Cuisinart Countertop BlendersHamilton Beach Countertop BlendersBack to Basics Countertop BlendersProgressive Countertop BlendersWaring Countertop BlendersOster Countertop BlendersVitamix Countertop BlendersThe Pampered Chef Countertop BlendersDeLonghi Countertop BlendersSunpentown Countertop BlendersTeam International Group of America, Inc Countertop BlendersYou can spend as little as $20 on a new blender—or well over $500. Paying more generally means better results and more versatility. But there are exceptions, including high-priced models that literally cracked under the pressure of our tough tests, and bargain blenders that exceeded expectations. This buying guide will lead you to the best blender type for your needs. Then you can use our Ratings of dozens of models to find the perfect match, at a price you can afford. If you’re just looking to whip up the occasional milkshake or morning smoothie, you’ll want a different model than if you’re a whole-fruit juicing fanatic with a taste for homemade almond butter.

Here are the four main types, from most-to-least versatile. Between their powerful motors and fast-spinning blades, they'll serve up frozen drinks, silky-smooth smoothies, and fiber-packed whole-fruit juices in a flash. Some even crank out hot soup and churn-free ice cream. Priced from $300 to $700. These less expensive models are best for lower-intensity blending tasks, such as milkshakes and fresh-fruit smoothies. Forget the hot soup or whole-fruit juicing, and you might have to settle for chunkier frozen cocktails. Priced from $50 to $150. A relatively new blender category aimed at people who like to take their power shakes and yogurt-based smoothies on the go; mixing containers double as a travel jar. They are not intended for hard-core blending. Priced from $20 to $100. A cylindrical device with exposed blades that you submerge directly into the food or drink you're preparing, say simmering vegetables in a pot. It's more of a complement to your countertop blender than a replacement.

Priced from $30 to $100 Interactive Video Buying Guide For more, watch our video below. You can skip to different chapters depending on what you want to know. Don't Forget About Storage Some blenders are easier to store than others, which could be a real issue if you have a small kitchen. With their super compact design, immersion blenders tuck easily into a drawer, though again they can’t take the place of a countertop blender. Personal blenders are also fairly compact. If you’re going for a full-size unit and plan to keep it out on the countertop, a model that is less than 17 inches tall should save space on the countertop by fitting under the kitchen cabinet when not in use (though it's a good idea to take a measurement since some cabinets are lower). Pay attention to the number of attachments and accessories that come with the blender. Some models feature multiple mixing containers, which might improve their versatility, but they’ll also take up storage space in your cabinets.

Once you’ve determined the type of blender you want, you’re ready to sort through the options to find a model with the right attributes. Below are the key considerations, based on our tests. Note that paying more for a blender doesn’t necessarily get you a wider array of features. For more details, you can check our full Blender Ratings.ninja mega blender costcoBlender Watts = Watts are a measure of energy used, and is a good indication of the power that the blender can produce to crush ice, and make more consistent smoothies. vitamix turboblend vs saleSo, higher watts are better.philips hand blender 1617 Making Smoothies = For smoothies you should get a blender with at least 550-600 watts of power. hamilton beach wavestation express dispensing blender review

Without enough power, a blender will struggle to chop up the contents finely enough, and have trouble pulverizing ice. You can also burn out the motor of an underpowered blender. A higher powered blender will make smoother smoothies. Glass or Plastic Jar = The main jar used to blend and mix smoothies or other products, is composed either of Glass or Plastic. kitchenaid stand mixer k5ss partsGlass is rare to see, and most are made with BPA free plastic. kitchenaid blender ksb5wh replacement jarPlastic weighs less than glass and is less prone to breaking if dropped.blender oster 4655 Smoothie Cups = Many blenders come with personal single serve smoothie cups in addition to the main jar for blending. These cups usually have their own blending blades, and mount right on the blender.

These have the advantage of making a much smaller personal sized beverage/smoothie serving. Number of Speeds = Blenders can have many speeds from low to high. The number of speeds will allow you to adjust the power to the task at hand. Smoothies for instance require the top speed, to pulverize frozen fruit, ice, and seeds. Pulse Feature = Pulse is a momentary blending controlled by a switch that you hold. This is in effect manual blending. Just hold the pulse button down long enough to blend and mix the ingredients to the consistency you desire. Pre-Programmed Blender = A blender with pre-programmed settings will automatically blend in the optimal speed for different types of blending. Some examples are Smoothies, Frozen Desserts, Purees, and some can even make Hot Soup.A food processor is a pretty essential piece of kitchen equipment if you want to eat a delicious plant based diet, I’d say that a processor and a blender are the two pieces that are really worth investing in.

I use my processor almost everyday to make everything from hummus to pesto, energy bites to raw brownies – all of which are staples in my diet! Using a processor makes a plant based diet way more versatile as it really increases the number of things that you can make at home with fresh, natural ingredients. I know we’ve talked about blenders versus processors before but just to recap – the difference between a processor and a blender is that a processor has a bigger, longer blade so it can chop things like nuts and dates. This means that they can easily make brownies, cakes, nut butters, dips and lots of other delicious things, which blenders can’t! Processors also don’t need a liquid ingredient to work properly, whereas blenders do, which is why you need both as they both make different things. You’ll find that processors don’t make things as smooth as blenders though, so you can’t make soups or smoothies in them either. When it comes to buying a processer it’s worth taking some time to think about how much you’re going to use it.

You do get what you pay for, as the stronger your machine is the easier it will be to use and you’ll be able to make smoother hummus, better pesto, proper nut butters and great raw treats. So if you’re hooked on this way of eating and know that you’ll use it a lot over the next few years then it’s worth spending some money to get a good one. Saying that, you don’t have to jump straight in and get an expensive one, there are some decent ones available for a good price, and if you don’t plan on using it a lot then this is a great place to start. There are quite a few well-known appliance brands with food processors, all of which seem to retail at about the same price. I’ve tried so many different models and I have to say that for me the Magimix processor always comes out as the winner. It’s more resilient than anything else I’ve used, which is really important and they come with amazing guarantees so if you ever have an issue it’s easily fixed. My mum is still using the same model that she got thirty years ago, which I think says a lot!

There are tons of different models, and as far as I can see the only difference is the number of attachments that you get with the machine! I find that the attachments take up a lot of valuable kitchen space and I never use them so I’d recommend going for their most basic model, which seems to be the best value for money. I use the 5200XL which has a larger capacity than some of the other models and costs between £270-£370 depending on the colour. The 3200XL has the same capacity but is a bit more affordable at about £230. If you only ever really cook for one or two then the 3200 model is £160 and so definitely a good option! In the US, I have been using a Cuisinart food processor, which is great too. I couldn’t find a Magimix there so had to branch out and whilst I’ve only been using this model for a few months I would really recommend it. It costs about $180 and it’s been able to do everything I need really easily. It seems to be very strong too. Both of these models quite pricey options though so if you’re new to this lifestyle and want a cheaper model to try, while you decide if energy balls and walnut pesto are for you, then the Kenwood FP731 Duo is a great option.

It comes with both a food processor and blender attachment, so you only have to store one base, which is great if you’re short on kitchen space too. It’s significantly cheaper than a Magimix, retailing at about £70, however this does mean that it’s not as strong but it’s very resilient and a great place to start. I used one for a few years at university and it did what I needed it to do. It does take longer to blend, the ingredients don’t come out as smooth, it struggles with nut butters and the base is smaller so you can’t blend as much at once but it does really work! If you like the concept of having a blender and processor that share a base to save space then there is a more advanced version of the Kenwood model on the market, which is great. It comes with a glass blender jug too, so it looks just as nice as the Magimix. It seems to be just as strong too, although I can’t promise that it will be as resilient as I don’t have my Mum’s tried and tested years of resilience with this one!