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Vitamix Venturist V1200 Blender Review

Tested using Methodology v1.0
Reviewed Sep 06, 2022 at 12:18 pm
Latest change: Writing modified May 09, 2023 at 09:13 am
Vitamix Venturist V1200 Picture
9.3
Multi-Purpose
9.2
Smoothies (Single Serving)
9.6
Smoothies (Multiple Servings)
9.4
Ice Crushing
9.6
Soups
9.3
Professional Use

The Vitamix Venturist V1200 is a full-size blender with a 64-ounce main pitcher, along with a 20-ounce personal jar for single-serve drinks and an 8-ounce cup for sauces or dips. Like most Vitamix blenders, it has a very solid build quality and a wide range of speed settings. The controls don't include any blending programs; however, like the Vitamix A2500 or the Vitamix A3300, it's compatible with the 'Vitamix Perfect Blend' app, which you can use to access automatic blending programs. It's also safe to use for hot blending. It's available at Costco (U.S.) and other online retailers, but please note that some stores only sell renewed models.

Our Verdict

9.3 Multi-Purpose

The Vitamix Venturist 1200 is fantastic for multi-purpose use. It's very well-built, has a big 64-ounce capacity in its main jar, and delivers very versatile performance. You can use it to make very smooth purees with small and large batches of fibrous ingredients, process tough ingredients like nuts, and make snow-like crushed ice. It's safe to use the main jar for hot blending. There are also 20-ounce and 8-ounce additional jars included for smaller batches.

Pros
  • Makes a smooth blend with fibrous ingredients.
  • Very well-built.
Cons
  • Loud.
9.2 Smoothies (Single Serving)

The Vitamix V1200 is superb for single-serving smoothies. Unlike most Vitamix blenders, it comes with a 20-ounce personal jar with a resealable lid, meaning you can take your smoothie with you on the go. It's very easy to use to make a superb, silky smoothie, even if your recipe includes fibrous ingredients like kale.

Pros
  • Makes a smooth blend with fibrous ingredients.
  • Comes with a personal jar and to-go lid.
  • Very well-built.
Cons
  • Loud.
9.6 Smoothies (Multiple Servings)

The Vitamix Venturist 1200 is outstanding for multiple batches of smoothies. It makes a very silky puree with fibrous ingredients like kale in its 64-ounce jar, so it's very well-suited for making smoothies to serve a crowd. It's also very sturdy and easy to clean by hand or in the dishwasher.

Pros
  • Makes a smooth blend with fibrous ingredients.
  • 64-ounce capacity.
  • Very well-built.
Cons
  • Loud.
9.4 Ice Crushing

The Vitamix Venturist 1200 is a fantastic ice crusher. It takes a bit longer than the best ice-crushing blenders but makes very uniform, snow-like crushed ice. It's also exceptionally well-built, which is nice if you often use your blender for demanding tasks like crushing ice cubes.

Pros
  • Makes snow-like crushed ice.
  • Very well-built.
Cons
  • Loud.
9.6 Soups

The Vitamix V1200 is an incredible soup blender. It can hot blend, meaning you can add ingredients like roasted vegetables right from the pan. It makes a very smooth puree of fibrous ingredients like leafy greens, and the main jar has a large 64-ounce capacity.

Pros
  • Very well-built.
  • Hot blends.
Cons
  • Loud.
9.3 Professional Use

The Vitamix Venturist 1200 is superb for professional use. It's extremely well-built and offers versatile performance. It's ideal for making silky-smooth purees for soups and smoothies and easily processes tough ingredients like nuts and ice cubes. It can hot blend and offers a wide range of speed settings to suit different recipes.

Pros
  • Very well-built.
  • Hot blends.
Cons
  • Loud.
  • 9.3 Multi-Purpose
  • 9.2 Smoothies (Single Serving)
  • 9.6 Smoothies (Multiple Servings)
  • 9.4 Ice Crushing
  • 9.6 Soups
  • 9.3 Professional Use
  1. Updated May 09, 2023: Compared its performance for nut butter with that of the Vitamix Propel 510.
  2. Updated Sep 16, 2022: Compared the Vitamix Venturist V1200's controls with the newly-reviewed Vitamix Professional Series 750.
  3. Updated Sep 06, 2022: Review published.
  4. Updated Aug 31, 2022: Early access published.
  5. Updated Aug 05, 2022: Our testers have started testing this product.
  6. Updated Jul 29, 2022: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  7. Updated Jun 27, 2022: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Vitamix V1200 comes in black, white, slate, or red. Not all models are sold with the 8-ounce jar, though, especially if they're renewed. We tested it in 'White', and you can see the label for the unit we tested here. If you come across another variant, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.

Compared To Other Blenders

Unlike most Vitamix blenders, the Vitamix Venturist V1200 comes with a few additional jars, including a 20-ounce jar for single-serve drinks and an 8-ounce cup for making spreads or small amounts of sauce. Its build quality is a step up from other Vitamix blenders that we've tested and is closer in feel to the Like the Vitamix 7500. Like 'Ascent Series' blenders like the Vitamix A2500, it's also compatible with an app that offers blending programs. It works with 'Ascent Series' accessories, so you can buy another personal jar and various pitchers for different purposes, like frothing milk.

For other options, check out our lists of the best blenders, the best Vitamix blenders, and the best blenders for smoothies.

Vitamix A2300

The Vitamix Venturist V1200 is a little better than the Vitamix A2300. The main thing that sets the Venturist apart is its two additional jars, a 20-ounce personal jar and an 8-ounce cup for very small batches. Βoth models do a fantastic job with small batches of fibrous ingredients, but the Venturist's personal jar and matching lid make it easy to take a smoothie to go. It's also better-built, a little easier to use for thick recipes like nut butter, and has a programmable timer. That said, the A2300 is quieter.

Vitamix A2500

The Vitamix Venturist V1200 is better than the Vitamix A2500. The Venturist comes with a 20-ounce jar that makes it better suited for single-serve smoothies and offers slightly better performance for ice crushing and nut butter. Its controls include a programmable timer, so you can set it to blend for a certain amount of time and stop automatically. It's slightly sturdier too. Unfortunately, though, it's louder than the A2500.

Vitamix A3500

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.

Vitamix 5300

The Vitamix Venturist V1200 is better than the Vitamix 5300. They each come with a 64-ounce main jar, but the V1200 also includes 20-ounce and eight-ounce jars for smaller batches. It's better-built, slightly quieter, and has a clear plastic lid so you can see into the blender.

Vitamix Propel 750

The Vitamix Venturist V1200 is a little better than the Vitamix Propel 750. The Propel is sturdier, thanks to metal siding around the motor base. It comes with additional jars, including a personal jar for smoothies, and it has a programmable timer. However, the Propel has automatic blending programs for different recipes.

Vitamix A3300

The Vitamix Venturist V1200 is better than the Vitamix A3300. The Venturist has a slightly better build quality and comes with 20-ounce and 8-ounce jars in addition to its 64-ounce pitcher. It's a little easier to use to process tough ingredients like nuts. However, the A3300 performs similarly and is much quieter, so you may prefer it if that's a priority.

Vitamix 7500

The Vitamix Venturist V1200 is better than the Vitamix 7500. It's better for pureeing small batches of fibrous ingredients, thanks to the 20-ounce personal jar that comes included. A few design features also set it apart, including a programmable timer and a clear lid for the main jar. On the other hand, the 7500 is significantly quieter.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Dimensions
Blender Type
Full Size Blender
Height
17.3" (44.0 cm)
Width 9.8" (25.0 cm)
Depth 7.9" (20.0 cm)
Weight
11.7 lbs (5.3 kg)
Shaft Length (Immersion Blenders)
N/A

The Vitamix 1200's motor base is smaller and a few pounds lighter than models like the Vitamix A3500. However, due to its somewhat large design, it likely needs to be stored on your counter or in a spacious cupboard.

9.5
Design
Build Quality

The Vitamix V1200's build quality is outstanding. The white casing is plastic, but otherwise, the base is metal and very sturdy. It has four feet on the bottom to help it stay in place on your counter. The gears on the base and jars are metal, and the plastic jars feel premium and well-made. The power cord is long and thick, and the speed dial is easy to read. There are some minor concerns, like the rubber on top of the motor base, which is easily scratched by the jar. More importantly, the blade scraper tool is very easy to break accidentally.

9.0
Design
Jar Capacity
Main Jar Capacity
64.0 oz (1,893 ml)
Additional Jar Capacity
20.0 oz (591 ml)

The jar has a big 64-ounce capacity. Also included is a 20-ounce personal jar for single-serve recipes like smoothies, and an 8-ounce blending cup that Vitamix recommends for small batch tasks like chopping onions and garlic.

Design
Jar/Beaker Materials
Jar/Beaker Material
BPA-Free Plastic
Dishwasher Safe
Yes

The jars are made of plastic that feels premium and sturdy, and the personal jar is double-walled and feels particularly thick. They're all dishwasher-safe, along with the lids and blades. The tamper and blade scraper are top rack dishwasher-safe.

Design
Blades
Blade Type
Sharp
Blade Count
4
Removable
No
Dishwasher Safe
Yes

The Vitamix Venturist's main jar has four sharp blades that you aren't meant to remove from the jar. The nut assembly makes it possible to remove them, but doing so voids the warranty. There's another set of blades for the smaller jars that screws on like a lid.

Design
Lid
Two-Part Lid
Yes
Lid Closing Type
Friction

The main jar has a 2-part lid with clips on each side to guide it into place. The removable center piece doubles as a 30 mL measuring cup. The clear plastic is a nice touch and allows you to see into the blender while it's running. There's also an assortment of lids for the additional jars: the blade assembly lid, a sealable to-go lid, and a storage lid.

Design
Power Cord
Stow-Away Compartment
Yes
Cord Length
4.1 ft (1.2 m)

The cord is long enough to reach outlets near your counter. There's a space to store it under the motor base when it's not in use.

Design
In The Box

  • Vitamix Venturist 1200 motor base
  • 64 oz main jar
  • Two-part lid
  • Tamper
  • Tamper holder
  • Βlade scraper tool
  • 20 oz personal jar
  • 8 oz cup
  • Βlade lid (for additional jars)
  • To-go lid
  • Storage lid
  • Manual, cookbook, 'start here' guide

Performance
10
Performance
Fibrous Ingredients (Small Batches)
Jar Used
Additional Jar
Fibrous Ingredients Processing
10
Fibrous Ingredients Texture
10

The Vitamix V1200 is fantastic for processing small batches of fibrous ingredients. Using the 20-ounce personal jar, it quickly makes a perfectly smooth puree of ingredients like kale.

10
Performance
Fibrous Ingredients (Full Capacity)
Jar Used Main Jar
Fibrous Ingredients Processing
10
Fibrous Ingredients Texture
10

The Vitamix V1200 is outstanding for big batches of fibrous ingredients. If you fill the 64-ounce jar to its maximum capacity, it makes a smooth puree of ingredients like kale with no grains leftover. It's a quick, easy process, and you don't need to use the tamper.

9.6
Performance
Crushed Ice
Crushed Ice Preparation
8.5
Crushed Ice Texture
10

The Vitamix Venturist 1200 is a superb ice crusher. Like most Vitamix blenders, it doesn't pulverize a dozen ice cubes quite as fast as Ninja blenders like the Ninja Professional Βlender 1000 but still produces snow-like crushed ice in under a minute.

9.1
Performance
Nut Butter
Nut Butter Preparation
8.5
Nut Butter Texture
9.5

The Vitamix Venturist 1200 makes fantastic, smooth nut butter with no unprocessed pieces. It's quite a quick, easy process if you use the tamper to keep the ingredients moving. Like with many other Vitamix models, ingredients can splatter up at the beginning of the process and leave dust on the sides of the jar. For the best results, you may need to use a spatula to push everything down towards the blades. If you're looking for a blender that's really easy to use for thick recipes like nut butter, the Vitamix Propel 510's smaller jar makes it a good option. That said, using more ingredients at once can help the blender create a better vortex and reduce the need to use the tamper and spatula.

5.8
Performance
Noise
Noise @ Max Speed
97.7 dB

It's on the loud side for a full-size blender, so standing near it when it's running quickly becomes irritating. Most blenders are loud, but models like the Vitamix A3500 and Vitamix 5300 are significantly quieter.

Performance
Blade Speed
Min Speed
1,400 RPM
Max Speed
22,500 RPM
Power
1,440 W
Speed Adjustment Based On Jar Type
No

It has a wide range of blending speeds, which is nice if you need to start at a low blending speed or your recipe calls for slowly ramping up the blending speed.

Ease Of Use
Ease Of Use
Controls And Programs
On/Off Switch
Yes
Speed Presets
0
Speed Dial
Yes
Hot Blending
Yes
Pulse/Turbo Mode
Yes
Programs
0
Blending Time Indicator
Yes
Programmable Timer
Yes

The speed dial has marks for speeds 1-10, but it turns smoothly without any increments, which allows you to make small adjustments. There's an on/off toggle and a switch that you hold down for pulse mode. Finally, there's also a programmable timer that you can set to run the blender for a certain amount of time. It doesn't have any automatic blending programs, though. If you want a blender with onboard blending programs for different recipes like smoothies or soup, the Vitamix Professional Series 750 is a solid alternative.

7.5
Ease Of Use
Cleaning

The Vitamix Venturist 1200 is easy to clean. Like other Vitamix models, blending with soap and water cleans much of the residue from the sides of the jar, but you need to use a brush or sponge to clean the 2-part lid and especially the non-removable blades.