If you’ve joined the nutritional craze that has been sweeping the country, you have probably added a smoothie to your diet. A quality smoothie is made with a quality blender. Vitamix 5300 and 7500 are high powered emulsifying blenders. They allow you to make a smoothie for your whole family because you should not be the only one living healthy. With the high number of Vitamix models, it is quite challenging to choose the best. Here is a comparison between Vitamix 5300 and 7500.
Contents
How to Choose the Best Blender
[grid_one_half title=”Vitamix 7500″ img=” ” size=”small”] [/grid_one_half] [grid_one_half_last title=”Vitamix 5300″ img=”” size=”small”] [/grid_one_half_last]You can choose to buy smoothies and fresh juice in juiceries near you. But, when you choose to make these drinks at home, you save a lot of money. Again, you have the freedom to choose the ingredients to add in your smoothie. Besides, blenders can chop, dice and even mix fruits and vegetables to make purees and casseroles. When choosing a blender, consider:
- Blender capacity
- Blade
- Power/wattage
- Blender controls
- Parts and accessories
You can spend as little as $50 on a blender or as much as $500. Paying more has always meant better results, but you need to be keen as there are exceptions to this rule. Your family size will determine the size of the blender you choose. Blades need to be stainless steel to prevent rusting. Most blenders are designed with a detachable base, making them easy to clean; and no one would not love an appliance that is easy to clean.
Power determines the performance of a blender. My blender is rated 300W and it can chop any vegetables I put in it thoroughly. Blenders between 500W and 600W are ideal for smoothies while blenders rated 700W are ideal for miniscule granules.
Product Comparison
Design and Appearance
Both the Vitamix 5300 and 7500 sport a minimalist design. At first glance, the units look simple and clean. You can choose between two colors, poppy and black. The two colors will easily match with your kitchen décor. They are designed with shatter proof plastic, making them long lasting and easy to handle. They have the same dimensions, thereby, occupying the same space. Each unit measures 17.25 by 8.75 by 7.25-inches. They are not small in size, but they still occupy a relatively small space.
The placement of controls, the blades and container is strikingly similar with a slight difference in the design of the control panel platform. Though both Vitamix 5300 and 7500 have three knobs arranged horizontally, the Vitamix 7500 looks sleeker and cleaner. Both blenders are offered with a black heavy lid that locks to the container to minimize spills. Both units have a black thick handle designed with finder grooves for comfortable use. The lid features a latch that slams down to lock the lid and up to open the lid.
Performance
One of the factors I pay more attention to is performance/power of a blender. The Vitamix 5300 and 7500 perform relatively the same. You will have to wait for the same amount of time to get your smoothie. They are both fitted with a 2.2 HP motor. Considering there are blenders with less than 1 HP motors, these two blenders are capable of chopping, grinding, pureeing and blending nearly any vegetable you feed to them.
Though the two motors produce the same power, Vitamix 5300 comes with an older generation motor and motor housing while the 7500 is fitted with a new generation motor and housing. The difference can be felt in how the units use power and motor noise. The 5300 comes with standard air vents that keep the motor cool while the 7500 is offered with extra-large air vents and the motor never gets hot.
Controls
The control panels of these two models are nearly similar. Below the glass compartment are three knobs; one allowing you to choose the speed of blending, another to power on the unit and the third is a pulse button. Though both have these three settings buttons, they lack a programmable feature where you can press a button and leave them blending. Auto-on is a feature seen on other devices; it helps you save power and avoid accidents.
The Vitamix 7500 has a better looking control panel thanks to illumination. If you are interested in aesthetics, this might be a good choice. The speed knob allows 10-level speed adjustment, giving you the ability to customize the smoothness of your drink and fineness of chops.
Capacity
The container on each of these units can carry up to 64 ounces. This allows you to blend juice for a small group of people. The glass container allows you to monitor the blending process. To avoid spills, however, blend a little below 64 ounces.
Both the Vitamix 5300 and 7500 glass containers come with calibrations, allowing you to measure the specific amount of juice you want. This is a great quality especially if you are blending a smoothie or juice, for a few people.
Noise and Vibrations
Blenders are known to make a significant amount of noise and vibrations when in operation. At maximum speed, the noise, with some units, may be unbearable. Even worse, excess vibrations make a blender unstable.
The Vitamix 7500 dampens vibrations more than the Vitamix 5300 thanks to the motor housing. This translates to 40 percent quieter blending, producing a maximum of 88 decibels while on max speed. The 5300, on the other hand, has a relatively high vibration and produces 98 decibels at top speed. However, even with relatively high vibration, the unit does not get unstable thanks to its heavy base.
Blades
Both the Vitamix 5300 and the 7500 feature stainless steel hammermill blades, each measuring 4 inches. Each unit has four blades strategically placed for maximum chopping power. The blades, unlike traditional blender blades, are not razor sharp. This allows them to blend consistently throughout the years without you ever having to deal with dull blades.
Given the fact that these two blenders are designed for vegetables, which are soft, and have high power, you might never realize that the blades are not razor sharp. These blades are designed to throw your ingredients around the center in a vortex and forcing these ingredients downwards. This ensures consistent blending.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Vitamix machines are self-cleaning and these two are no different. You will only need to add water to the blender container, add dish soap, turn the machine on and increase the speed gradually until it is clean. However, these two models miss a cleaning preset seen on other Vitamix models. Even with the self-cleaning mechanism, the glass container can get cloudy as mineral latch on the sides. Consequently, you will still need to use a sponge to manually clean the glass.
The container is detachable from the base, allowing you to easily clean the unit. However, it is not dishwasher friendly; I don’t see this as a big deal as most blenders aren’t safe for machine wash.
Pricing and Warranty and Accessories
Each of these units come with a generous 7-year warranty. You can buy a new or a refurbished blender. With either option, the manufacturer promises great performance and durability. The 7500 is relatively expensive with the new option costing a little over $500.
The 5300 is offered with a starter guide with up to 70 free recipes to get you started. The 7500 model, on the other hand, is offered with a cookbook that offers up to 200 free recipes, a tutorial DVD and a getting-started guide. This way, you get better guidance with the 7500.
Pros and Cons
Vitamix 5300
Pros
- Powerful performance to blend all vegetables
- Takes up less space on your counter and resonates with your décor
- Offered at a great price to meet your budget
- Comes with a pulse feature, allowing you to create different smoothie and juice textures
- Easy to operate with only three knobs
- Self-cleaning with a detachable base
Cons
- Air vents are standard and the unit may get hot after continuous blending
- Relatively high vibrations and noise
Vitamix 5300 Review
[responsive_video type=’youtube’ hide_related=’1′ hide_logo=’0′ hide_controls=’0′ hide_title=’1′ hide_fullscreen=’0′ autoplay=’0′]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtpkTsLvG1Y[/responsive_video]Vitamix 7500
Pros
- Powerful modern motor for swift operation
- Relatively low vibrations and noise
- Easy to clean unit, with a detachable base
- Offered with control panel illumination, making it look better aesthetically
- Compact design with an easy to use control panel
- Large air vents ensure the unit never gets hot
Cons
- Relatively high price
- Teflon build of the container might cause black spots on food; only a few users have reported this
Vitamix 7500 Review
[responsive_video type=’youtube’ hide_related=’1′ hide_logo=’0′ hide_controls=’0′ hide_title=’1′ hide_fullscreen=’0′ autoplay=’0′]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY3C1RJCLIQ[/responsive_video]Consumer Questions
1. Which Model will serve me best?
Both models are ideal if you need to blend soups, smoothies and chopping vegetables. However, if you are new to using a blender and blending nutritional drinks, the 7500 will comes handy thanks to the fact that it comes with an instructional DVD and 200 recipes.
2. Are these two models any different?
There are two main differences between these two models, the price and the level of noise. There are slight differences in their looks, but all other aspects are relatively the same.
3. Does the manufacturer offer discounts on these two models?
There are coupon codes online that can offer you a price cut.
Conclusion
The two products are almost the same with minor differences, and if I were to choose, I would go for the cheaper one. There are, however, features that are missing in these two blenders including a digital control. Most premium blenders in the price range of Vitamix 7500 are offered with a digital control screen, allowing you to adjust setting swifter and faster.
Both units have been rated highly by consumers. The Vitamix 5300 is a C-series blender with a classic motor while the 7500 is a G-series with a Next-gen motor. This translates to the difference on how they utilize their power. Even then, I would still recommend either to a person looking for a 2.2HP machine. Color choices are limited and users can only choose between black, zinc or maroon color with a shiny finish, for either of the two.
The refurbished models of the two models have been attacked by consumers thanks to the Teflon glass container that interferes with the quality of blended food. This glass, according to the users, does not withstand the kitchen heat for long. It is, therefore, recommended that you keep them away from heat.