While smoothies and protein shakes might be the most popular uses for blenders, good blenders can do a lot more. The best ones can liquify fibrous fruits and vegetables, blend hot ingredients for soups and sauces, crush a batch of ice cubes, and process thicker recipes like nut butter or hummus. A two-part lid and a wide range of speed settings also make a blender more versatile. Plus, good blenders are well-built, easy to clean, and not extremely loud. Depending on your preferences, you might want one that includes additional jars for single-serve smoothies or lots of blending programs for more automatic blending.
We've tested over 135 blenders, and below are our recommendations for the best blenders you can buy. For cheaper options, check out our picks for the best budget blenders, and if you mainly use your blender when preparing soups and sauces, you might want one of the best immersion blenders.
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Best Blender
Multi-Purpose9.2Build Quality9.0Main Jar Capacity48.0 oz (1,420 ml)Noise7.8Hot BlendingYesSmoothies (Single Serving)9.1Smoothies (Multiple Servings)8.2Ice Crushing8.7See all our test resultsSoups8.6The Vitamix Ascent X5 is the best blender we've tested. This premium blender performs exceptionally well across the board, particularly excelling with recipes some full-size models struggle with, like smaller batches for single-serve smoothies and challenging blends like nut butter or hummus. It's a great option for home cooks who want a blender that can handle pretty much any blend, including hot ingredients. You'll prefer it over other Vitamix models if you use automatic blending programs (it has 11) or use your blender a lot and care about noise, since it's very quiet for a full-size blender.
This blender is the high-end option in Vitamix's Ascent lineup. While they all perform very similarly, it's the quietest option with the best build quality. In particular, its rubber jar handle cover doesn't slide around when you pick up the jar like the X4's. It has a few extra features, including a +15 seconds button, so you can easily blend your smoothie for a little longer. This blender's 48oz capacity might be a little small for some uses, so if you often double recipes or provide frozen drinks for a crowd, you may prefer an older model with a 64oz capacity, such as the Vitamix A3500. You can also buy a 64oz jar for the X5, but it's an added expense.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Blender
Multi-Purpose9.3Build Quality9.0Main Jar Capacity48.0 oz (1,420 ml)Noise6.6Hot BlendingYesSmoothies (Single Serving)9.0Smoothies (Multiple Servings)8.5Ice Crushing8.7See all our test resultsSoups8.7The Vitamix Propel 510 is a great alternative to the pricier Vitamix Ascent X5 if you care about performance but don't mind fewer convenience features. This sturdy blender performs just as well as the X5 for most recipes. It easily makes a smooth blend with fibrous greens and fruit in small and large batches, and makes a pitcher of crushed ice in a few seconds. While it lacks the X5's useful Nut Butter preset, it's still easy to use to blend thicker recipes like nut butter, hummus, and pesto. This blender's all-analog controls include a speed dial, pulse switch, and 3 blending programs, including Soup, which heats ingredients with friction as they blend. Overall, it has what you need for any recipe, especially if you prefer manual blending, but it isn't as automatic as the X5.
This blender is very well-built and includes a tamper and lid for its 48oz jar. However, it's fairly loud, especially compared to the X5, so it's not ideal if noise is a priority. Like the X5, its smaller capacity may be limiting. However, you can buy a 64oz jar separately. Also, Vitamix sells a compatible personal jar, which is a plus if you want to blend a drink and bring it with you. It's worth noting that personal jars aren't currently available for Ascent series blenders, and you may want to consider a Legacy model like the Propel if you plan to buy one.
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Best Mid-Range Blender
Multi-Purpose8.6Build Quality8.0Main Jar Capacity48.0 oz (1,420 ml)Noise7.9Hot BlendingYesSmoothies (Single Serving)8.3Smoothies (Multiple Servings)8.0Ice Crushing8.1See all our test resultsSoups8.5The KitchenAid K150 is a much cheaper blender than our top Vitamix picks, and it's a solid choice if you mainly use your blender for smoothies, shakes, and the occasional soup or sauce. It doesn't blend as fast as the Vitamix Propel 510, but it makes a similarly smooth blend with fibrous fruits and vegetables, so you can make well-blended broccoli soup or a blueberry smoothie without specks of fruit skin leftover. It has no problem crushing ice on its own or with liquid for frozen drinks like slushies or blended margaritas.
However, it's less ideal if you often experiment with new recipes and want a versatile blender. Homemade dips and spreads like almond butter and hummus require much more hands-on effort compared to the previous picks. It produces good results but requires you to stop and scrape the jar every once in a while. The range of speed settings is also much smaller, and it only has three speed presets, so you don't have as much control, and it's not as easy to avoid over-blending, for example. It doesn't feel as sturdy as either Vitamix. That said, its less powerful motor makes it much quieter than the Propel 510.
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Best Budget Blender
Multi-Purpose8.9Build Quality8.0Main Jar Capacity48.0 oz (1,420 ml)Noise7.0Hot BlendingYesSmoothies (Single Serving)9.0Smoothies (Multiple Servings)8.5Ice Crushing8.8See all our test resultsSoups8.7The Chefman Obliterator is a great budget-friendly option if you mainly prepare basic blends like smoothies. This blender has a streamlined design and comes with a 48-ounce jar as well as a personal jar and travel lid. It excels at blending single-serve smoothies in its personal jar and bigger batches in the main jar, rivaling much more expensive blenders like the Vitamix X5 at full capacity, so it can make a very smooth blend even with difficult ingredients like kale or pineapple. It also features an Auto Blend mode, which is rare for a blender at this price, allowing for more hands-off operation.
Lower-end blenders often struggle with thicker recipes. This blender isn't an exception, unfortunately, as it's the weakest performer for nut butter, scoring well behind the KitchenAid K150 and far behind the Vitamix models. You'll need frequent stops to scrape the jar and more patience overall. The build quality also isn't as premium as the pricier options, with a plastic construction that feels less sturdy. If you want a blender that handles everyday tasks like smoothies, frozen drinks, and soups without breaking the bank, the Chefman delivers solid performance at an affordable price.
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Best Cheap Blender
Multi-Purpose8.3Build Quality6.5Main Jar Capacity48.0 oz (1,420 ml)Noise8.1Hot BlendingYesSmoothies (Single Serving)8.4Smoothies (Multiple Servings)7.7Ice Crushing6.6See all our test resultsSoups8.5The best cheap blender that we've tested is the Black+Decker Quiet Blender with Cyclone Glass Jar. Like the Chefman Obliterator, it excels at making smoothies or soups, but struggles with thicker blends. The tradeoff for its lower price is in its build quality and power, but if you want something inexpensive that works, it's a great option. It makes a smooth blend with most smoothie recipes in its 24oz personal jar or 48oz main jar. It's not ideal for crushing ice on its own, but ice cubes or frozen fruit as part of a smoothie are less of an issue. It's also very quiet for a full-size blender.
The main jar is made of glass, which is a nice perk for a cheaper blender if you prefer glass or want to avoid a scratched or discolored blender pitcher. However, otherwise it doesn't feel as well-built. The lid and blade collar feel flimsy, and the personal jar is made of flimsy plastic. The Chefman Obliterator is often on sale, and if you can find it at a similar price to the Black+Decker, it's the better choice. The Black+Decker is only worth considering if it's noticeably cheaper or if you specifically prioritize a quieter blender with a glass jar.
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Best Personal Blender
Multi-Purpose7.8Build Quality7.5Main Jar Capacity24.0 oz (710 ml)Noise5.8Hot BlendingNoSmoothies (Single Serving)9.2Smoothies (Multiple Servings)8.0Ice Crushing7.3See all our test resultsSoups3.7If you mainly use your blender for smaller batches, you might want a personal blender like the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO. This compact blender is a great option for people who don't have a lot of counter space but still want a blender that can handle all kinds of ingredients. You can make extremely smooth blends with difficult ingredients like kale and fibrous fruits like pineapple or mango in its 24oz personal jars, which come with matching lids. However, it also crushes ice with ease, so you can use it to make small batches of ice for cocktails. Even more impressively, it's also easy to use for recipes like homemade peanut butter. The 14oz 'Smoothie Bowl Maker' jar's built-in stirring arms help it keep thicker recipes moving and produce very smooth results with minimal effort.
However, like most personal blenders, it only has one speed setting, so you don't have as much control over the blend as with most full-size blenders. This blender's main downside is its noise level. It's a loud blender, even compared to many full-size blenders. That may not be a big deal for a quick smoothie or occasional batch of pesto, but it'll get annoying quickly if you need to make multiple batches. If you want a quieter option, you might want one of the other best personal blenders we recommend.
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Best Portable Blender
Multi-Purpose6.0Build Quality8.0Main Jar Capacity22.7 oz (670 ml)Noise8.7Hot BlendingNoSmoothies (Single Serving)8.4Smoothies (Multiple Servings)6.6Ice Crushing5.9See all our test resultsSoups3.1If you want a blender for quick smoothies and protein shakes, consider the Beast GO Cordless. Portable blenders are battery-powered personal blenders intended for blending smoothies and protein shakes during your lunch break, at the park, or after a workout. The Beast is a sturdy option that includes a 23oz main jar and a 22oz additional jar, along with a straw cap and reusable straws, a carrying lid, and a storage lid. Like other portable blenders, it can't really make nut butter and similar recipes, but it excels at blending fibrous ingredients and isn't bad at crushing ice, so it'll do a great job of blending most smoothie and protein shake recipes.
However, it's not as light as most portable blenders. It weighs about 3 lbs, which is as much as some plug-in personal blenders, so it might not be ideal if you want a blender you can tote around on a long walk. However, unlike some models, you don't have to carry its motor base around when drinking from the jar. This blender can also be a bit tricky to clean, since some parts are difficult to reach, but on the plus side, it comes with a blade cleaning tool included. If you want to see other options, check out our recommendations for the best portable blenders.
Notable Mentions
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Ninja Mega Kitchen System [BL770, BL770AMZ, BL771]:
The Ninja Mega Kitchen System is a mid-range blender that comes with personal jars for single-serve smoothies. The Ninja's personal jars make it easy to blend and take one on the go, but it can't hot blend like the KitchenAid K150.
See our review -
Vitamix 5200:
The Vitamix 5200's 64-ounce jar is tall and narrow, which can help blend very small batches of ingredients. It's easy to use for processing recipes like nut butter, so it's a good option if you want a 64-ounce jar and make a lot of dips and spreads. However, the Vitamix Propel 510 processes fibrous ingredients faster.
See our review
Recent Updates
Jun 02, 2026:
We replaced the Vitamix Ascent X4 with the Vitamix Ascent X5 as our top blender pick, since it's quieter and performs better on some recipes. We also added categories for portable and personal blenders for people who want a different type of model.
May 01, 2026:
We've made minor updates to the text and checked that the products are in stock, but our recommendations haven't changed.
Feb 13, 2026:
The Braun TriForce Power Pro JB9041BK is no longer available, so we replaced it with the KitchenAid K150. We also removed the Vitamix Explorian E310 to prioritize more affordable options.
Jan 12, 2026:
We've made minor updates to the text and checked that our picks are still in stock.
Dec 11, 2025:
We've replaced the Breville the Fresh & Furious with the Braun TriForce Power Pro JB9041BK as the 'Best Mid-Range' pick because it performs better overall. We also made some minor changes to the text for clarity.
FAQ
What is the best blender model?
It depends on what you want a blender for. Deciding on the type of blender you need is a good place to start; we have a guide to help you. Some important considerations include whether you usually blend single or multiple servings, whether you make a variety of recipes or mostly blend smoothies and other drinks, and whether you want to blend hot ingredients.
What are the best blender brands?
The best full-size blender brands consistently make well-built, convenient-to-use, and versatile products that can handle a variety of recipes, including smoothies, shakes, soups, and dips. Vitamix, Wolf Gourmet, and Breville are good high-end blender brands. Ninja and KitchenAid are among our most recommended brands for full-size blenders in the mid and budget price ranges. For personal blenders, it's important that the design and performance work well for smoothies. Ninja is among the best personal blender brands, and so is nutribullet.
What blender is best for hot and cold?
You need a full-size blender with a vented lid or an immersion blender to blend hot ingredients. Most personal and portable blenders can't hot blend because they don't allow steam to escape, which can cause dangerous splattering when you remove the lid. Some blenders can blend hot ingredients but not heat cool ingredients, like the KitchenAid K400 and the Oster Pro 1200. If you want a blender that can heat ingredients, look for models with a heating element, like the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender, or a blender that can heat ingredients with friction from the blades, like most Vitamix blenders.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best kitchen blenders for most people. We factor in price, visitor feedback, and availability.
If you'd like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our blender reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no option can be the best blender for everything, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.