The KitchenAid K400 blender is great for most uses and looks and feels durable enough for even professional environments. This bulky blender comes with a big 56-ounce jar, so you can make large quantities of smoothies or soups at a time. It's very versatile as it can blend both cold and hot liquids, and it creates bar-quality ice quickly. Unfortunately, the jar's lid isn't the easiest to clean, but both it and the jar are dishwasher safe.
Our Verdict
The KitchenAid K400 blender is excellent for multi-purpose use. It's ideal for making a smooth blend with fruits and vegetables for recipes like smoothies, soups, and sauces. It can make snow-like crushed ice and process hot ingredients. It can also produce smooth, spreadable nut butter, but it's difficult to use for that purpose. It can be somewhat difficult to clean the blades by hand, but the jar and lid are dishwasher-safe.
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Creates bar quality ice.
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Dishwasher-safe.
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Very well-built.
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Can blend hot liquids.
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Blades can be tricky to clean by hand.
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Difficult to use for nut butter.
The KitchenAid K400 is fantastic for making single-serving smoothies. It's very easy to use to process small batches and makes an extremely smooth blend with fibrous elements like kale or fruit skin. It's also well-built, decently easy to clean by hand, and the jar is dishwasher-safe.
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Very well-built.
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Smoothly blends fibrous ingredients.
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Blades can be tricky to clean by hand.
The KitchenAid K400 is incredible for making multiple servings of smoothies. Its 56-ounce main jar can hold enough ingredients to serve a crowd. It can make a very smooth blend with leafy greens and frozen fruit very quickly. The jar is dishwasher-safe and decently easy to clean by hand.
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Very well-built.
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Smoothly blends fibrous ingredients.
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Blades can be tricky to clean by hand.
The KitchenAid K400 blender is fantastic for crushing ice. It quickly pulverizes ice cubes into snow-like crushed ice perfect for slushies or cocktails.
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Creates bar quality ice.
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Dishwasher-safe.
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Very well-built.
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Blades can be tricky to clean by hand.
The KitchenAid K400 blender is superb for soups. You can use it for blending hot ingredients directly from a pot or pan, and it makes a very smooth blend with fibrous ingredients like kale or broccoli, so it can make silky pureed soups and sauces. It's also well-built and has a 56-ounce capacity for big batches. It's decently easy to clean and the jar is dishwasher-safe.
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Dishwasher-safe.
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Can blend hot liquids.
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Smoothly blends fibrous ingredients.
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Blades can be tricky to clean by hand.
The KitchenAid K400 blender is great for professional use. It's well-built and offers versatile performance. It can hot blend, make silky smoothies and sauces, and crush ice. However, it's not easy to use for thick mixtures like nut butter.
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Creates bar quality ice.
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Very well-built.
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Can blend hot liquids.
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Smoothly blends fibrous ingredients.
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Blades can be tricky to clean by hand.
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Difficult to use for nut butter.
- 8.8 Multi-Purpose
- 9.2 Smoothies (Single Serving)
- 9.2 Smoothies (Multiple Servings)
- 9.0 Ice Crushing
- 9.1 Soups
- 8.1 Professional Use
- Updated Nov 09, 2023: Added details about variants that come with different accessories in the 'Differences Between Variants' section.
- Updated Sep 14, 2023: The blender's build quality has been re-evaluated, and the score has changed from 8.5 to 8.0, partly because the motor base has plastic gears.
- Updated Dec 05, 2022: Revised text to match Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Aug 25, 2022: Added a note that blenders like the Ninja Foodi Power Blender & Processor System come with jars that are easier to use for nut butter.
- Updated Jul 28, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Sep 08, 2020: Review published.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
This blender comes in many different colors, including 'Almond Cream', 'Beetroot', 'Blue Velvet', 'Candy Apple', 'Contour Silver', 'Matte Black', 'Passion Red', and 'White'. It's sometimes sold with a tamper in various colors, including 'Blue Velvet, 'Contour Silver', 'Dried Rose', 'Matte Black', 'Milkshake', 'Passion Red', 'Pistachio', and 'White'. There's also a variant that comes with a tamper and a personal jar. That variant comes in 'Contour Silver' or 'Matte Black'.
We tested the basic version that only comes with the 56oz jar main in 'Matte Black'. We expect the other variants to perform similarly as long as you're using the main jar. However, we don't know how the personal jar will perform. The tamper will also affect the blender's performance since it lets you stir ingredients without removing the lid.
If you encounter another variant, let us know in the forums, and we'll update the review.
Compared To Other Blenders
The KitchenAid K400 is a great all-around blender that performs well regardless of what you're blending. It also supports hot blending, so you can do soups or other hot mixes, like most KitchenAid blenders we've reviewed. It's also very well-built.
If you're looking for other options, look at our recommendations for the best blenders, the best blenders for frozen drinks, and the best blenders for smoothies.
The Vitamix Explorian E310 is a better blender than the KitchenAid K400. The Vitamix is better built and does a better job with thick mixtures like nut butter. It comes with a tamper and has a wider range of speed settings. It's also easier to clean by hand. However, the KitchenAid K400 has a slightly bigger capacity and a few automatic blending programs.
The KitchenAid K400 is better than the KitchenAid K150. The K400 makes a smoother blend with fibrous ingredients like kale and more uniform crushed ice. It has a bigger capacity, a better build quality, and a few automatic blending programs. On the other hand, the K150 is quieter and more compact.
The Vitamix A2300 is a better blender than the KitchenAid K400. It's a lot more powerful and also feels better built and more premium. Also, the Vitamix makes smoother nut butter and is easier to clean. The Vitamix's main jar is larger and comes with a tamper. On the other hand, while the KitchenAid is a bit inferior in pretty much all categories, it's a lot more affordable than the Vitamix.
The Vitamix A3500 is better than the KitchenAid K400. The Vitamix is better built, quieter, and much more suitable for processing hard ingredients like nuts. It has a somewhat bigger capacity and it's easier to clean by hand. You may prefer it because of its digital display, which includes a programmable timer.
The Vitamix 5200 is a better blender for most uses than the KitchenAid K400. The Vitamix is better built, much easier to use for recipes like nut butter, and it's easier to clean by hand. On the other hand, the KitchenAid blender has a few automatic blending programs. Its controls include a few automatic blending programs for different recipes.
The KitchenAid K400 is a better multi-purpose blender than the Blendtec Classic 575. The KitchenAid has a better build quality and is better for processing small batches of fibrous ingredients like kale and tougher tasks like making nut butter. It's also quieter. On the other hand, the Blendtec is easier to clean by hand and has a bigger capacity.
The Vitamix 5300 is better for most purposes than the KitchenAid K400. The Vitamix has a much better build quality and a better performance when it comes to crushing ice and making nut butter. It's also easier to clean by hand. However, the KitchenAid has a few automatic blending programs. It's quieter when it's running and its jar, lid, and blades are dishwasher-safe, unlike the Vitamix's.
The KitchenAid K400 is better than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. The KitchenAid makes a much smoother puree of fibrous ingredients like kale. It can hot blend, offers many more speed settings, and it's easier to clean by hand. On the other hand, the Ninja has a bigger capacity and it's a little better for ice crushing. It's also easier to use to blend hard ingredients like nut butter.
The Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender and the KitchenAid K400 have different strengths. The KitchenAid makes a smoother blend of fibrous ingredients, so it's better for making silky smoothies and soups. Its speed dial gives you more control over the blending speed and it's easier to clean by hand. On the other hand, the Foodi can heat up room temperature ingredients. It's slightly better for ice crushing and much easier to use for thicker mixtures like nut butter.
The Vitamix A2500 is better than the KitchenAid K400. The Vitamix has a much better build quality, comes with a tamper, and is easier to clean by hand. It makes a smoother nut butter with less time and effort on your part. On the other hand, the KitchenAid K400 makes a silkier puree when you're blending small batches of fibrous ingredients, like for a single-serve smoothie.
The KitchenAid K400 and the KitchenAid Diamond have different strengths. The K400 has a better build quality and makes a smoother puree with big batches of fibrous ingredients like multiple servings of a kale smoothie. It makes more uniform crushed ice. On the other hand, the Diamond is much easier to use for recipes like nut butter. It's also easier to clean.
The KitchenAid K400 and the Ninja Mega Kitchen System. The KitchenAid is easier to clean and more versatile since it can hot blend. It makes a smoother puree with big batches of fibrous ingredients, like a recipe for broccoli soup. However, the Ninja comes with personal jars with to-go lids for single-serve drinks like smoothies. It also has a food processing attachment for tasks like slicing and chopping vegetables.
The KitchenAid K400 is better than the Smeg BLF01. The KitchenAid has a much better build quality and a better overall performance, especially for tough tasks like making nut butter.
The KitchenAid K400 and the Ninja Foodi Power Blender Ultimate System have different strengths. The KitchenAid K400 makes a smoother blend with big batches of fibrous ingredients, and it can hot blend, so it's better for multiple servings of smoothies and soups. On the other hand, the Ninja comes with lots of extra accessories, including personal jars for smoothies and a 'Smoothie Maker Bowl' that makes it easy to make thick mixtures like nut butter. There are also extra blades included for tasks like forming dough and slicing vegetables.
The KitchenAid K400 is better than the Ninja Chef Blender for most purposes. It's much sturdier and significantly quieter. It offers a somewhat wider range of speed settings. It's better suited for hot blending. However, you might prefer the Ninja because it's much better for recipes like nut butter, hummus, thick dips, and smoothie bowls. It comes with a tamper included and has a programmable timer.
The KitchenAid K400 is better than the Ninja Blender Duo with Auto-iQ BL642. The KitchenAid makes a smoother blend with fibrous ingredients like kale, especially when you're working with bigger batches, and it can hot blend. It's also easier to clean. On the other hand, the Ninja comes with personal jars and to-go lids for single-serve drinks like smoothies. It's also quieter when it's running.
The KitchenAid K400 and the Blendtec Designer 725 have different strengths, and you may prefer either one depending on your preferences. The Blendtec has a much better build quality, its main jar has a bigger capacity, and it comes with a personal jar for recipes like single-serve smoothies. It’s easier to clean by hand. However, the KitchenAid K400 can be used for hot blending. It also produces smoother nut butter.
The Vitamix 7500 is better for most purposes than the KitchenAid K400. The Vitamix is better built, crushes ice more quickly, and is much easier to use for thicker recipes like nut butter or hummus. It's also easier to clean by hand and quieter when it's running. Then again, the KitchenAid makes a smoother blend with small batches of ingredients like kale, so it's better for single-serve drinks like smoothies.
The KitchenAid K400 is better than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The KitchenAid K400 has a much better build quality and offers a better performance for processing fibrous ingredients, making nut butter, and crushing ice. It has more automatic blending programs and a wider range of speed settings. The NutriBullet is easier to clean by hand and comes with a personal jar for making single-serve smoothies.
The KitchenAid K400 and the Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System have different strengths. The KitchenAid has a better build quality and makes a smoother blend of fibrous ingredients like kale. On the other hand, the Ninja comes with extra jars that make it easier to use for thicker recipes like nut butter. It also includes personal jars for smoothies and food processing accessories for forming dough, chopping, and slicing.
The KitchenAid K400 is better than the Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher SS201 for most uses. It's better built and makes a smoother blend of fibrous ingredients like kale and broccoli, so it's better for recipes like smoothies and soups. On the other hand, the Ninja is easier to use to make thicker mixtures like nut butter.
The KitchenAid K400 is a better full-size blender than the Hamilton Beach Power Elite Multi-Function. The KitchenAid has a much better build quality and a better overall performance. It can hot blend and has a bigger capacity.
The KitchenAid K400 is a better multi-purpose blender than the Vitamix ONE. The KitchenAid is sturdier and more versatile since it can hot blend, make nut butter, and crush ice. It's also quieter.
The KitchenAid K400 is better for most purposes than the Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ. The KitchenAid does a better job of pureeing fibrous ingredients like kale and broccoli. It can hot blend. On the other hand, the Ninja comes with a food processing bowl plus a pair of personal jars for single-serve smoothies, meaning you may prefer it for its accessories.
The KitchenAid K400 is better than the Hamilton Beach Professional Quiet Blender for most purposes. The KitchenAid has a better overall performance, especially for tough tasks like making nut butter. However, true to its name, the Hamilton Beach is much quieter when it's running. It's also easier to clean by hand.
Test Results
The KitchenAid K400 blender is quite similar to the KitchenAid K150 in terms of dimensions and is a bit bulky. It's not as tall as other blenders, though. However, it's very heavy, so you'll likely want to store it directly on your counter, as moving it around frequently can be a bit of a nuisance.
It has a great build quality. The base and its gears are made of plastic but feel sturdy. The gear on the bottom of the jar is made of metal, which is more durable. The control buttons also feel solid rather than flimsy. However, the jar doesn't feel as solid as other blenders', like the Wolf Gourmet Pro-Performance.
It comes with one pitcher that has a 64-ounce capacity.
The jar is made of plastic and can go in the dishwasher.
The blade assembly has four very sharp blades. Unfortunately, you can't remove them from the jar for cleaning, but the jar along with the blades is dishwasher-safe.
The jar's lid is made from a stiff plastic material. It's difficult to clean, but luckily it can be put on the top rack of a dishwasher. The center part of the lid doubles as a measuring cup, which is handy when adding ingredients mid-blend.
The power cord is long enough to reach an outlet on your counter, but you may need to use an extension if all your outlets are near the ground. Unfortunately, the blender doesn't have a compartment to hide the cable when not in use.
It's fantastic for making small batches of fibrous ingredients. It's very easy to use to make a virtually perfectly smooth blend of small batches of ingredients like kale, which is great for recipes like single-serve smoothies and protein shakes.
It's fantastic for processing fibrous ingredients at full capacity. If you use the 'Smoothie' program followed by around 30 seconds of blending on 'High' speed, it easily blends fibrous ingredients like kale into a nearly perfectly smooth puree.
It's a superb blender for crushing ice. It makes snow-like crushed ice with little effort on your part. It takes a little longer compared to the very best ice crushing blenders, like the Vitamix A3500.
It's okay for nut butter. You have to stop the blender frequently, especially at the beginning of the process, remove the lid and stir the ingredients to keep them moving. While it's a time-consuming and hands-on process, it ultimately makes very smooth, spreadable nut butter.
If you want to make nut butter in your full-size blender, you may prefer the Ninja Foodi Power Βlender & Processor System, which comes with a smaller additional jar that makes it very easy to make nut butter, although it has a limited capacity.
It's not particularly loud for a full-size blender, but the noise will get irritating if you stand next to it for more than a few minutes. If you're looking for a quieter blender, you might prefer options like the Hamilton Beach Professional Quiet Blender.
Despite showing options from 1-5, you can hear the motor progress through 22 different speed increments as you slowly move the dial, giving you a good number of options for fine-tuning the blending speed.
There's a dial with indications for speeds 1-5 as well as four automatic blending programs: 'Icy Drink', 'Smoothie', 'Crushed Ice', and 'Self Clean'. The speed dial rotates smoothly instead of clicking from set speed to set speed, so you can make small adjustments. Turning the dial counterclockwise (as if selecting a speed before 1) activates pulse mode. The blender can hot blend but doesn't have any dedicated mode for soups and can't warm up cool ingredients.
This blender is decently easy to clean. Running the blender with soap and water in the jar takes care of a good amount of residue. However, the angled non-removable blades make it hard to easily clean the jar, and you may need to spend some time scrubbing them with a brush. If you want a full-size blender that's easier to clean, check out the Vitamix Explorian E310 or the Oster Pro 1200.