6 Best Blenders, Tested by Food Network Kitchen
We found the best blenders for smoothies, sauces, soups and more at every price point.
Our Top Blender Picks
- Best Overall: Vitamix Explorian E310
- Best Value (and Best for Smoothies): Ninja Professional Blender
- Best Blender-Food Processor Combo: Ninja Compact Kitchen System
- Best Blender for Juice: Breville 3X Bluicer
- Best Personal Blender: Beast Blender
- Best Portable Blender: BlendJet2
This article has been reviewed since its original publish date and last update for accuracy, pricing and availability. Our pick for Best Glass Blender (Instant Ace Blender) was discontinued. We've added a Best Blender-Food Processor Combo pick.
Whether you break out your blender to mix the occasional margarita or a daily smoothie — and the smoothies didn't even come out all that, well, smooth — it's time for an upgrade. The best blenders can grind up the heartiest produce in smoothies (hello, kale and pineapple, bye-bye, raspberry seeds), make nut milk, blend velvety soups, turn granulated sugar into powdered and much more. We put several through a series of tests to find out which ones make the smoothest smoothies, the silkiest homemade mayo, the slushiest frozen drinks and more.
How We Tested
We tested more than 21 popular, well-reviewed blenders of varying sizes and styles, including high-speed blenders, personal blenders and those designed for smoothies. We evaluated their design, safety features (or lack thereof), weight, materials that make up their jars and the design of their blades. Then we put them through a series of tests: Blending frozen margaritas and a kale-berry smoothie, chopping nuts and then making nut butter and emulsifying the oil in homemade mayonnaise.
For each model, we evaluated the strength of the motor, the noise level, how easy it was to scrape the food out of the container and how much effort cleaning required, including whether the different models had parts that were dishwasher safe.
- Powerful, strong performance
- Dishwasher-safe
- 10 speed settings
- Can handle hot liquids
- Pricey
If you're already a fan of classic Vitamix models like the 5200 Standard or the Professional Series 750, get ready to fall in love all over again. With a simple interface and 10 variable speeds, the Vitamix Explorian E310 makes super smooth smoothies, velvety mayo and more — plus it includes a pulse setting, giving it another layer of versatility. We used it to chop nuts before switching to the variable speeds to make nut butter (very handy!).
The 48-ounce container is smaller than some other models, but it's still large enough for most jobs, and the squattier design means it’s likely to fit under your kitchen cabinets. The included tamper is dishwasher safe, as is the lid. In short, it has all the classic Vitamix qualities, with a more convenient design and added versatility — what’s not to love?
- Capacity 48 ounces
- Power 1,400 watts
- Weight 11.5 pounds
- Dimensions 11" x 8" x 17"
- Powerful and efficient performance
- Removable blade for easier cleaning
- Dishwasher-safe
- On the louder side
Ninja is known for its blenders and brings that expertise to its high-speed model. The blade structure is the most unique among all the models we tested, with three sharp blades separated by a few inches. Ninja says the stacked structure of the blades is designed to efficiently crush ice, blend and puree, and our tests bore that out. The blade piece is removable, which makes scraping out the food easier — though you’ll want to be careful handling it, as the blades are extremely sharp.
The BPA-free pitcher has a handy pour-spout, great for serving smoothies and frozen drinks. The 1,000-watt motor is powerful, though definitely on the louder side. Bonus: When you’re done blending, you can toss the container, lid and blade assembly in the dishwasher.
- Capacity 72 ounces
- Power 1,000 watts
- Weight 7.1 pounds
- Dimensions 9.48" x 7.51" x 17"
- Multifunctional system with large blender, personal blender and food processor included
- Easy operation and simple controls thanks to AutoIQ technology
- The additional functions and accessories might be unneccessary and bulky for some
Ninja's system is centered around a multipurpose base. The food processor, blender and smoothie container fit on the base, which contains functions for all the machines. When you secure each container to the base in AutoIQ systems, the corresponding functions will appear on the interface, so you won't be able to make the mistake of choosing a function that's incorrect for the container you're using. This makes it easier to know which cooking tasks to perform in which container. We found this system to be ideal for whipping up quick pestos, easy mayo and smoothies on the go. It's great for someone with limited space, but who loves to cook and needs the functionality of a blender and food processor.
- Capacity 72 ounces (blender pitcher), 40 ounces (processor bowl) & 18 ounces (single-serve cup)
- Power 1,200 watts
- Weight 11.1 pounds
- Dimensions 7.5" x 8.25" x 17.25"
- Multipurpose machine that can blend and juice
- No assembly required
- Pricey
This blender/juicer combo may be on the pricier side, but it more than makes up for that in versatility and ease. The ingenious design of this appliance allows you to blend, juice (or both!) without any added or unnecessary parts. The jug that captures juice during juicing has a built-in blender base, allowing you to place it right on the same base and go straight from juicing to blending. We recommend this 'bluicer' for anyone new to the world of juicing and those not yet committed to the juicing lifestyle. Did we mention it arrives fully assembled? No complicated set-up will stand between you and a delicious glass of fresh-pressed juice.
- Capacity 50 ounces
- Power 1,000 watts
- Weight 19.2 pounds
- Dimensions 14.1" x 15.7" x 17.7"
- Sleek design
- Powerful, smooth blending
- Wide jar opening makes it easy to add ingredients and to clean
- Smaller capacity
- Jar can't fit in a cup holder
With its unusual hourglass-shaped design, this blender is eye-catching right out of the box. But it isn’t just good looks that won our favor; its powerful 1,000-watt motor delivers. The Beast made quick work of smoothies with both fresh and frozen fruit, blended ice into slush with just a few pulses, and made a good batch of nut butter without breaking a sweat (and without any metallic blender smell, thanks to internal sensors that prevent overheating). If for some reason the blender won’t start, color-coded lights indicate why (e.g., amber flashing lights mean the motor is overloaded; a flashing red light means the contents are too hot to safely blend). It comes with a storage lid and a drinking lid; the latter also has a drinking cap with an adjustable carry loop. One thing to note: The thick Tritan plastic 3-cup-capacity cup is wider and squatter than most other models. The wide mouth makes adding ingredients easy, and it’s also easier to remove thick items like nut butter from this type of cup. But this shape can be harder to grip for small hands, and the cup won’t fit in most car cupholders. Also, this model is hand-wash only, though the wide shape makes getting into the cup to clean it out pretty simple.
- Capacity 33.8 ounces
- Power 1,000 watts
- Weight 6.7 pounds
- Dimensions 4.92" x 4.92" x 15.75"
- Portable and compact
- Lock mode to prevent blending while transporting
- Relatively quiet
- No opening for sipping on cap; have to remove the entire lid to drink from the blender
- Small capacity limits it to smaller portions and personal blending
Talk about small but mighty. This light, small-footprint personal blender packs a lot of power. It made very quick work of a protein shake and a smoothie, both in 30 seconds thanks to a 5-volt motor and a blade that turns 275 times per second. For all of its blending ability, it’s relatively quiet. The BlendJet2 also has a handy pulse setting, useful for making guacamole or pesto. It’s lightweight, so you can toss it in your bag (and it has a lock mode, so you don’t blend by accident). You can also carry it via the strap on the twist-off cap. Charge the blender for an hour with the included USB cord, and it gets about 15 blends. The BlendJet2 is not dishwasher safe, but it cleans up quickly and easily by blending a little dish soap and water. Choose from more than 20 colors and fun patterns. There’s no opening to allow you to sip from the cap, which seems like an odd oversight, but overall, if you love your blended drinks on the go, this little powerhouse will spark joy.
- Capacity 16 ounces
- Power 150 watts
- Weight 1.34 pounds
- Dimensions 9" x 3" x 3"
Looking for a new blender? Sarah Holden, culinary producer for Food Network Kitchen, breaks down three of our top picks, above.
What To Consider When Buying a Blender
- Capacity: The size of your blender and your blender’s carafe might be one of the more important factors you consider when selecting a blender. After all, this encompasses your storage needs (if you’re low on counter space, a smaller, more lightweight version is for you) and function needs (are you looking for a daily smoothie maker or something for family-sized soups?). And, if you do want your blender to live on your counter, it’s important to ensure there is enough space under your cabinets.
- Function: Blenders come in many different forms depending on what they’re meant to be used for. There are the more obvious distinctions such as a personal smoothie blender versus a large-capacity blender, but others are more nuanced. For example, you’ll want to consider whether or not you plan on blending hot liquids, juice produce or nut butter when selecting your blender. The ability to quickly take your blender on the go is also something to think about.
- Carafe Material: You'll be hard-pressed to find glass carafes on high-speed blenders for safety reasons — the force of the blending could shatter the glass. (Glass carafes tend to be reserved for bar blenders.) Most high-speed blenders are made from Tritan, a BPA-free plastic designed to withstand high speed and power.
- Wattage: A blender’s wattage is important — you want to ensure your smoothies are achieving the right consistency and your nut butters are properly smooth. While it’s not a direct indicator of a blender’s performance, it’s important to keep in mind depending on your desired use.
What to Consider About High-Speed Blenders
Shopping for a high-speed blender like a Vitamix seems simple enough: How powerful is it? Can it pulverize kale into smoothies and make your carrot soup the creamiest? But we found in our testing that there’s more to the decision. Before you buy, here are a few things to consider.
- Safety is very important. One model we tried ran without the lid on. Thankfully, it happened before we put in any ingredients, so no harm done. But other models have locking mechanisms or other safety features — something to think about as you evaluate what machine is best for you.
- It should be easy to use. Some of the models we tested aren’t clearly labeled; they use symbols instead of words to describe each setting, so you have to memorize what everything means or keep the manual nearby. Plus, sometimes you want to just blend, but some of the models we tried were so high-tech it was actually difficult to find a simple turn-it-on-and-blend setting, without any starting and stopping or varying speeds.
- Watch the order of ingredients and speed. Make sure the manual gives you insight into best practices for loading the blender and which speed to use for different tasks. Loading up the blender the wrong way and/or turning the blender on top speed for every task can ruin your blender’s motor.
