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When seeking the best blenders for crafting a nutritious and invigorating breakfast smoothie, you require a machine capable of effortlessly transforming your ingredients into a velvety, creamy concoction. Nevertheless, the versatility of these culinary essentials extends far beyond this primary function. Your best blenders should possess the prowess to pulverize ice for flawlessly smooth frozen beverages and plant-based protein shakes, blitz through ingredients to create luscious soups within minutes, and even grind oats to craft your very own homemade oat milk.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we’ve tried everything from immersion blenders to food processors and more than 100 blenders over the years to find the best high-performance blender models. Our best blenders range in price from $80 to $550 and come from names we like, like Vitamix and Ninja. Some of them have personal cups with lids that make them easy to carry. Good Housekeeping experts put these blenders through a lot of tests and used them in their own homes to find the best ones you can buy in 2023.
Best Blenders Comparison Table
| Model | Power | Capacity | Speed Settings | Blade Type | Additional Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender | 2.0 HP | 48 oz | 10 | Stainless Steel | Pulse Feature, Self-Cleaning |
| NutriBullet Blender Combo | 1200W | 64 oz | 3 | Stainless Steel | Single-Serve Blending Cups, 2-in-1 Blender |
| Vitamix 5200 | 2.0 HP | 64 oz | 10 | Stainless Steel | Variable Speed Control, Self-Cleaning |
| KitchenAid K400 | 1.5 HP | 56 oz | 5 | Stainless Steel | Intelli-Speed Motor Control, Self-Cleaning |
| Ninja Professional Blender | 1100W | 72 oz | 3 | Stainless Steel | Total Crushing Technology, BPA-Free |
| Breville 3X Bluicer | 1200W | 50 oz | 5 | Stainless Steel | 3-in-1 Juicer, Blender and Smoothie Maker, Cold Spin Technology |
Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Power | 2.2 horsepower |
| Capacity | 48-ounce container |
| Blades | Laser-cut, stainless-steel hammermill and cutting blades |
| Controls | Variable speed control with pulse feature |
| Warranty | 5-year full warranty |
The motor is very strong and has 10 different speed sets and the Best Blenders. The heavy-duty base won’t move around on the counter when it’s being used. The settings are easy to use, and the machine did well in all of our Kitchen Appliances Lab tests. It quickly ground coffee beans and made milkshakes and margaritas with a silky smooth texture. It’s an investment, but you won’t find a better-performing or more lasting choice. It’s also a fraction of the price of other Vitamix models. One thing to note is that the jug is only 6 cups, which is on the small side.
Want a mixer with a bigger pitcher? The Vitamix Ascent blender also did a great job of making nut butter and drinks and smoothies. It has a 64-ounce jar, which is one of the biggest we looked at, so it’s great for making big batches. The touchscreen settings were easy to use, and the jar fit well on the base. The clear plastic lid was also easy to put on and take off.
The Good
- Blending is easy with the strong motor and sharp blades.
- Pulse button makes it easy to change the speed.
- A 5-year warranty gives you peace of mind.
The Bad
- Only comes in a 48-ounce bottle, which may not be big enough for some people.
- Compared to other blenders on the market, this one is pretty pricey.
NutriBullet Blender Combo
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Power | 1200 watts |
| Capacity | 64-ounce blender pitcher, 32-ounce cup, and 24-ounce cup |
| Blades | Stainless steel extractor blades |
| Controls | 7-speed settings with pulse function |
| Warranty | 1-year limited warranty |
It comes with a 64-ounce pitcher for big batches and two different cups (32 ounces and 24 ounces with handles) for individual use. The lids on both cups make it easy to take your drink on the go. It has a “extract” button that blends drinks at different speeds that have already been set. We made kale drinks in all three jars, and none of them had any flecks. It also blew through frozen strawberries with ease to make a delicious daiquiri that was mixed evenly.
The base isn’t much bigger than the bases of other NutriBullet models, and it has suction cups on the bottom that keep it from moving. The blades screw onto the top of the personal cups and then get turned upside down to blend. Be careful to unscrew the personal cups from the base of the Best Blenders when you’re done mixing. If you take the cup off the blade instead, it’s easy to make a mess by mistake.
The Good
- It comes with a variety of cups and pitchers for blending different things.
- Blending is easy with the strong motor and sharp blades.
- Size is small so it’s easy to store
The Bad
- Compared to other blenders, it’s pretty loud.
- The warranty is only good for one year.
Vitamix 5200
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Power | 2 horsepower |
| Capacity | 64-ounce container |
| Blades | Laser-cut, stainless-steel hammermill and cutting blades |
| Controls | Variable speed control with high/variable switch |
| Warranty | 7-year full warranty |
The Vitamix 5200 is the best mixer that we’ve tried. This high-end blender is well made and comes with a long, seven-year warranty in the U.S., based on where you buy it. It comes with a 64-ounce jar, a lid with two parts, and a tamper. It can be used for many different kinds of recipes. If you like to make smoothies, you can use things like kale and blueberries to make a nearly perfect smoothie in just a few minutes. For recipes like soup and sauce, you can put hot things in the jar. It crushes ice cubes quickly, so you can use it to make crushed ice for cocktails or smoothie bowls with frozen fruit.
Even though it doesn’t come with extra jars, you can buy things like single-serve smoothie jars and other items from Vitamix. It has simple settings, like a switch for pulse mode and a dial for speed, which give you a lot of control over the blend. It has a taller and smaller jar than other Vitamix models, and you barely need to use the tamper when making thick mixtures like hummus or nut butter.
The Good
- Large 64-ounce container for mixing up lots of food
- Blending is easy with the strong motor and sharp blades.
- A 7-year warranty gives you peace of mind.
The Bad
- Compared to other blenders on the market, this one is pretty pricey.
- Can be noisy when in use
KitchenAid K400
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Power | 1200 watts |
| Capacity | 56-ounce container |
| Blades | Stainless steel blades |
| Controls | Variable speed dial with pulse feature |
| Warranty | 5-year limited warranty |
If you don’t want to spend that much on a Best Blenders, the KitchenAid K400 is a good choice. This full-size blender isn’t made as well as the Vitamix A5200. It can only hold 56 ounces, and its guarantee in the U.S. is only one year. But it’s very strong and can do a lot of different things. You can use it to process hot ingredients, blend smoothies without any chunks, and crush ice into a snow-like consistency.
It’s harder to work with thick mixes like hummus, which is a shame. It can finally make a smooth blend, but it takes longer and is harder because it doesn’t come with a tamper and you have to stop the blender to scrape down the sides of the jar. Other than that, its shape works well for a range of recipes. It has a good range of speeds, so you can change how fast it blends to fit your plan.
The Good
- There are several color choices for the sleek design.
- Includes a tamper to help mix thick mixtures.
- A speed dial that is easy to use and has a pulse feature
The Bad
- Compared to other blenders on the market, the container is pretty small. It only comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
Ninja Professional Blender
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Power | 1100 watts |
| Capacity | 72-ounce pitcher |
| Blades | Total Crushing blades |
| Controls | 3-speed settings with pulse function |
| Warranty | 1-year limited warranty |
Ninja is well-known for its Best Blenderss, and its high-speed model shows how well they work. The three sharp blades are spaced a few inches apart, which is different from the other types we looked at. Ninja says that the way the blades are stacked makes it easy to crush ice, blend, and puree. Our tests showed that this is true. The blade piece can be taken off, which makes it easier to get the food out, but be careful when you handle it because the blades are very sharp.
The BPA-free pitcher has a convenient pouring spout and can be used to serve smoothies and other frozen drinks. The 1,000-watt motor is strong, but it is also pretty loud. Plus, you can put the container, lid, and blade system in the dishwasher when you’re done blending.
The Good
- Large 72-ounce pitcher for mixing a lot of ingredients at once.
- Compared to other blenders on the market, this one is cheap.
- Comes with Total Crushing blades for blending that works well.
The Bad
- The warranty is only good for one year.
- May not last as long as other expensive blenders
Breville 3X Bluicer
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Power | 1000 watts |
| Capacity | 50-ounce blender jug, 51-ounce juicer attachment |
| Blades | Kinetix contoured blade and bowl system |
| Controls | 5-speed settings with pulse function |
| Warranty | 1-year limited warranty |
This blender/juicer combo may be on the more expensive side, but its flexibility and ease of use more than make up for that. This device is cleverly made so that you can mix, juice, or do both without any extra or unnecessary parts. The juice-collecting jug has a built-in blender base, so you can put it right on the base and go from juicing to mixing in one step.
We suggest this “bluicer” to people who are new to juicing or who aren’t yet ready to make juicing a way of life. Did we say it comes already put together? You won’t have to go through a lot of trouble to get a glass of fresh-pressed juice.
The Good
- It can be used in many ways because it comes with both a blender and a juicer.
- The motor is strong, and the blades work well for both blending and juicing.
- Blending and juicing can be controlled by 5 speed settings and a pulse button.
The Bad
- Compared to other blenders on the market, this one is pretty loud.
- Only has a limited warranty for 1 year, which may not be long enough for some users.
FAQs
When getting a blender, you should think about its power, size, speed settings, and how long it will last. If you want to use the blender for many different things, like making smoothies, soups, and nut butters, you may want to look for a blender with different speed choices and a strong motor. If you want to make a lot of food or want to blend bigger things, you might want a blender with a bigger volume. It’s also important to think about how durable the blender is, especially if you plan to use it a lot.
Blenders and food grinders are both used in the kitchen to mix or blend food, but they do so in different ways. Food processors are made to chop, slice, shred, and mix food, while blenders are made to blend or puree food. Food processors are better for dry and hard ingredients than blenders are for liquids and soft ingredients.
Yes, you can use many blenders to make hot soups. But not all blenders can handle hot liquids, so it’s important to check the directions from the manufacturer before trying to blend hot ingredients. Some blenders have a heating element built right in, so you can make hot soups right in the blender jar.