Although blenders are often associated with smoothie making, they're versatile and handy tools in any chef's kitchen. The best blenders can handle everything from silky pureed soups and smoothies to frozen drinks like margaritas and slushies, and even spreads like nut butter and hummus. 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 pureed soups and sauces, you might want something that can process hot ingredients, too. 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.

We've tested over 125 blenders, and below are our recommendations for the best models you can buy.