If you’re shopping for a full-size blender, Vitamix has a lot going for it, including power, performance, and prestige. The only strike against it is the steep price, with many Vitamix blenders costing in the range of $500 and up. That can be hard to justify, especially if your kid needs braces or you’re looking to go large with the family vacation this year. But if you do make the splurge, here’s some added peace of mind: In addition to its top standing in Consumer Reports' blender Ratings, Vitamix also tops our reliability estimates, standing out as more dependable than most other brands, based on feedback from nearly 30,000 Consumer Reports subscribers. It wasn’t long ago that $50 blenders from the likes of Black & Decker, Oster, and Hamilton Beach dominated the market. Retailers still sell a lot of bargain blenders, but high-performance models have seen a steady rise in sales. The shift started with the smoothie craze, and it’s been spurred further by consumer taste for blended soups, sauces, butters, whole-fruit juices, and more.

Indeed, our survey found versatility to be the most important attribute among consumers looking for an upgrade to their current blender, with power coming a close second.ninja blender manual nj600 Today, Vitamix blenders join a bevy of other high-end brands in our Ratings, names like Blendtec, Breville, Cuisinart, L’Equip, Waring, and Wolf. kitchenaid blender rohkostEven some entry-level brands are coming out with premium models, like the $300 Oster Versa Performance BLSTVB and the $450 Hamilton Beach Commercial Tempest HBH650.breville blender bbl300 parts As you might expect, consumers who plan to do a lot of blending are willing to spend more on a premium blender. costco vitamix 6300 vs 5200

However, Consumer Reports’ tests routinely pick off high-priced duds. Our latest reliability data reinforces that caveat by showing how some of the priciest brands are also the most problem-prone. breville control grip immersion blender (bsb510xl)The one exception, no matter how you slice it, is Vitamix blenders. kalorik immersion blender storeHere are the specifics:cuisinart smart stick hand blender csb-78 Our findings show that Vitamix is the brand least likely to encounter problems by the fourth year of ownership. Its estimated 6-percent problem rate is significantly lower than what we found with the majority of blender brands. Rates for Blendtec and Breville were 15 percent and 16 percent respectively, making them the least reliable of all analyzed brands.

Reported problems for all brands included leaks, broken blade assemblies, and burned-out motors. Because problems experienced in the first year might prove particularly vexing for consumers, we also asked respondents about them. Vitamix blenders led here again with an estimated first-year problem-rate of 2 percent, compared with 4 percent for Breville and 6 percent for Blendtec. Our survey also captured satisfaction with reliability, which controlled for such factors as price and the severity of reported problems. Once again, Vitamix blenders placed highest, with 96 percent highly satisfied. Blendtec was second with a 91 percent high satisfaction rate, while Black & Decker’s 77 percent high satisfaction rate was the lowest. The case for Vitamix blenders is clearly a strong one, especially if you plan to do a lot with your blender. But what if it’s just not in the budget? Based on our latest test results and reliability data, another brand to consider is Ninja. Though it misses our recommended list, the $100 Ninja Professional NJ600 is very good overall, especially at smoothies and icy drinks, plus its problem rate is quite reasonable.

So is there ever a case to buy a super cheap blender? For example, if all you’re after is the occasional fruit smoothie (hold the ice and other solid ingredients), the Oster 14-speed 6694-B, $28, should do the job. Just looking for a spare blender to keep at the office or summer home? Consider the Black & Decker Crush Master 10-speed BL10450HB, $40. Think of it this way: Even if you end up having to buy multiple models, compared with Vitamix blenders, you’ll still be up hundreds of dollars—handy for that unexpected orthodontist visit or to tack on a few extra days to your next vacation. How much would you pay for a blender? Let us know in the comments below. In Consumer Reports' latest blender Ratings, featuring a dozen new models and a slightly revised scoring system, a $60 blender and one costing $450 are tied for first place, ahead of eleven other recommended models. We also reveal a number of duds, including one from Food Network celeb Sandra Lee that sets a new low for underachievement.

For our latest blender report, we eliminated the cheese grating test, after readers told us this is not a task they do often in the blender. As a result, we had to recalculate the overall scores for all models in our Ratings, minus the cheese grating score. When we did, the $60 Ninja Master Prep Professional QB1004 pulled even with the $450 Vitamix 5200 atop our Ratings, both with an overall score of 91 out of a possible 100. Overall scores aside, these are two very different devices (and not just in their price tags). The Ninja features a unique top-mounted motor that you have to press down on to operate. And it comes with three containers of varying size: a 48-ounce pitcher, 40-ounce processing bowl, and 16-ounce chopping bowl. We used the largest container for our various blending tests, in which the Ninja made a superb smoothie and frozen cocktail, pureed soup to smooth consistency, and crushed ice into fluffy snow. The Vitamix performed equally well in those tasks, and it looks like a conventional blender, with a 64-ounce container that sits on the blender base.

Unlike the single-speed Ninja, the Vitamix 5200, like the newly tested Vitamix Professional Series 750, features multiple settings, allowing you to chop, cream, blend, grind, churn, and even heat. We put that last claim to the test in a separate evaluation, making a hot tortilla soup in the 750 model. The Vitamix blended the various ingredients to roughly 140 degrees in about five minutes. The Blendtec Total Blender Designer Series, $460, which also makes our latest recommended list, achieved similar results. None of the Ninja models we tested make heating claims. As for the underachievers, we've already alluded to the Sandra by Sandra Lee 53156, by the semi-homemade queen. The $45 device was dismal at making smoothies and only slightly better at purees for an overall score of 9. Other newly tested models that scored below 25 were the NutriBullet NBR-12, $100, the Hamilton Beach Power Elite Multi-function #58148, $40, the Kenmore 4702, $36, the Frigidaire Professional FPJB56B7MS, $130, and the Big Boss Multi Blender, $50.