(updated March 9, 2015)
Despite the introduction of a number of new
models in recent years, for 2015 the flagship model in Vitamix’s
world-famous line of high-performance blenders designed for home use
continues to be the 5200. Debuting in the United States in 2007 as a
new-and-improved version of the company’s wildly popular 5000 – still to
this day the world’s best-selling Vitamix – the 5200 boasts improved
design features over its predecessor, including an upgraded motor. The
following review is a comprehensive look at the Vitamix 5200 blender.
The information and opinions expressed in it are derived and formed from
data gathered directly from the company, my ownership of both the 5000
and 5200 models and uses of each in blending operations numbering in the
thousands, and my sales experience in the high-performance blender
industry dating back to 2009. It is intended solely as reference
material for anyone considering the purchase of a high-performance
blender.
Package and Specifications
Every Vitamix through the 5000 model was built on-site at the
company’s Cleveland, Ohio, world headquarters. Though still completely
assembled in America, the 5200 includes a Swedish-designed and
manufactured motor, which will be examined in greater detail below. The
entire Vitamix 5200 package consists of a motor base in the customer’s
choice of color, a blending container with attached blade assembly and
two-part lid, tamper, first-time user guide, usage tips card, cooking
class-themed DVD, warranty certificate, registration card, and recipe
book.
The motor base of the 5200 is square in shape, 7 ½” wide and 9” deep,
and weighs roughly 11 lbs. With the jar and lid in place, the entire
unit stands 20 1/8” tall. A standard 120 volt, 3-pronged grounded power
cord extends to a length of up to 6 feet from the underside of the
base. Any or all of the cord can be stored underneath the machine – a
particularly handy feature when traveling with the unit or when
operating it at short distances from electrical outlets. The base rests
on four round, rubber feet, ¾” in diameter. The interface of the
machine is on the front side of the base and consists of a panel with
two levers on either side of a dial in its center. The switches are
durable, “soft-touch” rubber for improved ease of operation (one of
several improvements over the 5000 model). One is a speed control and
one is for powering the machine on and off. The “soft touch” center
dial controls the variable speed feature of the machine.
The exterior of the base is made of wear-resistant plastic in the
customer’s choice of white, black, red, platinum or brushed-stainless
finishes. Inside is a new Swedish-designed motor designed and
manufactured specifically for the 5200. The 11.5 amp, 1380 watt motor
is advertised as 2-peak horsepower (2HP). Though technically no
stronger than that in the Vitamix 5000, the new motor is more efficient
due to engineering improvements in its ability to sustainedly cool
itself during operation, which translates to both energy savings and
improved motor performance. Top-end blade speed on the 5200 has been
measured at 37,000 revolutions per minute (RPM). Significant discussion
and debate continues in the blender industry on what role horsepower
plays with these machines as well as guidelines for calculating it. I’ve
offered a layman’s overview in this article on high-performance blenders. Vita-Mix has also issued its own statement on motor horsepower.
The majority of the improvements to the 5200 are featured on its jar
and lid. In early 2007, Vita-Mix announced a partnership with the
Eastman Chemical Co. for constructing new containers for this model.
The traditional (and already strong) polycarbonate containers have now
been replaced with an even more durable copolyester called Eastman
Tritan™. The new jar is not only stronger, but is also significantly
more chemical and heat-resistant, is quieter during operation, and
contains no Bisphenol-A (BPA) commonly found in polycarbonate.
Tapering from wide and round at its top to narrow and square-shaped
at the bottom, the jar easily holds contents totaling 2+ quarts in
volume. It is marked in ounces up to 68 and cups up to 8 ½ on one side,
milliliters up to 200 and liters up to 2 on the other. Marked with a
“Max” fill line at 68 oz. (8 ½ cups), the jar actually holds 80 oz. (10
cups). A single spout at the top of the container, opposite the handle,
has been redesigned for more effective pouring and is advertised as
“no-drip.” The handle, too, has been updated and now features an
ergonomic design including an indented thumb-rest on its rubber
“soft-grip” for more effective control over the jar. From the bottom of
the container, a 1 ½” lip fits securely in each corner of its squared
design around four rubber posts that extend upward from the motor base.
Combined with the slotted blade assembly and correspondingly-fitted
drive socket, the jar is exceptionally stable on the base during
operation. The drive socket, itself, is formed, hardened plastic and
the 5200’s four-sided (crisscrossed), stainless steel hammermill-shaped
“wet” blades spin in a single, counterclockwise direction. Each of the
blade’s four extensions are approximately 1 ¼” long. If needed, the
blade assembly is removable from the jar using a specially-designed
wrench (not included) from Vita-Mix.
The 5200’s redesigned two-part lid consists of a molded-rubber cover
edged with a lip which secures inside the opening of the container by
resting on yet another lip formed inside the jar itself. The
newly-designed cover also features two tabs which “grab” a second lip on
the outside of the jar, insuring the lid remains in place during
operation. These “easy off” tabs are loosened with a single finger when
removing the lid. A 2” by 2” hole in the center of the lid is the
egress point for a tamper which is included with the 5200. This hole
also houses the second part of the lid – a removable, copolyester plug
with multiple functions. It can be removed entirely from the main lid
with a simple twist, creating an opening for the addition of ingredients
during operation. When inserted, the plug also serves as the jar’s
vent, allowing pressure to escape when making hot contents such as soups
and syrups. Finally, when inverted, the center of the plug is also a
perfect jigger for liquid ingredients, and is actually marked at 1 and 2
oz. on one side, and 30 and 60 ml. on the other.
For grinding of whole grains and beans into
flours, powdering sugar, and making bread crumbs, Vita-Mix makes a “Dry
Blade” container which features a different blade design and
configuration. It is sold separately from the 5200 package. The
Vitamix Super 5200 and Vitamix Deluxe 5200 are packages which include
this container, however.
Its superior performance notwithstanding, the feature that generates
perhaps the greatest amount of discussion surrounding the machine is its
tamper. This is a tool designed for use during blending to direct
larger or denser ingredients into the cutting path of the blade, as well
as to alleviate air pockets that develop during cavitation. Just under
13” in length, the tube-shaped, molded plastic tamper is formed with a
handle and lip at its upper end which, when inserted into the container
through the opening in the main lid, will prevent the bottom of the
tamper from making contact with the blades. When not in use, the tamper
can store in the container. The total height of the machine including
the jar and tamper is 22 ¼”.
Getting Started is a 40-page owner’s guide containing overviews of the machine and its components, care and cleaning recommendations, tips on using the machine in several capacities as well as 20 individual recipes utilizing most of them. Let’s Get Started! is a cooking class-themed DVD demonstrating the actual preparations of juice, soup, ice cream, and bread dough. Emphasis is placed on order of ingredients loaded into the jar, safety when using the tamper, and operation of the machine’s control dial and levers. Instruction is also given on chopping and grinding of both wet and dry ingredients and, finally, on how to clean the machine. The format gives the user options to skip to specific demonstrations or watch the DVD uninterrupted from its beginning.
The recipe book included with the 5200 is entitled Whole Food Recipes
and is designed as a loose-leaf binder with a creased cover. When
folded at its crease, the cover functions as an easel allowing for easy
countertop page-turning and viewing of individual recipes. Color-coded
and labeled dividers separate the book’s 250 recipes into categories
including Beverages, Soups, Dips & Spreads, Sauces, Breads,
Breakfast, Deserts, Dressings & Marinades, and Recipes for Kids.
There are also several blank pages for entries of personal recipes.
Each recipe includes ingredient content, yield, nutritional data,
preparation and processing time, and numbered, step-by-step user
instructions.
A 14-page owner’s manual covers machine safeguards, registration information, a breakdown of the machine’s individual parts, usage tips, special features, and care and cleaning instructions. Completing the Vitamix 5200 package is a Quick Tips card, registration card, warranty certificate, and bonus offers. Like the recipes themselves, the owner’s manual and Getting Started guide are punched with loose-leaf openings and can be kept in the Whole Food Recipes binder for safekeeping.
Operation
To operate the Vitamix 5200, the user must become familiar with the
functions of just two levers and one dial, all located on the center
interface panel of the motor base. The lever to the right of the dial
is used solely for powering the machine on and off. In the up (On)
position the machine will run. In the down (Off) position it will not.
To the left of the dial is a lever that initiates either of the two
speed settings for the machine. If the machine is powered on and this
lever is in the up position (High) it will run at its highest speed (240
miles per hour at the blade’s tips), uninterrupted, until the user
either toggles the switch to the down position or uses the power lever
to turn the machine off. In the lower position (Variable), this same
switch allows the machine to run at any individual speed other than its
highest. The exact speed is then selected using a rotating dial in the
center of the interface. The interface panel is numbered 1 through 10
along the dial’s circumference, with 1 representing the lowest speed.
The majority of blending operations with the 5200 will involve the
use of both levers as well as the dial. The High setting performs the
majority of the blending, but it is recommended that the user “work” his
way to that setting rather than by simply starting there. Generally,
the machine should always start in the Variable speed setting with the
dial on speed 1. Once the machine starts, the user should move the dial
to its highest variable setting, speed 10, just prior to switching to
High with the speed lever. From this point the user only need concern
himself with how long the machine runs on High. This is the preferred
procedure required to make most whole juices, smoothies, soups, syrups
and ice creams, and, with very little practice, is a simple process to
master.
Loading ingredients into the jar with the softest, most liquid
ingredients first, and solid and/or frozen ingredients last will also
significantly improve results and shorten blending times. The design of
the 5200’s container and blades create a vortex using liquids to draw
ingredients loaded higher into the jar downward into the cutting path of
the blades. Each recipe in the Whole Food Recipes book
suggests the “liquids low/solids high” method of loading the container,
and lists the ingredients on the page in the order in which they should
be loaded. It is a simple concept that will become easily ingrained
into the user’s blending routine, whether using the recipe book or not,
with minimal practice.
The more diligently this loading procedure is followed, the less
often the use of the tamper that comes with the 5200 will be required.
In my personal experience with the Vitamix, I have used the tamper in
fewer than half of the recipes I’ve created with it, and I have also
spoken to hundreds of 5200 owners who claim to never use it. That said,
when the use of the tamper is required, it is imperative that it be
used only with the lid on the jar and only through the hole created in
the lid via the removal of the plug. This insures that the tamper never
reaches the blade. It is only a question of when, not if, the user
will need to replace the tamper (not to mention ruin his smoothie) if a
practice of using it without the lid in place is made.
Cavitation is a common occurrence in all high-performance blenders –
the Vitamix 5200 included – by which an air pocket develops around its
blades during blending. A combination of high blade speeds and thick,
fibrous ingredients can create such an occurrence as can extremely cold
temperatures resulting from frozen foods or ice. The greatest benefit
of the tamper is in its effectiveness against cavitation. By constantly
alleviating air pockets as necessary during a blending procedure, the
tamper perpetually assists the machine in its performance. In general,
the user will find the greatest need for the tamper when using large
quantities of frozen ingredients in smoothies and ice creams, or when
performing wet grinding procedures such as making peanut butter out of
roasted peanuts.
Different, yet equally simple, blending techniques also allow the
5200 to be used for everything from a food processor to a churn. For
example, starting the machine with an empty jar on one of the lower
variable speed settings and then dropping solid, fibrous ingredients
like carrots, nuts, or cheese through the opening in the lid allows the
user to create finely diced results to specific coarseness levels
without becoming thoroughly pulverized.
After most blending operations, cleaning the container of the 5200 is
a simple procedure. Simply filling the container approximately halfway
(4 cups), adding a small amount of liquid dishwashing detergent, and
running the machine on the High setting for 30 seconds to 1 minute is
all that’s required. It is possible to hand wash the jar as well, but
attention must be paid to the blades as they are relatively sharp. It
is recommended that the container not be cleaned in dishwashers.
Performance
The power and versatility of the Vitamix 5200 is nothing short of
remarkable, and is apparent in several unique practical applications.
As one would expect, dense, fibrous fruits and vegetables are easily
transformed into perfectly smooth juices and smoothies. Equally if not
more important than the created textures of these beverages, though, are
the added health benefits derived from making them in this machine.
The 5200 is one of a select few blenders on the market today designed
for home use that is strong enough to micronize raw, whole fruits and
vegetables during the blending process. This results in a maximum
nutritional value of whole foods being made readily available to the
user in the form of whole juices and smoothies. In short,
phytonutrients contained in the pulp, fiber, skins, seeds, and cores of
fruits and vegetables that would otherwise remain trapped (and digested
unutilized) within the food’s cellular structure if simply eaten or
processed in less powerful blenders are “unlocked” via the 5200’s power
and blade design. This feature is of huge importance to most buyers of
high-performance blenders like the 5200, and is explained in further
detail in this article.
The 5200’s power and design also makes it significantly more diverse
than any standard blender. Extended blending times on the High setting
generate exceptional blade speeds which, along with a given set of
ingredients, creates enough friction within the jar, itself, to cook
ingredients into soups, syrups, fondues, etc. Temperatures are
determined solely by the length of the blending process. There is no
heating element in the machine. Raw, fresh vegetables and
room-temperature water become hot soup in as little as three minutes.
Using frozen ingredients and much shorter blending times, ice creams
and sorbets can also be created with the 5200. Textures and
temperatures for recipes of all kinds are determined simply by how much
friction the user allows to be introduced to ingredient contents. The
recipe book is a great source with which to become familiar with these
blending times, as it provides detailed, step-by-step instructions on
all the machine’s functions. Experience is perhaps the best teacher,
though, and intimate knowledge of the 5200’s “secrets” to great results
is easily attained with a little practice. The user will become
familiar with the way particular ingredient combinations look during
blending as indications of recipe completion. Also easily learned will
be various motor pitches and sounds during blending, signifying various
stages of the blending process.
Users will quickly discover there is very little in terms of
ingredient content that the 5200 is not capable of processing. Should
its limits be tested, however, the machine is equipped with automatic
overload protection which will engage when the motor has reached an
internal temperature at which continued blending might damage its
components. The motor will simply shut itself down if it is being
tested beyond its safe operating capabilities. In thousands of blending
operations with my Vitamix machines, only once have I ever personally
witnessed this function at work. During the making of peanut butter,
prolonged blending thickened my mixture to the point where excessive
strain was created upon the motor, and the machine halted. Resetting
was as simple as unplugging the blender and allowing the motor to cool
itself for about an hour. It is worth noting that had I stopped
blending once the peanut butter initially reached a smooth texture, this
would not have been an issue, and I’ve made peanut and almond butters
successfully in my Vitamix machines several times since. I have
personally never once damaged the container, blades, nor blade assembly
in the lifetimes of my machines. I have purchased numerous tampers,
however. Each time this has been necessitated because of user error –
i.e. using the tamper without the lid in place. As mentioned above,
proper use of the machine should eliminate the risk of this ever
happening.
Performance Issues
No blender is without its limitations, though, and my single
experience with the Vitamix’s overload protection is not unique. I have
spoken to numerous owners of the machine who have reported similar
experiences with the machine stopping itself under excessive load. I’m
of the opinion that this in and of itself should not be considered a
wholly negative phenomenon. The power of the machine is undeniable and
is readily apparent during use. If the motor finds itself under such
duress that it needs to halt rather than burn itself out, I deem it a
small inconvenience in relation to purchasing a new machine – an ordeal
most owners of lesser blenders have all experienced at one time or
another. Though I have no personal experience with Vitamix customer
service in terms of utilizing warranty coverage (a testament to the
machines’ quality), I have been informed on multiple occasions of their
superior service in regards to repair and replacement of motors rendered
inoperable due to normal use. A little online due diligence on the
warranty on the Vitamix 5200 reveals an unparalleled customer service
experience, and, based on my actual conversations with owners of the
machine, I have no doubts whatsoever that theirs is amongst the best in
the business.
Standard installation height of upper kitchen cabinets is customarily
17” to 18” above countertop surfaces. At just over 20” tall with the
container on the motor base, the 5200 is too tall to store underneath
most cabinets. This is a definite drawback given my kitchen’s layout. I
store my machine after each use.
The tamper is invaluable in manipulating larger ingredients into the
cutting path of the blades as well as eliminating air pockets created
during blending due to cavitation. Users will quickly discover it is
not necessary for the majority of the 5200’s functions. When it is
needed, however, it is the only tool that will assist in the proper
incorporation of certain ingredient combinations. In other words, it must
be used for certain recipes to be made properly. Personally, with the
exceptions of those brief periods when I’ve been without my tamper due
to user-negligence (referenced above), I’ve never considered the
necessity of the tamper to be a negative. Customer feedback indicates
to me, though, that the requirement of a tamper will be a less than
desirable feature of the model to some.
Finally, users of the 5200 will have to resign themselves to the fact
that the machine is loud when in use. Acoustics of individual kitchens
and ingredient content and volume in the jar will of course affect the
particular noise levels during any given blending operation, but, in
general, the machine is louder than a much lesser-quality blender.
Given the superior power of the 5200 to other blenders, this should not
come as a complete surprise. Also worth noting is that the improved jar
design of the 5200 over the previous model results in a noticeable
reduction in noise in my personal experience.
Summary
As mentioned above, Vitamix has been the de facto name in the
high-performance blender market for approaching 80 years. You will find
their machines with the same (or inferior) motors as the 5200 in bars,
restaurants, and culinary schools across the country. Competition does
exist, however. There are other blenders with comparable motor
strengths, functionality, and ease of use on the market today. All of
them, though, use the Vitamix standard as their benchmark. In fact,
during my tenure in this business I’ve yet to meet a wholly unsatisfied
customer of one of their products. I have, however, met several second
and third-generation owners of the very same Vitamix machine – it having
been passed down from one family member to the next. They are built to
last. The quality of this American-made brand is unsurpassed, and this
model is as relevant in 2014 as any of those Vitamix has more recently
introduced.
Please use the comments section of this page to provide your own
input on or experiences with the Vitamix 5200, to ask questions about
it, or for clarification on anything you read in this review. It is my
goal to assist you in any way I can in selecting the best
high-performance blender for your personal needs.
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