Blenders: Reviews

Updated October 2011

Blended perfection is hard to come by, especially since most blenders excel in one area and fall short in others. For instance, a blender that can mix the perfect frozen margarita might not do as well pureeing a leek and potato soup. Durability is also important. We compared professional reviews, such as those at Consumer Reports and Cook's Illustrated, with user ratings to see where they agree and disagree on a blender's ability to pulverize ice and create a chunk-free puree. Below are our picks for the best of both worlds.

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Best general-use blender

KitchenAid KSB560

*Est. $90 Compare Prices

The KitchenAid KSB560 earns more recommendations in reviews than any other blender except the Vita-Mix 5200, which costs more than five times as much. The KitchenAid blender has been a top pick of professionals and… expandconsumers for several years now. Users praise the blender's consistent performance and durability. Professional test results are in line with user feedback: The blender aces performance tests for crushing ice, pureeing and making smoothies. The KitchenAid KSB560 features a 56-ounce polycarbonate jar (which weighs less and is larger than typical glass jugs), has five speed settings and is dishwasher-safe. It comes with a one-year warranty. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: For this report, ConsumerReports.org's team of professional testers spend hours crushing ice, preparing frozen drinks, blending smoothies and pureeing vegetables in more than four dozen blenders.

Cook's Illustrated Magazine: Ten blenders from basic to mid-range are put through their paces in various blending, ice-crushing and pureeing tasks.

Good Housekeeping: The editors of Good Housekeeping test, review and grade nearly 40 of the most popular blenders on the market.

Amazon.com: More than 500 reviewers contribute to this blender's overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars, giving evidence of a well-liked product.

Epinions.com: The KitchenAid KSB560 is one of the most frequently reviewed and highest-rated blenders at Epinions.com, where owners share their feedback on real-world performance.

Chow.com: In this older review, editors recommend three blenders: the KitchenAid KSB560, the Vita-Mix Vita-Prep 3 and the now-discontinued Braun PowerMax.

Cooking.com: Although most of the reviews at Cooking.com are positive, the KitchenAid KSB560 has positive reviews from more than 60 users.

Target.com: The KitchenAid KSB560 blender gets more than 30 reviews at Target, with most of them very positive.

Buzzillions.com: Buzzillions.com aggregates consumer reviews from various online retailers, like Macy's and J&R Electronics.

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Buy from Amazon for $99.99
Amazon for $100.82	Sears for $129.99	Lowe's for $114.29

Budget blender

Hamilton Beach 54615 Wave Station Express

*Est. $20 Compare Prices

Although the Hamilton Beach 54615 Wave Station Express receives less professional attention than some competing inexpensive blenders, it does receive far more positive user feedback from consumers. Most agree that… expandalthough the blender falls prey to the same issues as others in its price range (leaking, poor durability), it's a good value for the low price. The blender is ideal for churning out healthy smoothies. It powers through fruit and is easy to pour, thanks to the spigot on the jar. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Good Housekeeping: The editors of Good Housekeeping test, review and grade nearly 40 of the most popular blenders on the market.

Amazon.com: More than 160 users provide feedback on this budget-friendly blender.

Walmart.com: Walmart.com consumers provide more than 200 brief reviews of the Hamilton Beach 54615 Wave Station Express.

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Buy from Amazon for $25.93
eBay for $33.07	eBay for $43.41	Amazon for $25.93

Multifunction blender

Vita-Mix 5200

*Est. $500 Compare Prices

The Vita-Mix 5200 wins raves from owners, who say it never balks at pulverizing whole fruits and vegetables, turns ice to snow in seconds and crushes wheat berries into flour. This industrial-strength blender boasts a… expand2-horsepower motor, a durable 64-ounce BPA-free plastic jar and a seven-year warranty. Owners say that if you use a blender daily -- particularly for tough jobs -- this workhorse is for you. The Vita-Mix 5200's blades spin quickly enough to turn room-temperature ingredients into hot soup in about five minutes. Owners report that for simpler jobs (chopping an onion perhaps) the Vita-Mix 5200 is too powerful. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Editors at ConsumerReports.org test more than three dozen blenders, ranking them by overall points tallied from individual tests on pureeing, blending, crushing ice and more.

Cook's Illustrated Magazine: Editors test two high-end blenders that say they do more than just make smoothies.

Amazon.com: Owner-written reviews mostly praise the Vita-Mix's power and ability to prepare everything from soup to ground nuts.

ThisNext.com: Alexandra Guarnaschelli, executive chef at Butter Restaurant in New York City, lists her favorite blenders, food processors and mixers -- including the Vita-Prep, the commercial version of the Vita-Mix 5200.

TheKitchn.com: Reviewer Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan says she loves the Vita-Mix 5200, which makes "ice cream, whole fruit and vegetable juices, breads, cakes, hot stuff (without it exploding all over the kitchen) and cold stuff." She doesn't like the drippy pour spout, but otherwise is thrilled with this blender.

PerfectSmoothie.com: The editors of PerfectSmoothie.com evaluate several blenders, although their methods aren't detailed.

GreenSmoothieGirl.com: This whole-foods enthusiast compares the BlendTec and Vita-Mix blenders but doesn't pick one over the other.

Chow.com: Reviewer Louise Chu likes the Vita-Prep 3, the commercial version of the Vita-Mix 5200, which she says is a "workhorse" in professional kitchens.

PopularMechanics.com: The editors of Popular Mechanics put five blenders through the tough tests of blending whole fruit (bananas, apples and oranges) and ice.

IncredibleSmoothies.com: This is a detailed comparison of the features of the two major top-of-the-line blenders, the Vita-Mix 5200 and the Blendtec.

Viewpoints.com: At this online review site, more than 200 users provide relatively detailed reviews of the Vita-Mix 5200.

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eBay

for $859.99

Oster Beehive Blender 4096 *Est. $70

6 picks including: Amazon.com…

Blendtec Total Blender *Est. $400

1 pick including: Amazon.com…


	Oster 4096 Classic Beehive Blender In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Blendtec Total Blender Four Side, Black In Stock. Average Customer Review: