I’ve had my InstantPot Ace Blender for a few months now. I bought it the first day it was on sale from Walmart.

And let me just say…wow.

But first I need to back up so you have a better understanding of my InstantPot Ace blender review.  You know I’m a small kitchen appliance junkie.  And I’d owned lots of blenders before….you know the kind that breaks when you really need them the most?

But then, I got a Vitamix.

I Started with A Vitamix

I’ve owned a Vitamix for twenty years. I bought one when my daughter was born because I had the idea of making her baby food.

I loved reading the thick advert that had recipes and super inspirational testimonials. So I was hooked and coughed up several hundred dollars to get one. I also got an extra container and two grain containers since I dreamed of making my own flour as well.

Over the years, I’ve used it in cycles. I’ll have my smoothie months, and other times, I’ll make the fresh vegetable soup.

I’ve got a few videos that demonstrate similarities and differences that I will eventually get processed and put up here. For now, let me just list off a few quick things for a proper InstantPot Ace blender review.

Similarities

Do you love blended margaritas? Both Vitamix and InstantPot Ace can turn ice cubes into lovely snow in seconds. The InstatPot Ace was a bit faster. However, as I’ve mentioned, my Vitamix is 20 years old. The new ones may be faster.

Both are able to take cooked vegetables and blend them into a smooth puree.

And both act like a standard blender. You can make aoli and mayonnaise by putting in the egg yolks and seasonings and then drizzling in the oil until an emulsion is made.

You can take frozen fruit and turn it into an “ice cream.“

Both can pulverize nuts into lovely nut butter (cashew and almond butter combined, perhaps?).

Differences

The Vitamix marketing material used to make it seem like the old Vitamix would cook food while it was blending. That never happened. Soups would be hot because you would either cook the vegetables or you would use hot liquids when blending.

The InstantPot Ace has a heating element in it and can raise the temperature to 212F (100C). It also has a soup mode where it will cook and blend the ingredients.

The Vitamix isn’t super particular about how you put things in. I have put the protein powder in the first or in the middle, and it got stuck to the blades or sides of the glass rather than incorporated into the smoothie. But generally speaking, it doesn’t matter too much. If something seems to get stuck, you use the tamper.

The InstantPot Ace is a bit finicky. The directions list the order you should follow to fill the glass container for the best results. My daughter didn’t read the directions and just threw things in, and was disappointed.

The InstantPot Ace has a lot of preprogrammed settings including one for making milk from nuts, soybeans, rice, and oats. They have another for Smoothies and Ice Cream.

What Is the InstantPot Ace Blender

From the Instant Pot website:

Instant Pot enters a new category with the Ace Multi-Use Cooking and Beverage Blender is designed with 8 Smart One-Touch programs. With the Ace, preparing your favorite Smoothie, Purée, Frozen Dessert, Soy, Rice, Nut/Oat Milks, and Soup are as easy as pressing a button!

The 60oz (1.75L) pitcher has an electronic base.  It’s pretty heavy. I like that the pitcher is made out of glass. The Vitamix that I own has a plastic pitcher that has changed colors over the years.

You can blend, you can cook and blend, and you can easily make nut milk which saves you money if you primarily use nut milk in your life.

What Have I Made In It

So far, I’ve stuck to pureed soups since I had a butternut squash, head of cauliflower, and a bunch of potatoes and leeks.  I also made a parsnip puree since I was curious how the puree function worked.

I did play around with ice but haven’t made any mixed drinks yet.

I also want to try making a chunky soup.

Pro’s of the InstantPot Ace Blender

I’m super happy I bought it because it’s fun and easy to use.

It really does cook the food.

With the Vitamix, I had to cook and heat up things to get hot soup. Or else I had to pop it in the microwave after it was done to get it really piping hot.

The Ace serves up at near boiling, so be careful when you serve.

It’s fast.

I can toss in the ingredients and come back in about 30 minutes for a lovely puree or smooth soup.

It turned ice cubes into lovely snow in less time than the Vitamix.

It’s quiet.

You can actually carry on a conversation while it’s running.

It’s powerful.

It can handle big chunks and frozen fruit with no problem.

It’s great for small portions.

If you’re only cooking for one or two, this is a great appliance to get. You can use one tiny butternut squash and get the right amount of soup perfectly cooked and blended.

Con’s of the InstantPot Ace Blender

Twice I’ve had to really scrub the bottom as there was cooked on food. And the blades are sharp, so I needed to be careful. The first time was when I added in the cheese with the cauliflower. That should be added in the last minute or two. There’s plenty of time for the cheese to melt and get blended in.

Then you need to pour it out straight away, and run the cleaning cycle in order to keep food from cooking on to the bottom.

On the positive side, the soups are so hot when they come out that you have the time to clean it before serving.

Final Thoughts

For the price point, the InstantPot Ace Blender is a great addition to your appliances. I’m glad I bought it and I’d consider buying it as a gift for a friend.

In fact, I have some leeks and a celery root in the veggie bin that needs to be turned into something delicious.  Then tomorrow, maybe I’ll use up the apples and butternut squash on the counter.