If you're forever on a mission to get your five a day without putting in a ton of effort, you need to get on board with blenders. Because that gadget that all your friends have — but that you still haven't quite gotten into — is actually a kitchen countertop essential. And it's an ideal appliance for instantly upping your fruit and veggie intake.
Whether you're striving towards a healthier you or can't deal with the lumpy green smoothies your current blender is serving up, there are a ton of cool models to help you upgrade.
Be it soups or protein shakes, I've rounded up six models that I rate highly so that you have the best blending experience. Many now go above and beyond just smoothies, offering a range of smart presets to bring you everything from crushed ice for cocktail hour to velvety smooth soups to thaw you out on a cold day. Designed by brands like Vitamix and Ninja, a good quality blender is worth its weight in gold on your kitchen countertop, making it a fine addition to your juicer and coffee machine. Plus, if you're an eco-warrior, it's a great way to minimize food waste.
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 subway 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. You can also get a two-in-one juicer and blender model if you're tight on countertop space but want the best of both worlds, as our gal Miley Cyrus would say.
The best blenders to invest 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: H12.01 x W7.72 x D15.94
Material: Plastic
Capacity: 32 oz
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, even the most lump-prone ingredients won't make it past this gadget. 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. Even seeds from berries and a tough pineapple core were traceless after a minute. Our finished smoothie was very creamy with no fiber 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: H12 x W9.25 x D20.5
Material: Plastic
Capacity: 32 oz
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 be able to choose from varying levels of blending power. 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 available to buy, too, which will keep your creation fresher for longer.
Real Homes rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The best portable blender
Dimensions (in): H15.75 x W4.92 x L4.92
Material: BPA-Free Tritan, grippy TPE overmold
Capacity: 25.4 oz
Wattage: 100 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 colors. 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, veggies, and ice.
Real Homes rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Our favorite blender to make a statement
Dimensions (in): H15.8 x W7.59 x L9.02
Material: Plastic
Capacity: 56 oz
Wattage: 1200 W
+ Automatic settings
+ Ice crush function
+ Self-cleaning
+ Super powerful
- Blades cannot be removed
We tested the KitchenAid K400 hands-on and found that it could handle anything we threw at it. It has three specific recipe programs: Ice Crush, Icy Drinks, and Smoothie. The dial also allows you to pulse and go from one to five in strength. Plus, automatic timing means the whole process can be hands-free. While it only comes with one pitcher, you can buy single-serve and small-batch attachments for increasing the range of uses. While the self-clean setting did help, we found it hard to get into every little spot because the blade cannot be removed from the pitcher. It's also available in a range of amazing colors and has a selection of smart settings.
Real Homes rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Read our full KitchenAid K400 Artisan blender review.
The best blender for smoothie lovers
Dimensions (in): H14.5 x W6.5 X L15.25
Material: Plastic
Capacity: 14 oz–24 oz
Watts: 1200 W
+ Compact design
+ Preset functions
+ All 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 out of 5 stars
Read our full Ninja Foodi Smoothie Bowl Maker and Nutrient Extractor review.
The best blender for families
Dimensions (in): H7.75 x W6.4 x 13.65
Material: Tritan, aluminum
Capacity: 53 oz
Wattage: 800 W
+ Lovely to look at
+ Slick design
+ Easy to clean
+ Ice-crushing mode is very powerful
- Can't blend hot ingredients
- Loud
- Expensive
It may only have one large Tritan jug and no personal attachments, but the Smeg Blender is a great model for families. The jug is large, sturdy, and easy to clean, and you can twist the blades away from the base of the pitcher. To remove the pitcher, you simply lift it away from the base, no need to twist it into place or unscrew it. It has a selection of smart modes to choose from plus a pulse setting. There is an ice crush mode that we noted worked well even with large ice cubes. As for the design? Well, you don't need us to tell you that it'll look lovely on your countertop. It comes in a range of colors, too. Just note you can't use it to blend hot ingredients, so you'll need to wait until your food is cool.
Real Homes rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Real Homes review process — how we tested these 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 it's 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 the blender is light enough to be lifted easily and that it isn't too tall for the storage space you have.
- 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.
Our head of reviews, Millie has tested most of the blenders in this guide and used them to make everything from smoothies to soups. Millie could eat soup all day, every day, so she prefers an immersion blender or one that can handle hot liquids. Most recently she tried the Zwilling Enfinigy and really enjoyed its smart light-up control panel, which looked oh-so-chic in her kitchen.
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 *knock on 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? 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.