These two blenders may be from the same company, but the features are not. Want to know which one is best for you? Here is a buying guide with the features explained.
Appearance
The Vitamix 5200 weighs 10.56lbs with dimensions of 8.75*7.25*20.5 inches. Therefore, at first glance, you will notice that the 5200 looks slightly smaller than the 5300, which measures 7.25*8.75*17.25 inches. However, the 5200 has a longer jug, which is contrary to the 5300’s stout one. Both machines are made of plastic, but the Vitamix 5300 has a metallic plate on the controls deck.
Motor Performance
The motor dictates how powerful a blender is. It determines whether the blades will function optimally or not. At top speed, the 5300 commands a 2.2 hp, which drives the blade through the jug contents, to achieve an ultra-smooth consistency. The Vitamix 5200, on the other hand, runs on a 2.0 hp, which is less potent than the 5300 by 0.2. Do not underestimate this difference, since it is solely responsible for reducing the amount of time and effort used in blending.
Jug
While both blenders have a holding capacity of 64 ounces, the Vitamix 5300 has more room for the blades. The additional space provides ample room for the ingredients to move about. More so, when it comes to scraping off components form the jar’s walls, the work is more accessible in the 5300 as opposed to the 5200 blenders.
Noise
Both blenders are utterly noisy. No new noise reduction models in these series have been made, so if you are looking for the quiet one between the two, you may as well close your eyes and make a random pick.
Design Feature
The Vitamix 5200 may look smaller, and even skinnier than its counterpart, but it has a thermal cooling fan, which helps the motor to keep cool while you blend. As such, you do not have to keep switching it off to allow for cooling to take place. This feature will enable you to blend cold soups into hot ones, now that you can run the motor for up to six minutes fearlessly. Thanks to the hardened blades that induce friction during the blending process, you can achieve this as frequently as you desire. This is not so with the 5300 model since it does not have the thermal cooling fan
Variable Speed
You can adjust your speed from as slow as 1 to the highest, which is 10. These availabilities help you in fine-tuning your ingredients to your desired consistency. The 5300 has an additional feature that enables you to do final touches or crush ingredients into big chunks easily. It has a pulse knob, which you can control to achieve your desired uniformity. In case you want to blend your smoothie at high speed instantly, you can do this using the 5200 model. It has a speed knob that adjusts the swiftness either to high or variable options. This means you need not start from 1 going up. Do not try this with the 5300 blenders, since you may end up shuttering the jar.
Blades
The Vitamix 5200 is a professional-grade blender, which is why it has stainless steel hardened blades. These are useful in grinding hard ingredients such as coffee beans or even ice cubes in under sixty seconds. The 5300 is not endowed with this feature, so you may want to add your ingredients in small quantities to avoid damaging the blades.
Self-cleaning
These machines do not have any pre-sets such as self-cleaning capabilities, but really, you can add some drops of soap and warm water into them, then fire them up. You will be surprised just how easily the residue comes off the sides.
Warranty
Vitamix is big on quality, which is probably why they avail a seven-year warranty for both blenders. In case you have any mechanical problems with the motor, the company will compensate for your loss.
Verdict
| Features | 5200 | 5300 |
| Price | $ | $ |
| Warranty | Seven years | Seven years |
| Self-cleaning | Yes | No |
| Blades | Hardened | Regular |
| Variable speed | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse | No | Yes |
| Instant speed knob | Yes | No |
| Thermal cooling motor | Yes | No |
| Noise reduction | No | No |
| Low profile jar | No | Yes |
| Motor performance | 2.0 hp | 2.2 hp |
| Total | 7/11 | 6/11 |
Even though the Vitamix 5300 is a newer model and is cheaper, it lacks essential features that make it reliable such as the thermal cooling motor. More so, its blades are not as durable, which means you cannot crush some of the hard ingredients like ice. Thus, the 5200 takes the lead in this round’s battle of the blenders.