Our pick
This high-performance machine is worth the investment if you use a blender regularly to make things like thick smoothies, pureed soups, or motor-taxing nut butters.
In our tests, from 2012 to now, Vitamix blenders have always performed the best overall. The classic Vitamix 5200 is the only one we’ve tried that can make creamy peanut butter and also puree hearty soup without spewing molten liquid up the sides of the jar. It doesn’t have preset buttons, but among the blenders we’ve tested, it does offer the widest range of speeds—far wider than on the comparably priced Blendtec Designer 675.
This blender is a favorite in many (if not most) professional kitchens and juice bars. We’ve also found the Vitamix 5200 to be one of the most reliable and durable blenders we’ve tested, and if the motor burns out within the seven-year warranty period, Vitamix will promptly replace the machine.
Runner-up
Among the models we tested, this Oster Versa blender provided the best balance of performance and price. It’s not as powerful or durable as the Vitamix 5200, but it’s a good model for people who use a blender only two or three times a week.
The Oster Versa Pro Series Blender is the best among a breed of budget-friendly, high-powered models. Compared with similarly priced blenders, this 1,400-watt model offers more speed variations and runs more quietly. It’s also one of the few blenders that come with a tamper (for bursting air pockets in thick mixtures, like smoothies).
This blender is 17½ inches tall, so it fits better under a cabinet than most other high-performance blenders. We don’t think this is the absolute best blender out there, and it doesn’t compare to Vitamix blenders in power and longevity (we burned out our Oster after two and a half years). But it does have serious blending skills, a user-friendly design, and a solid, seven-year warranty. If you don’t want to throw down almost half a grand on a powerful blender, the Oster Versa is your best bet.
Also great
This blender makes even silkier smoothies than the Vitamix 5200. But its limited range of speeds and short tamper make it less effective for hot soups or nut butters.
If you’re not ready to spring for the Vitamix, and you don’t mind trading the Oster’s longer warranty for a little more power, go for the 1,800-watt Cleanblend Blender. The Cleanblend’s strong motor helps pulverize berry seeds and ice, creating creamier smoothies and piña coladas than even the Vitamix can produce. This model’s jar is made of thick, durable Tritan plastic and has a comfortable, grippy handle.
Unlike the Oster Versa blender, the Cleanblend doesn’t have preset buttons and doesn’t offer much variance between the low and high speeds. In our testing, the Cleanblend’s motor has held up better than the Oster’s, and it’s still going strong after five years of regular use. But Cleanblend covers this blender with only a five-year warranty, versus the seven years of coverage from both Vitamix and Oster.
Budget pick
This compact, 48-ounce machine is ideal if you use your blender only for the occasional smoothie, frozen drink, or soup.
Not everyone wants to spend $200, let alone over $400, on a blender. If you want a machine for whipping up the occasional sauce or smoothie, the KitchenAid K150 3 Speed Ice Crushing Blender is the best model we’ve found in this price range.
With its 48-ounce jar and low profile, the K150 is the smallest blender we recommend in this guide. It produced coarser textures than any of our other picks, and its motor isn’t nearly as powerful (so it’s more likely to burn out if overtaxed).
Another compromise you make for the price is with the warranty. Unlike our other picks, the KitchenAid K150 is covered for only one year. But this is a good, all-purpose blender that’s small enough to fit on the counter under most kitchen cabinets.
