For those who find joy in cooking, they know that the excellence of creating a great dish is the product of a certain degree of complexity.

That coordination is, in fact, a large part of the joy. Notes on loose-leaf paper, Post-its taped to the pages of a cookbook, and perfect serving platters. These blueprints tell a story of careful calculation and appetizing anticipation. Flipping through the meal prep pages of the past is like looking at old photographs, delighting in the memories hidden behind the scribbles. Recently, these memories tell another story: the Vitamix Super Power Blender A3500 (opens in new tab) has joined my lineup.

Let me start with this: I have always been a bit equipment-phobic in the kitchen. This is a habit I inherited from my mother, who cooks faster and more accurately than any gadget. My mother is also a stubborn traditionalist who has had many more years of trial and error than I have.

For example, I always have a mixer of some sort on the counter. Most recently, it was an unlabeled, half-broken, smoothie blender that I inherited from my father when he replaced it. At the time, it never occurred to me that not all blenders are created equal.

One night a friend invited me over for dinner and served me a gorgeous, creamy, smooth soup. In the age of sheet pan dinners, slow cookers, and viral TikTok pasta, it shouldn't have been so surprising that an entire meal could be made with a single utensil. But as I scribbled on loose-leaf paper and contemplated elaborate platters, I wondered why I hadn't considered this option sooner.

That the Vitamix is great is not news. From home cooks to professional chefs, the Vitamix has a cult following. The reviews read more like love letters than product evaluations. One reviewer called the blender "both a workhorse and a show horse," which I found particularly poetic.

Vitamix has a variety of blenders, ranging from $250 for the classic model (opens in new tab) to $730 for the top-of-the-line A3500 blender, complete with all the bells and whistles. It's definitely an investment, but I can assure you it's worth every penny. And with Vitamix's 10-year warranty (opens in new tab) and endless resources to get the most out of the machine, there's a reason the company is top-of-the-line.

The latest update to the A3500 blender, a 48-ounce stainless steel container, was a particularly welcome addition to the Vitamix nest. It looks beautiful and is dishwasher-safe.

The real appeal of the A3500 blender lies in the world of possibilities offered by the company's top-of-the-line Ascent series. With this blender, you can make smoothies, hot soups, dips, frozen desserts, nut milks, dough, baby food, and more. Thanks to the blender's five program settings, the guesswork required to make these items is minimal. The blender is designed with wireless connectivity, and as the technology behind the blender evolves, your device will automatically update as well. If you want even more presets, there is literally an app for that (opens in a new tab). There are also touch screen controls. You can feel the childlike joy of playing with a new toy and still feel like an "adult". "

There is a difference between a good soup and a great soup. There is a reason that the $15 smoothie you buy at the store down the street from Equinox tastes so much better than the one you make at home. But don't give up hope that you'll ever reach this level of awesomeness. Scoop a scoop of smooth ice cream or sip a velvety soup, and you'll remember the words "texture" and "consistency." I hope you will have this revelation as I did. In fact, with the Vitamix A3500 blender, you will.