Review: Vitamix 780

Everything you Ought to Know About the Vitamix 780

Vitamix 780

Lenny Gale

Rated:4.5 / 5

The Vitamix 780 was the latest and greatest model in 2015 and features a responsive, all-touchscreen control panel.

NEW: (See current price)

CERTIFIED RECONDITIONED: $399.95

Good things

The Vitamix 780 is a dapper machine with touchscreen controls.

Not so good things

A change of pace for legacy Vitamix owners used to dial and switches

All things considered

The Vitamix 780 performs well, is built well, and looks great. If you can get excited about the touchscreen, variable speed controls, this model is for you.

Notes

Unboxing

The Vitamix 780 is really good looking. So I unboxed it and took a lot of photos. 🙂

Here's the front of the box. Sexy, huh?

The side of the box which goes through some of the Why Vitamix stuff.

The back which discusses a lot of the engineering stuff.

My favorite part of unboxing a new Vitamix -- breaking the seal. So sweet.

Hopefully the last time you'll see the motor and container in this formation.

The tamper.

Here's the cookbook. By far one of the smallest cookbooks ever packaged with a Vitamix. Full cookbook selection here

The quick start guide.

All together in a horribly awkward family photo.

Photography practice using reflections in the face of the Vitamix 780. Lovely, if I do say so myself. :)

Definitely do the bow thing if you're gifting this gorgeous piece of kitchenware.

A bit of history

Vitamix has spent decades pioneering blending technology.

But here’s the thing:

The innovations they’ve made have always happened behind the scenes:

• Container design.
• Motor engineering.
• Blade assembly materials.

And the whole time, the technology on the front of the machines stayed exactly the same: switches and dials.

In fact, loyal, longtime Vitamix users say they love this classic style of control. The digital interface used by the competition is a big reason many have stuck with Vitamix.

But on September 25th, this differentiation went away when Vitamix introduced the 780.

Why?

The 780 is the first vitamix that’s entirely controlled by a touch screen. No switches or dials (except for on/off switch on the back, a great safety feature I discuss here).

The 780 has a glass face that lights up and responds to your touch.

Pre-programmed settings, Variable Speed Controls, and Pulse Control are all controlled by touching the glass screen.

You can see the variable speed controls on the right. I’m moving them up with my thumb.

And you can see the programs and pulse button on the left.

For more video of the 780 in action, check out this All 780 YouTube playlist

Is this the future of Vitamix?

As of July 27, 2017: The answer appears to be yes. The new A3500, the top-of-the line Ascent Series model is almost entirely touchscreen. And it uses the same touchscreen technology as the 780.

How the Vitamix 780 compares to the Pro 750

For all intents and purposes, the Vitamix 780 is the same as a Pro 750.

The both:

• Use the same Next Generation motor featuring added power and quieter operation.
• Feature 64 ounce Low-Profile Containers.
• Provide five Pre-programmed settings, Variable Speed Control, and Pulse Control.

There are a few differences between the Vitamix 780 and the Pro 750. Some are obvious, some not so much.

The Vitamix 780 is quieter than the Pro 750

Despite using the exact same engine, the Vitamix 780 is a bit quieter.

Is it still a 2.2 HP motor? Yes, so it’s certainly not quiet.

But to the naked ear, you CAN hear a slight difference.

Chef Bev Shaffer,the Recipe Development Manager at Vitamix HQ, hypothesized that the glass face muffles some of the noise. (Makes sense to me.)

I did a very unofficial test to compare the noise levels using a decibel reader on my iPhone.

At low speed, the lowest recorded level from the 780 is a few decibels lower than that of the Pro 750. On the high end, they were about the same.

At high speed, the lowest recorded level from the 780 was about the same as the Pro 750, 85 decibels. The highest recorded noise, however, was about three decibels higher from the Pro 750.

So basically, the 780 is quieter on low speed and doesn’t get as loud on high speed. Here’s a chart if you’re into that.

The 780 looks fancier

This is completely subjective, but it’s worth noting. An all black Vitamix with no dials and a glass face with blue LED lights is pretty darn good looking.

Certainly, it depends on your style. In a modern kitchen with digital appliances, the Vitamix 780 fits in quite nicely. Not that compliments mean much, but here’s one I got.

Man, that 780 looks amazing in your Food Network-style kitchen Lenny G!!

–Henry PJ, Blending with Henry

I believe Henry was referring to this detox salad video.

Variable Speed Controls on the 780 feel a bit less precise

Compared to the Pro 750, I do feel less in control of the texture when I use the 780.

Of course, this may just be me. We use our Vitamix many times per day. It’s what we do.

A good analogy here is iphone vs Blackberry.

There’s a bit of a learning curve.

Some people may hang on to the classic style.

But for a lot of other people, any cost associated with lack of physical buttons or dials is worth the attractive benefit.

Pre-programmed settings are the same, but the 780 makes them more appealing

The five presets on the 780 are the same as what comes standard on the Pro 750. Smoothie, Puree, Frozen Desserts, Hot Soup, and Cleaning.

But here’s the big difference. The pre-programmed settings are easier (and perhaps more inviting) to use. With the LED lights showing you the progress through the cycle, the pre-programmed settings on the 780 are definitely more satisfying.

Easier to Clean

Both the 780 and Pro 750 have a Pre-programmed setting for cleaning the container and blade assembly.

But what about the other stuff that needs to be cleaned?

Well, without any dials or switches, there are no crevices or weird shapes on the face of the 780 around which you’ll need to clean.

Sure, the Pro 750 stays pretty clean. But like anything with little crevices, stuff builds up (and needs to be cleaned).

On the 780, however, a simple swipe of the face with a damp sponge gets the face squeaky clean.

A good summary of the comparison between the 780 and the Pro 750.

The 780 is not better. It’s Pro 750 in a tux.

Video demonstrations of the Vitamix 780 in action

The video below shows the Soup setting in action (despite not actually making soup, alas). My famous Cashew Queso is the demo.

This video shows the smoothie program in action (making a NOYOKE Shake).

This video shows a unique use of Variable Speed 1 and the tamper (making cauliflower fried rice).

This video shows the 780 with a secondary 48 ounce container (cauliflower au gratin).

This one shows (in 4-way split screen!) the 780 chopping vegetables for a detox salad.

And this video shows the 780 in action as a finishing tool for incredible, vegan, creamy cauliflower soup.

For whom was the Vitamix 780 made

Let’s bring it all together and discuss who this machine is for.

A Vitamix 780 might be for you if…

• You have a modern kitchen and think the new design will look great with the rest of your appliances.
• You want a machine with the Pre-programmed settings
• You’re a legacy Vitamix owner and want to upgrade.
• You have a special someone who would LOVE to have this in their kitchen (best gift ever).
• You’ve considered this model before but are now seeing that you can get one that’s practically brand new for $399.95. (Exclusive deal valid as of July 27, 2017 while supplies last.)

A Vitamix 780 might NOT be for you if…

• You have owned a touchscreen blender and went back to Vitamix for its manual knobs and switch-based controls.
• You aren’t excited about controlling the variable speeds with the digital slider.

FAQ

Is the touchscreen interface more likely to need service?

This is the number one concern we hear from people considering the 780. Will the touchscreen last? Intuition says no, since this was Vitamix’s first machine with touchscreen. But based on the hundreds of emails we get, the answer is actually yes. The 780’s touchscreen is actually well built. And with the .5% chance there was an issue (99.5% of owners never use the full warranty to make a claim), it was with the motor, not the touchscreen.

How does the 780 compare to the Ascent A3300 and A3500

The 780 is a Legacy machine. A G-Series, so the latest of the Legacy models. And the latest G-Series released. Until Ascent models were released, the 780 was the latest and greatest. From a performance perspective, the 780 is built to perform identically to the Ascent models. (As I say in this video, performance across all Vitamix models is the same.) The look is similar. Open up two tabs and look at the 780 and an A3500 side by side. The only thing the 780 cannot do is connect and interact with to the Perfect Blend app.

What’s your bottom line recommendation on the 780? Should I get that one?

It performs well and looks great. Are you excited about the touchscreen variable speed controls? (For what it’s worth, nearly all Blendtec models are 100% touchscreen.) If yes, and you can get a good deal on one, then yes, definitely. The 780 is a great machine and is compatible with a 32-ounce wet container (highly recommended add-on) and the Personal Cup Adapter for Legacy (also great).

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Conclusion

It’s sexy, well-built, and would be an impressive addition to your kitchen countertop. Go get one, especially if you can snag one of these listed for $399.95.