Vitamix5200 Blender, Professional-Grade, 64-ounce Container, Self-Cleaning, Black

This was a 2nd Vitamix for us, I love them. Our original Vitamix 5200 still works great. I have used it daily for a kale/matcha drink for about 5 years. I use full stalk kale, ginger, apples, etc. The Vitamix chews it up. When I am traveling at a VRBO and make the same drink with whatever cheap blender is available, it takes 3 times as long because I have to pre-chop everything and do little batches and then mix it all together. I am spoiled by the Vitamix; it is so strong it is funny. Its a power tool for the kitchen. I moved our 5yr old original Vitamix 5200 to a rental property we own so we would have its use there when we visit. So I bought this new Vitamix 5200 for our home.The new 5200 is identical in appearance, however now there is a "soft-start" feature. I assume it lowers the incoming inrush amps from the outlet? Not sure. Regardless, it is just as strong as the original, only it now starts slow then ramps up over the first few seconds. It eliminates the initial "jolt" off the original turning ON. I was OK with that jolt, but I could see how some might consider this new one an improvement. Regardless, it makes the same quick work for my green drink.I had considered purchasing a cheaper Vitamix at Costco that still had the large 64oz capacity, but read the reviews and had concerns perhaps it was lighter duty? I don't know, the HP specs appeared the same. I couldn't seem to read a review of that cheaper version where I felt I understood its shortcomings, if there were any? So instead I got another 5200 because the first one is so ridiculously strong and dependable, why not get another? Yes, it is expensive, but for me it is worth it.

I've been using it multiple times a day since purchase. It's replacing a top of the line Ninja blender. The difference between the two is astounding. These guys must have really good patenting lawyers or something, it's a wonder that nobody can reproduce What a Vitamix does. It crushes the finest Berry seeds in your smoothies. They are exactly that. Smooth. It might not seem like that big of a deal to some people, but for somebody like myself who enjoys Whole Food smoothies everyday, it is a game changer. Yes you can make soup in this. Raw vegetables, some soup base, some cheese, some water, let it work for 5 minutes or so and you have hot soup ready to enjoy full of nutrients with zero preservatives. I would recommend watching people use these on YouTube. There is a certain way to use them and a certain way to load the machine. Use the tamper! When you are making smoothies or things like hummus or nut Butters, pesto ect.....nothing is going to happen unless you use the tamper. I see complaints on here about how the blade just spins and nothing happens. Air pockets and everything freezez above the blade blah blah blah......That is impossible if you are using the tamper. After experimenting a little bit you will be able to use this blender to do absolutely anything any blender can do plus more. It's hard to spend this kind of money on a small kitchen appliance. I have held back for over 20 years and have been through countless cheap piece of crap blenders. Find a refurbished one if you want to save yourself a few hundred dollars. But it is worth every single penny. Not because they cost that much to make, but because they apparently are the only ones that can do it. They have the market cornered for truly the best blender in the world.

2nd Update: Initially was very ticked with customer service for taking so long to get to me. After placing a call and waiting on hold for 30 min I have to say it was worth the wait. They supplied a label for shipping all I had to do was deliver to my local 'Goin Postal' who packed and shipped it. It was mailed 7 Feb. They provided tracking and it was received by Vitamix on 11 Feb and returned to me repaired on 15 Feb. They replaced the pitcher with a new one and it looks like they replaced the sprocket on the base as well. So far so good, havent mixed anything 'thick' yet but was very impressed by the turnaround time and ease of returning the product under warranty with no cost to me other than the time involved.Update: 4 Feb 2025..Finally called Vitamix instead of messing around with the countless emails. Spent 30 minutes on hold before reaching a customer service rep. Had to go thru all the same things I went thru with the email correspondence but eventually got around to them sending me a return shipping label so that I could return it be checked out. I will update my review when resolved. I was told it would take about 10-14 days for turnaround. Mailed on 2/7/2025.Feb 2025: I bought my Vitamix in 2019 and it worked just fine with occasional use for smoothies, humus and soups. Recently it has started to grind in high speed. Understanding it has a 10 year warranty I contacted the company on Jan 19, 2025. It's now Feb 3 and I still dont have any resolution. I've been asked multiple times for information and each time I send info it takes another week for them to get back to me. Really disappointed in their customer service.