Vitamix - Ascent X5 Blender - Graphite
Model: 074104
SKU: 6589160
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This blender lives up to the hype. Extremely fast and efficient at emulsifying just about anything. Programs are convenient and built quality is top notch.
This review is from Vitamix - Ascent X4 Blender - Black Stainless Steel
Posted by DanOh
_____ *Pros: -Sleek and modern design. -The powerful motor churns out smooth and fine smoothies. -The vibrations are well-controlled and stable in operation. -Can create hot soup from cold ingredients. -10-year warranty. -It can self-clean. _____ *Neutral: -The base is heavy. -The motor at level 10 is very loud. _____ *Cons: -The measurement markings are too small and difficult to make out. *** My Take *** The Vitamix Ascent X4 is a powerful and versatile blender well-suited for creating all sorts of delicacies with an easy-to-use and intuitive layout. At blender level 10, it can get pretty loud, but the result is always satisfactory. And despite the high output, it’s stable and vibration-free. My number one usage scenario with the Ascent X4 is making my protein shake for workouts where I add some milk, whey protein powder, creatine monohydrate powder, some ice, a banana, and about two tablespoons of peanut butter. Compared to my 7-yo Blendtec blender, the Ascent X4 does a much better job creating a finer and smoother-textured smoothie without any of the grit and graininess that is sometimes present on the older blender. I also like that the blender can be used to make warm or hot soup in under 10 minutes. The idea of making soup with a blender is novel to me, but it’s a great option to have. If there is one thing I really dislike about the X4, it’s the container. More specifically, I’m talking about the volume markers. The numbers and letters are so small and very difficult to make out, especially when there are items already inside the container. Vitamix should’ve made the markers way more prominent, and because of this issue, I think it’s worth subtracting one whole star for it. For example, after I finish making my smoothie, I’m ready to make the next cup for my wife who’s going to go on a run with me and later do some resistance training together. The sides of the container has protein shake leftover glazed all over, and when I’m trying to add one cup of milk, I can’t pour because I cannot see the 1 cup marker. So I have to disconnect the container from the base, rinse it out with water and dry out the insides before I can finally see the volume markers again to begin adding ingredients. I didn’t have to do this with any of my previous blenders so this aspect of the Ascent X4 has been exasperating and highly annoying. With that said, I still rate the Ascent X4 with an overall score of 4 Stars because of its high performance, versatility, flexibility, ease-of-use (the touch control panel and dial), and the 10-year warranty. The self-clean function is a cool perk as well. At seven Benjamins, though, I’m not sure I would recommend this readily to friends and family. I think there are better value blenders out there that are quieter and with a better-marked container.
This review is from Vitamix - Ascent X4 Blender - Black Stainless Steel
Posted by optimummind
The Vitamix Ascent X4 Blender is part of the new line of Vitamix blenders. What’s in the box: Vitamix Ascent X4 Blender motor base 48 oz plastic carafe/pitcher/container with blades built-in Lid Lid plug Tamper Tamper base and holder Printed Recipe Book, Start Here Guide and Features/Safety Warnings pamphlet 10 year warranty (One page in plain English!) Four important notes: 1. I highly recommend reading the features/warnings booklet (the regular paper one, it’s only a few pages long). They are straight forward and important for getting the most out of your Vitamix blender. 2. The On/Off toggle switch is on the underside of the hand grip indentation on the base about mid-way on the right hand side. Mine came with the switch on. (Thankfully, because I didn’t look for the switch before I used it….) But if your blender doesn’t light up when you plug it in, don’t panic until you’ve checked the On/Off switch. 3. The packaging was mostly eco-friendly. No Styrofoam! Instead, the blender was packaged with well-engineered cardboard cushions. The individual parts were wrapped in plastic. Most of which were labeled as recyclable. 4. Also note the label states this Vitamix blender was “engineered and assembled in the USA”. I was eager to try this out as soon as it arrived. Following the instructions in the “Start Here” guide, I ran the clean program, rinsed the container and made a smoothie. I was impressed! My go-to smoothie is dairy kefir, a banana and frozen berry mix. The Vitamix made quick work of it. I put the ingredients in (in the order the instructions state), selected and ran the smoothie program and it was done amazingly fast. My old blender took a lot longer and left a LOT of little berry seeds. The Vitamix was quick, reasonably quiet and even chopped up most of the little seeds. At first, I was disappointed that container was only 48 oz rather than 72 oz like my old blender. (Larger containers are available for purchase if you need one.) But 48 oz so far has handled everything I’ve needed. Unfortunately, it is still a little too tall to fit under my cabinets. (see pic) Initially, I was going to make a joke about the fact that the blender WILL operate without the lid on the container. But Karma will get me if I do. So be aware that it will run with the lid off and take necessary precautions to prevent injuries and giant messes. The instructions say the container and lid are dishwasher safe. But I’m going to use the self-clean feature, supplementing with hand washing this pricey appliance. The self-clean program is easy to use. The instructions say to fill the container Half Full with warm water, add a small amount of liquid dish detergent. Then (with the lid on!) touch the little suds icon and the start/stop icon. Some of the cool features are accessed from the touchscreen. There are touch icons for pulse, start/stop, self-clean, add time, and a menu icon that brings up the pre-programmed blending programs. Use the dial to scroll through the programs (the X4 has 5 programs). When the icon for the program you want is in the center, touch the start/stop icon to run. Of course, you can also run the blender manually using the dial to select the speed, the pulse icon and the start/stop icon. This is the first blender I ever had that used a tamper. At first, I was a little put off by the idea of the tamper. But it’s really not bad. It is a hollow plastic tamper that you use when the little tamper icon with the down arrow shows. You use the tamper through the lid plug hole in the lid to break up any air bubbles that are preventing the contents from contacting the blades. It’s easy to wash and can be stored in the included holder. Besides smoothies, the Vitamix Ascent X4 has programs for frozen desserts, soups (Yep, this thing will make hot soup!!), frozen cocktails, and dips & spreads. I also tried out the other preprogrammed functions. The recipe in the enclosed booklet for “Sweet and Spicy Beet Spread” used the “Dips & Spreads” program. The instructions were easy to follow. I was particularly fond of the “Tropical Yogurt Freeze”, which uses the “Frozen Dessert” program. The only soup recipe in the enclosed book that did not require some amount of pre-cooking was one for “Vegan Pea & Kale Soup”. It worked. I followed the instructions and the Vitamix produced hot soup! (When using recipes from the enclosed book, make sure and add the ingredients in the order they are given. If using a recipe found elsewhere make sure and add the ingredients in this order: liquids, dry ingredients, leafy greens, fruits & vegetables, then ice & frozen ingredients. This helps the blender work efficiently and helps to prevent cavitation, air pockets around the blades). In summary, I really like this blender. While it is admittedly pricey, you generally get what you pay for. The Vitamix Ascent X4, is easy to use, versatile, built to last and comes with a 10 year warranty. If you are in the market for a really nice blender, check this one out.
This review is from Vitamix - Ascent X4 Blender - Black Stainless Steel
Posted by PJPJ