The Best Blenders for Shakes, Smoothies, Soups, and More

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  • September 11, 2019

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A blender is just a blender, right? That’s definitely not true. Different people require different features when it comes to buying a blender that meets their needs. Most of the time cost is a concern as well.

What to Look for in a Great Blender

Vitamix and Blendtec have been battling each other in the best blender war for decades. Does one of these players still reign supreme, or does an alternative model deserve your hard-earned money? Let’s find out!

Whether you’re looking to make a frosty protein shake, blend ingredients for a delicious dish, or whip up a vitamin-packed smoothie, you have a number of important features to consider in a blender. Here is what you need to know when looking for the right blender to meet your needs:

  • Motor strength: The strength of the motor has a lot to do with the ability of any blender to blend ingredients effectively.
  • Blade design: Some blades rely on sharpness to slice ingredients, but they will eventually lose their edge. This can happen faster with larger, harder ingredients, such as ice or grains. Still, they can be a good solution if they are made well. Other blades are intentionally dull, using motor power to crush through food using brute force. These blades never need to be sharpened and often last a very long time. Either solution can be good, but you need to know what you’re getting.
  • Innovative features: Providing set-it-and-forget-it automatic features take a lot of the guesswork out of blending.
  • Blade strength: Blades made of hardened steel are what you’re looking for. They can power through food with a strong motor or hold an edge longer.
  • Build quality: All that power has to be contained. The materials and engineering that goes into the blender structure are as important as the quality of the switches and other electronics.
  • Warranty: More expensive blenders are meant to last for years, and the price usually reflects that.

As with most items, you can find a blender that’s effective, high quality, or cheap, but you have to pick two of those features at any given time. Let’s take a look at how the picks shake out.

Best Overall: Blendtec Classic 575 with 90oz WildSide+ Jar

Blendtec Classic 575
Blendtec

Blendtec and Vitamix will likely battle for the crown of best blender for years to come. Both are high power blenders that will blend amazingly well for many years. I own both of them and make protein shakes daily. The edge goes to the Blendtec these days primarily because of the eight-year warranty and because of that WildSide+ jar. The jar on the Blendtec has a flat fifth side that encourages a better vortex, resulting in a more thorough blend and smoother results.

The Blendtec utilizes a thick and dull blade approach that uses the powerful 13 amp motor to slice through food via sheer brute force. The thicker blade is 10x stronger than other blender blades and you never have to worry about it being sharp. Other notable features include automatic blend cycles that help you make smoothies, hot soup, ice cream, whole juice, and batters while also providing up to five manual speeds. The Blendtec makes it easy to blend some amazing creations while also lasting for many years.

Best Overall

Blendtec Classic 575 Blender – WildSide+ Jar (90 oz) – Professional-Grade Power – Self-Cleaning – 4 Pre-programmed Cycles – 5-Speeds – Black

The Blendtec Classic 575 takes the crown for best blender thanks to a strong motor and blade system, automatic blend cycles, and the industry’s best blending jar. With an eight-year warranty, you can count on quality.




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$319.63

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The Professional Pick: Vitamix 5200

Vitamix 5200
Vitamin

The first Vitamix machine was created in 1937 and has been the blender of choice for professional chefs and home cooking foodies everywhere for decades. It will always be a great option, and many might even argue it’s the best option. The Vitamix excels in its simplicity. You can just run it on high, or you can run it on variable speed, starting out slow to chop things up with minimal chaos and then ramping up speed to achieve desired smoothness.

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Source : The Best Blenders for Shakes, Smoothies, Soups, and More