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When you hear the brand Vitamix I’m sure the first thing that comes to your mind is the large commercial grade blenders that they are most popular for.
But not a lot of people know that they also manufacture compact blenders similar to a Nutri Ninja and a Nutribullet.
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Vitamix’s first compact blender
Well Vitamix finally came up with a compact blender, the S30 personal blender to complement their commercial blender line up.
It only stands 14.55 inches tall (if you put the 20 ounce jar) which around an inch shorter than the Ninja Auto iQ and 15.66 inches tall if you use the 40 ounce jar.
Poweful motor
Powering this is sturdy 790 watt motor that produces around 1 horsepower of power.
This compact blender also comes with two 20 ounce containers (that is if you buy this in Amazon) plus a 40 ounce container just in case you need to make more smoothies. All of which are BPA free.
Also you can use the blade on the 3 containers.
So if you want to use the 20 ounce container, simply unscrew the blade from the 40 ounce jar and then screw it on the 20 ounce container so instead of washing two containers, you only wash one.
A quick look at the features
- Comes with 3 jars – two 20 ounce jars and one 40 ounce jar
- Powered by a 790 watt motor
- 5 year warranty
- All containers are dishwasher safe and BPA free
- 15.66″ tall
Pros
- Great quality
- Strong and stable motor base
- The blade is usable on all the containers – this will save you time because there’s no need to use the large 40 ounce pitcher if you don’t need to
- Long warranty
- Simple to use
- Being dishwasher safe makes it easier to clean
Cons
- It lacks preset controls that a Ninja Auto iQ has
- Freakingly expensive – it almost costs as much as a 5200
- Blades are hard to clean if you don’t remove them
What to expect from this compact blender?
This machine is designed to do one thing which is to make smoothies for people on the go.
Containers
In fact Vitamix designed this as such that you can remove the blades from the main 40 ounce jug and transfer it to the smaller 20 ounce containers so you don’t need to wash two utensils only one.
Powerful motor
At the heart of this machine is a 790 watt motor that produces around 1 horsepower according to Brian Bennett of CNet.
It has a sturdy based that weighs 12 pounds so you know it’s pretty solid.
The control panel is typical Vitamix, simple and straight to the point. It does not have any preset features, just a knob to adjust speed and a pulse button.
But learning curve isn’t as steep as you would think
Vitamix would recommend that you always start with the slow setting then work it all the way up to the max and this is not rocket science as you will see in the videos below.
And since it has a strong motor, it will take less than a minute to make smoothies.
It comes with two 20 ounce containers for single serve drinks and a large 40 ounce for bigger servings.
You can take this from the blender unscrew the blade and screw on the cover and be on your way. It’s that easy.
Good design
Another thing you’ll notice is how well designed the containers are. Underneath the cover and the flip-top there are rubber gaskets that protects from any leakage.
And when you open the flip-top it locks in place so then you drink your smoothie it does not fall back on your face.
Double wall design
All the containers have a double-walled design which means it has a container within a container. This design helps hot drinks stay hot and cold drinks stay colder for longer periods.
It helps keep moisture in and avoid the “wet cup” syndrome that single-walled containers are prone to.
This means that you can prepare an iced cold smoothie and not worry about it sweating and leaking on your gym cloths or other stuff inside your bag.
This feature separates Vitamix’s containers from other compact food mills.
See all of these features at work in this video prepared by Blending with Henry…
Metal gear
Another feature that’ll help longevity would be the gear that drives the blade. It’s metal that’ll last longer compared to plastic.
It also has a gasket that prevents possible leaks from occurring during operation.
And it’s located on the outside so it doesn’t exposed to the liquid inside.
It also has an overflow opening behind the motor base just in case the seal fails and there is leakage, liquid does not stay on top of the motor but instead flows out of the hole so there is minimal chance of damaging the motor.
But all of these features, power and simplicity come at a price.
At just over $400 (if you buy this in Amazon), that is a lot to pay for a compact blender but remember that you also get a longer warranty (5 years) whereas other brands like the Ninja only back their products up with a 1 year warranty. The choice is yours.
What can this make?
Unlike other compact blenders limited to making smoothies, the S30 is more versatile.
Aside from making delicious smoothies, the motor has enough torque to make frozen desserts.
Smoothie
Here’s a demo of the S30 in action making a cocao mint smoothie, courtesy of Raw Blend.
Yes, that means you can make homemade sorbets without the added sugars found in store bought sorbets.
Hot soup
Using the main 40 ounce pitcher, you can also make soup recipes and it comes out hot off the pitcher so you save on gas bills because you don’t need to use the gas range or oven to heat it up.
It also saves you time because you have less things to wash.
It is also capable of making whipped cream, almond milk and nut butter. No other compact blender in the market can make these claims.
You’ll see all of these recipes in the recipe book that comes along with this.
Is it easy to clean?
Normally for blenders, I’d recommend folks filling it up halfway add a few drops of dishwashing liquid and pulse it for around 10 seconds but for this Vitamix, you may not need to do that since you can remove the blade assembly with a simple twist.
You may need to purchase brushes like these to make blade cleaning an easier task. Since all of the containers are BPA free you can place it inside the top rack of the dishwasher, just make sure to rinse off any residue that’s inside before doing so.
Warranty
Vitamix backs this up with a 5 year warranty.
Product Specifications
| Motor | 790 watts |
| Height | 14.55" (w/ 20 ounce container) 15.66" (w/ 40 ounce pitcher) |
| Jug capacity | 2 - 20 ounce 1 - 40 ounce |
| Blade Type | Hardened stainless steel |
| Max RPM | N/A |
| Preset blending cycles | None |
| BPA Free |  |
| Dishwasher Safe | |
| Tamper/Plunger | |
| Crush ice? | |
| Smoothies | |
| Juice | |
| Nut Butter | |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Customer Reviews
Consumers loved how it was compact and yet also powerful. You’ve seen how it was able to make smoothies in under a minute in the videos I shared with you above.
Tamper is useful
And using the 40 ounce pitcher and tamper, you can make yummy homemade frozen desserts or almond butter but not all users like to use the tamper.
If you’re new to the Vitamix, the tamper is an essential part of their arsenal and you need to push down recipes like frozen desserts or nut butter that include water.
You need to do this so that the blades will be able to “bite” the ingredients and pulverize it.
Easy to clean
Since it uses a smaller pitcher and blades, these are easier to clean.
Some potential issues
There is one downside for the double walled containers, it will hold less liquid (in this case only 20 ounces) that’s the downside to the many benefits you’ll get from it so you will have to weigh if this is a good enough reason to with a double walled container.
Another complaint was how hard it is to screw on the blade but come on now, turn the knob a few times does not take rocket science, just make sure that you align it well and not over tighten it.
Lastly, there’s the price. Some people suggested that if you can afford to buy this why not buy a full sized Vitamix instead? But that’s missing the point, people like this because they want something compact.
Great for smoothies
CNet also did an extensive review and based on their tests, making smoothies is easy with this machine even with frozen ingredients it made quick work pulverizing ingredients.
Though it did struggle crushing ice and took around 30 to 45 minutes to make almond butter with the tamper.
They also tested it making pancake batter and it did not disappoint. For a compact blender the ability to make nut butter is very impressive.
Where can I buy this?
The Vitamix S30 is longer available in Amazon brand new. There’s actually a newer version – the S50 that comes with preset controls. It’s a bit more expensive at just under $400. But it’s a good deal if you ask me because of the myriad of features.
This will be eligible to the 2-day free shipping if you join Prime. And Amazon also sells extended warranties up to 4 years.
To Wrap Up
This blender is great for busy folks who hav e $400 to spend on a good quality compact blender that can do most of what a full sized Vitamix does.
Despite being a compact blender, the motor has enough power to make not just smoothies. But it is capable of making nut butter, almond milk, pancake batter and frozen desserts. No other blender can boast of this versatility right now. Not the Nutribullet, not the Ninja.
It isn’t as big as a commercial grade 5200 so fitting this inside your kitchen will not be a problem. It also comes with two doubled walled containers that you can bring with you to work or at the gym.
The double walled construction means, you don’t have to worry about “sweaty bottles” that create a big wet mess on your table or inside your bag. It also adds an extra layer of insulation that keeps cold drinks cold longer or hot drinks hot longer.
But all of these features come at a price – $400 if you buy it on Amazon but it comes with a 5 year warranty.