Blenders are useful and versatile tools but few cooks use them to their full potential. Often reserved for making smoothies, blenders are also helpful for making soups, drinks, dips, and much more. Working with a substandard blender can be frustrating: the chunks that won’t blend in, blades that stick, and burnt out motors. We’ve hunted through the overwhelming options to recommend some of the best blenders on the market.
There are several considerations to keep in mind when choosing a blender: a powerful motor, effective blades, how you’ll use your blender, container size, and whether you’re looking for special functions such as ice crushing. We considered these factors to determine the best blenders.
- BEST OVERALL: Vitamix 5200 Blender Professional-Grade
- RUNNER UP: Ninja BL610 Professional Blender
- BEST FOR SMOOTHIES: Ninja BL660 Professional Countertop Blender
- MOST VERSATILE: Breville BBL620SIL Fresh and Furious LCD Blender
Before You Buy a Blender: Juicing vs. Blending
The separation of a vegetable or fruit from the pulp or fiber is referred to as juicing. With this process, you get a concentrated, thin liquid. Making juice will require you to invest in a juicer. Blending, on the other hand, is done using the whole vegetable or fruit; thus, you end up consuming whatever is placed into the blender.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Blender
Keep these factors in mind when choosing a blender that meets all your needs.
Material
In most cases, the best-rated blenders are made using stainless steel, plastic, or glass. The choice of material will determine weight and durability. Glass is more substantial than the other materials and is generally more stable than stainless steel and plastic. Plastic blenders tend to absorb the aroma of food and they are more susceptible to scratches. Stainless steel blenders are aesthetically pleasing but users cannot see how well the food is blending.
Handheld vs. Countertop
If you have enough space in your kitchen, you can choose a countertop blender. For those who love to economize with space, handheld blenders are great as they can be put in storage right after use.
Motor Power Range
Blenders with higher wattages can blend food without help from liquids such as water. Those with a lower wattage need additional fluids to help blend foods into a liquid form. If you want a blender that crushes ice, it is best to go for those with high powered motors.
Space and Size
The features of your countertop blender must be sufficient for your home and the intended area. For this, we focus on the size and scope occupied by your mixer. Any unit you choose should be easy to store tuck away when it is not in use. This applies only to handheld blenders.
Our Top Picks
We considered factors such as durability, power, and function to determine the best blenders.
Photo: amazon.com
Vitamix is the gold standard for blenders. Aircraft-quality stainless steel blades and a high-powered, variable-speed motor blends frozen fruit, ice, or vegetables smoothly and easily.
The Vitamix motor is radiant-cooled to keep it from overheating when blending for long stretches. The blades are specially textured to create friction heat. In about six minutes, you can heat soup from chilled to piping hot, just by blending in the Vitamix.
If ingredients become lodged in the blades, the Vitamix lid has an integrated tamper that allows users to shift the food in the blender without opening the lid or endangering fingers. The 64-ounce container is carefully grooved to fold ingredients back to the spinning blades and is self-cleaning—simply blend a drop of soap and hot water at high speed and rinse for a clean container and blades.
The Vitamix 5200 is a powerful machine that aids in the making of soups, dips, dressings, baby food, mixing dough, and grinding nuts and coffee beans.
Photo: amazon.com
With 1000 watts of power and a unique 6-blade assembly, the Ninja can turn ice cubes into uniform shavings in seconds, minimizing the melting that can occur in less powerful blenders. Four manual speeds offer precision control at the touch of a button, and the 72-ounce pitcher allows for large batches of soups, smoothies, frozen drinks, and sauces.
The Ninja has a self-cleaning function to easily clean the blades and pitcher safely without disassembling the unit. Offered at a surprisingly low cost for a tool with so much power, the Ninja is a great option for frequent and occasional home cooks alike.
Photo: amazon.com
This blender may have simple controls compared to other blenders that have numerous speed settings, but it’s tough to beat its design that boasts three formidable sets of blades. While most blenders do all of their cutting at the bottom of the container, the Ninja cuts at the bottom, one-quarter mark, and halfway point, ensuring no chunks of fruit go uncut. The blades, coupled with its 1,100-watt motor, make it capable of cutting through ice and harder foods like frozen berries.
Though Ninja uses plastic for its container, it locks securely into the base as does the lid to the container, preventing accidental spills. While these features are enough to make the Ninja an attractive blender, it’s the 16-ounce tumbler and blender adapter that may win over smoothie lovers. The attachment screws into the tumbler and attaches to the blender base, allowing the user to blend the smoothie, then switch out the adapter with the lid to serve.
Photo: amazon.com
Blade configuration, multiple presets, and an LCD timing display make this Breville blender a true kitchen multitasker.
The armlike 6-part Kinetix blade is made of surgical steel and reaches up higher into the jar than regular blades, essentially grabbing the ingredients and drawing them down to be quickly processed. Five graduated levels of power are versatile enough for most tasks, including blending soups, salsas, dips, and aerating smoothies and milkshakes.
Additionally, the Breville’s lid fits snugly and seals tightly during operation to prevent spills and leaks and is fitted with an easy-grip ring for easy removal.
Combining the tasks of a blender, smoothie maker, and food processor, the Breville is a quiet, efficient, and versatile tool for the kitchen.
How to Keep Your Blender Clean
Mixers get messy when used regularly. They need to be cleaned immediately to prevent any food remnants from getting cakey and sticking to the blender surface. Though it might be tempting to leave your blender for a while after use, we advise that you take care of it right away. The best way to ensure this is to purchase a self-cleaning blender. These are machines that require you to use warm water and a little dish soap. This mixture is placed in the blender and the self-cleaning feature is activated for up to thirty seconds.
FAQs on Blenders
Q: Why buy a new blender?
A: Purchasing a new blender periodically is essential. Because no matter how durable your mixer may be, its blades tend to get weaker and less sharp after every use. We recommend that you buy a new blender after several years to ensure that you receive better output and consistent textures with your sauces and dips.
Q: How long should a blender run?
A: During challenging tasks such as making nut butters, pastes, and thick dips, your blender should be used in short intervals of up to 30 seconds. This interval usage also helps prevent the overheating of the machine. Some of the tell-tale signs that the blender’s motor is under stress are when your device makes a high-pitched or grinding noise. In such an instance, it is advised that you add more liquid or call a timeout.
Q: Can blender blades break?
A: Blender blades are made mostly from sturdy and rugged metals so they don’t break easily. If you want to blend food with bones, don’t. This can cost you the performance of the machine which will lead you to invest in maintenance or a new blender.
Q: Can I put ice cubes in my blender?
A: Ice cubes can be crushed in any blender, provided its blades are sturdy enough. There are some blenders designed to accommodate the crushing of ice and others are not.
