The best blenders are characterized by their powerful motors, durable construction, and versatile performance. They effortlessly blend everything from smoothies to soups, thanks to their high-speed blades and multiple-speed settings. Additionally, their easy-to-clean designs make them a top choice for busy kitchens.
The bottom line is blenders can help you get more of what’s good for you, such as those green veggies! While leafy greens don’t come marked with a nutritional label, there is evidence behind their power. Just one cup of raw leafy greens each day can result in a 26 percent lower chance of heart disease later in life. And you don’t have to eat them plain to benefit. Adding greens, such as spinach, to a fruit smoothie will suffice.
Plus, having the right kitchenware can make for more motivation and skill when cooking. This doesn’t just mean yummy meals, but it can also help your mind. In fact, perhaps happiness is just a cutting board and stove away. Researchers from Edith Cowan University have found that greater confidence in the kitchen — along with better eating habits and decisions — is good for mental health.
What else is a quality blender good for? These devices should also be capable of crushing ice, pureeing soups, grinding oats, churning nut butter and a whole lot more. Tall order? Maybe not. In our efforts to find the best of the best blender, we discovered a brand that could blend a cell phone. Not even kidding. You can watch the cell phone demise here. But we don’t recommend drinking a phone a day … there haven’t been any studies on that! Oh, one more thing: If you have a blender recommendation that isn’t on our list, make sure to leave us a comment. Now, drumroll please …
The List: Best Blenders, According to Culinary Experts
1. Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender
The jack of all blades. “There’s nothing the showpiece Vitamix can’t do when it comes to blending, pureeing and grinding ingredients. With pro-quality precision and control, it can make everything from silky smooth green smoothies to creamy soup and more. The ultra-powerful motor has 10 variable speed settings and its heavy-duty base won’t easily shift on the counter when in use,” writes Good Housekeeping.. “The controls are intuitive and fuss-free, and this machine excelled in every one of our Kitchen Appliances Lab tests, easily grinding coffee beans and whirling up milkshakes and silky smooth margaritas in seconds. It’s an investment, but you won’t find a better-performing, more durable pick — it’s a fraction of the cost of other Vitamix models. One note is that the carafe is on the small side at just 6 cups.”
We like the sound of that. And foodies at the famed Food Network do, too. “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?” asks Food Network.
2. Vitamix 5200
Another Vitamix. “This premium blender has fantastic build quality and comes with a long, seven-year U.S. warranty (depending on where you buy it). It includes a 64-ounce jar, a 2-part lid, and a tamper, and it’s versatile enough for all kinds of recipes. If you like to make smoothies, it makes a nearly perfectly smooth blend with ingredients like kale and blueberries in just a few minutes. 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,” says RTINGS.com.
The rave reviews don’t end there: “This quiet, high-powered blender has simple, intuitive controls. As for its blending capability, it was top-notch. It was able to produce fine-textured foods without incorporating excess air, thanks to its narrow blender jar. The tamper accessory was helpful when blending thicker foods, and the blender’s 7-year warranty insured our investment,” mentions Cook’s Illustrated.
3. Vitamix A3500 Ascent
And yet another Vitamix … we’re seeing a pattern here. “If you’re looking to invest in a versatile blender that will last you years, the 2.2-horsepower Vitamix A3500 is the best pro-style blender we’ve tested. In addition to making the smoothest smoothies during testing, the A3500 churned out the silkiest almond butters, blended the creamiest squash soup, and milled grains to the finest texture. We like how responsive the touchscreen is — even a drop of water can turn it on,” notes Reviewed. “It’s packed with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a high-end blender, plus Bluetooth connectivity that links this gadget to your phone. The inclusion of a notch on the front of the pitcher makes it pour more easily as the liquid content will first take a quick stop when flowing into the notch, and then pour freely,”
That is certainly a lot of bells and whistles! And these features have also impressed The New York Times review site, Wirecutter: “We tested the top-of-the-line Ascent 3500 in 2022. The 3500 has a digital touch-control panel and an updated speed-control dial that increases in 0.5 increments,” their review says. “We’ve always found that all Vitamix blenders do an excellent job of smooth and nuanced speed control. That said, the Ascent 3500 is powerful, intuitive, and attractive. The touchscreen is responsive and easy to read. With its sleek lines and low-profile jar, this blender is meant to live on a countertop.”
4. KitchenAid K400
This model works with grit but produces grit-free results. “In our tests, it impressed us by producing smooth, grit-free smoothies and thick glossy mayo. The ice crush program does short work of blitzing through ice cubes, too,” writes Tech Radar.
Not a smooth talker, just smooth results. “In testing, we found that this was almost too smooth to turn, and it was easy to knock your setting out of place and accidentally set the blender off. The pitcher’s weight means there’s no need for a locking mechanism: drop the pitcher and integrated blades onto the base and you’re ready to go. The pitcher is also dishwasher-safe, and so is the lid. However, the lid does stick so firmly into place that we felt it needed some muscle to remove. Nothing is a problem for this blender: ice is crushed into fine snow, hard fruits and vegetables are blended into smooth drinks, and you can whizz through dry ingredients thanks to the powerful 1200W motor,” adds Homes and Gardens.
5. Breville The Super Q Blender
Commercial grade on your home countertop. “The Breville Super Q Blender is aimed at home chefs looking for a commercial grade performance, and it certainly delivers as a multi-purpose machine ready for a wide variety of recipes. Equipped with twelve speed settings paired with a 1,800-watt motor, the Super Q whipped chickpeas into hummus similar to what you might buy at the market. It continued to impress in other tests too, crushing ice cubes into fluffy snow in a minute and turning rolled oats and water into sweet creamy non-dairy milk with ease. The vortex effect it creates also resulted in very tasty fruit, vegetable and protein powder smoothies,” says Tom’s Guide.
Capable of pulverizing ingredients to smithereens? YES! “As for the tests we ran, the Super Q did as well or better than any of the others. It shredded cheese with ease, pulverized raw almonds to smithereens and made quick and consistent work of ice and a pancake batter mix. The Breville has a few blender settings and programs. Yet since it’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, there aren’t so many that it’ll overwhelm you. This is one of the most expensive blenders we tested, but it was also one of the most pleasurable to use. It also looks great, and if past experience with Breville kitchen appliances is any indicator, it should last you a while,” points out CNET.
If you end up buying one of these blenders, let us know which one you chose in the comments!
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Sources
- Good Housekeeping
- Food Network
- RTINGS.com
- Cook’s Illustrated
- Wirecutter
- Tech Radar
- Homes and Gardens
- Reviewed
- Tom’s Guide
- CNET
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations.