Whether you’re looking for a quick way to make a batch of batter, trying to improve your diet with fresh, green smoothies, or just whipping up a good protein shake, no kitchen is complete without a good blender. The best blenders allow you to pulverize practically anything in your pantry without mess, effort, or pesky lumps.
Of course, with so many on the market these days, it’s hard to sort out the workhorses from the wimps. That’s why we put this guide together! We’ve rounded up the best blenders on the market today, and written in-depth comparison reviews to help you find a user-friendly and reliable appliance that suits your needs.
Read on to see all the blenders we currently recommend, and to find out which is the best choice for your kitchen!
Comparison chart: with columns for cost, capacity, warranty length, color options
Best Blender Reviews
NutriBullet NBR-1201 12-Piece High-Speed Blender/Mixer System
The NutriBullet is our go-to recommendation for anyone who wants to buy a decent blender on a tight budget. While it might seem like an infomercial gimmick, it’s actually a great product if you respect its limitations. The NutriBullet is an excellent little gadget for single smoothies, solo chefs, and anyone who can make do with a limited capacity and a single speed setting.
Pros:
It’s extremely affordable. You can usually find these available for well under $75. Considering you get two different containers and storage lids as well as the motor base and blades, that’s a definite bargain.
It’s very easy to use. You just add your ingredients to the container, screw on the lid, and then flip it onto the motor base. When you’re done blending, you unscrew the lid, and pour out your smoothie (or just drink it from the container).
We love how easy it is to clean, too. You can stick both the blade/lid assembly and the container in the top rack of a dishwasher.
It’s very compact. The NutriBullet is ideal for apartment-dwellers who are tight on counter space.
Cons:
It can be tricky to keep NutriBullets completely clean. The screw-on blade caps for the containers use rubber seals, which you have to remove occasionally to clean thoroughly. That’s not something you have to worry about with traditional blender designs.
It’s not a great choice for folks who want to make anything in large quantities. You can only make 24oz of smoothie/batter/soup at once, which is half the capacity of the smallest Vitamix we recommend. This one’s better for folks who are making something for themselves in single batches, rather than for families or leftovers.
While we’ve had good experiences using NutriBullets over the long term, they’re definitely not made as well as Vitamix machines. There are plenty of reports of reliability problems and quality control issues, which shouldn’t be surprising given the price. So, we suggest tacking on an extended/third-party warranty policy when you buy. It’ll add a bit to the cost, but it makes for a much better investment.
Vitamix Explorian E310 Professional-Grade Blender
The Vitamix Explorian is an entry-level Vitamix model that gives you American-made build quality and a user-friendly design for a more moderate price tag than some of the company’s other offerings. We think it’s the best buy for most people right now.
Pros:
It’s made in the USA, at a price where most other kitchen appliances are built cheaply in China. You can usually find one of these for around the $300 mark, depending on the color you choose. That’s very reasonable for something that’s as well-made as they come.
You’ll also be covered by a 7-year warranty and American customer service, which is a huge advantage over the 1-year warranties and frustrating support lines that back up cheaper models.
It offers loads of power. While NutriBullets can get bogged down when you add lots of greens or frozen fruit, Vitamix blenders can blast through anything. The Explorian is no exception. It’s a real workhorse.
Variable speed control makes this one a lot easier to work with than the NutriBullet. You can get a lot more control over texture, and work your way up to the consistency you want in your smoothies, soups or batters.
It’s very easy to clean, since you can just add some soap and water and let the motor do the scrubbing for you.
The Explorian has twice the capacity of the NutriBullet, so it’s a much better choice for making leftovers or larger batches to serve multiple people.
You definitely get what you pay for here. There’s a wonderful sense of value when you use a Vitamix–from the solid feel of the build to the intuitive design. That’s super important when you’re spending this much money on an appliance.
Cons:
It’s easily 6x as expensive as the NutriBullet. This is something to buy if you’re serious about smoothies or other blender tasks, not if you’re a casual user who won’t get their money’s worth from it.
It’s not as compact as the NutriBullet.
It’s as much blender as most folks could wish for, but it’s not the absolute best thing on the market. If you want maximum power and capacity, you should have a look at the Vitamix 5200 below.
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender
The Vitamix 5200 is our ultimate recommendation. It’s ideal for folks who want maximum power and versatility from their blender, and don’t mind paying a premium to get it.
Pros:
While this is certainly not a cheap blender by any measure, it’s far from the most expensive model on the market. We’ve used some of the higher-end Vitamix machines, and we think the 5200 offers pretty comparable quality and functionality for a much lower price. So, we think it’s a bargain.
It’s very powerful. This thing is an absolute beast, and you can use it for anything you have a mind to blend. It’s smooth, relatively quiet, and very reliable, since the motor doesn’t tax easily.
The extra-large container makes it super easy to whip up a family-sized batch of soup or smoothie. It’s also great for making lots of pancakes or popovers at a time. This is a great choice for anyone who likes leftovers, too!
And best of all, the container cleans itself with a little soapy water inside–just like the Explorian.
Just like the Explorian, the 5200 is covered by a 7-year warranty. It’s built like a tank in the USA, and has the premium look and feel you’d expect for this price.
Cons:
We’ve already said that we think the Vitamix 5200 offers a ton of value for the price. However, there’s no getting around that this is a $400+ kitchen appliance. Don’t buy this if you’re not sure you’re going to be using your blender on a regular basis.
Vitamix blenders are famously reliable, and this one’s no exception. We have seen a few buyer reviews online citing problems, though, so we’re noting that here for full disclosure. Having said that, many online buyers aren’t careful to go through authorized vendors, so they do sometimes run into used, broken, or otherwise compromised units. As long as you use the links above and get the real deal, there’s no reason to believe that your 5200 won’t last for years of daily use.
The 5200 doesn’t have a pulse feature. We’re not sure why, given that the Explorian comes with one at a lower price. That’s just a niggle and not a dealbreaker, though.
Conclusion
Which of these blenders should you buy for your kitchen?
The NutriBullet is the obvious choice if you’re on a budget. It’s a fantastic value for what you get. We’ve used NutriBullets for years, and while they don’t have many frills, they get the job done very cheaply. On the other hand, no NutriBullet will last as long as a Vitamix. This is a great first blender, but it probably won’t be your last.
We recommend the Vitamix Explorian to most buyers. It’s a perfect balance of value and versatility. The Explorian is much more powerful than a NutriBullet, and it also offers a lot more control. All in all, the self-cleaning container and smooth operation make it a pleasure to use. We think this is all the blender most folks will ever need. However, if you want maximum power and capacity, the 5200 is a better choice.
The Vitamix 5200 is our recommendation to people who use their blender all the time and who want to work with large quantities. It’s the best choice for parents who want to whip up a batch for the whole family at once. It’s also a perfect option for anyone who wants to make soups and other things as well as smoothies. It’s premium, powerful, and still not exorbitantly-priced. This is definitely overkill for the average user, though.
Buying Guide
Our recommendations span quite a range of designs and price tags, so it’s important to put some thought into what you’re looking for from your new blender. Here are a few tips to get you started on the right track:
Decide On Your Budget
These days, you can get a decent blender for as little as $50. You can also drop as much as $500 on a top-notch model with a larger container and more settings. Make sure you think about how much you want to spend/can afford to spend before you start reading about our recommendations. Think about how much you’ll be using your new blender, and for what tasks.
Most people don’t need to spend more than $300 on a blender. That’s actually our recommended spend for most buyers, since it gets you a premium, generous appliance that’ll last for years. You can spend less, and end up having to buy a replacement fairly soon, or you can spend more and not necessarily get your money’s worth.
Think About Your Wants/Needs
Be sure to think about exactly what you want your new blender to do for you. Are you sticking to simple smoothies? Looking to make hot soups? Trying to make big batches for the whole family? Having all your goals in mind while you shop will make it easier to figure out which model best suits your requirements.
Plan For The Long Term
As with any kitchen appliance, you want your new blender to last for at least a few years of regular use. That’s why we suggest spending a little more up front on something you won’t have to replace.
If you’re going to buy something under the $300 mark, you’re probably looking at a Chinese-made machine that’s mostly plastic and covered by a short warranty policy. Get an additional warranty policy from SquareTrade or another provider, so you’re not stuck if your inexpensive machine craps out on you.
What’s Next
We hope you’ve found our guide to the best blenders was helpful and informative. By now, you should have a clear idea of which model is your new dream machine. If you’re still making up your mind, no worries! Remember that you can learn more about any of the models you see here by clicking on the links in our reviews. That’s the best way to check current prices, compare full feature lists, and all that good stuff!
Be sure to visit our homepage at wifeknows.com to find links to our latest buying guides, featured reviews, and fun blog posts. You can also swing by our contact page to drop us a line if you have questions, comments, or other feedback for us. Happy blending!
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