A blender is more than a whizzer. The best ones have settings that heat up, so you can create hot soups, smoothies, alternative milks, jams, and nut butters. They also come with extras like a tamper, dual-sided cleaning brush, strainer bag, and boil-over guard. Our testing team made a tomato-onion-jalapeno salsa and a kale-cauliflower smoothie, and rated how well each blender chopped and mixed ingredients. We also assessed the ease of use, speed options, and cleaning of each blender. For those that included travel lids, we also tested how easily they popped off and on.
Our Top Pick
Rachel's favorite blender is a professional-grade model from Cuisinart (R) that rivaled the Vitamix in our tests. It's easy to use and comes with ten speed options, a variety of presets, a turbo boost button, and a convenient LCD display. Its blending ability was on par with the top competitors, and its sharp blades made quick work of ice and frozen bananas.
The set includes a large, BPA-free Tritan pitcher and two 16-ounce travel cups, plus a chopper with lid. All of the removable parts are top-rack dishwasher safe, and the base's sleek gunmetal finish looks great on a countertop. It's the lightest and most portable model we tested, and it's ideal for small kitchens or college dorm rooms. Its limited speed settings may not be ideal for more advanced blending, but it's the best option if you need to make smoothies on a regular basis.
