The Best Blenders for Smoothies, Soups, and More

Key Specs

• Capacity: 48 oz.
• Watts: 650
• Dimensions (L x W x H): 8.5 x 7.1 x 14.8 in.

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.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 64 oz.
• Watts: 1,200
• Dimensions: 8.1 x 7.8 x 17 in.

Fans of the Nutribullet feel as strongly about this powerful blender–which offers a rare 1,200 watts at this price point–as you do about your 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.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 64 oz.
• Watts: 1,440
• Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.5 x 17.5 in.

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, 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).

Key Specs

• Capacity: 72 oz.
• Watts: 1,000
• Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.5 x 17 in.

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 it on. The sides also have a host of measurements (ounces, cups, milliliters, and liters), which help you be precise with recipes. Bonus points as the blades, lid, and jar are all dishwasher-safe.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 1,000 mL (34 oz.)
• Watts: 1,000
• Dimensions: 4.9 x 4.9 x 15.8 in.

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 one-minute blend cycle. The appliance, which would be at home in a sci-fi series on Netflix, comes with a cap featuring a screw-on handle so you can blend your smoothie in the glass jar then immediately take it to go.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 90 oz.
• Watts: 1,570
• Dimensions: 8 x 7 x 15 in.

With the strongest motor of all the blenders we recommend, the Blendtec could easily have been called “The Beast.” That power, plus a stainless-steel winged blade, make this the blender for a cook who wants to whip together sauces, dressings, and hummus. Don’t worry, there’s a separate setting for smoothies if that’s your jam. You can also blend on high or low, as well as in 60- or 90-second intervals. When you’re done, add a few drops of dish soap and use the self-cleaning setting.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 56 oz.
• Watts: 1,000
• Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.1 x 16.9 in.

Ever tried to pour hot soup from a Dutch oven into a blender? Avoid splatter (and more dishes) with the Instant Pot Ace Nova, a blender with a heating element with presets for purees, soy and rice milk, and soup. There are also settings for cold ingredients (smoothies, ice cream, nut milk, and crushed ice), as well as three manual speeds and a pulse button for cleaning the built-in blades. Just a note, this 15-pound blender with a glass jar weighs as much as some stand mixers.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 56 oz.
• Watts: 1,200
• Dimensions: 9 x 7.6 x 15.8 in.

The K400 is a solid blend (pun intended) of manual and automatic options if you want a blender that helps with drinks and dinner. You get five speeds, three automated options (icy drinks, smoothies, or crushing ice), and a pulse setting that can function as a clean cycle. The squared jar can double as a pitcher with a pour spout–think poolside margaritas–and you can place the blade, jar, and lid in the dishwasher after said margaritas. Smaller jars (6 and 16 ounces) are available for purchase separately.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 24 oz.
• Watts: 600
• Dimensions: 11.6 x 6.9 x 12.3 in.

Even if you aren’t hitting the gym every day, you can look like you do with this little smoothie dynamo. The Nutribullet has a stainless steel blade that makes quick work of kale, and at 24 ounces, the dishwasher-safe cup is big enough to hold the juice, berries, and ice you need to not taste that kale. Drink your smoothie at home by screwing on a smooth lip ring to the cup or use the included to-go lid if you’re headed out.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 16 oz.
• Watts: 250
• Dimensions: 13.2 x 6.9 x 10.6 in.

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 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.