Vitamix - Ascent X4 Blender - Brushed Stainless Steel

If a blender was ever more than a blender, this is it. I have played with every preset and most of the manual settings. This is almost a food processor. There is a salsa recipe that comes in the recipe book. Highly recommended. For smoothies, I put the liquids in first and work my way up to more solid matter. Hit the menu button, and it about 90 seconds, the smoothie is being consumed. Cleanup is a breeze. The parts are 'dishwasher safe' but the self clean does a great job. Just fill the pitcher half way with warm water. Add a couple drops of dish soap. Hit the self clean button....Rinse and let dry. Included along with the recipe book is a tamper and a tamper holder. It simply slides in under the left hand side of the blender and the tamper sits in the shot glass looking cup. The tamper could be confused for a very small wiffle ball bat or Billie club. Yes, my kids have hit each other and me with it. It is hollow and does not hurt, depending on where you are hit. The one oddity I found, and took me a minute to figure out. The lid does not screw on. There are tabs on the edges, simply extend one slightly to remove the lid. The tamper hole screws in though. Overall this is a fantastic blender. Like I said, it is almost a food processor.

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’ve had a blender I’ve been using since I got married, just shy of 15 years ago. It wasn’t cheap but it wasn’t incredibly expensive, and I’ve been satisfied with it all this time. It only has an on and pulse setting and sounds like you’re running a construction site in the neighborhood when it’s in use. Its results were fine. Nothing amazing, nothing bad enough I thought anything of it. That all changed when I got the Vitamix Ascent X4 Blender. Sure, they’re both blenders, but that’s like comparing your Toyota Corolla to an F1 racecar – they’re league apart. The first thing you notice about the Vitamix Ascent X4, besides it’s hefty 14.25 weight is that, in my opinion, it’s smaller than I anticipated. Yes, it’s larger than my older cheap blender, but for all the bells and whistles Vitamix claims it can do it does not take up that much counterspace. The base is boxy and you definitely need two hands to lift and move it, but it’s not cumbersome by any means, with two inset side area helping act as handles as you may move it closer or further from your wall. There is a tamper with stand that can be attached to either the left or right of the machine – it’s a small piece of plastic that holds a tiny cup that fits the tamper. It’s not necessary to keep attached for anything to function, but it’s certainly helpful when you remove a dripping tamper from the top of the blender jar. Setup cannot be breezier. Plug in the cord, fill the 48-ounce container with warm water and drop of dishwashing liquid, attach the lid, flip the power button, press the button for the automatic self-cleaning program, hit the start button and you’re golden. After less than a full minute you rinse out the soapy water and you’re good to go. This is the same method you use for cleaning post every blend. I find it weird to be totally enamored with self-cleaning feature, but if you’ve ever been absolutely terrified of cutting yourself while cleaning a blender you will feel the same way. I cannot tell you the difference that this self-cleaning program has had on my wife and I in terms of wanting to use the machine daily. It’s so stupid easy and effective. The 48-ounce container is plenty big for a small family. The machine itself is compatible with all of Victamix’s “SELF-DETECT” containers and attachments. I’m certainly intrigued by their food processor attachment, but that’s a future purchase. It has clear markings down the sides as you measure some ingredients. The lid is simple – just pop it on the top, it holds by two snap clips. On the lid itself is a vented lid plug – vented, I assume to prevent problems with liquid explosions, something I’ve experienced on cheaper blenders. The lid plug itself also doubles as a 2-ounce measuring cup and when removed provides access to the tamper. It’s worth mentioning that the instructions are clear there’s a load icon to how you fill the container: liquids at the bottom, followed by dry goods, leafy greens, fruits & veggies, and topping with ice and frozen ingredients. This load order is beneficial for an even blend. That tamper itself is fine and completely effective. That said, I feel like the tamper is the weakest part of the equipment provided. It’s plastic and feels very light and hollow inside. Now, it does work just fine – no complaints about how it operates, that is exactly how you expect it to be. But it’s a surprisingly cheep feeling and looking tool for a product that otherwise screams elegance and class. I have no evidence apart from a gut feeling, but I think this may be the first part to get damaged. Turning back to the blender itself, the screen and controls are simple and functional. There’s a selection wheel in the center, to the left of which is a pulse button and the right of which is a start/stop button. Turning on the machine itself, you can manually run it using these three options, going from power level 1 to 10 with half increments. The instructions here make it clear that you should always start at a low speed and turn the dial to increase to a high speed while in operations. Above the dial is a menu button, which brings up the programs, the aforementioned self-cleaning button, and a +15 second button. Above that is the tiny display for showing the programs and power level. The built-in programs are really where the Vitamix Ascent X4 shines. Press the menu button and use the dial to scroll through the options: smoothie, frozen dessert, hot soup, frozen cocktail, and dips & spreads. I wouldn’t say it’s exactly set it and forget it as firstly you wouldn’t want to leave this unattended and several programs will show a tamper icon when selecting, flashing during the program at the time you should be using it to ensure an even blend. If that sounds, for lack of a better phrase, stupid easy to use that’s because it is. I didn’t have proper ingredients the day this showed up at my house, but I had juice, a banana, and a Honeycrisp apple. I put in a cup of juice, followed by the banana peeled and halved, and then I cut the apple into a few chunks, removing the core but leaving the skin on. On my old blender this would get blended, but if I didn’t cut the apple small enough it’d be a chunky non-homogenized mess after a few minutes of blending, stopping, spatula-ing, and blending again. On the Vitamix Ascent X4? Hit the smoothie button, used the tamper when indicated and in under one minute had a smoothie that I wouldn’t call the greatest in the world, but so incredibly impressive for the literally 3 ingredients I put in there I yelled for my wife from across the house to try it. It was agreed – that was shockingly well blended and tasty for a truly bare minimum of ingredients. In the days since that sense of “stupid easy” has been applied to all the modes. I’m always wary of automatic programs in lieu of manual adjustments, but I’ve honestly no issues with how everything has come out. In the interest of fairness, this has been with blender ready recipes I’ve found online (and some from the recipe booklet included!). My wife started experimenting with her own blending of frozen coffee making and while none of the concoctions were ever bad, she was after a particular consistency that took some trial and error. It's impossible to talk about Vitamix without the price tag that typically accompanies the name. Yes, it’s costly. However, this is, in my opinion, as “prosumer” as it gets. This is one model below their top of the line for home consumers. Anything fancier and you’re looking at their machines for professional kitchens. As to whether the value is there, that’s a bit on you to decide. At the start of this review, I mentioned that it’s the racing performance vehicles of blenders. If you value that, you’ll be fine with the cost. As for me, this blender has been in use minimum twice a day for the past week. Is it improving my life? I’ve made a smoothie every day, so that’s got to be nutrients I wouldn’t have otherwise been consuming on the regular. It’s simple to use. It’s simple to clean. It’s loud like any blender but it doesn’t deafen the neighborhood. I’ve already loved showing it off to others. It’s not my blender. It’s my Vitamix.

I used to have an old Vitamix blender from around 2013. It's still going strong, but I decided to get this as it seemed like a huge upgrade over that one. I was right. This blender is so much better than the old one. For starters, it has a screen that lets you pick multiple different options (Smoothies, Frozen Desserts, Soups, Frozen Cocktails, and Dips & Spreads). It's also got actually buttons rather than levers and comes with a tamper and tamper holder. I can make so many more types of smoothies and shakes with this new blender. It also comes with a recipe book. I don't have to spend time brainstormign what I want to drink; I can just open the recipe book, find a recipe for which I have all the ingredients, and effortlessly blend it together and have a finished drink two minutes later. The only negative I can think of is the tiny jug. For that price, I think a 64 oz. jug should be included and I shouldn't have to purchase one separate for more than a hundred bucks. Over, the Ascent X4 is a solid blender and I'd suggest it to anyone looking for a blender to make smoothies and/or shakes.

The biggest reason I was interested in this was the 10-year warranty. Upon first unboxing you can feel the quality of all the components here. The container is high quality plastic that feels solid and is safe to wash in the dishwasher. The base is surrounded by metal. They have rubber components to help reduce noise and keep everything sturdy on the counter. You can tell a lot of thought went into it just from the little quality of life things you find along the way. But what I like the most is that the gear on the blender itself and the container is metal. Making it so that breaking is unlikely. Which I would think is a common failure point most blenders. The motor is supposed to also be excellent. But I don’t have a way to quantify that. As for the performance. Its excellent. Noise gets to a max of about 90 – 92 dB with full power (100 dB with my Ninja) It had no issues pulverizing anything that I put in it. And it does a great job where I haven’t found any chunks of anything. Unlike with my Ninja that I was using prior where I usually get tiny morsels of spinach or fruit that wasn’t fully smoothy-ized. Consistency is also right on the money and better than the Ninja. Also, like how you can manually adjust that as your making something to make thinner or thicker depending on your preference. Self-detect also works great at adjusting automatically based on what it senses. If I were putting ratings to them on premade modes (smoothy). 10/10 for this, 8.5/10 with the Ninja. However, if you are doing anything custom or doing adjustments that is where you will see a big difference with the Vitamix. The price difference there is crazy. But this is certainly a superior product. But only you can decide if that difference in price is justifiable or not based on what you’re using it for. If just premade modes, then probably not worth it. If you are going to be doing it for a lot of different things and/or doing customization then it is likely worth the investment. Additionally, if you are fully satisfied with your current blending upgrading is likely not going to net you a huge increase in satisfaction. Not that you’d regret it. But this is certainly an investment. But that 10-year warranty helped justify it for me. Comes with a 48-ounce container that is well made. Has a rubber handle. Pours nicely. Easy to clean. Twist top that allows access for the tamper. The tamper does not reach to the blades, so it won’t be damage when using. Rubber base. The tamper itself is just lightweight plastic. Does have a little holder that attaches to the side. Can be put in dishwasher. The self-cleaning function works well on cleaning this almost all the way. Navigation is simple. The buttons are touch, quite sensitive along with a large circular knob that feels good. You use the circular knob to rotate to the five different blending programs (smoothies, frozen desserts, soups, frozen cocktails, dips and spreads). On the right you have an add 15 seconds button in case you need a bit more. Start stop is on the bottom right. You can also do things manually if you so wish on the left side. Pulse in the bottom left. The display is nice as it will count down the time along with show you what power setting it is on. I like that if you don’t have the container on the base then it won’t start anything as it shows no container on the display. It has good heft to it while also being relatively low profile. Everything also just feels SOLID. Recipe book is simple but gives a lot of ideas. Comes on nicely printed paper/booklet. There is an on/off button but it is hidden on inferior right hand side. Which I was not aware of. CONS: I hate doing this but I really don’t have any except for the price. As it is very expensive. But arguable the price is warranted and worth it depending on what you’re using the tool for. Accessories for the most part are reasonably priced. But others are quite expensive as well. But when you’re going for premium that tends to be the case.

_____ *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.

The Vitamix Ascent X4 is the middle blender in the new X series. We watch a lot of cooking shows and Vitamix blenders are a fixture in most. Having received the product, I can see why - the build quality is top notch. The interface took a little getting used to, but I found it able to handle the recipes we tried and having the provided tamper is nice. We tried the smoothie program using our own recipe. It came out very smooth. But it includes strawberries and blueberries, so the container was a mess with seeds. The self-clean option only cleaned the blades, but to be fair I didn’t expect much more. We also tried the hot soup program using the provided Coconut Red Curry Squash Soup recipe. It was silky smooth. One of the notations is that the soup would be heated by the blades when blending (timer ran for over 10 minutes). I was skeptical but the soup came out piping hot (hotter than when put in blender). We also tried peanut butter but with no installed program we used recipe suggestions. It came out a tad gritty, but tasty. Was afraid to run the mixer too long so maybe would have been smoother if we had or possibly add a touch of oil? Cleaning was as you would expect with something as thick as peanut butter. But running it through process twice did clean up the buildup just under the blades. Unit details; There is a Container Detect that will not operate blender if container is not properly positioned. Sleep mode dims the screen if not used for 30 seconds. Screen saver mode displays if control panel not used for 60 seconds. Error code if unit experiences an issue. Timer when using variable speed or pre-programmed options (that have preset times) Programs are - Smoothie, Frozen Desert, Hot Soup, Frozen Cocktail, Dips & Spreads as well as clean cycle - all have a pre-set time. There are less options with X3 but more with X5. It also has an alert to use the tamper for thicker recipes and/or when the unit is starting to overheat. There is also an option to add 15 seconds but limits its use to 2 times. To access the options there is a center dial (controls variable speeds, 1 through 10, and program selection) with 2 switches on either side – one on left for pulse and one on right for start/stop. Base is sturdy at over 13 lbs and is 7.5 inches tall, 7.75 inches wide and 9.75 inches deep. With container height is about 17 inches – just fitting under our upper cabinets. A quick wipe is all that is needed for cleaning. Has over 40-inch heavy duty 3-pronged power cord. 48-ounce container is clear plastic with a removable lid and center plug to allow use of tamper and is dishwasher safe. Has a built is spout as well. A recipe book is included but is somewhat limited. Comes with 10-year warranty Really no issues with unit at all and seems very versatile. Look forward to trying more recipes and with a 10-year warranty I feel more confident in day-to-day use. Definitely worth a look and would recommend it.

I have been using Vitamix blenders a few times a week for more years than I want to remember given I work in a kitchen, and if I can sum up my thoughts on this unit in a few words they would be, “it will do everything you want or need, do it very well, and last for many years.” Specific to this unit, I am very impressed. Everything is well-built, solid, seals perfectly, and just “feels good.” The base has some weight. Some good not moving around weight. Stable. I really like the container size, not only just with regards to volume (48 oz, which is reasonable), but also shape and height. It is a little stouter than I am used to. I don’t really have a lot of counter space, so while the base has a little bit of a footprint, that its height comes in a “little bit” lower gives me a “little” more play in where I can store it as an entire unit. Beyond that, the screen is very clear, the dial has a nice feel and it as well as all of the buttons are responsive, intuitive, and easy to understand. Admittedly, it is taking me a bit to get used to the lack of physical buttons, but that is more of a muscle memory thing specific to my experience. Lastly, the inclusion of an attachable tamper holder is a nice add. All in all, zero complaints with the hardware. For me, while a fair amount of this unit is familiar, the styling is not, as it is clearly geared towards home use…and I think it looks great. All black. Clean. Simple. Some may say plain, or boring, but it Is perfect for me. They do also offer a couple of other color choices. That said, I do think the all black would work in just about any setting. So, generally, it has the build, and the looks, which of course is important, but where this blender really shines is in use. It is extremely versatile, with much more power than I think you will ever need. It can get a tad loud, but a lot of that is not the blender itself (it does have some noise), but rather the materials it is bending (blending?) to its will. New to me are all of the blending programs, the digital timer, the tamper indicator, and the add 15-seconds button. While I haven’t gotten into more than a few smoothies and a killer batch of loaded baked potato soup (ok and some drinks) so far, I think these are all really nice value adds. I lean heavily on the pulse and especially the variable speed and they have been perfect for me. I am looking forward to getting into a lot more, especially with fall arriving in my area with (hopefully) some cooler weather. Also new to me is the self-cleaning program. I love it. As is, everything is easy to clean on its own, but this added bonus (to me) is welcome. I, sadly, do not have a dishwasher, so any help is appreciated, even if I just use it to assist in what I typically would do. Vitamix does include a fairly nice little recipe book for those looking for inspiration or something new. Lastly, this blender is designed to be part of what Vitamix calls their self-detect system. I had never heard of this before, and it is pretty wild and I think a fairly innovative system where they offer a few different compatible containers and attachments that the blender…self-detects and allows you to use. Clearly this unit is somewhat of an investment, and these accessories are more of the same, but given I think this blender will last for some time, I like having the option to increase its usefulness. Less useful, but more fun, they also offer containers in a few colors as well as stainless steel. In the end, I really do like this blender, and I am very happy with it so far. It is extremely versatile, works very well, is built very well, and is easy to use as well as easy to clean. I like having a little peace of mind that it comes from a reputable brand in the space, carries a solid warranty, and should last for many years. The option to possibly expand the system is nice, even if I never decide to, and while it does come at a slight premium, I think for the quality you get and all that comes along with it, the value is there.

The Vitamix Ascent X4 Blender was exceptional. It is the best blender I've had the pleasure of experiencing. The stainless steel heavy-duty body is premium. It is sold and didn't take up much of my countertop space. You receive the motor, holder, tamper, container, lid, instructions, and a booklet inside the box. There isn't much as far as setting up the blender up. It has an on/off switch which is in a weird spot. It is located under the motor on the right side. The turn dial feels amazing because it has noticeable clicks. I didn't encounter any problems with the buttons. They worked when I pushed them. The display the mode selected and the timer. This was a feature I was not used to before. You get a pulse, start/stop, menu, add time, and self-cleaning as far as buttons. The add time button feature worked well while I was making smoothies. Sometimes you just need a little bit more time to finish and have the right consistency. The display shows you the mode/program you have selected. You get a Smoothie, Frozen Desert, Frozen Cocktail, Dips, and Hot Soup program. My two favorites were the smoothie and dip programs. The smoothie settings got it just right for my liking. I didn't have to guess if it was in the right settings. The dip setting makes it much easier when making my homemade dips. You can make some bomb guacamole or red salsa fast. I still need to try out the "Hot Soup" program and I'm not a fan of cocktails. But it's a feature so you never know what the future may bring. One of the best features the X4 blender offers is the "self-cleaning" feature. Blenders can be hard to clean sometimes. You have to make sure you don't slice your finger open while doing so. This has a program for "self-cleaning!" It worked well for fast cleaning. With this feature, you can run it right after you use it. Just add some warm water and a little dish soap. Let the container and lid dry and you're done. Another great feature is it's not overly loud. On level one it's extremely quiet. My roommate was asleep in the room next to the kitchen. On level 10 it didn't wake them up. Staying quiet on the lower levels is always a plus. Even on level 10, it was annoying and loud. For the negatives, I wish the on/off switch was not located under the motor. The tamper feels cheap. But these are all minor subjective negatives. The tamper works as intended. Still, this is an amazing blender! You get that constant consistency with the Vitamix Ascent X4! I know now what a premium blender can do.