The 5 Best Blenders - Fall 2023 Reviews

The best blender that we've tested is the Vitamix 5200. This premium blender has fantastic build quality, a long, seven-year U.S. warranty (depending on where you buy it), and works well for all kinds of recipes. Using its 64oz jar, it makes a nearly perfectly smooth blend with fibrous ingredients like kale and blueberries, whether making a single-serve or a big batch, so it's ideal for smoothies. You can add hot ingredients to the jar for recipes like soup and sauce. It easily pulverizes ice cubes, so it's also great for making crushed ice for cocktails or smoothie bowls with frozen fruit. It comes with a narrower jar than other Vitamix models, and you hardly need to stir recipes like nut butter or hummus.

Its controls are straightforward, with a pulse mode switch and speed dial. With no blending programs, you must manually stop the blender. Blending programs don't necessarily make for a better blend, and the 5200 represents a cheaper option among high-end blenders; it doesn't sacrifice performance. While it represents good value, you might prefer the more expensive Vitamix Propel 750, which has automatic blending programs. For all the bells and whistles, check out the Vitamix A3500, which has even more blending programs in its companion app. The A3500 also has 'Self Detect', meaning it's compatible with the widest variety of extra accessories sold separately by Vitamix.

The KitchenAid K400 is a worthy option if you want to spend less. While it's very sturdy, it's not as well-built as the Vitamix 5200 and has a slightly smaller 56-ounce capacity. Its one-year U.S. warranty is much shorter. However, it delivers a versatile performance since you can process hot ingredients, blend smoothies free of unprocessed bits, and make snow-like crushed ice. Unfortunately, processing recipes like nut butter or hummus is a longer, harder process since it doesn't come with a tamper, and you need to stop the blender to scrape the sides of the jar. Otherwise, its design is well-suited for a variety of recipes. It has a good range of speed settings, so you can adjust the blending speed to suit whatever you're making.

There are a few automatic blending programs on the speed dial. Like the Vitamix, it only comes with one jar, but you can buy a personal jar for smoothies from KitchenAid. The jar and lid are dishwasher-safe, but unfortunately, if you're cleaning them by hand, the lid and non-removable blades take some time to get completely clean.

The best kitchen blender in the mid-range that we've tested is the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender. This blender has an unusual design with some downsides, but it's a great option for making hot recipes, like pureed soups and sauces. The main jar has a heating element built into its base, so it can not only hot blend but also heat and cook raw ingredients like onions or tomatoes. It has a versatile performance. While it makes a somewhat less smooth blend with fibrous ingredients than the KitchenAid K400, it still does a fantastic job. The tamper makes it easier to use for thick recipes like nut butter. However, because of the heating element, you can't put the jar in the dishwasher or immerse it in water, so it's not easy to clean by hand.

However, unlike the previous picks, it doesn't offer a wide range of speeds. The manufacturer doesn't sell additional jars, so you can't buy personal jars for smoothies. You may prefer the Ninja Mega Kitchen System if you want smaller jars for single-serves. The Ninja can't hot blend, but it comes with a 72oz main pitcher and at least one 16oz personal jar. You can always buy more if you have a lot of smoothie lovers at home. There's also a food processing bowl included for chopping and slicing vegetables.

If you're looking for a budget-friendly blender with a good, versatile performance, check out the Oster Pro 1200. This cheaper, smaller blender has a small 48oz capacity and feels less well-made than the previous picks. However, unlike the other blenders listed here, it includes a 24oz personal jar. You can use either jar to make well-blended recipes with fibrous ingredients like kale, broccoli, and fruit, similar to the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender.

However, it struggles a little more with hard ingredients. It can crush ice for cocktails or frozen drinks, but only in batches of about six ice cubes. It can also make smooth dips and spreads like nut butter, but if your recipe has less liquid, you need to stop the blender to stir. It can't heat ingredients like the previous pick, but you can use it to blend hot food for pureed soups and sauces. You have fewer options for fine-tuning the speed compared to more premium blenders like the KitchenAid K400. It has a mediocre build quality, and the design of the gears doesn't feel very durable. However, the removable blade assembly makes it easy to clean by hand.

If you're looking for a budget-friendly blender, you can find more recommendations on our list of the best budget blenders.

All blenders make some noise, but the roar of a super loud blender can make it much less appealing to use. The Wolf Gourmet Pro-Performance is quieter than the quietest Vitamix blender we've tested (the Vitamix A3500), so it's a great option if the noise level is a priority. It's not as well-built and produces worse results when crushing ice or making nut butter. Still, overall, it offers a versatile performance. It's fantastic at processing fibrous ingredients like kale, broccoli, and fruit for recipes like smoothies, soups, and sauces.

It comes with a 64oz main jar, a 2-part lid, and a tamper to help stir your recipes. An 'emulsion cup' also fits into the lid's center opening and helps you gradually add liquid ingredients, like melted butter for hollandaise sauce. Its blades have dull edges, making it easy to clean by hand. It has a few blending programs but lacks high-end features like a timer or stopwatch. Currently, Wolf doesn't sell any accessories besides replacement parts, so you can't buy differently-sized jars, which is limiting for such a pricey blender.

If you're looking for a quieter blender in a different price range, check out our full list of the best quiet blenders.