The Best Blenders for Smoothies, Soups, and More

Fans of Nutribullet feel as strongly about this powerful blender–which offers a rare 1,200 watts at this price point–as they do about their running shoes. With an extract setting for smoothies and three different vessels (a 64-ounce pitcher, along with 32- and 24-ounce cups) that all pop onto the base, you can quickly whip up juice for yourself or a group. The included tamper is a nice option to help mash frozen fruit or greens toward the blade in the base.

It’s rare to find a full-sized blender with a 1,000 watt motor that’s under $100, and the Ninja holds a whopping 9 cups. The blades are on a removable central column, rather than at the base, so ingredients are chopped throughout the pitcher as soon as you turn the machine on. The sides also have a host of measurements (ounces, cups, milliliters, and liters), which helps you to be precise with recipes. Bonus points as the blades, lid, and jar are all dishwasher-safe.

This is an appliance you’ll reach for multiple times in a day after a bit of trial and error with the speed dial. The 10 speeds and a pulse feature let you decide whether your nut butter will be smooth or chunky. More importantly, the versatile blender won’t rock on the counter as it purees soups or blends up creamy hummus. If you’re cooking for a crowd you might find the 48-ounce pitcher cramped. If you're up for spending a bit more, consider the Vitamix Pro Series 750 and its 64-ounce blending jar.

You’ll likely own a blender before you know what you’ll be blending every week, but you’ll definitely want a machine that can crush ice for drinks. This KitchenAid model is a slight upgrade and blissfully analog, which means you’re not committed to it forever and you get to learn exactly what you need. It’s simple to operate with three manual speed settings and a pulse option for crushing ice. It will also easily match your style with 6 color options.

Vitamix blenders are beloved by chefs and juice shops because of their performance and the company’s customer service. The 750 deftly breaks down fibrous fruits and vegetables. A hefty price tag comes with a fair bit of automation: five built-in settings designed for frozen desserts, smoothies, soups, and self-cleaning.

With 10 additional speeds, you can get the exact texture you desire in a smoothie, and add ingredients while you’re blending, without whirling your breakfast all over your kitchen counter. It’s thoughtfully designed with small touches like a lid plug that doubles as a one-ounce measuring cup (ahem: whiskey in slushies).

Make silky smooth salad dressings with the Cleanblend Commercial Blender. With a powerful motor and variable speeds that adjust via the dial on the base, the Cleanblend slowly combines herbs and vinegar together until you’re ready to drizzle in olive oil. It’s also got a large 64-ounce plastic jar, a handle with a rubber grip, and a tamper to safely push greens toward the blade while it is in operation. A five-year warranty is a nice bonus.

The Beast has a surprisingly delicate shape and size for its intense name. The variable speed motor is self-adjusting, meaning it channels its aggression depending on what you’re pulverizing in a 1-minute blend cycle. The appliance, which would be at home in a sci-fi series, comes with a cap featuring a screw-on handle so you can blend your smoothie in the glass jar and then immediately take it to go.

If you’re tight on space and looking for an inexpensive option for protein shakes, the Magic Bullet is a tiny helpful blender to have on hand. I’ve used it to grind coffee and pulse oats for cookies in a pinch, but I wouldn’t rely on it to crush ice. With a pair of blending jars (12 and 16 ounces) that double as to-go cups with the included set of lids, you can treat this compact blender like a personal milkshake machine.

Your relationship with your smoothie maker should be uncomplicated. The Nutribullet Pro 900 is straightforward to use and all of its parts and accessories are dishwasher safe. The compact blender starts when you twist on the 32-ounce cup. It actually comes with a pair of cups and travel lids for you and your smoothie buddy. There’s also a recipe book if you don’t have a go-to recipe for smoothies. As a bonus, the NutriBullet comes in 14 different colors.

If the movie franchise based on sports cars put together a blender, it would likely look like the sleek silver (or black) Breville Fresh and Furious Blender. The slim design makes it easy to keep on your counter or store in a cabinet, and the 1,100-watt motor is strong enough to break down fibrous vegetables for creamy soups. Five speed options give you enough control to fold a dash of cream into tomato soup, and the ring pull is a nice touch for taking off the silicone lid.