The 5 Best Blenders - Winter 2021 Reviews

The best full-size blender that we've tested is the Vitamix A2500. This very well-built blender comes with a large, 64-ounce main jar. It has Bluetooth compatibility, so you can use with it a companion app and access extra preset modes, like 'Spice Grind' and 'Baby Food'.

It's great for multi-purpose use. You can use it to crush ice into a snow-like consistency, make fantastic almond butter, and blend an excellent smoothie. It's also safe to use with hot ingredients, so you can use it to blend cooked ingredients into soups and sauces. When you're done using it, clean-up is easy since most messes can be rinsed away with soap and water, and it also has a self-clean program.

Unfortunately, it doesn't come with any additional attachments or personal jars. You may also need to push food down towards the blades to make sure it gets blended, particularly leafy greens, but there's a tamper included for that purpose. Otherwise, it's an incredibly versatile option and a great choice if you're looking for a good all-around blender.

The best personal blender that we've tested is the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO. This well-built model comes with two 24-ounce jars and a 14-ounce 'Power Nutri Bowl' that has two manually rotating arms to help push ingredients towards the blades. There are a few preset modes on its control panel, too, which act as a timer and automatically stop it when it's done.

Overall, it has a very versatile performance, and it can easily make snow-like crushed ice and smooth, spreadable almond butter. Using the 'Extraction' mode, it can easily make a silky smoothie, and it comes with two to-go lids so you can bring your drink with you on-the-go. Also, it's easy to clean by hand, and you can even wash the jars, lids, and blades in the top-rack of your dishwasher.

Unfortunately, you can't use it to hot blend ingredients, and it doesn't come with a lot of extra attachments or accessories. It only operates at one speed, too, which may be disappointing if you're looking to adjust the speed based on your blend. That said, it's a great blender for making single-serve blends.

The best immersion blender that we've tested is the Bamix Mono M133. This compact blender feels very well-built, with a solid-feeling metal and plastic construction. It comes with a 20-ounce jar you can blend in, which also includes a lid for storing whatever you make.

Using the maximum speed setting, it's one of the fastest and quietest immersion blenders that we've tested. Also, unlike many immersion blenders, it makes bar-quality crushed ice in roughly four minutes. The included jar is heat-proof, and you can use it to blend hot ingredients for soups and sauces. It also comes with a whisk attachment and a beater attachment, which we don't test currently, but they're advertised for making foods like whipped cream or cake batter.

Unfortunately, it struggles to blend almonds into smooth butter and has a hard time fully processing raw leafy greens like kale. Also, while it's quite easy to clean with soap and water, the blade assembly isn't dishwasher-safe. Still, if you're looking for an immersion blender for soups, purees, and other food prep in your kitchen, it's a solid choice.

The Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ is the best budget blender that we've tested. This well-built, full-size model comes with a 72-ounce main jar that's ideal for making large batches of your favorite foods. It has lots of different speed settings and several different presets to help you get the best possible blend.

It's fairly versatile, and it can easily crush snow-like ice using its 'Ice Crush' preset. There's also a 'Smoothie' preset, which blends a thick and foamy smoothie in roughly less than two minutes. When you're done blending, it's easy to clean by hand, and you can even put the jar, lids, and blade assembly in the top-rack of your dishwasher for an easier clean.

Unfortunately, it struggles to fully process tougher ingredients like nuts, so it doesn't make very spreadable almond butter. It can't hot blend, either, which may be disappointing if you want to turn warm ingredients into smooth soups and purees. However, if you're on a budget, this is a solid choice.