what I already had. I will say that it DID manage to impress me with its ice crushing ability, but I was less impressed at how little Ninja's design had changed since my last purchase 10 years ago. Water gets trapped in the container handle, and I just hate the blade that takes up so much space in it. So I started looking into alternatives. That's when I decided to learn more about Vitamix and whether it really was worth hundreds of dollars more than my Ninja.

Long story short: the answer is yes. Yes, it is worth it. There were three features in particular that really sold me: the blade design, its ability to make hot soup right in the container, and the 10-year warranty. I cannot stress enough how much better the Vitamix blade design is compared to the Ninja. There are two main blade types that you'll find in a blender: those that chop, and those that pulverize.

Blades that chop are cheaper but will wear down over time requiring you to sharpen or replace them. Blending hard items like ice cubes can be particularly rough for chopping blades and will cause them to dull faster. Ninja blenders use chopping blades. Vitamix, on the other hand, uses pulverizing blades that are dull by design and never need sharpening. Instead of taking up the entire container, the blade sits compactly at the bottom. It blends by pulling ingredients down towards the blade and pulverizing the heck out of them. Trust me, this makes a HUGE difference in the texture and consistency of your blends.

For example, I added mandarin slices one time to a smoothie I made using my Ninja which uses chopping blades. It tasted fine but it couldn't fully break down the little white fibers that hold citrus fruit segments together. I didn't really like that texture so I just considered it a faux pas on my end for using an ingredient that maybe isn't ideal to put in a blender. Turns out that while not ideal for my Ninja, the Vitamix A3500 had NO issues whatsoever pulverizing mandarins into a completely smooth texture. That's the moment I thought, "Ok, I totally get the hype now."

The type of blade also determines how much liquid you need to add for it to perform its best. Chopping blades typically need more liquid to keep them moving. That can result in watered down results. With the Vitamix blades, you don't need to add as much liquid. My personal experience is that everything just tastes better coming from the Vitamix, hands down.

Ultimately what you're paying for when getting a Vitamix machine is quality blades, a powerful motor, solid construction, and with the Ascent series a 10 year warranty. Ninja offers a one year warranty. Vitamix can pulverize just about everything you put in it into a completely smooth texture. It's actually impressive. But the blades alone are not enough, the motor needs to be powerful enough too...

The motor in this thing IS very powerful. People complain about how loud this machine is, and that powerful motor is the reason why. If you want quiet, look for a cheaper blender with less power. But for me the noise is a more than fair trade-off due to the consistently amazing blends it gives me. And to its credit, it's only really loud when used on its highest settings. Having said that, the loudness is not intolerable, at least for me. You'll also notice a kind of "burning" smell when you use it the first few times. Don't be alarmed by this. It's a brand new motor and needs time to cure (or "break in"). The smell will go away after you've done a few blends on its highest speed.

The power cord is very short, I think it's 3 feet long. So it'll need to be placed close to an outlet. The length of cord makes sense though given how much power it puts out. It's not ideal to use long cords with high powered appliances, so I don't recommended using an extension cord. If there's no other way, then I'd say use the shortest extension cord possible and make sure it's rated for appliance use. Also, despite its low profile design, it would not fit under my cabinets. To be fair, I think my cabinets sit lower than average. Luckily I have one section of counter space that sits lower which makes it the only place I could put it. Otherwise I would have to store the container instead of keeping it on the base.

What started out as a quest for better ice consistency evolved into a more complex obsession with blending. I use the Vitamix every single day. Sometimes more than once. I've made smoothies in it. Frappes. Soups. You name it. It actually got me excited to blend, try new recipes, and encourages me to eat healthier. I'm not someone that enjoys spending a lot of time cooking or preparing elaborate meals, and my laziness led to eating unhealthy (but zero effort) food. But I can make an entire soup in five minutes now using fresh ingredients by just throwing some vegetables and broth into this thing, blend, and eat. It's almost TOO easy and I no longer have an excuse to avoid eating better.

What can I say. I am absolutely obsessed with Vitamix now and a total convert. I do think it's absolutely worth the price if you can afford it, because you have to consider that Vitamix is guaranteeing that it'll last at least 10 years. Plus, I'm not sure if any other brand is going to give the exact same results. I had no idea what I was missing until I tried it myself, now I can't ever go back.
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image
Customer imageCustomer image
87 people found this helpful
Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful
Reviewed in Canada on February 17, 2024
Color: Brushed StainlessStyle: Countertop BlendersVerified Purchase
One person found this helpful
Report
Webber
5.0 out of 5 stars Fast and easy to operate
Reviewed in Canada on February 6, 2024
Color: WhiteStyle: BlenderVerified Purchase
James Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this machine!!!
Reviewed in Canada on May 6, 2023
Color: GraphiteStyle: BlenderVerified Purchase
Gabriele
1.0 out of 5 stars Unbrauchbar
Reviewed in Germany on January 13, 2024
Color: Brushed Stainless Metal FinishStyle: BlenderVerified Purchase
6 people found this helpful
Report
Thomas
3.0 out of 5 stars Leider zurückgeben
Reviewed in Germany on November 7, 2023
2 people found this helpful
Report