While many people buy blenders mainly for smoothies, the best ones are versatile enough to tackle hot soups, nut butter, frozen drinks, and more. Features like a two-part lid, a tamper, and a wide range of speed settings help make a blender versatile enough for any recipe. If you make a lot of puréed soups and sauces, you may want something that can also process hot ingredients. Plus, good blenders aren't extremely loud and don't make cleanup difficult. Some even come with additional accessories, like extra personal jars for blending single-serve smoothies.