![a collage featuring some of the blenders in the roundup](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.eatingwell.com/thmb/NGTk_ag8yzzObjZzxGMNx6SCAbw=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/best-blenders-a7e6931407ee4842a65b6bf43b46f431.jpg)
Courtesy of Brand
Vitamix Recall
As of June 20, 2024, Vitamix has issued a recall of its Vitamix Ascent Series and Venturist Series 8-ounce and 20-ounce blending containers and blade bases. If you have one of the recalled containers on hand, stop using it immediately and contact Vitamix for a free repair kit to avoid future injury. For questions or to request a kit, visit Vitamix's recall page.
When you think of eating healthier, smoothies and soups are most likely on the menu. But to get those soups and smoothies silky smooth, you need a really good blender. If your current blender struggles to churn through ice, your pureed soups come out grainy, or if you wake up the whole neighborhood when you turn it on, it might be time to retire it and invest in a new one.
Cue our product testing team at EatingWell. We put 23 blenders to the test to see which one deserves a spot on your counter. After whipping up smoothies, mayonnaise, soups, frozen drinks, almond milk and more in each of the blenders, we rounded up the highest performers—here are our favorites.
Best Overall
Breville Fresh & Furious Blender
What we like: It makes the most beautiful frozen drinks, and it’s lighter in weight than other models.
What to know: Pitcher is on the smaller side.
When looking for a blender that gets it all done—smoothies, soups, nut milks and frozen drinks—at a reasonable price, the Breville checks all the boxes. Clocking in at under 60 seconds, the Breville whirled through each of our tests with ease. This blender is also lighter than many of the others we tested, weighing only 8.5 pounds in total.
High-powered blenders often generate heat during the blending process due to the friction of the blades against the ingredients—and, while this is fine if you’re making something like soup, it’s not so great if you’re making margaritas or smoothies. When we tested the Breville, it didn’t get any hotter than 104 degrees Fahrenheit, making it ideal for frozen drinks.
One thing to note, however, is that this blender is a bit smaller than others, with a capacity of only 50 ounces (or 6 ¼ cups). If you’re cooking for a crowd or blending things in big batches, opt for a model with a capacity of at least 64 ounces.
After pureeing our soup and nut milk, we did find that there was a bit of leftover pulp under the blades of the Breville; however, it also made the best frozen margaritas out of every blender we tested. All things considered, if you’re in the market for a very good blender at a price that won’t break the bank, this is your pick.
Dimensions: 8.3”D x 6.9”W x 17.7”H | Capacity: 50 oz. | Jar Material: Plastic | Power: 1100 watts
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
Best Budget
Hamilton Beach Power Elite Blender
What we like: Great performance for the price and easy to clean.
What to know: It’s loud, and it’s not quite strong enough for heavy-duty tasks.
Hamilton Beach has been making affordable blenders and other kitchen appliances for a long time, and if you’re looking to add a blender to your cooking toolkit without spending a lot, this Power Elite model is a great choice.
There’s a nostalgic quality about this blender—in fact, it reminded some of us of the blenders we had in our homes growing up in the 90s. It features a sturdy glass pitcher and a straightforward, beginner-friendly control panel with five buttons for different speeds.
This blender whirled up smoothies and aioli efficiently during our testing, but it struggled a bit with the heavier-duty tasks of making almond milk and soup. It’s also quite loud, so if you’re looking to use it in the mornings without waking anyone up, this might not be the blender for you.
That said, the Power Elite is very easy to clean. The pitcher can be broken down into individual pieces so you can get into all the crevices, and the auto-clean function is also very effective. Overall, we think this blender makes a fine choice for home cooks on a budget.
Dimensions: 8.7”D x 6.5”W x 14.7”H | Capacity: 40 oz. | Jar Material: Glass | Power: 700 watts
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
Best Vitamix
Vitamix Professional-Grade Blender
What we like: A powerful, durable blender that’s worth the hype.
What to know: Expensive and heavy.
Vitamix is practically synonymous with the word “blender” in many kitchens, much like Kleenex is synonymous with “tissue.” It’s simply because Vitamix has a reputation for making top-notch blenders, boasting a strong motor that whips and whirls gorgeously smooth soups and smoothies. This particular Vitamix 5200 model was one of the highest scorers in our tests—but, given its hefty price tag of over $500, is it really worth the money?
The short answer is yes. We found that this powerful baseline Vitamix performed well in every test we put it through, from emulsifying aioli to pureeing soup to whipping up pitchers of margaritas. There's also a “high” setting that’s above the “10” setting to give it an extra boost of power.
This blender is a workhorse for home or a professional setting, so if you’re using a blender often, consider this pick. It's important to note that the product is quite heavy, so it's best suited for those who have the space to keep it in one place.
Dimensions: 7.25”D x 8.75”W x 20.5”H | Capacity: 64 oz. | Jar Material: Plastic | Power: 1380 watts
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
Best Design
KitchenAid K400 Blender
What we like: As beautiful as it is functional.
What to know: It’s heavy and not ideal for those with strength limitations.
For those who appreciate style as much as function, the KitchenAid K400 is a wonderful pick. Just like KitchenAid’s iconic mixers, these blenders come in a wide range of fun colors, and we couldn’t help but “ooh” and “ahh” at the shiny, colorful base.
When we put the KitchenAid K400 to the test, its performance was as beautiful as it looked. The smoothies and soup were silky smooth, the mayonnaise emulsified beautifully, and the margarita was fluffy and the perfect slushy consistency. While it didn’t fare quite as well with the almond milk, we were still able to produce roughly 2 cups of it with the KitchenAid, so we consider that a success.
One thing to note, though, is its weight. Coming in at over 12 pounds, this machine is not for those with strength limitations, or those who won’t be leaving this beautiful blender on the counter.
Dimensions: 7.6”D x 9”W x 15.8”H | Capacity: 56 oz. | Jar Material: Plastic | Power: 1200 watts
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
Best Quiet Blender
Oster Versa Professional Power Blender
What we like: You can make a morning smoothie without waking up the whole house.
What to know: Bulky.
Despite its whopping 1400 watts of power, the Oster Versa Professional blender was one of the quietest blenders we tested. It plowed through the smoothie, whizzed up the margarita and made a silky smooth soup, though it did struggle a bit with our small batch of mayonnaise because of the large size of the blender jar. (A larger portion of ingredients would have been better for this blender.)
This Oster model is reasonably priced for how powerful it is, coming in at half the price of the equally powerful Vitamix 5200. But considering some blenders we tested sounded like jet engines taking off, this is a great pick for those who have sound-sensitive roommates.
Dimensions: 12.1”D x 11.6”W x 16.8”H | Capacity: 64 oz. | Jar Material: Plastic | Power: 1400 watts
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
Best for Soup
Blendtec Total Blender Classic 75 oz
What we like: Powerful blender with a jar large enough to handle an entire batch of soup at once.
What to know: Very loud.
With more power than any other blender besides our high-end Vitamix V1200 pick, the Blendtec did an incredible job making the most beautifully smooth soups. This isn’t surprising, considering we also picked the Blendtec as our favorite blender for making smoothies, too.
Unlike the other blenders, the Blendtec doesn’t have traditional blades in the jar; instead, it has a solid piece of metal that whirls extremely fast due to its 1560 watts of power. This blender also has a huge pitcher, coming in at over 75 ounces (or over 9 cups), making it perfect for pureeing soup in large batches.
Do keep in mind, though, that this powerful blender comes at a cost—not just price-wise but sound-wise, as well. Of the 23 blenders we tested, this was the third loudest (and the first and second loudest didn’t even make our list of recommendations).
Dimensions: 7”D x 8”W x 15.5”H | Capacity: 75 oz. | Jar Material: Plastic | Power: 1560 watts
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
Best for Crushing Ice
KitchenAid Blender
What we like: Stylish, compact blender that pulverizes ice in under 15 seconds.
What to know: Had a hard time with making almond milk.
If you’re looking for a moderately priced blender for making frozen drinks, this KitchenAid K150 is your machine. Not only does it make smoothies, puree soups and crush ice faster than any of the blenders we tested, but it also looks great on your counter—in true KitchenAid fashion.
This blender comes in six colors, including a vibrant red and an icy blue. It also comes with two 16-ounce personal blender jars in addition to the 48-ounce pitcher, allowing you to take your smoothies on the go.
In addition to being very easy to clean, we particularly like that KitchenAid is lightweight and very easy to maneuver. Coming in at just under 6 pounds for the base and the blender jar combined, you could also say this is our favorite compact blender. Those with smaller apartments and kitchens should take note.
Dimensions: 8.5”D x 7.1”W x 14.8”H | Capacity: 48 oz. | Jar Material: Plastic | Power: 650 watts
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
The Bottom Line: The Best Blender
Any blender can make smoothies and soups, but there is a vast difference in the smoothness of your food depending on the blender you pick. If you’re looking for a great all-around blender, we love the Breville Fresh and Furious (view at Amazon). Not only does it make fabulous frozen drinks, but it comes at a reasonable price, as well. In the mood for a splurge? The Vitamix 5200 (view at Amazon) was our favorite Vitamix that we tested.
![A person presses a button on the Blendtec Total Blender Classic 75 oz](https://www.eatingwell.com/thmb/aYYXhwieYphSrT0SyEvJRz6JgP0=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ewl-blenders-test-blendtec-total-blender-classic-rkilgore-334-040be6d04efd46c8bb73fa764dba2f68.jpeg)
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
Choosing a Blender
Design
Blenders are designed with tall blender jars to maximize smoothness when pureeing food. That means there are fixed blades at the bottom of the blender that whirl to pulverize your food and a tall blender jar to continuously move the ingredients to the bottom of the jar so you don’t have to constantly stop and scrape down the sides. Blender jars often have openings in the lids, too, so you can add and/or stream ingredients in during the blending process. Ideally, the bases of blenders should be smooth with the fewest amount of crevices to make cleaning easy.
Capacity
Blender jars can range in size from 20 ounces up to 72 ounces, depending on the type of blender. The smaller blender jars are attached to personal-size blenders meant for making one to two portions, while the bigger blender jars can puree larger portions. The ideal size for a blender jar depends on what you’re using it for, though we’ve found that anything 50 ounces or more is best for the majority of our cooking tasks.
Functions
Basic blenders have low, medium and high settings, but higher-end models can range from several different presets (such as for smoothies and crushing ice) to a numerical system from 1 to 10 that allows for more precise blending. Others have additional functions, such as pulsing, extra-high speeds and timing presets.
Performance and Durability
The biggest difference between blenders lies in their strength. The more amount of watts of power, the stronger the blender. Basic blenders typically have 500 to 750 watts of power while high-power blenders have over 1000 watts. The difference is noticeable, and if you desire the smoothest results, opt for a blender that is in the 1000-watt or more category.
Also, the higher the power, the more durable the machine needs to be. With the more expensive blenders, we found the bases and blender jars to be made of heavier-duty materials, which extends the durability of the blender. And since a blender often crunches through thick soups, frozen fruit, and ice, the durability of a blender is important.
Ease of Cleaning
Blenders tend to be very easy to clean, often requiring a quick whirl of some soap and warm water. See below: What is the best way to clean a blender? But keep in mind that some blender jars come apart and have several pieces, while others have built-in blades and only have a few parts. (We’re in the “fewer parts are better” camp.)
Value
As with many kitchen products, the phrase “you get what you pay for” rings true with blenders. That said, there are many blenders that work extremely well without requiring you to take out a second mortgage. It really comes down to how often you use the blender. If it’s occasionally, there is no reason to spend a lot. If it’s every day, then opt for a more high-end one that will last a while.
Our Blender Tests
For each of the 23 blenders that we tested, we performed a series of six tests. We made homemade almond milk, blueberry kale smoothies, frozen margaritas, homemade mayonnaise and pureed butternut squash soup in the blenders to see how they handled ingredients of various textures. We also conducted a sound volume test to see how loud each blender is during use. To do this, we filled the blender with 8 ounces of water and 16 ounces of ice, then used a decibel meter to record the sound of the water and ice blending at low, medium and high speeds. We also weighed in on the design, ease of use, ease of cleaning, performance, convenience, value and overall quality of each blender to make the best overall choices at every budget.
![A person blends almonds in the Oster Versa Professional Power Blender](https://www.eatingwell.com/thmb/gfeJIaOt_63kJAgQHl9LIYXrugw=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ewl-blenders-test-oster-versa-professional-power-rkilgore-631-369947e58ff646ca907dd851a438e9e8.jpeg)
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
We Also Considered
Vitamix 7500 (view at Amazon): While this model didn’t fare quite as well in our testing as the Vitamix 5200, we do like that this Vitamix 7500 is a bit shorter and more capable of being stored on a countertop underneath cabinets. The blender jar is shorter and squatter than the 5200, but it can still hold the same amount (64 oz).
Vitamix Propel 510 (view at Amazon): The Propel 510 has all the benefits of a Vitamix—power, speed and design—but with a smaller blender jar (48 oz versus the standard 64 oz) and steep price tag, we decided to pass on this one.
NutriBullet Full Size Blender (view at Amazon): The Nutribullet performed very well in the almond milk, smoothie, margarita and soup tests, but it failed when making mayonnaise. With its low price though, this was a top contender for the best budget category and is a great choice for anyone looking for a mid-priced blender.
Ninja BL610 Professional Blender (view at Amazon): While the price is fair, we found this blender to be mediocre at best, especially because it did a poor job with the smoothie and the soup. Additionally, it was the only blender that was difficult to clean—a hard pass for us.
Common Questions
What is the best way to clean a blender?
While many of the blender jars are dishwasher safe, we found the best and easiest way to clean a blender is to put a little dish soap and water into the blender jar and turn it on. The soap and power from the blender should clean out all the little crevices where anything may be stuck. Some blenders have auto-clean functions and will simply adjust the speed for you. For those that are manual, start on a lower speed and increase to high. Then, simply give it a good rinse. If you prefer to clean the blender jar in the dishwasher, be sure to check the instruction manual to make sure it’s dishwasher-safe.
Can you sharpen blender blades?
With heavy use, blender blades can dull over time, though we’ve found it takes a while for this to happen. However, you can sharpen the blades either by using a sharpening steel or bringing them to a professional knife sharpener. Or, better yet, you can use eggshells to do the trick—here’s how.
Can blenders make juice?
The only difference between a juicer and a blender is that a juicer separates the fibrous pulp from the juice while a blender does not. You can simply strain the juice from the pulp after blending it using cheesecloth or a very fine-mesh strainer. Just don’t throw out the pulp, as it contains all the healthy fiber!
Are blenders and food processors the same thing?
Blenders and food processors are both great for pulverizing food, but they do have subtle differences. First, blenders have fixed blades while food processors have interchangeable blades. This means blenders can only whirl food into something smooth, while food processors can chop, shred, slice and more. Also, blenders tend to have long, tall jars while food processors have wider, squatter bowls. The taller jars allow for the liquid to go up and down and mix more evenly. If you tend to make foods that need to be whirled into something smooth, go for a blender. For chopping, shredding, dicing or slicing, opt for a food processor.
What are the different types of blenders?
Depending on the type of blending you want to do, there’s a blender that fits your needs. Standard blenders are countertop blenders, i.e. the ones that sit on your countertop and have a large enough capacity to make smoothies for at least two to four people. Personal blenders are designed to blend up a single-serve portion of a smoothie, and the blender jar can often be used as a serving jar as well. Immersion blenders, also known as stick blenders, are meant for blending directly in a pot of soup and are best for doing larger portions that would require batches in your countertop blender. Often, home cooks will have both a countertop blender and an immersion blender—but if you have to pick one all-purpose blender, we recommend you go with the versatile countertop blender.
![The top on the Vitamix 5200](https://www.eatingwell.com/thmb/TWxVjWsXMa9nghmaimXgPddfw1k=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ewl-detail-19-vitamix-5200-blender-rkilgore-549-f7a132dac1d64b97bed98db1dc40807a.jpeg)
EatingWell / Russell Kilgore
Our Trusted Expertise
Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H, RD, is a Chinese and Jewish chef and dietitian with over 15 years of experience creating editorial and digital content for top food and kitchen brands. For 10 years, Breana was a food editor turned test kitchen and editorial operations manager for EatingWell magazine. Breana has developed and edited over 2500 recipes, including over 100 smoothie and pureed soup recipes, so she’s pretty particular when it comes to her blenders.
This article was edited by Kayleigh Drake, a former full-time baker and contributor to EatingWell and other publications such as Food & Wine, The Spruce Eats and Simply Recipes. It was reviewed by Brierley Horton, M.S., RD, Senior Commerce Editor, who has 15 years of experience reporting, writing, and editing nutrition and health content. An earlier version of this article was written by Megan Steintrager.