Best Blenders Overall

Blenders for smoothies, drinks and pureeing soup

A kitchen fixture for more than 50 years, the blender has ceded many of its duties to the food processor. However, food processors cannot crush ice or make frozen drinks, and experts still say blenders are best for pureeing soups. Current blenders fall into three categories: Basic budget models are capable of making smoothies and purees, while mid-range blenders are better at crushing ice and making icy drinks. Multifunction blenders can do all of the above plus more difficult tasks like making baby food, grinding coffee beans and mixing nut butters.

One noteworthy, general-use blender, the Oster Classic Beehive Blender (*Est. $65), wins praise from professional testers and owners. CNNMoney.com recommends the Beehive as a solid blender with simple controls and great performance. Reviewers at The Wall Street Journal say it turns out a decent margarita, but editors aren't impressed with its lack of speed choices. Users at Amazon.com, however, appreciate the simplicity of this two-speed blender and say it does an excellent job of crushing ice and pureeing fruit for smoothies. Many users also find the Oster Classic Beehive's appearance attractive, with retro styling and a choice of colors for the base. The Beehive blender has a tapered dishwasher-safe 40-ounce glass jar that pours well, say reviews. One drawback: Some owners complain of the noise that it makes while blending. The Oster Beehive comes with a one-year warranty.

Oster also makes blender models in its Osterizer line -- some with 10 speeds, others with 12 or 14 speeds and various designs. Some models have taller jugs, while others come with shorter containers. Although we didn't find the 12-speed Oster 6684 (*Est. $40) included in any professional reviews, this blender does get a lot of positive owner feedback. While most users admit that it's loud, they say it's a solid choice for the price. The happiest owners use it for basic tasks like blending smoothies and pureeing soup. Those who aren't as happy with their purchase say it's not the best at making icy drinks, leaving large lumps behind.

Kalorik also boasts an affordable but highly rated two-speed blender. The Kalorik BL-16909 (*Est. $40) has a stainless-steel base and a 48-ounce graduated tapered glass jar. Its jar design encourages good blending, because its narrow shape prompts food to hit the blades at different angles. In addition to its two speeds, the Kalorik features a pulse function, which experts say is helpful for pulverizing ice. In contrast to the Oster blenders above, testers find the Kalorik blender to be quieter. The blender's six stainless-steel blades, two of which are serrated, make quick work of most foods. Owners at Buzzillions.com give the Kalorik 16909 an above-average rating, raving that it has a powerful motor and is easy to clean. We did read a few complaints at both Amazon.com and Buzzillions.com, however, about occasional leaking after a few months of use. Like other blenders in this price range, the Kalorik 16909 comes with a one-year warranty.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the fancier Oster Fusion BRLY07 (*Est. $80). This blender includes a reversing blade, preprogrammed settings and a six-point star blade that is asymmetrical, allowing it to chop food and ice more thoroughly. This recent addition to the Oster lineup is marketed as a 2-in-1 appliance, replacing food processors for many chopping functions (it features a feed tube in the lid). The Fusion performs well in one professional test, in which it is compared with 30 other blenders. Experts admit that it's loud, but they say it performs well in ice-crushing and smoothie-making trials. Customers at Amazon.com also give the Fusion slightly above-average reviews, saying it can be noisy, and in a few cases stopped working six months after purchase. The Oster Fusion blender has a dishwasher-safe pitcher and comes with a one-year warranty.

If you want something smaller, the Hamilton Beach 51101 Single Serve (*Est. $20) does well in user reviews at Amazon.com, where owners praise it for its small footprint and simplicity. This blender only takes up 4 inches of counter space and comes with a 14-ounce single-serve jar. The 51101 blender only has one speed, a pulse setting that must be held down while blending, but reviewers say that it's perfect for whipping up a quick smoothie or shake.

Mariette Mifflin, About.com's guide to housewares, says that the Single Serve did an excellent job of blending liquids such as smoothies and salad dressings in her tests. However, she doesn't recommend it for hot liquids or hard foods (though she doesn't say why). Several users at Amazon.com also agree that it's fine for small jobs. The Hamilton Beach isn't as powerful as pricier models, and its single speed can't handle heavy-duty jobs. The jar for the Hamilton Beach Single Serve blender doubles as a drinking mug that users say easily fits into most cars' cup holders. It also comes with a travel lid for sipping drinks on the go.

More expensive blenders may look nicer but aren't always better

Although expensive blenders often offer a lot of bells and whistles, they aren't always the best buy. In formal tests, budget blenders like the Oster Classic Beehive and Kalorik models in our Best Reviewed section often outperform blenders that cost twice as much. While we found some good reviews for the blenders below, we didn't think any of them were ultimately a better deal than the Oster and Kalorik blenders already discussed.

In tests at The Wall Street Journal, which involved making mainly frozen margaritas, the KitchenAid Five-Speed Custom Blender KSB560 (*Est. $110) wins. It crushes ice well, its 56-ounce polycarbonate jug is lighter than a glass jug, and testers say its teardrop design makes pouring easier. However, we found one consistent user complaint -- the bottom of this blender's polycarbonate jug can crack and leak after prolonged use. After speaking with KitchenAid's customer service department, we were told that the bottom of the container has recently been redesigned so that it's less likely to crack. Owner-written reviews at Amazon.com indicate that recent models do seem more reliable; complaints of leaking have greatly declined in recent reviews. The KitchenAid Custom blender comes with a one-year warranty.

The KSB560 also boasts a dishwasher-safe, one-piece jar/blade assembly, which owners say makes it super easy to clean. The KitchenAid blender gets high overall ratings at both Amazon.com and Cooking.com, where owners say it does a good job of mixing everything from icy drinks to pureed soups. It features five speeds plus a pulse function and an automatic ice-crushing button. This blender is available in 10 colors.

Introduced in the late 1930s, the Waring blender was the first commercially successful blender. But lately, Waring blenders have not been big favorites in professional reviews. One of the company's lines, the Waring Pro Series, includes several similar models with 390-watt motors. Two standouts, the Waring Pro PBB Food and Beverage Blender (*Est. $125) and Waring Pro MBB (*Est. $130) have the trademark cloverleaf-shaped glass jar and metal base. With just two speeds and no pulse feature, the Waring Pro series blenders are easy to use. However, professional testers report problems with this blender's jar design: It is difficult to remove processed food from the narrow jar. Furthermore, some professional reviews indicate this blender didn't fare well in ice-crushing tests, but owners posting to Amazon.com report that the PBB crushes ice fine, albeit slowly.

The Pro line also includes the lower-priced Waring Pro WPB Professional Bar Blender (*Est. $60), which has a 500-watt motor, a 40-ounce glass jar and removable blade assembly. The Wall Street Journal found that the wide spout of the Waring WPB made it prone to spillage. All three Waring Pro blenders come with a five-year warranty on the motor and a one-year-warranty for the rest of the appliance.

With the Hamilton Beach Wave Station Plus Dispensing Blender (*Est. $50), a spout near the bottom dispenses drinks, so there's no need to lift the carafe. The jar is also dishwasher-safe, making it easy to clean. While Good Housekeeping magazine editors include this Hamilton Beach model among their four best blenders, they note that the Wave Station is taller than most blenders and may not fit under some cabinets. The Wall Street Journal review also criticizes this model for being too loud and having more speeds than necessary. This blender comes with a three-year warranty.

Ice crushing is a strong suit for the L'Equip R.P.M. 228 (*Est. $160), according to reviewers at Amazon.com. The L'Equip R.P.M.'s polycarbonate jar holds 56 ounces -- larger than the 40- and 48-ounce jugs on most competing blenders. With 900 watts of power, this blender makes short work of ice, frozen fruit and veggies, as confirmed in a professional review. Still, one owner calls this appliance's noise level "alarming." With only a small number of owner-written reviews, it's hard to get a clear idea of long-term performance. We did read a few reports that the L'Equip blender smelled like it was overheating, and some owners said the metal inside the jar shredded off during blending. A few more complain that their plastic jar cracked within months. Still, this blender comes with a six-year warranty.

Homeland Housewares, which sells the Magic Bullet (*Est. $55) via infomercial and other outlets, claims that its blender can "do virtually any job in the kitchen in 10 seconds or less." Although some owners are enthusiastic about their Magic Bullet blenders, we read many complaints about breaking plastic parts and an inflexible policy that forces customers to pay for a new base instead of a single replacement part.