The Ascent X Series is Vitamix’s biggest new blender release since the original Ascent Series in 2016. I do not think it is an absolute game changer, but it brings some new features and a styling refresh. I believe the features are aligned with how users have been using their machines.

All Vitamix models deliver the same high-quality blending performance. They have the power and design to make the smoothest blends, including super thick things like nut butters. The choice of model comes down to aesthetics and optional bells and whistles.

Vitamix is currently selling the new X Series alongside the original Ascent Series, so you can pick which you prefer, but I’ve heard that there may be plans to retire the original series in early 2025.

This review is written by an independent human who has been using Vitamix blenders for 19 years, and has tested all of Vitamix’s different models from this period. The internet has become swamped with “reviews” from people who have never used the product, review mills that crank out reviews from inexperienced users, and, most recently, AI generators that rehash that sea of “content.” If you purchase a Vitamix by clicking a link on this site, I receive a percentage of the sale, which helps support knowledgeable human recommendations. 

What’s new?

Container Volume

I’ll start with the thing that I think makes the biggest difference to most people: the X Series models all come with 48-oz containers instead of 64-oz containers on the original Ascent Series. The 48-oz containers are narrower than the Ascent 64-oz containers, which means that they do a better job with smaller volumes. (The absolute minimum depends on how thick the blend is. For thin blends the wide 64-oz containers can blend relatively small amounts, but they splash around more, which makes blending less efficient, and can be annoying. For thick things like nut butters, the minimum is 3 cups of nuts in the 48-oz vs. 4 cups of nuts in the 64-oz container.) The 48-oz containers are the same narrow width at the bottom as the classic tall 64-oz container and the classic 32-oz containers.

Unlike some other blender manufacturers that list volume to the very rim of the container, the Vitamix capacity is the maximum recommended blending volume. There is more space in the container beyond the 48-oz line. The extra capacity is most useful if you are making a large smoothie from bulky ingredients that will collapse down after blending, but you can also push the blending volume a bit past 48-oz—up to 56-oz if you’re really careful, although I do not recommend regularly blending that much.

I’ve heard countless stories of people who were unsatisfied with their wide-container Vitamix until they bought a second narrower container. Personally, I would not be satisfied with only having a wide container.

Container Grip

The Ascent X containers have a black rubberized grip on the container handle, whereas the original series just has the clear hard handle. I do not think this affects the blending experience, but I guess it’s more pleasant to hold for some people. It is possible to pull the black rubber off, but I have not had it fall off unexpectedly. Aside from the rubber grip, the containers are physically the same as the original Ascent 48-oz containers. (The original Ascent 48-oz containers were sold separately from machines as an accessory.)

Styling

The bases come with new styling. Whether it’s an improvement is an aesthetic judgment. I mildly prefer the new style, but not enough that I would weigh it in a buying decision. This reminds me a bit of how generations of iPhones cycled between rounder and straighter corners—a design cue that it’s new and different from the previous release. In addition to the new styling, the vents are all on bottom (again, a bit of a design cycle, as the 5200 also has all-bottom vents, whereas the “Next Gen” 7500 and original Ascent have back vents).

Tamper Holder

Ascent X models come with a tamper holder. Vitamix has had a tamper holder available for years, but previously it was a $20 add-on. The tamper holder is removable and it can go on either the left or right side. There’s a slot for it directly below the on-off switch in the photo below:

New Indicator Icons

The higher tier X models have new indicator icons that can be especially useful to new users.

Overheat indicator (X3, X4, and X5)

All Vitamix machines, going back at least to the predecessor of the 5200, have a thermal cutoff that switches the machine off if the motor gets too hot to protect it from burning out. The Ascent X Series introduces a thermometer indicator icon to communicate this to the user on the X3, X4, and X5 models. (The X2 does not have the thermometer indicator, so if it overheats it just displays three dashes on the timer display.) If the thermal cutoff trips, you have to wait 20–60 minutes for the motor to cool before it will run again.

Overheat pre-warning (X4 & X5)

The top two models flash a half-full thermometer icon if the motor starts to get too hot. This is the first time a Vitamix has given a warning before tripping the thermal cutoff switch. There are things you can do to help keep the motor cool. The main thing is counter-intuitive: run the motor at full speed. I wrote up a detailed investigation of Vitamix motor heating, if you want more detail. (I also described an “advanced” cooling trick on that page.)

Tamper indicator (X4 & X5)

The top two machines also have a tamper indicator. It shows up in two ways. First, if Vitamix designed a program to be used with the tamper, the machine displays a tamper icon next to the program icon once you select it. Then, during the course of the program, the machine senses if an air pocket has formed around the blades and flashes the tamper icon with a down icon to indicate that it is time to push ingredients down with the tamper. (For an experienced user, the air pocket is obvious because you can hear a high-pitched whine as the blades spin at top speed with no resistance.)

More programs

Each of the X Series models has more programs than the corresponding model in the original series. The cleaning program gets its own button on all of the X Series models. Including cleaning, here are the number of programs for each model:

I don’t use programs much, but some people love them.

Here is the list of Ascent X programs and the models that have them:

No more app

Vitamix appears to have abandoned their mobile device app. It still exists for free download in the Apple and Google app stores, but it has not been updated in years. I never fully understood the appeal of connecting a blender to an app, but I did get it working on both Android and iPhones. It was buggier on Android, I think because of the challenges of supporting a much wider range of devices. It is not possible to connect the new Ascent X Series to a mobile device. In my opinion, it’s no real loss, but if the app connectivity is important to you, you should get an original Ascent Series machine.

No more settable countdown timer

The settable countdown timer is another function that is gone that I’m not missing. I never used it beyond my initial set of feature tests. I do appreciate seeing the timer display, which is still on all models of the X Series. The timer display counts up for manual blends and down for program blends. There is a +15 seconds button on the X4 and X5 which lets you extend a program, which is a customization similar to the settable countdown timer on the A3300 and A3500.

No more 20-oz and 8-oz containers

Vitamix ran into problems with the screw-on blending cups and ultimately discontinued them. Some people had difficulty getting the base to recognize the cups, mainly because the blade has to be screwed on the right amount, and Vitamix made the indicating arrows nearly invisible. And then some people ran into problems with the blade unscrewing. Vitamix recalled them and released a bulky protective shroud that nobody likes. I never ran into any problems with these containers, but I also didn’t use them that much because I prefer the standard Vitamix containers. If you really want to use these containers you will have to find them used or from a third party. The X-Series does not recognize these containers, so you would need to use them on an original Ascent model.

Minor Changes

Soft Start

If you start the motor at maximum speed on a Classic Vitamix (e.g. 5200), the motor immediately goes at full throttle, but, starting with the 7500, Vitamix introduced a speed controller that ramps up the speed more gradually. The main place that I’ve noticed the soft start is that it is not as easy to accidentally launch the contents of the blender to the ceiling. (Always blend with the lid on!) After the 7500, Vitamix made the soft start faster on the Ascent Series, and now the Ascent X is back to closer to the original soft start. I measured the time it takes to ramp up to maximum speed when starting with the knob set to 10 as 2.4 seconds on the 7500, 1.8 seconds on the A3500, and now 2.6 seconds on the X5. In normal use I usually start the speed at 1 and then manually ramp it up, so I don’t usually notice the soft start.

Power Cord

The power cord length is 3.5 ft instead of 4 ft on the original Ascent Series, and they got rid of the cord storage wrap on the bottom.

What’s the same?

The following are unchanged between the X Series and the original Ascent Series. You can check out my original Ascent Series Review if you want to read more about this stuff.

• Motor power & speed
• Blending performance
• 10-year warranty
• Presence of physical variable speed knob and pulse switch
• Timer display
• Plastic base shells on lower models & metal on upper models
• Dishwasher-safe containers
• Clear snapping lids

Model tiers

The Ascent X Series and the original Ascent Series have 4 models each. However, the set of prices is a bit different. Table in terms of prices:

It looks like Vitamix initially planned on releasing an X1 at the A2300 price point, but then they decided to drop the X1 and moved the X2 price point down to the A2300 price point. In terms of features, the models do not perfectly line up. For example, the A3300 offers premium metal base options, but it does not have programs, whereas all of the X-Series models have programs (at least 3, plus self-cleaning).

Decision Tree

This is a bit of a simplification, but climbing up the feature ladder, you can ask yourself it you want to pay more for each of the following features:

• Touchscreen? No => X2
• Metal base, tamper indicator & overheat warning? No => X3
• 5 extra program modes? No => X4

Base Color Options

X2: Shadow Black, Polar White, Nano Gray, Midnight Blue
X3: Shadow Black, Polar White
X4: Polar White, Brushed Stainless (metal), Graphite (metal), Black Stainless (metal)
X5: Brushed Stainless (metal), Graphite (metal)

Container Compatibility

Original Ascent and Ascent X containers are cross compatible. (These containers are labeled on the Vitamix website as “Self-Detect,” and they all have clear lids.) The one exception is that original Ascent containers on the X5 do not let you use the X5’s five new program modes. This is a bit of a head scratcher, but apparently the new Ascent containers contain the program modes coded into the chip in the container. The reason I heard given for this is to allow Vitamix to release new containers with new programs in the future. If you plan on using an existing Ascent container a lot, this would be a reason to not pay extra for the X5 over the X4.

If you want to get an additional container for an X5, (e.g. 64-oz, dry, aer, or stainless steel) you should wait until Vitamix updates these products for the X Series. (I’ve heard that the updated accessory containers are scheduled for release in January 2025.)

Niggles

The motion of the program selection on the X4 and X5 feels backwards to me. A line of program icons shows in the display, and turning the knob shifts them left or right. My instinct is that turning the nob to the right should cause the icons to scroll to the right. But the icons move to the left when you move the nob to the right. Basically, you can imagine an arrow on the wheel that you direct to point toward the program you want. The movement feels natural to some people, and it’s similar to how different people have different preferences about scroll wheels are touch to scroll. Or you can just fiddle with it until you get the icon you want, and you’ll figure it out pretty quickly.

The program modes are still fixed sequences of speeds and times. I would have thought that by now Vitamix could have figured out a way to make them have some feedback on how the blending process is going. For example, it could sense more resistance, which could indicate larger volume or thicker ingredients, which might indicate a longer blend time. Or maybe a no-tamper mode that senses if an air pocket starts forming, and drops the speed to pop it before resuming. (For the record, I have no problem using the tamper.) It’s possible that they’ve tried this and it causes more problems than it fixes, and the tamper indicator sensor is the best approach for something to work optimally in as many situations as possible. And then the +15 seconds on the X4 and X5 does give the possibility of slightly customizing blend programs by extending the run time.

I still wish Vitamix would give users the option to select which container they want when they buy. Apparently this is too tricky logistically, because I keep asking for it, and Vitamix doesn’t do it. The 64-oz container can be a better fit for large households, but for most people I think the 48-oz container is best.

Summary

I would not upgrade from another Vitamix unless you want to give someone your existing machine, because, fundamentally, blending has not changed. But if you are new to Vitamix and like the premium touches, this is a great choice. (If you don’t care about bells and whistles, the “entry-level” Explorian E310 blends just as well.) On the X4 and X5, I believe the overheat pre-warning and tamper indicator will be especially useful to new users. I often hear from people who think their Vitamix is broken, but actually it just tripped the thermal cutoff, or the blades are spinning futilely in an air pocket, so the new indicators should help people get up to speed faster. I’m also glad to see Vitamix keeping the physical knob on all of their machines; it is intuitive and satisfying to crank up the speed or to hone in on the optimal moderate speed. Here are all of the X-Series models on Vitamix.com.

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