If you’ve ever wondered exactly what the different Vitamix preset programs do, this post is for you. The programs ramp the machine through a sequence of speeds, and I thought it would be interesting to find out what those sequences are. Since I previously figured out how to measure Vitamix speed, it was straightforward to measure the program sequences.
I measured the three main home-use Vitamix models with preset programs: the Professional Series 750, the Professional Series 500 (aka 6300), and the S55. (This post will not cover the commercial line used in smoothie shops and the like.) If you want to learn more about the differences between Vitamix models, check out my Vitamix comparison page. It includes a chart that shows the models without programs that correspond to each of the models with programs.
The speeds shown in the chart below are the equivalent speed on the variable speed dial. So if you were to move the dial through the speeds in one of the plots for the prescribed times, the result would be equivalent to that program.
As far as I know, Vitamix has not changed the preset programs over time, but, for completeness, the tested Pro 750 and Pro 500 were purchased in 2013, and the S55 in 2015. If you have one of these models and its programs that do not match what I measured, please let me know and we can investigate.
Note that the program modes are not sensitive to what is blending, so whether you’re blending 2 cups or 6 cups, the smoothie mode will run through the same program. This is why I prefer controlling the speed manually—different amounts and ingredients can require different processing times. However, if you follow the Vitamix cookbook recipes, or just get used to the programs, they can make life a little easier. Some people also like the preset programs because they make the machine less intimidating, although I think anyone can learn the manual controls within a few uses.
Thoughts on program measurements
If you have a machine with programs, you can use these measurements to fine-tune your choice of programs. Say you have a Pro 750 and wish the Smoothie program would run a little longer—you can use the Frozen program instead to get it to run for an extra 10 seconds, or the Puree program for an extra 14 seconds. I have not done testing on how the different speed ramp-ups affect blends, but my guess is that they do not make too much difference.
I don’t really understand what is going on with the Pro 500 Frozen program duration. It makes sense to me that the Pro 500 Smoothie and Soup programs run longer than the Pro 750’s, because the Pro 750 has the longer blades that deliver more power. But why is the Pro 500 Frozen preset shorter than the Pro 750’s? There’s also the inconsistency that the Pro 500 and S55 Frozen presets are shorter than their Smoothie presets, whereas the Pro 750 Smoothie preset is shorter than its Smoothie preset. Ultimately, the differences in time are not that large, so they probably don’t matter too much.
Slightly strangely, the Pro 750 Soup and Puree settings only go up to speed 9.5, although this is only apparent if the blades spin freely in air, and in practice 9.5 is indistinguishable from 10. For the models with microprocessor control (which includes all models with presets), once the blades encounter resistance from blending something, the top speeds are equivalent.1
I do not mean to imply that you need to follow these programs closely for good blending performance. I’m presenting this information more just to satisfy curiosity. When I blend, for most things I usually ramp up the speed quickly (within ~2 seconds) from low to max, and then use the tamper if the ingredients are not circulating. Sometimes if I want to avoid using the tamper I will let it run a little longer (up to ~10 seconds) at low speed before ramping up, and that can help. Then I decide to stop based on how the blend looks, and sometimes I sample it to double check. It’s easy enough to blend for an extra 10–20 seconds if the blend needs more time.
1. You can confirm this by blending something and turning the speed control knob through the manual speeds from 1 to 10. You can hear the pitch change, but it will stop changing at some point, probably somewhere between 7 and 8. This makes some people think their machine is defective, but it is normal. If you do the same speed ramp-up with an empty container, you will see that the speed continues increasing all the way to 10. (For more details, see my Vitamix speed page.)
Great information. Thanks for taking the time to measure the times.
Are you going to do a Facebook group as the other main vitamix lady has a massive amount of followers where she sells her ebook and vitamix items for the commission? It could help you pay for the hosting fees and time spent on it.
Thank you for the kind comment.
At this time, Joy of Blending just has a Facebook page (here it is). You can like that page as a way of seeing when new content is published, and you can also post to it. I’ll try to remember to let you know if I ever start a Facebook group.
I appreciate your blog. I am considering g getting a 750. I own a 5200 but love some features of the 750. Can your foam method work sufficiently with the 750? Is the low speed low enough to get rid of foam? And what are your overall thoughts about the 750?
Yes, you can use the foam reduction trick on the 750, but it is true that the 750 has a faster minimum speed which means that in some circumstances the foam reduction does not work as well. Basically, for small volumes or very thin blends, it spins faster than is ideal. You can partially make up for it by repeatedly very briefly pulsing at the lowest speed, so I do not think it’s a deal breaker by any means. (And for larger or thicker smoothies/soups, the minimum speed of the 750 is plenty slow enough.)
I like the wider container of the 750 because many smoothies that would have required the tamper in the 5200 blend without needing the tamper. And the 750 is a very spiffy machine overall. I personally don’t find the presets necessary, but many people love them.
So it’s either 5200 or 7500 you personally would pick,right? I’m torn between these two however,I only make smoothies or any other “drinks or food” for myself,do you think which one I should go with?
I use a 7500, and I think it’s great. I also have a 32-oz container for it, which is handy for blending smaller amounts. (The 7500’s container is wider, and does not do as well with blends under 2 cups.) So in deciding between those two, it’s a question of cost, and, if you’re planning on blending small amounts, whether you’re willing to get the second container. I elaborate the advantages of the 7500 on my Vitamix comparison page. They are both great machines.
thanks for the translation.
I’ve been making my smoothies on ‘frozen’ and cleaning on ‘smoothie’ for three years. embarrassed, but it seemed to work fine. 🙂
Thank you very much for your post. I am struggling trying to adapt the Vitamix published recipes, which all seem to be for the taller profile machines. They never work properly in my 750 Pro series, and I wish I had known about this before I purchased. All queries to Vitamix for help are pretty much ignored, as they simply repeat back to me that the recipe may need to be adapted for different containers, with no instructions as to how to do that. It is very helpful to know these speeds.
The differences in how recipes work probably has more to do with the container size/shape than these speeds. For some recipes you will have to increase the batch size to make it in the wider container that comes with the Pro 750. If you find yourself wishing you could blend smaller amounts, you might want to get a 32-oz container (which is fully compatible with your machine).
Thanks a lot for your post!neither the dvd, the cookbook, nor the users’ manual provided any of this information. I merely wanted to know how long each program went on for (though I could easily have timed it for myself) and what actually took place, so your demystification was perfect!thanks again for taking the time and careful effort needed to explain it.
just bought the 7500 and was wondering if the speed settings and time would be the same using your tables for the 750?
I purchased both size containers how would I adjust the speed and time?
thank you for your help
Vitamix newbe
?
Yes, the 750 uses the same container and speed settings as the 7500, so you could refer to the 750 programs. (That would be for the 64-oz low profile container). If you are using a narrow container, you could refer to the 500 programs. But don’t worry about the times too much. There is a lot of leeway, and also variability in terms of what is the optimum.
you are the best…thank you so much for your time.
I am off to blend…lol
🙂
How about updating this article to include the A3500, and a bonus would be to include the extra app based programs too! The Ascent models have been out for a couple of years already but seem not to be discussed much.