Breville BSB510XL Control Grip vs. Vitamix 5-Speed Side-by-Side Comparison

• Motor body 
• Blending shaft 
• Whisk attachment
• Chopper bowl with stainless steel chopping blades 
• Blending beaker with dual-purpose storage lid & anti-slip mat
• User manual

Contributing to the high price tag is a set of well-designed attachments, to include a whisk, a chopping bowl, and a 42-ounce blending jar with dual-purpose lid. All of the attachments are top-rack dishwasher safe, which is definitely a big plus. They’re also very practical and easy to use.

• Motor body 
• Blending shaft 
• User manual

In the package, you will find a handheld motor section, blending wand, and owner’s manual. The lack of additional accessories like a blending jar or a whisk attachment did make us hesitant about the high price. Nevertheless, as soon as we had a hands-on go at this blender, its solid construction proved that it was worth the money.

At 16.5 inches, this blender’s length is about average. It is top-heavy, though, so it can feel unstable, especially if you want to rest it against the side of your blending beaker when you pause the motor. On the bright side, that length may allow you to reach the bottom of deep pots more easily. Our other concern is the blade housing’s large size; it won’t fit well in all potential containers.

Compared with others, this blender is quite tall, measuring about 17.5 inches tall, 3 inches wide, and 3 inches deep. That length may allow it to reach the bottom of deep pots more easily. At 3.2 pounds, it is also heavier than most — we were pretty shocked by its weight at first.

The steeper price of the Breville BSB510XL is justified by its build quality, which is hard to beat. While we have different opinions about the plastic coating of its motor body, whose finish is likely to be marred with minor scratches after repeated use, most everyone agrees that this blender will offer you great durability overall.

The Vitamix 5-speed is a simple, high-end blender. Mostly made of stainless steel, it is sturdy and appeals to us aesthetically as well. We’re confident when we say it’s among the few hand blenders on the market that provide the right balance of performance, quality, and value. Better built than most, we also believed its exterior is less likely to be damaged or succumb to basic wear and tear over time.

The motor has 15 speed settings, giving us precise control over our food’s texture. To switch between different speed settings, simply turn the dial at the top of the blender’s motor body. All the controls, including the power button and the speed dial, demand minimal pressure from your finger.  

To blend at high speeds, the manufacturer recommends that you start with the slowest speed and gradually increase to the higher ones to minimize splattering or over-processing. However, we found it difficult to get this job done when both your hands are engaged while blending — one hand to use the controls and the other fighting the blender’s suction force.

We particularly like this blender’s intuitive interface. You can get five different speeds out of it but there are only two buttons on the front. You won’t need much practice to operate them smoothly; we figured out how they worked before reading the user manual. As a visual aid, this blender also has an LED display on top indicating the speed.

The Vitamix is also different from others in terms of its acceleration. Its speed steps up gradually rather than the violent torques others create. That went a long way toward preventing messes and should also prolong the motor’s lifespan.

The blending shaft is made of high-quality stainless steel to ensure durability. There is a plastic rim around its base, which is meant to reduce head suction and to protect your cookware from scratches. 

The blade has two prongs—one is razor sharp and the other is dull. To keep the former sharp, you should avoid using it to crush whole ice cubes or to grind raw nuts without liquid.

The Vitamix’s blade is constructed of hardened stainless steel. Featuring 4 prongs, this is a unique blade assembly found exclusively in Vitamix-brand hand blenders. There is also a permanent bell-shaped guard at the end of the blending wand. As advertised by its manufacturer, this blade guard can efficiently reduce suction. Made of BPA-free plastic, the bell’s rim should help protect the interior surfaces of your cookware or blending containers.

The beaker has clearly marked measurements for convenience. It is almost twice the standard size, making it easier for you to maneuver the hand blender around. And since there is more room in the container for the mixture to rise, it also helps to prevent overflow.

For storage, the cup comes with a lid, which then snaps onto the bottom of the cup to keep the container from moving on the countertop when you’re blending. And for some operations, such as making a smoothie, the handle on the jar gave us a good grip.

As mentioned above, the Vitamix immersion blender doesn’t come with a particular blending container, but we ensure you can easily buy an optional one of any brand on the market.

The power cord is long enough to reach nearby outlets. It’s notably designed with a finger hole in the power plug so you can easily and safely remove it from the wall socket.

The Vitamix features a polarized power cord whose one pin is slightly wider than the other. As a safety feature, you can only insert its plug into a polarized electrical outlet in one direction. Should the plug doesn’t fit in your receptacle, make sure you will not force it or try to trim down the pins. Instead, you should contact a qualified electrician for a proper solution.

The whisk attachment functions as a hand whisk so you can whip up cream, beat egg whites, and emulsify sauces without a stand-alone mixer. In terms of quality, this part is well built, but one of its wires somehow has a very awkward shape. We can’t say for sure if that happened during shipping or on the production line.

There is no additional attachment included. If you want to use blending attachments other than the stainless steel shaft provided with this appliance, make sure they’re recommended or offered separately from the Vitamix’s manufacturers.

We haven’t tested this attachment, but we think it could serve you well when making something like basil pesto. It could be a good alternative if you don’t want to bother with a full-sized food processor. The Breville can be a moderate food processor in its own right since the included chopping bowl comes at just the right size for chopping vegetables, onions, and more.