Vitamix 5300 vs 5200 – A Lot More Different Than You Think

Vitamix is one of the best brands right now when it comes to blenders and today we’ll be comparing the 5200 and 5300.

In terms of popularity, the 5200 has been an Amazon bestseller for a long time.

If you look around juice bars, you’ll probably see something similar.

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Something that has a sturdy base with toggle switches on both sides. Plus a rotary dial at the center plus a tall pitcher for blending smoothies.

You’d think that the 5200 and 5300 are similar because they belong to the same series. But both are differences under the hood.

The 5200 uses the old 2hp motor while the 5300 is more powerful. And has the same motor as the “Professional” series 750 which is a 2.2 hp motor.

Currently the 5300 is slightly more expensive compare to the 5200. Which leads me to the question is the 5300 better than the 5200?


Motor

The Vitamix 5200 uses the old generation 2hp motor while the 5300 has the 2nd generation 2.2 hp motor

This new motor will produce more torque and when you combine it with the larger blade and better cooling.

Even if the 5300 is a larger motor and better cooling, the difference between these two is negligible when it comes to blending.

You may be able to blend longer with the 5300 with better cooling but really how long will you run this for?

Winner: 5300 (slightly)


Interface

Controls

Both the 5200 and 5300 have the same layout.

Toggle controls on both sides plus a rotary dial at the center to control the speed.

At first glance these controls look alike. But if you look very close at the left control you’ll see one very important difference.

5200 does not have variable speed

The 5300 has a pulse function that the 5200 lacks. This is one of the biggest downsides of the 5200 that a lot of consumers complain about.

If you want to pulse with the 5200, you will have to make use of the start/stop bottom located on the right side.

Only high/low speed options

Instead of a pulse button, the 5200 offers a high and variable speed. On the high setting, the 5200 will operate at maximum speed.

When you switch to the variable speed option, this enables you to use the rotary dial at the center to control the speed of the blades from 1 to 10.

This is great to use when making green smoothies or soups and gives you better control just in case you don’t really need all the power.

But the lack of a pulse option is a big negative for the 5200 and a big reason it loses in this criteria.

Winner: 5300


Blade Size

Since the 5200 uses a narrow but tall pitcher, it did not need as wide a blade diameter.

At three inches wide, it is wider than most blenders in the market.

And provides better performance against almost every brand out there in the market. But if you compare this to the 5300 it is actually 25% smaller.

One of the biggest complaints consumers had about the 5200 is how tall the pitcher is.

With the pitcher attached on the motor base, it measures over 20″ tall.

So Vitamix decide it was time to cut some vertical real estate when it started designing their next generation products.

The new container reduced the overall high of the 5200 from 20″ down to just a little over 17″. This is a substantial difference. Having a wider pitcher also necessitated a bigger blade. But performance should be about the same.

Winner: 5300


Pitcher

Pitcher

One of my biggest pet peeves with the 5200 is the pitcher size.

When you put it on the huge motor base it measures over 20” tall. It’s almost two feet tall! If your home has a low set of tabletop cabinets you’ll have to find other places to store it.

5300 has a shorter pitcher

The 5300 is a better alternative if you have this limitation and want something with a lower vertical foot print.

Thanks to the wider pitcher, Vitamix was able to shave around 2.5 inches off the tall pitcher but was still able to retain the same (perhaps better) blending performance thanks to the wider blade.

Winner: 5300


Price

Ever since it debuted a few years ago the Vitamix 5200’s price has gone down to around $300 in Amazon.

The 5300 is slightly more expensive at just under $390. Interestingly, the red version is cheaper than the black so there’s a tip. It’s only a small premium to pay for the additional pulse feature and shorter container.

A refurbished 5300 is also available for around $40 less but it only comes with a 5 year warranty

Winner: 5300


What can these blenders make?

Honestly both of these machines will perform roughly the same with a slight edge to the 5300 because of the stronger motor, better cooling and larger blade but the difference is negligible at best.

What the 5300 can make

Before I continue with my commentary let’s see some of the stuff that each of this machines can make.

Green smoothies

Here’s a demo on a green smoothie with what looks like a few handfuls of spinach…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAr4renP3jw

After a few pulses the 5300 was able to blend the almost full pitcher into a smooth finish. The last think you want from a smoothie is bits and pieces of leaves and the Vitamix will give you a consistent blend each time.

Here’s another green smoothie demo with spinach, kale, cucumber and celery as the main ingredients to go along with some fruits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNDrloC7l4g

You will notice that it did not blend the first time. That’s because they didn’t add enough liquid to it. When making any smoothie recipe, make sure to add water (at least half the pitcher) to help get things going.

Of course you could use the tamper but if you don’t add enough liquid, you’ll end up with a really thick smoothie.

Almond milk

How about some homemade almond milk with almonds soaked overnight and a few cups of water…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX7Ob7F9KRs

Don’t forget to have a nut milk bag in handy to separate the pulpy part of the almonds from the liquid. This is a cheaper option than buying processed almond milk from the supermarket. If you live outside the United States, almond milk imported from the US can be expensive.

What the 5200 can make

Let’s now move over to the Vitamix 5200 and this first video shows you the different recipes that you can make with the 5200.

Smoothies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzPFOxWGYZs

Homemade ice cream

Here’s some homemade ice cream with spinach. If you want your kids to eat healthy this is a recipe that you should try!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9ukboqBzPw

Product Specification

Model
5200
5300
Pitcher capacity
64 oz
64 oz
Power
2hp
2.2hp
Blade width
3"
4"
Width
7.3"
8.8"
Height
20.5"
17.25"
Cord length
6 ft
6 ft
Warranty
7 yrs
7 yrs

To Wrap Up

If you look at the feature and price difference, the 5300 will provide more value for money.

It has the more powerful motor, better cooling, pulse function and the shorter pitcher that’ll fit under more cabinets.

The clincher here is the price. Even though the 5200 is years older than the 5300, it’s less than $20 cheaper! So that makes the choice easier in my view. And makes the 5300 the clear winner in this comparison.

If you’ve tried both blenders, please leave a comment below on your experience with it.

6 thoughts on “Vitamix 5300 vs 5200 – A Lot More Different Than You Think”

  1. Garrick,
    There are complaints regarding the 5300 not being good for a single individual. Since the 5300 is cheaper and more powerful, is it possible to use a 5200 pitcher on the 5300 base?

    G

    1. No it is not possible to interchange the 5200 and 5300 pitchers. The motor base is adjusted for the wider pitcher on the 5300. I have a 5200 and honestly can’t complain about it at all except for the height of it which can easily be rectified with a smaller 48oz pitcher if you wanted that would be big enough for most things produced. The one thing not mentioned above is that the reason the motor needed to be larger was due to the increase in blade size and not just to increase the motor size. I follow a lot of Vitamix sites and over all if folks who have used both 5200 & 5300 models they still say the 5200 makes a smoother blend hands down. Comparing the models statistics is exactly what I would do initially but need to hear testimonials for true comparisons. The other thing I wanted to mention was the top video, the only one I watched was a complete misuse of the machine and using it like they did in the video would void the warranty. You do need to use the plunger, that is part of the process. The pulse function is mostly for coarse chopping things like salsa or chunky veggies for soups, NOT for beginning a smoothie! Smoothies should be started normally then the speed quickly pushed to 10 then moved to high. The fan works only on high and the speed is what creates the emulsion or explosion of the items in the blender into the wonderfully smooth and creamy deliciousness I have only had from a Vitamix blender. No I am not a rep for Vitamix but I am passionate about the health benefits and a company that has been around for such a long time making a quality product.

  2. I recently purchased a reconditioned Vitamix 780 with 2.2 hp motor, glass touch screen and short, wide 64 oz pitcher with 4″ blade for $360 directly from Vitamix. I started on Amazon using Wikibuy, which took me to the Vitamix site, then Wikibuy found me a $40 discount, beating the price for refurbished 5300, 750 and 7500 on Amazon, ebay and Vitamix sites. What’s not to like?

    I use touchscreen aviation navigators, autopilots, auto navigators and iPads with good results, so the 780 touchscreen fits my wheelhouse. The 780 motor responds to the touchpad the same as mechanical buttons, and in my experience, touchpads are more reliable than mechanical switches.

  3. problem with the wide pitchers is that if you are just making a small batch of something, it does not mix well as the base is too wide. the narrow pitches keep funneling the ingredients down into the blade. the wide pitcher is a pain to use when making small batches.

  4. Garrick,
    There are complaints regarding the 5300 not being good for a single individual. Since the 5300 is cheaper and more powerful, is it possible to use a 5200 pitcher on the 5300 base?
    G

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