While searching for the best blenders, you'll find that Vitamix's Explorian E310 comes highly recommended for its power, durable design and intuitive interface, especially since it was the cheapest Vitamix model at $380 (still expensive for a blender) and often on sale for much less. 

After hours of testing and evaluating overall value, we dubbed the mighty Explorian the best blender for most people and stamped it with a CNET Editors' Choice badge.

As we began retesting blenders for an updated list in 2026, we discovered that, despite its popularity and critical acclaim, the Explorian series is no longer in production. According to a brand representative, it's currently being phased out at retailers and hasn't been available on the Vitamix website since March 1, aside from reconditioned units.

Read more: I Found a True Power Blender Without the Vitamix Price: Meet the Obliterator

"The E310 served as our entry-level blender for over a decade, but we knew there were ways to improve, so we launched the VX1 as our new and improved blender for the first-time Vitamix buyer," the Vitamix rep told me. The VX1 launched in February. 

How the new VX1 compares to other Vitamix models

At $380, the VX1 is the same price as the E310. Functionally, it's similar to the Vitamix 5200, the brand's legacy model, with a 64-ounce container, but the VX1 has a pulse mode, and its design better matches the look of the more modern Ascent X series. 

Notably, the VX1 also includes self-cleaning: Add water and a drop of dish soap, then turn the dial to the self-cleaning mode to start a 60-second whirlpool of suds, although you don't need a specific feature to follow this same process with other Vitamix models. (I do it with my now-vintage Vitamix 5000.)

Comparing the VX1 and Explorian specs side by side, the VX1 offers an additional 16 ounces of container space, making it slightly larger at 9.5 by 7.8 by 19.6 inches. It also has a more powerful 2.2-horsepower motor compared to the Explorian's 2.0 hp. 

On the downside, the VX1 isn't dishwasher-safe like the Explorian, but it does have that new self-cleaning mode.

All in all, the VX1 appears to be a significant upgrade from the Explorian for the same price. We can't wait to put on our testing gloves and report back with the findings.

The Explorian also had a full five-year warranty, whereas the new VX1 offers only a five-year limited warranty. Unlike the full warranty, the nontransferable limited version will only cover the original owner for defects in materials or workmanship -- not normal wear and tear from ordinary household use. There's also no option for a full refund, so you can only get a machine repair or replacement for the VX1. 

Before the Explorian is fully discontinued, you can still buy it from retailers like Crate and Barrel, Amazon, Walmart (on sale for $360) and Best Buy. 

In the meantime, I'll be testing the VX1 and 5200 models to see how they measure up and whether the VX1's creation was worth the Explorian's demise.