Vitamix One Blender Review

Vitamix One Blender Review

The ultimate goal of this Vitamix One blender review is to see if Vitamix has managed to deliver on their promises... or if you’re better off spending your money on a different model.

All the bells and whistles were not what Vitamix had in mind when they designed the Vitamix One blender to celebrate their 100th anniversary.

Instead, this top blender company wanted to reimagine their classic Vitamix blender as an intuitive machine that would have a slim profile but still pack a powerful punch.

Vitamix One Blender Cost

The Vitamix One blender sells for $249 (USA) and $349 (CANADA)– which puts it on par with a comprehensive selection of similarly priced blenders that are trying to bridge the gap between affordability and high quality operation.

The Vitamix One stands out as the company’s most affordable blender (usually $199 when it's included in a Vitamix Sale). This makes sense as the Vitamix One blender is not considered a "full sized Vitamix" which can do all-the-things (more on this in performance). It falls in the category of Personal blenders.

Blenders in this price range are ultimately making an effort to appeal to people who can’t  (or simply don’t want to) invest $300 - $500 on a blender but they still want a good enough one that can satisfy their needs... like incredibly smooth smoothies that include tough, fibrous ingredients and seeds.

Vitamix One Blender Main Features

Before we get too deep into this comprehensive Vitamix One blender review, let us take a quick look at some of the most prominent pros and cons of this blender.

Vitamix One Pros and Cons

I tested the Vitamix One blender making lots of different types of smoothies, whole food juices, salad dressings and purees, batters and crushing ice. I DID NOT test grinding grains, making nut butter or pizza dough or blending a hot soup.

WHY? Because Vitamix says this blender specifically CANNOT do these types of blends. It's clear right on the box and they even put some signs on the jar to remind you not to.

Vitamix One Blender Performance

Here are some basic tests and times with the Vitamix One blender:

Smoothies and Whole Food Juices

In terms of performance, the Vitamix One blender handled any tough smoothie and whole food juice recipes I threw at it as well as a full-sized Vitamix. Carrots, apples, dates, nuts, celery, kale, flax and chia seeds, and those teeny tiny berry seeds.

Considering that smoothies are what people are making 80% or more of the time - this is pretty darn important. 

Note: I've had many friends, customers and clients who previously bought a NutriBullet or Ninja for around $100 and their biggest complaints were
1) It's ok but not smooth. Usually gritty and
2) It broke after a year or two... and ended up purchasing another (better) blender and spending the equivalent of a Vitamix.

Sauces, Dressings, Purees and Batters

Aside from smoothies and whole food juices the Vitamix One can and should handle relatively lightweight tasks; such as sauces, dressings, purees, batters and similar recipes.

So the other main thing I was interested in testing was smoothie bowls and sorbets, which is basically all frozen ingredients. Thanks to the perfectly sized tamper, it handled them perfectly.

Dips

Same thing goes for dips. These are a bit thicker so requires help from the tamper.

Crushing Ice

Finally, it handled crushing ice just as well as my full-sized Vitamix.

Hot Liquids, Nut Butters, Dough, Grinding Grains

The Vitamix One CANNOT do these types of blends (which a full-sized Vitamix can).

In fact, the company has flat out stated that attempting these types of blending tasks in the Vitamix One blender will void the warranty.

Check out the handy image below that's on the Vitamix One blender box for easy reference.

Vitamix One Blender Design

The Vitamix One blender has a fairly straightforward and minimalist design, which actually makes it look noticeably different compared to the rest of the Vitamix family.

This is further exemplified by the Vitamix One’s single dial control scheme and its slim and streamlined body. In fact, if you’re familiar with contemporary blenders, one of the first things that you will notice is that the Vitamix One does not have blending presets or a pulse function.

Regarding the pulse however, you can do this manually by quickly turning the dial on and off. That was the workaround I used for my very first Vitamix, the certified reconditioned Vitamix 5200 (aka Vitamix Standard).

The single dial turns the blender on and for most blends you simply start on low then turn the dial to ramp up to the highest speed.

The entire unit (base and 32-ounce container) is only 12-inches high and 8-inches wide, which makes this blender the smallest in the Vitamix family. The Vitamix One also only weighs 6.25 lbs – making it lightweight when compared to models like the top of the line Vitamix Ascent Series, which weigh over 10 lbs.

READ: Vitamix Ascent Series Review

Power

The Vitamix One blender features a 1.2 horsepower motor. This is a step down from the other blenders in the Vitamix Family which either have a 2 or 2.2 horsepower motor.

However a 1.2-horsepower motor is still a relatively robust amount of power for a personal sized blender. This is the primary factor that affects which blending tasks the Vitamix One is capable of handling.

Controls and User Friendliness

After taking the Vitamix One out of its box, the first inconvenience that I came upon was the length of the power cord; the Vitamix One blender has a power cord that is relatively short at only 3 feet. In fact, I had to use an extension cord so that I could test the Vitamix One for this review and to make a video.

After getting the blender plugged in, I very quickly came upon another issue with the controls and overall user-friendliness of the Vitamix One – there is no power button. 

Containers

The Vitamix One doesn’t have any auxiliary attachments or containers that cater to specific blending needs; it simply comes with one container.

This container has a 32-ounce capacity and is crafted from durable Tritan BPA-Free plastic. Furthermore, it is well-designed and has an ergonomic handle that makes it easy to hold, maneuver, and pour.

Like all Vitamix containers, the blade is built into the jar so it doesn't need to be taken apart for clean up.

The container, however is not dishwasher safe.

Vitamix One Blender Comparisons

So, how does the Vitamix One blender compare to other blenders that fall in the $200-$300 price range? Well, let’s take a quick look at three highly praised (full-sized) blenders by Vitamix, Blendtec, and NutriBullet. Note: I don't include the popular Ninja brand which has many blenders in this price range because in my experience testing, they are mostly terrible.

My top recommended Vitamix for families on a budget is the Vitamix Explorian E320 certified reconditioned for $289. This is a full-sized Vitamix that I recommend most for families on a budget. It can do all-the-things however it does require an additional smaller jar to blend small portions.

The Blendtec Total Blender Classic certified reconditioned is $279 and has a powerful 3-peak horsepower motor, 6 automatic presets and 10 manual speeds. It can also do all-the-things but requires a Twister Jar for thick and small blends (you can get 50% off a Twister Jar with promo code "BBTWISTER")

For the budget conscious I recommend the NutriBullet Smart Blender Combo for only $189. It has 1500 watts of power. It can't create a hot soup from friction but it comes with a tamper like Vitamix does to help with thick blends and has touch screen controls. It also has additional containers which is great for families. 

Clean Up

The Vitamix One blender is NOT dishwasher safe but I personally don’t consider this to be a deal-breaker. Generally speaking, a “hand wash only” guideline is par for the course for a lot of high-quality blenders to keep the blade from dulling.

Even other Vitamix blenders that do come with dishwasher safe jars (like the Ascent Series), it is recommended to only use the dishwasher on occasion if there is something really sticky or a deep clean is needed.

That being said, cleaning the blending cup of the Vitamix One is rather easy! Use a drop of dish soap and fill halfway with warm water and blend on high for 30 seconds. Or a relatively quick and fairly thorough rinse in the sink should get the job done.

The minimalist design of the base is also not just for appearances. It makes it easier to clean than a lot of competing blenders because there are very few indentations and hard corners, as well as only one knob and no buttons.

Warranty

All things considered, the Vitamix One blender's 2-year warranty is better than other personal sized blenders which only come with 1 year.

Vitamix does this to keep the costs down.

That said, most reconditioned Vitamix come with a 5 year warranty, while the new Vitamix Ascent Series comes  with a 10-year warranty.

The Vitamix One’s 2-year warranty does cover all of the blender’s parts, performance, labor, and two-way shipping. 

Vitamix One FAQs

Before we get to the end of this Vitamix One blender review, let us take a quick look at some of the most frequently asked questions.

As you would expect, your Vitamix One box will contain the motor base, the 32-ounce container and tamper. It also comes with a warranty card and a quick how to use guide. There is NO recipe book.

No, you don’t need to hold onto the blender while it is working. The lid of the Vitamix One is made from heavy-duty rubber and it has tabs on each side that help to lock it in place.

The Vitamix One is definitely noticeable while it is powered on but it is also nowhere close to being the noisiest blender on the market today. It's not as loud as some other full-sized Vitamix such as the Explorian Series.

Final Thoughts

The Vitamix One is definitely a great personal-sized blender that is ideal for people who want longevity and high quality from a reliable company. It's also a great choice if you have a small space. 

I definitely do consider it to be THE BEST personal-sized blender on the market today – for example, similarly priced blenders by Ninja and NutriBullet. Furthermore, The Vitamix One is also less likely to break in 1-2 years, like a lot of those other blenders, due to its durable construction and high-quality materials.

Although I was impressed with how well the Vitamix One performed, I also had issues with the short power cord and the absence of a power button. You will have to decide for yourself if the lower price compensates for these factors or if they are deal-breakers.

That being said, the Vitamix One is definitely ideal for singles and college students that really mostly make smoothies and just want a blender that performs well and will last a long time.

If you need a blender that can handle bigger and more complex tasks , I recommend that you invest in a full-sized Vitamix blender. If you want to keep the costs as low as possible, the Vitamix Explorian E310 and E320 are the full-sized budget Vitamix blenders I recommend for singles (Vitamix E310) and families (Vitamix E320).

If you think you want a full-sized Vitamix and want to learn more about each of their many blender models, I recommend checking out my comprehensive Vitamix Blenders Review.

You are also welcome to schedule a complimentary 15 min Blender Help sales call with me.

If this Vitamix One blender review helped you, please share in the comments!