The most affordable Vitamix on the list, the brand’s line of Explorian blenders features a slightly smaller 48-ounce jar, making it best for small to medium households. But since it can still blend 6 cups, it can hold enough volume for most recipes, and it is compact enough to fit under most kitchen countertops. The powerful motor and stainless steel blades are built to last through even the toughest recipes and regular use.

A user-friendly variable speed dial offers 10 speeds, and pulsing options provide for a range of recipe preparations like chopping, ice crushing, grinding, emulsifying and pureeing. And since it has thermal protection, the blender can handle blending hot soups or sauces. To use the self-cleaning feature, simply add a little dish soap and warm water to the jar, and blend for 30 to 60 seconds. The E310 Explorian comes with a tamper to help push ingredients toward the blades when blending low-liquid recipes like nut butters and frozen treats. A five-year warranty and recipe booklet are also included with purchase.

Helpful Review: "I was on the fence about spending this much on a blender, but I am very happy I did. [...] I had the nutri ninja bullet and it was great for protein shakes, but could not chop up ice, veggies/fruits that well and I hated holding it down to blend. I am in college and I live alone so getting the smaller & cheaper blender made sense to me. It does the same blending that all the other models can do, but without the fancy extras such as touch screen and pre-programmed setting.This blender was a great upgrade for me and because of how much it can do I will be taking full advantage of it."

Boasting more than 2,000 reviews and an impressive 4.7 rating, the Vitamix 5200 has a comparable motor and power to the first pick, but comes with a larger, taller 64-ounce jar that is narrow at the base, making it your best pick if you like to medium to large batches or extra tiny batches that a low-profile jar might not accommodate as easily. The one downside of the jar, however, is that it stands over 20-inches tall when set on the motor, which is generally too tall to fit under most kitchen cabinets. If you have open countertops, this may not be a problem, and the jar can easily be stored alongside the motor. The 5200 has Vitamix’s signature full-range variable speed dial with 10 speeds and pulse buttons for performing a wide range of recipes, including smoothies, frozen treats, purees, and nut butters. The motor is equipped with a thermal protection system and cooling fan so you won’t have to worry about the blender overheating when blending back-to-back or making heavy recipes. The 5200 comes with a tamper, startup guide, and 7-year full warranty.

Note: Most Vitamix jars are compatible with different models and can be purchased a la carte, like this low-profile 64-ounce jar. Just make sure to check that they’re compatible with your specific model.

Helpful Review: "With this [Vitamix] I do not even have to cut things up much at all. I will maybe break a carrot in half but I can just toss in a chunk of ginger, add any other fruit and vegetables including a hunk of lime with the skin on and ramp this blender up. I start on low, turn the dial up and then hit the lever for max. It sounds almost like a jet engine starting up, much quieter of course, but with that kind of power. The smoothie comes out silkie smooth and the blender does not struggle at all. It is a beautiful and delicious thing. As a plus this blender will even heat up stuff you put in it from friction so you can make soups."

While it’s fair to say that all Vitamixes are a splurge, the Vitamix A3300 Ascent series takes it to the next level in terms of bells and whistles, and is an incredibly smart and innovative appliance. This model has a slightly more powerful motor than the first two picks, and you can choose between manually using the variable 10-speed dial to create your recipes, or connect it wirelessly to the Vitamix perfect blend app, which is loaded with 17 pre-programmed settings that automatically blend on your machine. The app also features 500 recipes, so you’ll never run out of inspiration. The digital touchscreen display has a timer and countdown screen, so you can set the blender to operate for a period of time, thus preventing under- or over-processing. Perhaps the coolest feature of the A3300 Ascent? It has Vitamix’s self-detect technology, which allows you to blend in different containers on the same motor. A starter kit with an adaptor and accessory cups is available separately, and depending on what’s placed on the blender, it recognizes the vessel and programs accordingly. The A3300 Ascent comes with a low-profile 64-ounce jar, tamper, and a 10-year warranty.

Note: If you’re in the position to really splurge on a Vitamix, check out the A3500 Ascent, which is an even smarter version of this blender that comes loaded with five pre-programmed settings in addition to the functionality of the A3300.

Helpful Review: "The blender itself handles everything very well. Blending kale into oblivion and even does well on frozen coconut which is very difficult to blend. The container is also nice and light which makes it easy to fill with water and dish soap for the "self cleaning" cycle when you need to clean it. Very happy with this so far! I chose this over some of the older models since I feel vitamix is investing in these ascent models as far as accessories and wanted to have the option to branch out."