The first time I got my hands on a Vitamix blender, I was in culinary school. While I sincerely believed I had been making some nice soups and purees with my immersion blender or conventional smoothie model, the Vitamix made that all seem like child's play after one go.
Gone was the minuscule, vegetal particulate matter that otherwise defined my early attempts at a velvety butternut squash soup. A truly emulsified, homogeneous mixture was apparently only available with a professional device, a truth I would acknowledge time and time again, no matter which Vitamix model I encountered in various restaurant kitchens.
Professional devices come with professional price tags, however, and I never enjoyed the exceptional outcome available from a Vitamix in the privacy of my own home. But small kitchen appliances have come a long way in the last decade, and with high-functioning brands like Ninja in the mix, it begs the question: Is a Vitamix worth it?
What makes a Vitamix blender better?
Vitamix blenders have high-powered motors, but other brands offer similar pop for less money. Vitamix
One of the primary attributes that sets Vitamix apart from many other blenders is its high-speed motor. If you've also had the privilege of ever using one, you will know well that the speed of its highest setting puts most other blenders squarely in the rearview mirror. Its power feels like something that could reasonably be put to use for supersonic travel.
Unlike a food processor and some standard blenders, which contain sharp blades that vivisect their contents into smaller and smaller bits, a Vitamix also relies on stainless steel, dull-edged blades that basically pulverize your food when combined with its ultra-rapid rotation and the gravitational pull of the vortex it creates. This is what creates its unparalleled smoothness, since nothing inside the jug is actually getting chopped to bits.
Vitamix vs. Ninja Twisti
The Ninja Twisti next to a full-sized blender with 64-ounce blending jar. David Watsky/CNET
In our most recent lineup of the best blenders, the Ninja Twisti model was neck-and-neck with the entry-level Vitamix Explorian for top honors. Here's a side-by-side look at how they compare in terms of features, power and price.
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