The Vitamix Ascent A3500i is the fully equipped Ascent blender with a touchscreen, five preset programs and a programmable timer — for anyone who wants the complete range of functions.
You place the container on the base, the blender recognises it via SELF-DETECT and adjusts the program and run time accordingly. Tap Smoothies and it runs for exactly 45 seconds. Tap Hot Soups and the motor blends until friction heat has brought the soup in the container up to 100 °C. Anything outside the five programs is covered by the programmable timer: set the time, press start, done. It also comes with a 10-year manufacturer's warranty for household use.
Your benefits
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SELF-DETECT: The NFC chip in the base of the container tells the blender which model is fitted — the program run time adjusts automatically.
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Five programs: Smoothies, Frozen Desserts, Hot Soups, Dips & Spreads and Self-Cleaning all run through to the end on their own.
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Self-cleaning in 60 seconds: Water, a drop of washing-up liquid, start the program — that's all you need after blending.
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Safety: The blender only starts with the lid closed, and the genuine on/off switch disconnects it completely from the power supply afterwards. No standby.
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10-year manufacturer's warranty on the motor for household use.
How to operate it
Tap an icon — and the blender takes over for you. Each of the five programs has its own sequence and runs without any input from you. If you prefer to take control yourself, adjust the variable speed using the dial in the centre and press the Pulse button on the left for short bursts of power. The touch display shows you the speed, blending time and active program in real time. Starting and stopping is done with the button on the right. And when you're finished, the on/off switch on the right-hand side disconnects the appliance completely from the mains — no hidden power consumption.
The 2.0-litre container
The wide Interlock container made from BPA-free Tritan holds enough for 2–4 servings. That means you can blend smoothies for the whole family or a batch of meal prep in a single run. From 500 ml of liquid the vortex gets going cleanly; for ice and nice cream you need 800 ml so that the tamper reaches deep enough into the ingredients. The long blade wings and the wide base create a strong vortex that draws ingredients from the sides of the container back to the centre of the blades — so leafy greens such as kale or spinach turn smooth and creamy without any residue. The NFC chip for automatic recognition sits in the base. Important: Interlock containers fit Ascent blenders only and are not compatible with Explorian or Professional models.
Who it's for
The A3500i is for you if you want to use the digital time display, touchscreen interface and programmable timer rather than working with a dial alone. It is compatible with all Interlock containers in the Ascent series.
Inspiration to get you started: To begin with, try our guides to nice cream, green smoothies and ginger shots — explained step by step.