Blenders are fantastic multi-taskers that can be used for everything from creating smoothies to prepare a meal for your family when you are too busy to cook. A smoothie (or smoothie bowl for extra fuel) is a great post-ride pick-me-up, says sports nutritionist Liz Applegate, Ph.D.
Applegate says smoothies are packed with nutrients and are great for boosting your energy and health. They have sugars, carbs, minerals, vitamins, and compounds that are important to building and maintaining a healthy body.
If you’re interested in smoothies (or already are) then you’ll need a great blender. Here are the top options available today, and how to select the right one for you.
You can view quick reviews of our five best blenders below, or you can read full reviews of those models and other high-ranked models.
What Size Motor Do You Need?
Think of how you intend to use the blender before buying. If you are planning to make nut butters or shakes with nuts in them, choose a machine with at least a 1,000-watt motor.
Fibrous foods, like kale, are notoriously difficult to chop. A powerful motor is needed to chop fiberous foods. You’ll need a power supply with 1,400 watts or more to complete the task quickly.
Blenders with a smaller motor, such as the NutriBullet, are ideal for blending liquids, yogurt, or soft solids, such as bananas.
Another thing you should keep in mind
A blender with a warranty that will cover everyday use is the best choice for frequent blender users. The $800 price tag on Blendtec’s Pro 800 is the highest mark on our list, but the 10-year warranty is a welcome addition.
Size should also be considered. Some blenders feature 64-ounce pitchers, while others have considerably larger or smaller pitchers. You may want to consider upsizing if you plan on making smoothies for longer periods of time. Be sure the blender you choose is the right size for your counter space as well as the overall product size.
How We Rated
To choose the top seven blenders of 2018, we considered 11 expert sources, 30 online reviews, and over 13,000 reviews from consumers. The Total Expert Score is calculated by synthesising expert ratings from leading review sites including CNET, Eater, and Top Ten Reviews and converting them to a 100-point scale so you can more easily compare your choices. Based on reviews of retail sites like Walmart and Amazon, the Consumer Score of the product represents the percent of consumers who gave the product 4 out of 5 stars.
Best Overall Blender
Blendtec Pro 800
The Blendtec Pro 800
Blendtec
$799.95
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- Quiet
- Exceptional warranty
- It’s one of the most powerful blenders available
- Pricing
The Pro 800 blends smoothies (relatively) quietly, making it one of our favorite quiet blenders.
If you like smoothies and sneak out in the dawn to patrol, then this is the blender for you. It’s the most expensive, but it’s also the one you don’t wake everyone up with. In addition to nut butters and doughs, it can also whip through hot soups and liquids.
A variety of items can be chopped and blended easily thanks to the strong motor. Reviewers at Smart Review also love how well it blends and how easy it is to use, stating that “even green smoothies with spinach and kale blend smoothly with the pro 800.” A recent Blender Review gave the Pro 800 high marks for the design, notably for the container, noting that the WildSide Jar was “different from most other containers, creating a vortex and drawing up ingredients.”
Among the comments left by users, one stated that the Pro 800 is quiet while being used and was impressed by its 10-year warranty, stating, “it has an excellent sound dampener.”. We are amazed at the warranty. I’m glad I decided to splurge on this model.”
Best Budget Blender
Ninja Pro BL660
Bicycling
Ninja Pro BL660
Ninja
$109.99
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- It’s powerful
- It is versatile
- A pouring spout makes it easy to use
- Suitable for dishwashers
- Under kitchen cabinets, the unit may be too tall.
A fraction of the cost of a much more expensive model, the BL660 offers similar performance. Ninja’s blender breaks down ice in seconds for ice cream and frozen drinks — handy on hot summer days when you want a cold beverage.
The BL660 is enjoyed by 10 Best Digs because “hard ingredients (ice, whole vegetables, etc.) can be easily processed..” According to Blender Versus, Ninja compares favorably with Vitamix blenders because of its ability to pulverize tough ingredients but took longer than Vitamix to produce similar results. According to the results of a nut butter test, both models produced peanut butter in three minutes, but the Ninja produced chunky peanut butter, whereas the Vitamix produced a smooth and creamy mixture.
Although the BL660 lacks auto clean, it still delivers a powerful blender at a reasonable price, which is notable considering its price.
Over 70 percent of customers gave the BL660 5 stars for its versatility and performance. Verified purchaser wrote, “it meets all of our smoothie, shake, dessert, pudding, and energy drink needs!”
Best High-End Blender
Vitamix 7500
Bicycling
Vitamix 7500
Vitamix
$529.99
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- Motor with high performance and power.
- With a low profile design, this pitcher can be tucked away under a cabinet,
- Including warranty coverage for all parts, performance, and labor
- Price
We reviewed a lot of blenders, and the Vitamix 7500 was a favourite among independent food bloggers, nutritionists, and smoothie lovers alike. The Strategist named it the Best Professional-Grade Blender and Juicing Nation ranked it as the #2 Best Blender.
Its motor is one of the most powerful you’ll find in any blender, according to CNET. You can choose which kind of texture you’d like from the Variable Speed Control option – think chunky soups and finely pureed smoothies!
Green smoothies and shakes with the Vitamix are great because of its ability to blend leafy greens properly without leaving chunky fibrous fragments in the mix.
One user stated that the 7500 left no grit when making smoothies, due to its powerful blades.
