The price may be steep but it’s hard to fault the performance of this 10-speed blender…

Vitamix E310 Explorian

BUY IT NOW:

$349 / £429, vitamix.com / vitamixuk.com 

Pros:

  • Durable design
  • Powerful 1,400W motor
  • 10 speed options

Cons:

  • No digital display
  • No smoothie cup

Power: 4/5
Blending: 4/5
Crushing: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5

Vitamix has a long history spanning more than 100 years and it’s one of the few manufacturers still making its blenders in the US. It’s a brand synonymous with durability and power, and while the initial investment is high, you should expect decades of loyal service. And the E310 can do much more than just whizz up smoothies using the best protein powders.

Vitamix E310 Explorian features

The E310 Explorian is the most basic and (almost) affordable model in the Vitamix lineup. It looks a touch utilitarian compared to designs from Smeg and Sage, but it remains a blending, chopping and pureeing powerhouse that any chef would be delighted to have in their kitchen. 

Unlike many premium designs, there’s no digital countdown or display, and you only get a 48oz / 1.5-litre container, which large families might struggle with. It also lacks accessories – there’s no smoothie cup for the gym or small pots for nuts and seed grinding – but what you do get is 10 controllable speed levels from a 1,400W motor, and professional results.

The benefit of manual control is that you can tweak your recipes to suit your tastes. It’s ideal if you’re confident in the kitchen, and have time to spare perfecting recipes. If you’re clueless and have no intention of learning, however, you may want to look for a design that has automatic settings – one that starts slow, builds up power or pulses, etc.

Despite not having my hand held by the machine, I was impressed by the power and consistency of the E310. A spinach-packed protein powder smoothie with rock-hard frozen berries, nuts and ice took a little time to blend down. Reducing the speed helps, as does running the spatula around the inside of the jug. However, the results were astonishingly smooth, with no detectable raspberry seeds and protein powder as smooth as I’ve tasted.

Vitamix E310 Explorian control

I had equally impressive results creating nut butter, blitzing veggies to hide in the kids’ dinner or making seriously easy and surprisingly healthy desserts with frozen mango. Learning what works best takes time, but I can’t fault the results. It’s also sensational at crushing ice and while the ability to make a damn fine margarita shouldn’t be your only reason to buy a blender, it’s a good trick to have up your sleeve.

It can also be used to create hot soups, using the friction of the blades to heat up the mixture, much like the Sage model. Similarly, the results were smooth, although the soup did end up with a foamy consistency. 

I also tested the $450 / £599 Vitamix A2500i which has a larger 68oz / 2-litre bowl, a digital countdown timer and automatic programs that remove any guesswork. If your budget stretches it’s a versatile design with more power than most of us will ever need, but the E310 Explorian can achieve the same results with a little practice and patience.

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