9 of the Very Best Blenders

Capacity: 64 ounces | Function: Automatic | Size: 8.5” x 8.5” x 17.25”

Vitamix has a lot of blender options, but in my reporting, the 750 was the preferred model of professionals and regular cooks alike — including me. It’s expensive, yes, but well worth the investment for its incredibly sharp blades and strikingly powerful motor. (Don’t just take my word for it: Moon Juice founder Amanda Chantal Bacon has been using the 750 in a professional capacity in her shops for years, turning out a high volume every day, and says neither function has degraded.)

At home, I find it makes quick work of soft ingredients; it takes only a few minutes to get silky soup or light and airy hummus. It can easily handle tough ingredients like nuts and grains, as well as fibrous ones like ginger. This also means it’s extra-efficient at crushing ice for smoothies and, in my case, cocktails. The self-cleaning option really works, too. You simply add a drop of soap and some water, the machine whirrs for about a minute, and then you rinse it out. One of my biggest hesitations with adding appliances to my kitchen is the space they take up, including in the sink and dishwasher. But this function means as soon as I’m done, it’s a breeze to wash and put away. I’ve never had an issue with water spots, either.

And though I haven’t needed to use it yet, all Vitamixes come with a great warranty — something noted by Green Kitchen Stories co-founder David Frenkiel and recipe developer Sophia Roe. “If any piece of it gets run down or stops functioning properly, they take care of it,” Frenkiel says. Nisha Vora, creator of Rainbow Plant Life and cookbook author, points out that you can buy additional compatible parts, too. “It comes with a 64-ounce container, but I got a 32-ounce one, too, to make things like curry paste and hummus without having to triple the volume.” Finally, it’s got a lower profile than many, able to sit underneath most regular kitchen cabinets.

Capacity: 36 ounces | Function: Automatic | Size: 8” x 7” x 15”

After testing this Blendtec, I was surprised to find it felt just as powerful and durably built as the Vitamix 750. I used it to make a sungold tomato sauce to freeze for winter and after blending on high for about two minutes, it was silky smooth, with absolutely no bits of skins or seeds. It also has a pulse setting I used for foods with a chunkier consistency, like a Swiss chard pesto. The blades broke down the firm leafy greens — but not so much that they turned to pure liquid. To be clear, the Vitamix does have its perks: a longer warranty, more speeds, a dial instead of a touchscreen (simply a personal preference for me). But the Blendtec is undeniably strong.

It comes enthusiastically endorsed by Christine Sahadi, owner of New York City’s Middle Eastern market and restaurant, Sahadi’s, too. She told me about it a while back, noting in our interview that both Blendtec and Vitamix make very good quality units. “I just personally like the Blendtec,” she says. She has owned hers for more than a decade and finds that its super powerful blades, which operate at five preset speeds, emulsify sauces, dressings, and aioli handily. It also, perhaps most importantly for Sahadi, makes the perfect hummus. “If you don’t have a really good blender, you have to add a lot of ice water or cooking liquid to help smooth things out,” she explains. “By the time you get there, the hummus has become too drippy.” The Blendtec, it’s important to note, has just a bit more than half the capacity of the Vitamix 750, so you won’t be able to make things in quite as big batches.

Capacity: 68 ounces | Function: Automatic | Size: 17” x 13” x 9”

If you want a high-speed blender on the larger side — and one that’s less expensive than both the Vitamix 750 and the Blendtec — I recommend this Hurom. I heard about it from Strategist writer Kat Gillespie, who notes the plastic container’s sturdiness and says the base “has a nice weight to it,” though she warns that the appliance is definitely “pretty hefty and takes up space.” The machine has both automatic controls (for smoothies, ice crushing, and soup) and manual ones, and Gillespie mostly uses hers for smoothies. “It makes the perfect consistency — very smooth, no lumps, even if you don’t measure out a good ratio of liquids to solids — and is very convenient as you go about your morning and do other things,” she says, in reference to the automatic button you can simply press and then walk away from.

Capacity: 48 ounces | Function: Manual | Size: 11” x 8” x 18”

A more affordable Vitamix model is this Explorian Series E310. If you don’t care about the automatic settings on the 750 or the smaller container size of this one, I believe this one is a great bet. It comes recommended by Ksenia Avdulova, founder of Breakfast Criminals, who uses it daily. “I personally prefer the manual switch experience versus touchscreen,” she says. Culinary artist Maryah Ananda, who also uses her E310 every day, says the manual switches allow her to pulse to control texture if she wants a chunkier soup or sauce. Still, if she wants seamless emulsification, “the strength is unmatched,” she says. “Blending down things that are very fibrous like ginger or galangal can be tough, but this Vitamix makes it so easy.” She also says she appreciates that unlike some cheaper blenders she’s used in the past, food doesn’t get stuck in the nooks and crannies of this one, which has a dishwasher-safe basin.

Capacity: 64 ounces | Function: Automatic | Size: 11” x 8” x 17”

Vitamix’s A3500 Ascent Series model has a touchscreen, which makes it super easy to wipe down, as well as a timer of which Gaby Dalkin, the cookbook author and blogger behind What’s Gaby Cooking, is a big fan. It allows her to blend for exactly the amount of time she wants before it automatically shuts off. Brandon Jew, chef and owner of Mister Jiu’s in San Francisco, also told me that he loves this particular feature, along with the “great” auto functions like dips and hot soups. Dalkin says the A3500 is even easy enough for her toddler to turn on, allowing her to help make smoothies and “feel invested in the process.” It features the same sharp blades as the 750 and a comparably powerful motor (the Ascent has slightly higher wattage — 1500 instead of 1440 — but not so much that it should be discernible). If you’re deciding between the two, the difference mostly comes down to the type of interface you prefer.

Capacity: 61 ounces | Function: Automatic | Size: 7.6” x 7.6” x 16.7

I think Zwilling’s full-size blender is one of the sleekest-looking on the market. For a generally bulky product, it has clean lines and a satisfyingly geometric shape, with a chic fluted design on the jar. It’s not all in the appearance, though: In the year I used it (before I made more permanent room for my Vitamix), it performed beautifully. The pre-programmed settings are nice to have: I like the frozen cocktail one, and am also a fan of the wash button. But you can also manually control the blades with a turn of the dial and a push of the button — this feature lets me keep an eye on consistency as I go so my emulsified dips get to the exact texture I want.

Capcity: Various | Function: Manual | Size: 6.2” x 7.5” x 12.4”

If you want more immersion blenders, I’ve written a whole separate guide, but I’d be remiss not to include my best overall pick here. It comes recommended by a few pros: food writer, editor, and cookbook author Matt Rodbard; recipe developer and writer Posie Brien; food writer and editor Alyse Whitney; and myself.

Though the functionality of an immersion blender is different from that of the other machines here, it can often be an adequate substitute — for a lot less money and with a much smaller footprint. I will note that the one big exception is when it comes to hard ingredients. If you plan to make smoothies, other icey beverages, or nut butters regularly, you’ll definitely want to go with one of my picks above. But if you plan to use it more for blending sauces, soups, and dressings, an immersion blender will likely suit you just fine.

The Breville Control Grip itself is powerful and allows you to choose between 15 speeds. That wide-ranging variance comes in handy for liquids: I can start lower so ingredients don’t splatter, then gradually move up. It also allows for subtle-but-clear differences when making mixtures like salsas where I don’t want to overblend, or immersions like aïoli. (This is as opposed to variable speed immersion blenders where sometimes, it can be harder to land exactly where you want to.)