If you are a smoothie — or margarita — person, you know how important it is to have the best possible blender. You also know how annoying it is when you are trying to fly out the door and weak blades just can’t power through all those frozen strawberries. No matter what your blending needs, you need a machine that is sturdy, well made, reliable and powerful. To find the best blender for you and your kitchen counter, keep reading.
The Oster Classic Beehive Blender
With a powerful 500-watt motor, 20 speeds and a 40-ounce jar capacity, the Oster Classic Beehive Blender is a great choice for the person who wants a simple, inexpensive machine that can get the job done.
The Beehive’s retro-styling and reliability make it Consumer Search’s best overall blender. Money Magazine agreed, praising Oster’s soup-blending and ice-crushing abilities.
With every pro, however, there have to be a few cons. Consumer Search reviewers weren’t wild about how loud this smoothie maker was, and they weren’t as impressed with its ice-crushing power as they were with some of its competitors.
Amazon reviewers weren’t thrilled with the noise either, but, overall, loved this blender’s simplicity, ease of use and, most importantly, how well it blended. They gave it four stars.
The Oster Classic Beehive Blender can be purchased from Amazon for $68.07.
Vita-Mix 5200 Blender
If you aren’t on a budget and are in need of a blender that can go beyond basic smoothie-making and soup-pureeing capabilities, then look no further than the Vita-Mix 5200. It has only two speeds, but, apparently, two speeds is all it needs.
The Vita-Mix blends at speeds up to 200 miles per hour, in a cool, efficient manner, giving it enough power to easily tackle the job of making nut butters or blending whole, fresh foods — including fruits with peels and stems still intact — purees and baby foods.
Plus, it’s easy to clean, has a spill-proof locking lid and is BPA-free. These are only a few of the reasons that Consumer Search named it the best multifunction blender.
Amazon reviewers gave the Vita-Mix rave reviews, saying that it will “rock your world.” Their only complaint: it’s loud. But, hey, when you’re crushing ice, how quiet are things going to get?
And, yes, it’s expensive. But one Amazon reviewer justifies her purchase, saying that her Vita-Mix is so good she isn’t spending $5.00 a day at a smoothie shop anymore. Valid point.
The Vita-Mix 5200 can be purchased from Amazon for $398.95.
KitchenAid 5-Speed Blender
If you’re looking for a blender that is durable, reliable and looks good on your counter, the KitchenAid 5-Speed Blender is your perfect match. Empire red, onyx black, tangerine, silver metallic and gloss cinnamon are only a few of the colors that this top pick comes in.
Blender Expert recommends the KitchenAid for its 0.9 horsepower motor and ability to blend nearly anything you can put in it, even extremely sticky substances such as nut butters. Its 56-ounce pitcher and the fact that it is made of metal, not plastic parts, are also plusses.
If you’re a neat freak, you’ll love the fact that there is a special cord storage area on the bottom of the base.
Consumer Search ranked this blender as one of its “runner-ups” in the category of best blender.
This blender is available at Amazon, starting at $88.68.
Waring Pro Professional Bar Blender
If you’re looking for a high-dollar name on a low-dollar budget, the Waring Pro Professional Bar Blender fits the bill. Waring has a commercially rated, heavy-duty, 500-watt motor, so nothing can slow it down.
Amazon raters like this blender for its high quality and ability to crush ice and make great smoothies. Wall Street Journal reviewers liked its compact design and the fact that it comes in four colors, but thought that the metal blade seemed thin. Blender Expert reports that you “won’t be disappointed” with the quality of this blender.
Overall, this is a high-quality blender from a high-end company, and, best of all, it’s make right here in the USA! This blender can be purchased from Amazon for $56.99.
Has any one out tried the VitaMix blenders? Apparently CR says they’re pretty good… And there’s also an Oster blender that Consumer Reports say is good.