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- When selecting a blender for your kitchen, you're going to want one that's powerful enough to do whatever job you need, whether it's creating a simple smoothie or crushing ice.
- The Calphalon Auto-Speed Blender is the best one you can buy with its powerful motor, decent price tag, and easy-to-use preset blending functions.
A blender seems like a simple kitchen tool, and for the most part, it is. Blenders give you a variety of settings to help you achieve the consistency you need for a particular recipe.
Even if you don't use it specifically for cooking, a blender is handy to have in your kitchen. When you want to make kale smoothies or homemade vanilla milkshakes, a blender is a must-have tool. (My blender much prefers vanilla to kale, but that's just me.)
Although blenders all seem to perform the same task, there are a few different kinds of blenders and each version offers unique features. We'll help you figure out which type of blender will give you the performance you want. The most common types of blenders include conventional, multi-purpose, immersion, and personal.
A conventional blender is the most common type for use in your kitchen at home. This type of blender can perform a variety of functions from making soup to blending smoothies. Multi-function blenders are more high-end ones like those you'd find in a restaurant. Finally, there's the personal blender, which is a small blender that makes single servings and may run from a battery for portability. Hand blenders, also called immersion blenders, are a popular alternative to the blenders most people are familiar with, and we have a full guide that you can check out here.
In this guide, we highlight a mix of conventional, multi-function, and personal blenders. When choosing a blender, you should also note that blenders vary in the power they provide, the quality of the components, and the variety of functions available. Think about how you want to use the blender, and you'll have better success in picking one to meet your needs.
The motor is the most important part of any blender, and the higher the wattage, the better the performance. Always get a blender with a motor that's more than 500 watts. If you want to make frozen drinks, you may need one with 1,000 watts of power.
You'll also want to look at the type of blades on each blender. Some blenders have blades made for solid objects like ice, while others make use of a chopping type of blade. Stainless steel blades are best. The size and material of the blender jar are also key factors, as is the tightness of the lid.
Here are our picks for the best blenders you can buy:
- Best blender overall: Calphalon Auto-Speed Blender
- Best blender for $100: Ninja Professional Blender BL660
- Best commercial-grade blender: Vitamix 750
- Best blender for less than $80: KitchenAid 5-Speed Blender
Updated on 01/17/2019 by Kylie Joyner: Added a new top pick to replace an older out-of-stock blender. Updated prices and formatting.
Read on in the slides below to learn more about our top picks.
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