Should you buy a Vitamix Explorian blender? I took the E250 model for a test drive and was pleasantly surprised

If you're a smoothie fanatic, soup-lover, or a keen home cook, you'll want a powerful blender that you can rely on. It's no secret that Vitamix make the best of the best. Their A3500 model is at the top of our best blender guide, but what do we think about the lower end of their range?

I took the Vitamix Explorian E520 to my test kitchen and ran through every single feature – from soups and smoothies to dips and dressings. I also tested it side by side with the premium Vitamix A3500 for comparison. Here are the results of my testing, so you can make the best investment for your kitchen.

Specifications

Design

First off, I love the slightly wider, squat shape of the Vitamix E520. It makes it easy to fit under most kitchen counters and store in your cupboards. The base has four little feet to elevate the blender off the counter and keep it stable during use. On the base, there's an analog speed dial with 10 variable speeds, three program settings for smoothies, frozen desserts, and hot soups) and a pulse feature. It's not flashy or high-tech, but I love the simplicity.

As for the blending pitcher, it can hold up to 2 liters. There's a black rubber lid with a removable, clear centerpiece, allowing you to add ingredients mid-blend. I found the lid quite stiff to remove, but it clips on firmly giving you peace of mind when blending. The entire unit shines with classic, Vitamix quality – it's made in the USA with industry-leading materials. I loved the blue light which glows when the blender is switched on – I was excited to get blending.

Blending performance

I put the Vitamix Explorian E520 through its paces on berry smoothies, hot soups, dips, crushed ice ,and nut butter. It surpassed my expectations, even on the toughest ingredients.

Test 1: Smoothies

My first test for the Vitamix E520? A challenging blend of frozen bananas, blueberries, strawberries, oats, chia seeds, protein powder, yogurt, and milk.

I selected the automatic smoothie setting and the blender got to work. It was fairly loud at 97 decibels. There was no timer like on higher-end Vitamix models, but I was happy to let it do its thing. When it stopped, I poured the silkiest smoothie into my glass. On the taste test, it was a smooth, cold, and creamy with zero graininess – a perfect 10/10.

Test 2: Hot soup

Next, I tested the Vitamix E520's ability to create hot blends with a roasted butternut squash soup. I like to make root vegetable soups when I'm testing blenders, since they have a fibrous, starchy texture.

First, I roasted large cubes of butternut squash in my air fryer, leaving the thick skin on so it became crispy and toughened. I added this to the blender with raw onion, a can of cannellini beans, garam masala spices, raw garlic and hot chicken broth.

This was probably the best results I got out of all my tests. The soup was warm and exceptionally smooth – not a fleck of squash skin or ounce of raw garlic or onion was left in the pitcher. The taste was mild, ultra-soft and velvety – I think this blender would be excellent for making baby food.

Test 3. Kale Pesto

I picked another fibrous ingredient for my next test: kale pesto. I added a glug of olive oil, lemon juice, fresh basil, and pine nuts along with raw curly kale. To my disappointment, there wasn't a dip preset, so I just picked a medium-low speed setting.

I wish I blended for less time and on a lower speed; the blades were so powerful I created an incredibly smooth pesto in 20 seconds. I prefer to leave a little chunkiness in it, but that's testament to the Vitamix E520's incredible power. I actually ended up with a silky salad dressing, instead. Not a fibrous kale stalk or unblended pine nut was left in its wake.

Test 4: Ice & frozen drinks

If you want to make frozen cocktails or desserts in the summer, this blender won't fail you. I added two handfuls of chunky ice cubes into the pitcher and selected the frozen dessert pre-set. Within seconds, I had perfect, crushed ice for frozen margaritas (don't worry, this was the very last task of my test day!)

Test 5: Peanut butter

Excited by the performance on pine nuts, I couldn't wait to try the tougher texture of peanuts. I followed the recipe on Vitamix's website, adding salt to the pitcher along with the whole nuts. At this point, I realized I had meant to buy roasted peanuts, but the results were still excellent and smooth – just not as oily, velvety and smooth as I'd expected.

If you prefer to take the guesswork out of blending, you might not like that there isn't an automatic 'Dips & Spreads Program.' But it was easy to follow Vitamix's instructions starting the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increasing to high for 60 seconds. The included tamper was also very handy for pushing ingredients toward the blades.

I popped the homemade nut butter in sealable pots and used it for adding to recipes in midweek meals. I was very pleased with the whole experience.

Cleaning, storage & maintainence

Again, I have a lot of praises to sing. The wider design on the pitcher was very easy to handwash – I actually preferred this design to the Vitamix A3500i I was testing alongside it. There wasn't a specific self-clean mode like the higher-end models, but you can just add warm water and dish soap and set it on a low speed. The blender cleans itself in under a minute, although you will still have to tackle the lid by hand. Plus, the colorful spices I used in the soup left no stains in the pitcher – a testament to the high-quality materials.

In terms of storage, the blender pitcher detaches from the motor, which is helpful as it's quite a chunky device all-in-all. Once I had cleared out some space, they easily fit in my kitchen cupboards. Underneath the unit, there's a wrap for the power cord, so you can wind it up neatly and it remains tangle-free.

What do customer reviews say?

Most of the reviewers on Vitamix.com are very happy with their purchase, with an average of 4.3 stars across 29 reviews. They like the size, shape, and power of this model.

I read one or two reviews that complained about a burning smell, but Vitamix had a reassuring answer for this: 'The behavior you are experiencing is completely normal for a newer machine. Although all motors are tested at the Vitamix production facility, heavy use will cause further curing of the motor windings. This curing gives off a burning smell and is typical for wound motors. This smell will quickly dissipate after a few more heavy uses.'

They also explain that the Vitamix motor is designed to protect itself from overheating. 'Sometimes the machine may emit a burning odor and/or stop temporarily because its thermal protector sensed that the machine was about to overheat. If this occurs, we recommend turning the power switch off for up to 45 minutes, allowing the machine to cool down or reset. To avoid overheating your machine in the future, be sure to ramp the machine up to the highest speed within 5 seconds of turning it on to activate the cooling fan in the motor.'

How does it compare?

If you really want the best of the best and you’ve got a budget to match, the Vitamix Ascent A3500 is the top-of-the-range model to pick. It’s incredibly powerful, offers five smart programs, a programmable timer, smart wireless connectivity, and a large 64oz container. It’s currently topping our list of best blenders and the performance is top-notch.

However, the E520 excels in simplicity. The lack of a timer wasn’t a dealbreaker for me, and I actually found the analog dial very intuitive. In terms of blending performance, the difference between the two was minimal during testing. I actually found that the A3500i was so powerful it slightly warmed my smoothie, whereas the E520 kept things ice cold. Plus, the wider pitcher also made it easier to clean and store.

At the cheaper end of the scale, the Vitamix Explorian E310 is a very respectable model that we also rated 4.5 stars back in 2023. It just lacks automatic programs for hot soups and frozen desserts.

Should you buy it?

If you're looking for a straightforward, simple, and powerful Vitamix, you should definitely consider the Explorian E520. It's ideal for refreshing smoothies and super velvety soups. The only struggles I can think of were the noise, the stiff lid, and the fact it isn't that widely available online. If you check the store locator on Vitamix.com, you can find it in Macy's, Best Buy and CostCo. Or, I'm 99% sure this is exactly the same model on Amazon (it's the low-profile Explorian with the rubber lid) although it doesn't have E520 in the title.

At the end of the day, if you're looking for a Vitamix that's more versatile and modern with all the bells and whistles, you'll want to consider the Ascent series instead – it really is the best that Vitamix has to offer, although that's reflected in the price.

How we test blenders

We have a meticulous and rigorous process for how we test blenders.

Smoothies: For the first round of testing, we stick to a classic breakfast smoothie – making sure it's packed with challenging ingredients. We start with frozen berries to see how a blender can cope with frozen textures, tough skin, and seeds. We then add frozen banana halves to see whether it can break down larger frozen solids. Then, we add jumbo oats and gritty chia seeds. Finally, we add my favorite tricky ingredients: protein powder and creatine, because these powdery textures can easily add unappetizing grit to a smoothie.

Soups: We like to make root vegetable soups when testing blenders, since they have a fibrous, starchy texture. The ingredients we choose will depend on the season, but they can range from butternut squash to artichokes and beets. Of course, there will also be onion and garlic. We also like to add bright spices (like turmeric) to test whether they stain the pitcher. The pass/fail criteria here are simple. The blender should fully incorporate every ingredient into a single liquid with no lumps or grittiness. If the blender claims to make hot soup, the resulting soup must be piping hot.

Ice: Next, we see if a blender can crush ice. Ice is useful for two reasons. One is as a straightforward test of sheer power. Weak blenders won't be able to crush it, or will do half a job. A powerful, premium blender should be able to mist ice cubes into fine white powder. If a blender can't manage this, then it can't earn a perfect score.

Dips & Dressings: Technically, food processors are much better suited to making dips and sauces than blenders. Blenders are for liquids, not sauces, and their small blades aren't as thorough at mixing and emulsifying as food processors. That said, plenty of blenders market themselves as being able to make homemade dips and sauces - so we have to try it.

Extras: We then test for any other extras advertised by the blender, such as frozen smoothie bowls, nut butters and plant milks.

Design & decibels: A blender will score extra points in our tests if it looks beautiful and operates quietly. We monitor the decibel levels on every test. We're conscious that you're looking for quiet blenders that don't wake up your family, disturb your neighbors – or simply whirr quietly to calm your nerves – so we note our personal reactions to the noise levels, too

Cleaning: A great blender is one thing, but it can be annoying if lumps of food can lodge themselves in nooks and crannies. We clean every blender by hand to see how easy and safe it is. We also test dishwasher-safe blenders and self-cleaning settings, if they are on offer. In terms of storage, we see if we can fit the blenders in cupboards and pantries, and how easy they are to lift and access.

Value for money: We then collate the results of online reviews to evaluate long-term reliability. We also take into account the warranty, price and overall value for money. Finally, our team compares the blender to all of the others that we've tested, so we can let you know where it sits in the market.