The Vitamix A3500 is a well-built and versatile full-size blender that comes with a 64-ounce jar that should be enough to tackle most of your blending needs. It's on the higher end of Vitamix's range, and its controls include a speed dial, a programmable timer, and five blending programs. Like other 'Ascent' blenders, it's Bluetooth-compatible, and you can connect to a companion app that offers even more programs.
Our Verdict
The Vitamix A3500 is outstanding for multi-purpose use. It doesn't have any trouble with hard food like nuts, makes incredibly smooth blends with fibrous ingredients, and can process ice into a snow-like consistency very quickly. It can also hot blend and offers a wide range of speed settings to suit different recipes. This blender is easy to clean, and the jar and lid are dishwasher-safe.
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Very well-built with premium material.
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Easy to clean.
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Can hot blend.
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Doesn't come with extra jars or attachments.
The Vitamix A3500 is superb for single-serve smoothies. Even though it only comes with a 64-ounce blending jar, you can use it to make exceptionally silky single-serve smoothies with ingredients like kale. The 'Smoothie' blending program makes it a very easy process. The jar and lid are easy to clean by hand and dishwasher-safe.
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Very well-built with premium material.
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Easy to clean.
It's superb for making multiple servings of smoothies. If you fill the 64-ounce jar to its full capacity, it does a fantastic job of processing big batches of fibrous ingredients. It's very well-suited for making a big batch of smoothies with ingredients like kale. You can also use it to make snow-like ice for frozen drinks. The jar is easy to clean by hand and dishwasher-safe.
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Very well-built with premium material.
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Easy to clean.
Theย Vitamix A3500 is fantastic for ice-crushing. This well-built blender can make snow-like crushed ice in under a minute, meaning you can go right from blending to drinking margaritas as quickly as possible.
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Very well-built with premium material.
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Easy to clean.
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Produces snow-like ice in less than a minute.
Theย Vitamix A3500 is incredible for soups. It can liquefy ingredients like kale, and it's safe to use for hot blending, so you can easily puree vegetables for a soup or sauce. There's even a dedicated 'Hot Soup' mode. Its high-capacity jar is also good if you're making a bigger meal. It's very easy to clean by hand, and you can put the jar, lid, and blade assembly directly into the dishwasher.
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Very well-built with premium material.
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Easy to clean.
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Can hot blend.
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Non-removable blades can be tricky to clean by hand.
Theย Vitamix A3500 is outstanding for professional use. This well-built blender has a large jar so you can process a lot of food at a time. It can easily blend hard ingredients like nuts and makes an extremely smooth puree with fibrous ingredients. It makes snow-like crushed ice in less than a minute. As its jar, lid, and blade assembly are all dishwasher-safe, cleanup is easy.
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Very well-built with premium material.
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Easy to clean.
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Can hot blend.
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Doesn't come with extra jars or attachments.
- 9.3 Multi-Purpose
- 9.4 Smoothies (Single Serving)
- 9.6 Smoothies (Multiple Servings)
- 9.6 Ice Crushing
- 9.5 Soups
- 9.1 Professional Use
- Updated Oct 06, 2022: Revised text due to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Sep 16, 2022: Compared the Vitamix A3500's controls with the newly-reviewed Vitamix Professional Series 750.
- Updated Jul 28, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Feb 16, 2022: Retested 'Smoothie (ฮest Jar).' The score has changed from 8.0 to 9.0.
- Updated Jan 26, 2021: We've updated the Speed Adjustment Based On Jar Size test in the Extra Features box.
- Updated Sep 21, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Sep 08, 2020: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Vitamix A3500 comes in three different color variants: Metal Graphite, Brushed Stainless Steel, and Copper. We tested the Metal Graphite variant, but we expect the other models to perform similarly.
It comes with a 64-ounce main jar. However, there are several other sizes of jars in the Vitamix Ascent Series that you can purchase separately including a 48-ounce container, a 48-ounce dry grains container for blending flour or other grains, a 20-ounce blending cup starter kit, and an eight-ounce blending bowl starter kit. As these accessories are part of the Ascent Series, they come with Vitamix's Self-Detect technology built into the base. According to the manufacturer, the A3500 can recognize the attachments using this technology and adjust the blender's settings depending on the size of the container. We only tested the 64-ounce variant, meaning these attachments may perform differently with this blender.
In Europe, this product is sold as the Vitamix A3500i and comes with a slightly larger, two-liter main jar. It may perform differently than our unit due to the difference in size.
Compared To Other Blenders
The Vitamix Ascent A3500 is one of this brand's most premium full-size blenders, and comes packed with more features than most Vitamix models. Just like the Vitamix A2300 and Vitamix 2500, it's part of the Ascent series, so you can purchase a wide variety of additional jars that have Self-Detect technology built-in, which allows the blender to detect the jar's size and adjust its settings accordingly. It's equipped with a programmable timer and has a companion app that adds even more modes into the mix.
If you're looking for something different, take a look at our recommendations for the best Vitamix blenders, the best blenders, and the best blenders for smoothies.
The Vitamix A3500 is a little better than the Vitamix A2500. The A3500 makes more snow-like crushed ice and a smoother puree with small batches of fibrous ingredients. It has more automatic blending programs and its controls include a programmable timer. It's also quieter when it's running.
The Vitamix A3500 and the Vitamix Professional Series 750 perform almost identically, so which is better depends on your preferences. The A3500 is quieter, and its jar and lid are dishwasher-safe. It has a digital display, including a blending time indicator and a programmable timer. It's also compatible with a companion app via Βluetooth. On the other hand, you may prefer the 750's simpler, more analog control scheme. Its power cord is longer as well.
The Vitamix A3500 is slightly better than the Vitamix A3300. The A3500 delivers a slightly better performance for blending fibrous ingredients, making nut butter, and crushing ice. It's much quieter when it's running, and its controls include a programmable timer.
The Vitamix A3500 has more extra features than the Vitamix 5200. It has automatic blending programs and a programmable timer and works with a companion app. It can make a bigger batch of crushed ice and makes less noise when it's running. The jar is dishwasher-safe. However, you may prefer the Vitamix 5200's simpler design. It's also easier to use to make recipes like nut butter or hummus.
The Vitamix A3500 is a bit better than the Vitamix A2300. It's quieter when it's running and easier to use for some purposes, like making nut butter and ice crushing. It includes automatic blending programs, while the A2300 doesn't offer any unless you connect to a companion app.
The Vitamix A3500 comes with more features than the straightforward Vitamix 7500. The A3500's control panel gives you access to a timer and several preset modes. It has a self-clean program and is dishwasher-safe, unlike the 7500. As it's part of Vitamix's Ascent series, you can purchase different jars for the A3500 that use Self-Detect technology to adjust the settings based on their size. The A3500 is also Bluetooth-compatible, and you can use its companion app to access even more preset modes. That said, the 7500 still has an outstanding overall performance.
The Vitamix A3500 is better than the Vitamix Explorian E310. The A3500 has a bigger capacity, a better ice crushing performance, and it's much quieter. It has more features, including blending programs and a programmable timer. On the other hand, the Explorian is more compact and lighter. Its smaller 48-ounce main jar is easier to use to make nut butter.
The Vitamix A3500 is better than the Vitamix 5300 for most purposes. They perform similarly, but the A3500 is better for blending small batches of ingredients. Its jar and lid are dishwasher-safe and it has a few automatic blending programs. It's also much quieter when it's running. On the other hand, the 5300 is easier to use to make thick mixtures like nut butter. Its power cord is much longer too, which some may prefer.
The Vitamix A3500 is a bit better than the Vitamix Venturist V1200. The A3500 crushes ice more quickly and produces a slightly better result when processing hard ingredients like nuts in its main jar. It's also significantly quieter. On the other hand, you may prefer the V1200 if you often blend smaller batches of ingredients or make a lot of single-serves smoothies, since it comes with a 20-ounce jar for personal smoothies and an 8-ounce jar for sauces and dips. It's also a bit sturdier.
The Vitamix A3500 is better for most purposes than the Breville The Q. The Vitamix has a better build quality and delivers a better performance for crushing ice and processing fibrous ingredients. Its control dial gives you more options for fine-tuning the blending speed. Ηowever, the Βreville is easier to clean by hand. It's also remarkably easy to use to process tough ingredients like nuts.
The Vitamix A3500 is better than the Wolf Pro-Performance. The two blenders perform similarly, but the Vitamix makes better-blended nut butter and crushed ice with a more uniform texture. Some may also prefer it because it has a digital blending time indicator and a programmable timer. The Wolf has dull-edged blades that make it easier to clean by hand. It also comes with an 'Emulsion Cup' that fits into the lid and helps with adding liquid gradually.
The Vitamix A3500 is better than the KitchenAid K400. The Vitamix is better built, quieter, and much more suitable for processing hard ingredients like nuts. It has a somewhat bigger capacity and it's easier to clean by hand. You may prefer it because of its digital display, which includes a programmable timer.
The Vitamix A3500 is better than the Ninja Professional Blender 1000. The Vitamix has a much better build quality, comes with a 2-part lid and tamper, and offers a wider range of speed settings. It makes a much smoother blend of fibrous ingredients and can hot blend. Both blenders can make snow-like crushed ice quickly, and the Ninja's main jar has a bigger capacity.
The Vitamix A3500 is a better blender than the Blendtec Designer 725 for most uses. The Vitamix is better-built and makes a smoother blend of fibrous ingredients. It does a much better job of making nut butter. It's also quieter when it's running. On the other hand, the Blendtec comes with a 24-ounce personal jar for single-serves in addition to its 90-ounce main jar.
The Vitamix A3500 is better than the Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ. The Vitamix has a better build quality and does a better job of processing fibrous ingredients. You can use it to hot blend and it's easier to clean by hand. Ηowever, the Ninja comes with more accessories, including smaller blending jars for single-serve smoothies and a food processing bowl.
The Vitamix A3500 is better for most purposes than the Blendtec Classic 575. The Vitamix has a better build quality and a better overall blending performance, especially for processing tough ingredients like nuts. It's also significantly quieter when it's running. Ηowever, the Βlendtec has a bigger capacity and its dull blades make it easier to clean by hand.
The Vitamix A3500 is better for most purposes than the Ninja Blender Duo with Auto-iQ BL642. The Vitamix has a significantly better build quality. It's better at processing fibrous ingredients and making nut butter. You can also use it to hot blend. It's easier to clean by hand. Ηowever, the Ninja comes with smaller blending jars with resealable lids for making single-serve drinks like smoothies.
The Vitamix A3500 is better than the Vitamix ONE. The A3500 has a much better build quality and a larger capacity. It's much more versatile, since it can make nut butter, snow-like crushed ice, and you can use it for hot blending. It's also significantly quieter when it's running.
The Vitamix A3500 is better than the Ninja Mega Kitchen System. The Vitamix is sturdier and does a better job of processing fibrous ingredients and making nut butter. It has more speed settings and comes with a 2-part lid and tamper. You can use it for hot blending, and it's easier to clean by hand. That said, the Ninja's jar is a bit bigger, and it's equally fantastic at crushing ice.
The Vitamix A3500 is better than the Smeg BLF01. The Vitamix has a much better build quality and a better overall blending performance, especially when it comes to tough tasks like making nut butter. It can be used for hot blending, has a bigger capacity, and it's quieter when it's running.
Test Results
It's a large blender. It's about the same size as the Vitamix A2300 and is quite heavy. That said, it's best stored on your kitchen counter or in a large cupboard.
This blender has outstanding build quality. The base is made of high-quality solid plastic with metal siding. The transmission and gears are metal, which makes the blender feel very sturdy overall. It has a thick power cable, and its display and speed dial have a premium look and feel.
The pitcher has a big 64-ounce capacity.
The jar and lid are made of plastic and are dishwasher-safe, along with the non-removable blades.
The Vitamix Ascent A3500 has four sharp, thick blades. They aren't meant to be removed, and although you can service them via their nut assembly, this voids their warranty. Luckily, the blades are dishwasher-safe.
The lid is clear and has two clips on each side to create a seal. You can remove the middle part if you want to add ingredients or use the tamper to mix food in while blending. You can use this center part as a 30ml measuring cup, which is handy in a pinch.
The power cord is long and thick. You should have no problems reaching most outlets, and you can even store it away when not in use.
- Motor base
- User manual and cookbook
- Tamper
- 64 oz blender pitcher and lid (with removable center)
It's fantastic for processing small batches of fibrous ingredients. It makes an extremely smooth blend of fibrous ingredients like kale, and it's a very easy process since all you need to do is run the 'Smoothie' program once.
It's superb for processing fibrous ingredients at full capacity. Using the 'Smoothie' program, it makes a nearly perfectly smooth puree of fibrous ingredients like kale in very little time.
It makes outstanding crushed ice. It makes powdery, snow-like ice very fast with its 'Frozen Drinks' mode.
It's excellent for making nut butter. You need to use the tamper to push the ingredients down towards the blades and stop to scrape the sides of the jar with a spatula. Still, it's not hard and results in nut butter with a superb texture.
It's much quieter than some other Vitamix blenders like the Vitamix Professional Series 750, but there are full-size blenders that make less noise when they're running, like the Wolf Gourmet Pro-Performance.
It offers a wide range of speed settings, so you can start at a low speed and gradually ramp up to high, or make small adjustments to fine-tune the speed to a particular recipe.
The Vitamix A3500 has a touch-sensitive control panel. The white button on the left changes its pulse mode while the white one on the right is to start/stop. There are also controls to set a timer that runs up to 6:30, as well as several preset modes: 'Smoothies', 'Hot Soups', 'Dips and Spreads', 'Frozen Desserts', and 'Self-Cleaning'. Just like the Vitamix A3300, it's also Bluetooth-compatible. The Vitamix Perfect Blend companion app includes 17 additional modes, including 'Spice Grind' and 'Baby Food'. There's also an on/off toggle on the right side of the body.
It's easy to clean. You can easily get rid of a lot of food residue by rinsing the jar, filling it up with soap and hot water, and running it at max speed. You may need to wipe the jar and lid with a sponge afterward if there's still some sticky residue left, but it's pretty easy to wash. It can be a little trickier to get under the blades or around the lid, as food debris can get stuck in these areas.
