Blender Review

The true measure of a blender is its performance over time. After reading more than a dozen professional blender evaluations and hundreds of owner-written reviews at Amazon.com, Epinions.com, Buzzillions.com and Cooking.com, we found that almost all blenders priced less than $100 (even the most highly rated models) suffer from some sort of durability issue. For example, the Kalorik Blender BL-16909 (*Est. $40) fares well in professional reviews (it earned an A- from Good Housekeeping and was named a best buy by Cooks Illustrated magazine) but the blender earns only 3.5 stars from nearly 90 users at Amazon.com who have major issues with the durability and power of the appliance. 

One of the most stringent reviews of full-size blenders comes from ConsumerReports.org. Editors put 46 blenders through several tests, such as repeatedly crushing ice cubes without water at high speed. Although most of the blenders survive these trials, several do not. In addition to ice crushing, editors also whip up icy drinks and smoothies, puree vegetables and chop up hard cheese.

Another reliable source, Cook's Illustrated magazine, tests basic and multifunction blenders. Editors put all blenders through rigorous tests, such as crushing ice, making smoothies and blending hummus. This review has not been updated since 2009, so even though. nearly all of the tested blenders are still available, the review does not account for more recently released blenders. Cook's Illustrated also publishes a separate review of two high-end blenders, the Vita-Mix 5200 (*Est. $500) and Blendtec Total Blender (*Est. $400) , which have price tags and features that put them in a different category from everyday blenders. Good Housekeeping tests 38 blenders by making smoothies, as well as grinding and chopping foods, evaluating ease of use and customer service. The editors also grade each blender, which is particularly helpful in comparing blender models. We also found single-product recommendations at magazines such as Wired, Popular Mechanics and Food & Wine, and at foodie websites such as Chow.com and TheKitchn.com. 

When it comes to blending, manufacturers often tout a unit's power (typically measured in watts or horsepower), but experts say this has little or no impact on performance. Some consumers disagree, saying in various reviews that several models don't seem to have the power to blend through tough jobs. The symmetry of a blender's blades and the shape of its carafe are more important than raw power, experts say. Professional reviewers say asymmetrical blades do the best job of moving food up into a vortex and of chopping food above and below the blades. A V-shaped jar with flutes or vertical ribs keeps food moving toward the blade, which results in more even blending. Other desirable features include a pulse mode (for greater control when chopping) and an ice-crushing mode. Although some blenders have multiple speeds, experts say two or three settings are sufficient. Although most blender carafes are dishwasher-safe, experts recommend washing them by hand to preserve the life of the rubber gaskets.

Basic blenders suitable for occasional use typically have one or two speeds. Mid-range blenders perform the best for most households and excel at a variety of functions, including mixing drinks, grating cheese and pureeing soup. Heavy-duty or multifunction blenders are the most expensive products, but they can also double as a powerful food processor, mixing dough and making baby food. Additionally, some manufacturers like Cusinart and Black & Decker offer food processor/blender combination machines. Reviews for the Cuisinart SmartPower Duet BFP-703CH (*Est. $80) and the Black & Decker PowerPro 2-in-1 FP2620S (*Est. $60) are mixed. However, if you are interested in a combination appliance, more information can be found in our food processors report. If your main interest is pureeing soup, you might instead consider immersion blenders, also called stick blenders or hand blenders. These let you puree soup right in the pot; they're also smaller and easier to store than full-size blenders. See our report on hand blenders for more information.