Best Countertop Blenders
A good countertop blender is a tool no kitchen should go without. If you’re not into smoothies, no problem! Today, blenders are designed to do all kinds of things to make your life easier in the kitchen; we’re talking ice cream, peanut butter, silky smooth soups and homes made salad dressings, just to name a few. I kid you not, there is a blender recipe for just about anything you can think of, and the more you use your blender, the more you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. If you’ve had a blender before and don’t get what all of the fuss is about, I guarantee you that’s because you didn’t have a good one. A good blender is a magical thing, and finding magic is no easy feat, that’s why we’ve put together this handy list of our top picks for the best countertop blenders – you’re welcome!
Our Top Picks For The Best Countertop Blender
Best Overall Choice – Blendtec Total Classic Original Blender With FourSided Jar
This blender is a no brainer and does so much more than just making great drinks and smoothies. With it’s large wet/dry fillable four-sided jar, this lightweight, yet powerful blender justifies its price tag with professional-grade power, six pre-programmable cycles and ten speeds to choose from.
The Blendtec Total Classic Original Blender with FourSide Jar is very lightweight at just over seven pounds and has a heavy-duty 1,560-watt motor that makes it a great option for crushing ice and frozen fruit. With six pre-programmable cycles and ten speeds, you can really do it all with this blender. We particularly like the pulse feature and the self-cleaning function at the push of a button.
The blender pitcher is free from BPA (hugely important!) and the two-tip stainless steel blades do an excellent job at crushing and blending, without being too sharp.
Did we mention there is an EIGHT-year warranty? This should give you peace of mind on your investment.
Pros
- Eight-year warranty
- Powerful motor that works well on ice and frozen fruit
- Various different presets and speeds
- Sturdy, well-designed blending pitcher and blade
- Self-cleaning feature
Cons
- Loud when running at full speed
- Some people feel that the pitcher is on the small side
Best Deluxe Option – Vitamix 7500 Blender
The name is synonymous with top quality, and ALL of the best smoothie joints use them. If money is no object, and you’re in a position where you can invest in a quality piece of machinery that will last a long time, this high-end blender will not disappoint you.
The Vitamix 7500 Blender has a powerful all-metal drive and a wide array of features.
This blender is HEAVY compared to others, so be warned. Coming in at a whopping 13 pounds, the Vitamix 7500 has a 64-ounce blending capacity and a very powerful motor that makes crushing almost anything easy work.
The dial on the front of the blender allows you to toggle through ten different speeds and offers a very handy pulse option (that allows you to use the machine very much like a food processor).
An added benefit with this choice is a radial cooling fan and thermal protection system that protects the motor to ensure you don’t burn it out.
The stainless steel blade has four tips and can tear through frozen and fibrous ingredients no problem!
We love the self-cleaning feature and the fact that you can choose from a variety of fun colors.
The Vitamix 7500 blender comes with an incredible seven-year warranty
Pros
- Seven-year warranty
- Strong Motor and blades
- Radial cooling fan and built-in thermal protection to prevent motor burnout
- Comes in many colors
- Self-cleaning feature
Cons
- Very heavy
- More expensive than other options
Best Bang For Your Buck – Ninja Professional 1000
Not everyone has hundreds of dollars to invest upfront on a blender, and this mid-priced option will definitely do the trick at blending just about anything you can dream up.
The Ninja Professional 1000 has an impressive 7,000+ reviews on Amazon, and the vast majority of them are very positive.
The beautiful sleek design of this particular blender is sure to make a statement in any kitchen.
Given the price point, the Ninja has outstanding performance with 1,000 watts of power and 64-ounce liquid capacity.
The blades were designed with ice crushing power in mind, and also do a great job at other things like pureeing, blending and processing frozen fruit in the blink of an eye.
This blender comes equipped with a very large 72oz BPA free blending pitcher that is great for making big batches of drinks, dips and salsas.
Pros
- Modest price
- Excellent crushing technology
- Large pitcher than can accommodate large batches
- Includes a pulse function that makes it easy to make sauces and dips
- Can be thrown in the dishwasher for an easy clean
Cons
- The lid can be a little tricky to remove until you get the hang out it
- Some customers have noted that it is a little loud when on the highest setting
What Is The Standard Price Range For Blenders?
Higher-end blenders usually start at around $150 and go up to $800+. On the low end, you can find a blender for as little as $50. How much you should spend on a blender really comes down to what you want to use it for, and how often you expect to use it. If you’re looking to make a smoothie in the morning, soup for lunch, homemade peanut butter in the afternoon and a pina colada at dinner, you’re definitely going to need to fork out more cash to ensure you purchase a blender with a motor that can keep up with your high blend lifestyle. If you’re only looking to make the odd smoothing or margarita, you should be OK with a cheaper and more simple model. Just always remember to do your research, read reviews, and be realistic with your expectations.
What Type Of Blender Is The Best?
Countertop blenders are versatile machines that can be used for a wide range of things like smoothies, frozen cocktails, soups, dips and vinaigrettes. Personal blenders are much smaller, single-serve type blenders that can’t handle things like hot liquids or ice, so they typically serve only one purpose, making smoothies. The price of a blender often has a direct correlation to its quality, performance, and longevity. The more expensive, usually the more thoughtful the design, blending power and versatility. That said, you can find great blenders that are budget-friendly; you just need to pay special attention to the reviews. If you’re going to be blending thick mixtures, fibrous veggies, ice and frozen fruit, you’re going to need powerful blades and a motor that won’t burn out, and that probably means spending a little bit more money on a premium, full size and high-powered blender. If you’re just going to make the odd smoothie, you can usually get away with something much less powerful, and in turn, less expensive.
How Do I Use A Blender?
Blenders are quite easy to use, and exactly how you should use them depends on what you’re making. Some blenders have manual controls that are very intuitive, and many have handy preset functions (i.e. a smoothie or ice crushing button). All blenders have an on/off switch, and most have a button or toggle that will allow you to pulse things in a controlled way, along with a dial that will allow you to gradually increase a continuous blending speed (from low to high,). All blenders have tight-fitting lids that should remain on the entire time you’re blending, and some have a small door in the lid designed to allow you to safely add things like oil while slowly emulsifying.
Which Jar Shape Is Best?
When it comes to efficient blending the jar shape plays a huge role. When you need to blend things that are fibrous (like berries and kale) or things that are small and gritty (like chia seeds) your blenders ability to do this doesn’t come down to the motor strength alone, it also depends on the position and length of the blades and the design of the blending jar. A good blender design ensures that when you turn the machine on a vortex is created, helping the motor by pulling items down into the blades. Premium brands typically offer taller, tapered jars with a curved bottom in order to create a consistent vortex. Shorter, wider jugs with a flat bottom are usually not as successful.
Plastic Jar Vs. Glass?
A lot of blenders, even premium models, have BPA free high-quality plastic jars (usually made out of Tritan plastic). Some companies don’t use Tritan plastic and instead use other durable plastics like polycarbonate. The reason many manufacturers use plastic is that it’s lighter, more durable and a lot safer than glass. With that said, plastic jugs are not invincible and can crack when exposed to really high temps, so it’s best not to put them in the dishwasher.
Some people hate plastic and prefer glass or metal, but the best and most powerful blenders usually don’t offer glass jars because they’re not as safe when combined with metal blades and a strong motor.
Do I Need A Warranty?
Warranties are a great thing, and often a sign of a trustworthy manufacturer. Blenders have a lot of moving parts, and engine burn out is a very real threat. Blender jugs are also sometimes prone to breakage because they REALLY take a beating turning hard materials like ice and frozen fruit into silky smooth liquids. Having a manufacturer warranty to protect you from things you can’t control is amazing, but you have to remember that you still have a responsibility to take care of your blender and use it properly because most warranties aren’t going to protect you from accidental breakage that’s a direct result of your actions (i.e. holding down the blend button while the blades are jammed or ending up with a cracked jug because you used the dishwasher instead of handwashing). Most blenders come with one-year limited warranties, but some come with incredible warranties up to eight years! Make sure to do your research so that you understand the limitations of your warranty when you make your purchase.
What Is That Long Plastic Thing That Came With My Blender?
That, my friend, is called a tamper. When you’re blending, you can fit the tamper down into the blender through the lid to pop air pockets or unclog a jam. The tamper is specifically designed to do this safely, and you should definitely not use anything else to perform this task. If your blender didn’t come with a tamper and you’d like one after reading this, do a little bit of research online to find one that is compatible with your machine.
Final Thoughts
Blenders are a kitchen game-changer, and once you get the hang of using one, meal prep (especially at breakfast time) will become a breeze. The thing about blenders though, is that a great one (and sometimes even a not so great one) can easily run you hundreds of dollars, so you need to make sure that the one you’re thinking of getting has the research and the reviews to back its claims. Blenders today can do way more than making smoothies, they can easily whip up everything from ice cream to mayonnaise at the push of a button. Whether you’re a blending pro who has tons of recipes up your sleeve or a backyard warrior who is just looking for a great way to make a daiquiri, we hope that this list of our best blender picks will help you find the best machine for all of your blending needs