No well-outfitted kitchen is complete without a powerful blender. From churning colorful morning smoothies to blitzing icy cocktails to puréeing cozy soups, a blender is a handy appliance for cooks at every level. But finding the right one isn’t as easy as mixing up your post-workout protein shake.
We tested 11 top-rated blenders from Ninja, NutriBullet, Hamilton Beach, and more to find the best options for every cook, budget, and aesthetic. We found a modern, budget-friendly choice that you’ll want to display on the counter at all times, as well as a feature-rich, professional-looking option worth a bit of a splurge if you’re serious about blending.
The Best Right Now
The best blender we tested is the Ninja Detect Power Blender Pro. It’s packed with features, including a smart function that detects the contents of the pitcher and adjusts the blending speed accordingly.
Read on to find the best blender for your kitchen, including what to look for when shopping for a new appliance.
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‘BlendSense’ detects contents and adjusts speed
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Removable blade for easy cleaning
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Processing mode for chopping
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Efficient and smooth
We loved that this “smart” blender came outfitted with several intuitive preset programs. We were especially intrigued by what Ninja calls ‘BlendSense Technology,’ by which the machine senses the contents of the pitcher and automatically adjusts the blending speed. And color us impressed when the tech actually worked — we made perfectly smooth and fluffy cottage cheese queso, with no guesswork to find the proper speed. Aside from this auto function, the blender’s manual mode includes 10 speeds, and there’s also a pulse feature.
For easy cleaning, the central spiral-shaped blade is removable, and the pitcher is dishwasher-safe. This is a high-value appliance that’s efficient and intuitive to use. Plus, it looks good enough to display on your kitchen counter.
Testers Say
“$160 is a great price for the value of this blender. The BlendSense setting is very impressive, and it consistently performs well. This is the only blender one might need. It does it all.”
Dimensions: 6.88 x 8.38 x 17.5 inches | Weight: 10.67 pounds | Capacity: 72 ounces | Speed Settings: 10 | Presets: BlendSense auto-detect | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes
As the name suggests, this is a great-looking blender for any kitchen aesthetic. It has a simple pitcher-style design and comes in several pretty colors, including a sage green we love. The blender comes with an attractive travel cup for smoothies on the go and is easy to use, thanks to responsive one-touch buttons on the control panel.
Aside from looks, this budget-friendly blender also performed great. It had no problem blitzing up a smooth Brazilian lemonade — ice and all. The removable blade is handy for cleaning, and we love the measuring cup insert on the lid. We struggled to remove the lid a few times during testing and are wary about the long-term durability of the blender, but at $59, it offers a solid value.
Dimensions: 6.65 x 7.87 x 15.51 inches | Weight: 5.62 pounds | Capacity: 50 ounces | Speed Settings: 3 | Presets: 4 | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes
This is a great two-in-one blender if you’re looking to maximize versatility. It includes a full-size pitcher as well as two smaller blending cups that double as travel containers. The blender has three speed settings, a pulse feature, and an automatic “extract” button. The blender aced our tests, easily producing a smooth Brazilian lemonade, even from ice and whole limes.
We like that the blender is dishwasher-safe, though the blade is not removable for hand-washing. There’s also no cord storage, which is annoying but not a deal-breaker. Overall, this is a highly versatile blender that’s great for larger households, with multiple people looking to make morning smoothies and take them on the road.
Testers Say
“My favorite thing about this product is how well it performs and the different sizes of blender bottles. With everything included (multiple-sized cups, tamper, cup lids, etc.), there really isn’t much this blender can’t do.”
Dimensions: 7.75 x 8.07 x 16.97 inches | Weight: 4 pounds | Capacity: 64 ounces | Speed Settings: 3 | Presets: 1 | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes
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Excellent blending
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Removable dishwasher-safe blade
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Tester has had this model for 6 years, and it still works great
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Includes to-go lids
This personal blender from NutriBullet saves countertop real estate without sacrificing blending performance. It has a strong motor that made quick work of the recipes in our blending tests, and it has handy features like a pulse button and dishwasher-safe blade. The blender comes with to-go lids, so you can simply flip your smoothie cup over and take it on the road.
We also know that this blender is built to last. One of our testers has owned this model for over six years and still uses it regularly with no issues. It’s easy to store (with the caveat that there’s no dedicated cord storage), and at $119, you can’t beat the price for such a durable appliance.
Dimensions: 5.25 x 15.5 inches | Weight: 4 pounds | Capacity: 32 ounces | Speed Settings: 1 | Presets: No | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes
What We Learned
Blenders with a pulse feature were easier to use when processing difficult-to-blend ingredients like ice cubes and whole citrus fruits.
This is a great-looking blender that’s fully loaded with features. It has five speed settings labeled with their use case (mix, chop, blend, purée, and liquefy), plus three presets for green smoothies, auto, and smoothies (presumably of other colors). The auto-pulse feature worked okay during our tests, but the rest of the speeds and features performed quite well. There’s also an auto-cleaning button that gives the pitcher a good scrub without having to put it in the dishwasher or clean it by hand.
At $200, this blender is the priciest of any we tested, but its professional-level design and performance make it worth the price, especially if you’re a regular blender user who wants something powerful and durable. We also think it looks great on the counter and has a small enough footprint for easy storage.
Dimensions: 6.9 x 8.3 x 17.7 inches | Weight: 8.8 pounds | Capacity: 50 ounces | Speed Settings: 5 | Presets: 3 | Dishwasher-Safe: Auto-clean function
Other Blenders We Tried
- Hamilton Beach Smoothie Smart Blender: This budget-friendly blender is compact and easy to clean. The preset options are handy, but the blending performance was inconsistent — it often left chunks of unprocessed food.
- Hamilton Beach Portable Blender: This is a simple, compact travel blender that costs just $20. Unfortunately, it struggled to blend anything that wasn’t liquid, and it regularly overflowed during testing. We also made a mess if we tried to pour anything out of the spout. Ultimately, the blender broke after four uses.
- Ninja Blast Portable Blender: This is a straightforward, pared-down blender that travels well. However, the blending results were inconsistent, and the engine struggled to process anything thick or chunky. It was also tough to clean.
What to Know About Blenders
Types of Blenders
- Full-size (or pitcher-style) blenders: This is what you likely picture when you think of a blender. It’s an upright appliance with a heavy motorized bottom and a tall handled carafe on top with a pouring spout where you add your ingredients to blend.
- Portable blenders: These are similar to traditional blenders but smaller, lighter, and better for travel. They’re usually a good size for one to two servings, and the blender container typically doubles as a to-go cup.
- Immersion blenders: These are shaped like long wands with a small blade on one end and a motor on the other. You can insert the blade end into a pot on the stove or a mixing bowl and purée from above, rather than transferring your dish to a standing blender.
Speed Settings
Most of the blenders we recommend have at least three and up to 10 speed settings (looking at you, Ninja Detect). To achieve a smooth blend, especially if you’re dealing with tough ingredients like ice, frozen fruits and veggies, or whole citrus, it’s helpful to start at a lower speed and slowly increase as things get more broken down. More speed settings will give you greater control over the final texture of your dish.
Cleaning
As with any blade in the kitchen, hand-washing your blender blade will preserve its sharp edge. Though many of these blenders are dishwasher-safe, it’s a good idea to remove the blade first, if possible. Some, like the Breville model, have a self-cleaning mode. You simply add a few inches of warm water and a squirt of dish soap, and let the machine take care of itself. It’s also important to thoroughly dry your blender before storing it to avoid odors and bacteria from building up.
Price Range
We searched for blenders in a wide range of prices. The least expensive blender that performed well in our tests, the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore PowerExact Blender, costs $59. The priciest option, the feature-rich Breville Fresh and Furious, is $200 but feels more durable and user-friendly. Our favorite upright blender, the Ninja Detect Duo Power Blender Pro, is a more reasonable $180, and we think it’s a good value for its performance.
Behind the Scenes
Our team of expert testers assessed 11 blenders over 20 hours, including pitcher-style blenders and personal blenders. We first examined each blender’s design and overall usability, including motor power and speed options. Then we got to work in the kitchen.
- Queso Test: We processed 15 pounds of cottage cheese queso to test how well the blenders worked through sticky and thick textures.
- Lemonade Test: We mixed gallons of Brazilian lemonade to test how the blenders could handle whole ice cubes and limes.
- Smoothie Test: Next, we prepared Orange Julius smoothies made with frozen blueberries and bananas to see if the blenders would leave any chunks of frozen fruit behind.
- Ease of Cleaning: In between each blending test, we thoroughly cleaned the blender and noted how easy or difficult it was to clean.
The blenders that produced the smoothest, tastiest results made this list.
Why Trust PEOPLE?
Lizzy Briskin is a contributing shopping writer for PEOPLE and a trained chef and recipe developer. She has a culinary degree from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and was formally the food editor at Real Simple and Food Network Magazines. She now contributes recipes and food content to outlets including Wirecutter, Delish, The Kitchen, and SELF. She uses her trusty blender regularly for smoothies, sauces, and soups, and her favorite feature is the self-cleaning mode.
What Is PEOPLE Tested?
We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.
But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.
In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.
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