We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.
From top-rated blenders for your morning smoothie to affordable food processor combos. Commerical Strength Blender
A blender is a small but mighty kitchen appliance that will blend your favorite smoothie into creamy perfection or crush ice for evenly blended slushies. But that's not all these kitchen staples are good for: lump-free blender pancakes, a batched watermelon margarita in minutes or homemade oat milk.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've gotten our hands on lots of blenders in the past two decades, testing more than 100 blenders in that time. And not just full-sized blenders — we've tested personal blenders, immersion blenders and blender-food processor combos to determine the best blenders you can buy in 2023.
Our top tested picks include blenders ranging from $80 to $690 from brands that we love, including Vitamix blenders and Ninja blenders. Some models come with personal blending cups, food processor attachments and a variety of settings and functions. To determine the top-performing blenders that made this list, we put each model through a series of performance and ease of use tests. Find more about how we evaluate blenders in our Lab — plus everything you need to know to shop for your appliance — at the end of this guide.
If you're looking to read more about blenders, we've also reviewed the viral Beast blender as well as compared Ninja vs. Vitamix. If you're just looking for something to blend your protein powder, we've also tested shaker bottles.
A 2021 Kitchen Gear Award Winner, this was best-tested when we tested eight Vitamix blenders side-by-side and also came out on top when tested against 25 other blender models. Besides its performance, noteworthy features include a touch interface, five program settings, a programmable timer, variable speed and pulse. This blender also pairs with all of Vitamix's self-detect containers which will recognize the cup and automatically adjust blend settings for its size. Self-detect containers don't just come in personal size, but also a food processor attachment, stainless steel container, new 48-ounce color containers and more.
In our tests, this model produced the best-tasting kale and strawberry smoothie that completely went through a sieve without any flecks of kale or pieces of strawberry remaining. Milkshakes were creamy, frothy and had great body; homemade peanut butter was silky smooth without any peanut chunks remaining; and margaritas were restaurant-quality with a super fluffy consistency. Overall we were very impressed with this blender's ability to break down even the toughest of ingredients.
This blender was loud while grinding tough ingredients and the self-cleaning function with soap and water wasn't a complete match for sticky nut butter. But the overall results are unmatched by the other models we tested. Throw in a 10-year warranty and you've got extra security that you will get years of great use out of this blender.
If a $600+ blender isn't in your budget right now we also recommend the Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender that retails around $350. This model produced margaritas and peanut butter that was just as tasty as the A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender.
RELATED: Battle of the Blenders: Ninja vs. Vitamix
This well-priced and high-powered blender comes with three (!) jars, making it super versatile and our pick for the best value. It includes a 64-ounce pitcher for large batches and two different personal-sized cups (32 ounces and 24 ounces with a handle). Both cups have lids that make it easy to take your smoothie to-go. It features an “extract” button that blends smoothies at pre-programmed variable speeds. We blended kale smoothies in all three jars, and all were uniformly smooth with no flecks. It also blasted through frozen strawberries effortlessly to make a delicious, evenly processed daiquiri.
The base is not much larger than other NutriBullet models, and it has suction cups on the bottom that reliably prevent it from shifting around. The blades screw onto the top of the personal cups and then get inverted to be blended, so be careful to unscrew the personal blending cups from the base of the blender when you're done blending. It’s easy to accidentally make a mess if you unscrew the cup from the blade instead.
We were very impressed with how well this blender performed for its great price point. The green smoothie setting yielded a smooth and creamy texture with no sign of fibrous kale or spinach. This blender also has a regular smoothie button which will provide you with a juice bar-quality smoothie in one minute. In our tests, this blender pureed soup to a silky smooth texture and produced a mighty fine margarita as well. The Fresh and Furious is easy to clean, and the jar and lid are dishwasher-safe. In our tests, we found very few flaws, though the jar is just 50 ounces and became stained a little from tomato sauce.
Another high-performing blender from Breville that we have tested is the Breville 3X Bluicer Pro. In our tests, this model produced creamy and smooth soup and a strawberry green smoothie that had no sign of kale. While this model is a little more pricey, it does offer the ability to juice with it as well — two appliances in one!
Or, if you're on the hunt for a hand blender instead of a full-sized blender we also recommend the Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender which tested best in our immersion blender Lab tests with a nonstick blender arm and perfectly emulsified mayo.
A highly popular Cuisinart blender/food processor combo, it has a low-profile 40-ounce glass jar and seven blending and processing options that are clearly marked and easy to use. We love that it comes with a compact food processor bowl for chopping, stirring and shredding. When blender testing, we found that this blender was very easy to clean and that it ground ingredients exceptionally well. We do recommend making berry and protein smoothies without tough kale though, since in our tests it didn't blend kale very well. Once the food processor attachment was on, we were even more impressed with how this model minced parsley, shredded carrots and sliced pepperoni.
All parts, except for the base, are dishwasher-safe. Of note: At 500 watts, this is not the most high-powered blender, and if you do overwork the blender it will stop working temporarily until it cools down.
RELATED: 5 Best Blender-Food Processor Combos
We've tested a lot of personal blenders over the years and this one surprised us with the amount of presets it offered, compared to many personal blenders that only feature a pulse button. We especially loved the smoothie bowl maker cup which features a built-in tamper and doesn’t need as much liquid to blend ingredients to a smooth, very thick consistency. In our tests, we especially loved how the margarita was rich and creamy and there was absolutely no grit from the super fine sugar used. Don't forget the homemade peanut butter that was smooth and creamy in under three minutes.
This model suctions firmly to your counter, which keeps it completely in place for its pulse-style auto-smoothie setting. In addition to the 14-ounce smoothie bowl jar, this model comes with two 24-ounce blender jars with travel lids, which are all dishwasher-safe.
If you want the option to switch between personal smoothies and blending up party-sized batches of frozen margaritas then the Foodi Power Blender & Processor System is another great pick from the Ninja Foodi line. In our tests, the blender produced smooth and creamy soups and milkshakes.
Claiming to blend “even the toughest ingredients, from kale to almonds,'' this sleek blender passed our test with flying colors. We couldn’t taste the kale in our smoothie, it crushed ice into snow-like consistency and it even blended chia seeds smoothly. It features easy-to-use presets for crushing ice, smoothies and icy drinks. Plus, a little soap and water added to the self-clean cycle makes sure no food bits are left behind in hard-to-reach spots. In our tests, we noticed that the “start” button is a little small and sometimes needed to be pressed several times to activate. We love its sleek design and that you can pick from a variety of fun colors.
While this blender is at a lower price point compared to similar high-powered blenders, KitchenAid also has a smaller and lower-cost model that performed well in our tests. The K150 3 Speed Ice Crushing Blender allows you to easily whirl up a soup or a smoothie in one batch even though its pitcher has a smaller six-cup capacity.
The Wolf Gourmet Pro Performance Blender stood out to us in many ways with its sleek design, featuring its signature red knob and lightweight jar with a comfortable handle. There are 10 speed settings on the blender and four pre-programmed options: soup, puree, ice crush and smoothie. This blender produced a very smooth, thick milkshake and a smoothie that was creamy and homogenous.
In our tests, this super powerful blender produced great frozen drinks. It also has a unique emulsion cap that allows you to add oil to the blender at an optimal pace to get a great emulsion in sauces and dressings. This pick is also sized to fit under most cabinets. The blender jar is hand-wash only.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've tested over 50 blenders in the last two years and more than 100 blenders in the last two decades to find the best high-performance models. We've included full-sized blenders, personal blenders, hand blenders and food processor-blender combos in this testing.
We test each with the same standardized recipes to see how they stand out among the rest. When we test personal blenders, we adjust the recipes accordingly to their capacity.
In the last two years, we've ground more than five pounds of coffee beans, blended nearly 12 pounds of frozen strawberries and pulverized over 650 ice cubes. In the photo, we are straining the strawberry kale smoothie through a fine mesh sieve.
To help mimic how a home consumer would use a blender, we also make vanilla milkshakes and frozen margaritas. During Lab testing, we weigh the final product and strain it through a mesh sieve to evaluate whether all ingredients are fully blended and whether each grind or puree is uniform.
We also make a broccoli leek soup, if the blender is equipped to blend hot ingredients. A blender must have vents in order to safely blend hot ingredients and you should avoid blending hot liquids in a personal blending cup, which could potentially cause burns upon opening.
If a blender comes with a food processor attachment, we also test that attachment to see how well it performs. We shred carrots and mozzarella, mince parsley, grind parmesan and slice pepperoni and tomatoes.
When testing, we rate the helpfulness of the owner’s manual and evaluate how easy each model is to assemble, use and clean. We also consider how noisy each blender is while operating. Finally, we check how well the blender cups resist staining from tomato sauce that is left overnight. We measure the wear after 14 cycles in the dishwasher.
✔️ Type of blender: Blenders come in a few different varieties. Choose the best one for you according to your culinary needs.
✔️ Controls: Depending on the blender, some offer a variety of presets and functions, while others only offer a few. If you prefer to push a smoothie button and let the blender do the work then look for a model with presets. Another function to look for is a timer if you want to keep track of how long you need to blend for a recipe; some models have this feature, while others don't.
✔️ Blades: While it might seem counterintuitive, better-performing blenders do not come with sharp blades (which tend to dull over time). Instead, they come with strong blades that stand the test of time and are able to pulverize just about anything. This also makes them much safer to clean.
✔️ Size: If you don't plan to keep your blender on your countertop, look for a lightweight model. They're more portable but also more likely to skid around on the countertop when in use. If you want to keep your blender on the counter, be sure to consider the height, as some models are too tall to fit neatly underneath kitchen cabinets. If a countertop blender is too big for your kitchen, consider an immersion blender that’s slim and can tackle most of the same tasks.
✔️ Glass vs. plastic carafe: Glass is heavier, but it won’t retain odors or stain as easily as plastic models. Most high-powered blenders do not use glass jars because they're not guaranteed to be completely shatterproof, but if you really want glass, look for one that’s been thermal-shock tested (which means you can blend ice in a canister that's come straight from the dishwasher). Many of our top-performing blenders have jars made of Tritan plastic and some that manufacturers say are BPA-free, which can withstand high-speed blades.
✔️ Wattage: Blenders with higher wattage tended to perform better, but this was not always the case — the overall design of the blender is more important in determining performance.
✔️ Accessories: Some blender models come with a few personal cups with drinking lids; this is great to look for if you want the versatility of blending up a small batch of pesto or a personal smoothie. Food processor-blender combo models also come with accessories like dough hooks for kneading pizza or cookie dough or discs for shredding and grating ingredients. If you have the space for storage, these accessories can give you even more cooking versatility.
The best model of blender for you is the one that gets your desired blender job accomplished. A full-sized blender model is a good place to start if you're looking for a model to accomplish a variety of blending tasks. However, if you want a smaller model, a personal or an immersion/hand blender would be a better option. But if you want to accomplish even more than just blending with your blender, we recommend looking into purchasing a food processor blender combo.
There are a lot of great blender brands. Many of the blenders in this story are from brands that have consistently tested well in our Labs. Vitamix, Nutribullet, Ninja, Cuisinart, Breville, KitchenAid and Wolf are all great blender companies that we stand behind.
If you want your blender to be able to blend up both hot soups and frozen drinks, you need a high powered blender with vents. Specifically when blending up hot ingredients, you will need vents that are usually located on the lid's inner cap that let hot air escape out of the blender. Because of this, you cannot use a personal blender for hot and cold ingredients. However, a hand blender can be used for both hot and cold ingredients. And before you start blending, always check the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure they recommend blending hot foods in the blender.
Eva Bleyer has professionally tested all kinds of kitchen equipment, from oven ranges to juicers to kitchen scales to blenders. In fact, in the past two years alone, Eva has rigorously tested almost 40 blenders in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab. As a trained chef with a background in health-supportive cooking, she also has years of experience using blenders to make everything from cashew cream sauce to roasted beet hummus.
Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab where she oversees all of Good Housekeeping's content and testing related to kitchen appliances, tools, gadgets and gear. She's been testing kitchen appliances professionally since 2013 and has worked at kitchen appliance companies where she helped develop some popular blenders and hand blenders as well as many recipes for them. She is trained in classic culinary arts and is a professional recipe developer.
Unlock exclusive content and money-saving deals with our all-access membership program. LEARN MORE
Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.
Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.
The Best Instant Pots of 2023
5 Best Under-Sink Water Filters of 2023
Best Vegetable Choppers to Make Prep a Breeze
A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
Solar Bldc Motor ©2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.