If you're looking for a way to get your five a day in without having to really go out of your way, then you need to invest in a blender. This way, you can minimise your food waste and upscale your fruit and veg intake pretty much instantly. From Vitamix to Ninja, a good quality blender is worth its weight in gold on your kitchen countertop. A great model can also offer a range of smart presets to bring you crushed ice for cocktail hour or velvety smooth, nutritious soups to thaw you out on a cold day.
Soup lover? Not all blenders can be used to make this warming meal, but we have been sure to include some heatproof models that will leave you with tasty and healthy homemade lunch in minutes. Constantly on the go? We've featured portable models you can take to the gym or on your Tube commute. From the likes of NutriBullet, Ninja, and Beast Health — all are great for protein shakes and morning smoothies because of their personal-size blending cups.
What else is a blender good for? We use ours for mixing ingredients — think pancakes or waffles — and blending them into a thick consistency for pouring straight from the pitcher to the pan. Not to be confused with a juicer, by the way, although you can get a two-in-one model if you're tight on countertop space and want the best of both worlds, as our gal Miley Cyrus would say.
The best blender you can buy in 2024
Why you can trust Real Homes Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The best blender you can buy
Dimensions (cm): H30.05 x W19.61 x D40.49
Material: Plastic
Capacity: 0.93 L
Wattage: 900 W
+ Easy to use
+ Made amazingly smooth drinks
+ Can tackle tricky ingredients
+ Dishwasher-safe cups
- Only one blending mode
- Not suitable for families
The NutriBullet Pro 900 is the brand's most powerful bullet blender, and it really did the trick when we used it to make smoothies. From frozen fruit to tough kale stems, it's up to the task of making even the trickiest smoothies. The design is simple and easy to use, simply press the blending cup down onto the base after screwing on the blending lid and twist. You can leave it to blend until you're happy with the consistency, and then simply twist it back to neutral and pour. What's more? Even seeds from berries and tough pineapple core was traceless after a minute. Our finishing smoothie was very creamy with no fibre residue. Cleaning-wise, the blending cup can go in the dishwasher, but the blade cannot.
Real Homes rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The best versatile blender
Dimensions (cm): H30.48 x W23.5 x D52.07
Material: Plastic
Capacity: 0.9 L
Wattage: 900 W
+ Pitcher lifts right out
+ Digital display
+ Immensely powerful
+ Can handle crushed ice and frozen fruit
- Only one pitcher size
- Expensive
If you want a modern blender with both manual and preset modes, then this is our top choice. We loved how well it handled tricky ingredients and how the Tritan pitcher managed hot ingredients. The self-clean mode is very effective, so we didn't even need to put it through the dishwasher. The control panel lights up as soon as you put the pitcher onto the base, and you can twist the dial to the left to select from smoothie, cocktail, and dessert presets. Twist to the right and you'll find varying levels of blending power to pick from. There is a timer that shows how long you've been blending as well. You can use it for smoothies, purees, and salsas, so it's the ultimate hosting appliance. A vacuum-sealed lid for the pitcher is also available to buy, which will keep your creation fresher for longer.
Real Homes rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The best portable blender
Dimensions (cm): H40 x W12.5 x D12.5
Material: BPA-Free Tritan, grippy TPE overmould
Capacity: 0.75 L
Wattage: 1000 W
+ Stylish and portable design
+ Light indicators tell you when it's not locked in properly
+ 60-second timed blend
+ Two speeds to pulse and blend
+ Monitors internal temperature to avoid overheating
+ Maintains consistent speed and torque
+ Can grind coffee beans and spices
You don't need to be a gym bro or enjoy pilates to own this stylish blender. Though when we put it through its paces, we tried out all of those new-year-new-me staples, including a frozen smoothie mix (with plant-based milk), a chocolate protein shake (with ice), and even a breakfast smoothie with some steel-cut oats. All passed their health check with flying colours. What wasn't flying was any of the ingredients. Everything seems to stay securely in the vessel both when blending and taking on the go. We love the fluted design, but the biggest hack is that it blends much more than fruit, veg, and ice.
Real Homes rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Our favourite blender to make a statement
Dimensions (cm): H40.1 x W19.3 x D22.9
Material: Plastic
Capacity: 1.6 L
Wattage: 1200 W
+ Stylish looking, available in different colours
+ Hot food setting
+ Easy to clean
+ Large capacity
- More expensive than others
- Heavy
We put this blender to the test and found it practically faultless. From its charming exterior to its powerful motor, it has the power we expect from the very best blenders and the looks to win it that spot on your kitchen counter. But then, what else do you expect from KitchenAid?
Thanks to the Intelli-Speed control feature built into this blender, the speed will automatically adjust to suit the texture of your food. Accidents = avoided. With a 1.6-litre capacity, it'll be able to make enough servings for the entire family, and you may even have some leftovers.
There are also optional add-ons including a personal-size cup and even a juicer attachment for citrus fruits. It's made from a die-cast metal base, meaning it's robust and built to last. It has six settings in total, as well as a pulse button.
Real Homes rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Read our full KitchenAid K400 Artisan blender review.
The best blender for smoothie lovers
Dimensions (cm): H36.6 x W16.5 x D38.74
Material: Plastic
Capacity: 0.7 L
Watts: 1200 W
+ Compact design
+ Preset functions
+ Parts are dishwasher-safe
- Cups are designed for single servings
- Pre-frozen blender packets have to be broken down
If you love a homemade smoothie or a fresh açaí bowl, then this Ninja model is a top pick. It doesn't have a large pitcher, so it is better for single-person use, but its strong blades are more than capable of crushing ice and frozen fruit. It has well-timed preset modes to extract nutrients and make a smoothie, a smoothie bowl, or a spread. While testing, we found that the bowl attachment requires barely any liquid to make smoothie bowls and spreads. We were able to twist the top to mix up the contents of the bowl and make sure that the blend was even and that no ingredients were left out.
Real Homes rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Read our full Ninja Foodi Smoothie Bowl Maker and Nutrient Extractor review.
The best blender for families
Dimensions (cm): H39.7 x W19.7 x D16.3
Material: BPA-free plastic and Tritan
Capacity: 1.5 L
Wattage: 800 W
+ Range of colours
+ Large capacity
+ Very stylish
+ Safety lock
- Doesn't come with any cups
- More expensive than others
Sturdy and stylish, this Smeg blender is the ultimate kitchen appliance for those who are looking for something for families: it can liquidise just about anything, including ice. It's made from die-cast aluminium and has anti-slip feet, making it a sturdy find.
It's also a lightweight appliance, despite its sturdiness. The jug itself is BPA-free, and it has handy measurements on the side for a little helping hand when you're cooking. We enjoyed that the blender jug slots into the base instead of having to be screwed on. The Tritan design is easy to clean, and it has four speed settings, as well as pre-set programmes for ice crushing and smoothie making. Despite the retro look, there's no faulting the modern design that makes it very easy to use.
Real Homes rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Real Homes review process — how we test blenders
Beast Health Blender in Future Plc test kitchen
This isn't about whizzing through appliances and giving them a rating on the day. Nope, we test and review blenders both in our Future Plc test kitchen and in our own homes over a lengthy period of time. Here are some of the things we're scoring points for:
- Power: Not everyone needs the most powerful blender, but if you want something that can crush ice and blitz out leafy greens, the higher the wattage, the better. We listed the power for all of our best blender picks, so just take a look at our top five entries.
- Size: When you buy a big blender, make sure you have the space to store it when not in use. Many people like to leave their blender on the kitchen counter, but if you want to store your blender in a cupboard or on a shelf, it's worth checking that it's light enough to be lifted easily and that it's not too tall for your intended storage space.
- Attachments: Blender food processor combos are perfect for cutting down your appliances by giving you a two-in-one machine. If you already have a food processor, buying a blender food processor could be an unnecessary expense.
Meet our blender reviewers:
Annie has the Smeg blender in her kitchen to match her toaster, kettle and fridge from the same brand. She loves its style but most of all she raves about how easy it is to use — and clean. It's quite big so she uses it for serving up smoothies for herself and her husband.
Christina is currently putting the Beast Health Blender through its paces in and outside her home. She loves bringing the chic fluted bottle to the gym as an alternative to the protein shaker that's been by her side every workout. At the moment, this stylish leakproof vessel is getting a lot more use, and *touch wood* there's been no smelly whey-and-water spills in her car.
What to consider when choosing a blender
Want to know everything you need to know about picking a blender in three minutes? Our head of reviews Millie Fender provides the lowdown on what to look out for when buying this appliance. She sieves through everything from blades to jug materials and more so that you can shop for a blitzing machine built for your everyday needs.
For a start, think about the size of your household and how often you’ll be using a blender. Cleaning a blender is a fiddly process, so we recommend looking for one with as many dishwasher-safe parts as possible too.
We'd also recommend considering the following:
- How will you be using your blender? If it's for your morning smoothie, it's best to go for a model geared towards that purpose, such as the Nutribullet 600 series. However, if you're looking for a blender to liquidise the ingredients for Yorkshire puddings or to mix a pancake batter, a more powerful model will be more suitable. High-wattage models aren't always better, so it's best to pick a blender based on what it'll be used for.
- How many speeds does the blender have? Smoothies only? One speed is enough. However, if you'll be using your blender for all sorts of recipes, invest in a model that has a range of different speeds and settings, and look out for those with a pulse setting, an ice-crushing setting, and a hot food mode.
- What is the size of the blender? Consider this both in relation to how much storage space you have for it and how much food it needs to cope with at a time. Most range from 0.5 litres to 1.5 litres; smaller ones are obviously best for making that single morning smoothie; larger models will be needed for tackling dinner party recipes.
- Are there any useful additional attachments? These may include extra blades or even extra cups for convenience.
- Are the blender cups and jugs BPA-free? This is a factor worth considering if you're conscious of your health and the research surrounding BPA plastics. To read all about BPA plastics and why you should avoid them, visit HealthLine.