The Insider Review

Honest Reviews for Real World Products

THE BEST BLENDERS OF 2019 THE BEST BLENDERS OF 2019
A blender is more than it used to be. Shop around, and you’ll find that the once-simple appliance has transformed into kitchen workhorse that... THE BEST BLENDERS OF 2019

A blender is more than it used to be. Shop around, and you’ll find that the once-simple appliance has transformed into kitchen workhorse that moonlights as a food processor, ice cream maker, grain miller, and more. Some models even come in weird shapes and boast confusing features. So, what’s really worth your money?

To make sense of it all, we’ve broken down all the best blenders on the market into four main categories: pro-style, affordable, personal, and immersion. Whether you’re looking for a new appliance that can replace all your others or just want a quick way to make smoothies in the morning, our roundups can help you find the right blender for you and your budget. Some models, like our favorite pro-style blender, the Breville Super Q Blender (available at Amazon for $499.95), are versatile hybrid machines that cross between categories.

If you’re ready to start mixing, blending, crushing, milling, and whipping your way toward better food and drinks, the award winners we’ve included in this roundup will help.

Here are the best blenders we’ve tested:

  • Best Pro-Style: Breville Super Q Blender
  • Best Affordable: KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender
  • Best Personal: Ninja Fit
  • Best Immersion: Breville Control Grip BSB510XL

BEST PRO-STYLE
Breville Super Q Blender

A supercharged and super-quiet version of our previous winner from Breville, the Super Q is everything we look for in a professional-grade blender. From mixing liquids to finely milling almonds, this blender handled each task we threw at it with ease. It’s also a shape-shifter—the Super Q easily adapts into a food processor, ice cream maker, and personal blender with the addition of presets and included attachments.

The 12-speed Breville wowed us with its 68 oz. jar and sleek, intuitive design. Our fingers floated naturally to every button and knob, and the five included presets proved foolproof. That’s because they’re written out in words—there’s no need to decode any hieroglyphics or use trial-and-error. There’s even a distinction between making “smoothies” and “green smoothies.” The included 24 oz. travel cup is perfect for people who want to make their smoothies and go. We also loved the digital display that features a timer and precise setting controls.

If you’re looking for a quiet alternative to the typical whirring blender, the Super Q is a solid option—while it still makes noise when crushing ice and chopping up tough ingredients, the motor is noticeably quieter than that of every other model we tested. One thing we don’t love? The Super Q has a massive base that will take up some sizable real estate on your countertop. But if you’re looking for a quality, do-it-all blender that can replace multiple small kitchen appliances (and costs less than equivalent machines from Vitamix), this Breville is your best bet.

See more of the best pro-style blenders we tested and reviewed.

BEST AFFORDABLE
KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender

The KitchenAid KSB1575 Diamond blender is absolutely the best affordable blender we’ve tested. Frequently on sale for around a hundred dollars (depending on color), this five-speed model did exceptionally well in our chopping and mixing tests. It obliterated ice cubes into a fine slush, made creamy nut butter, and liquefied fruit and yogurt into a delicious smoothie.

Our testers liked the easy-to-read and intuitive controls, and each button has enough resistance that you shouldn’t worry about accidentally engaging the wrong setting. The components are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning, and KitchenAid’s five-year warranty is almost as good as the seven years offered by Vitamix.

The KitchenAid Diamond comes with a 60-oz. BPA-free jar, and is available in over 15 colors, including Boysenberry, Tangerine, Espresso, and the classic Empire Red.

See more of the best affordable blenders we tested and reviewed.

BEST PERSONAL
Ninja Fit

While it was a close race to the top, Ninja’s most basic model of their Nutri-Ninja, the Fit, ultimately earned its place as our favorite personal blender. It’s the Goldilocks of the category: not too big and powerful, not too small and weak, but just right. We were impressed by its speed and strength when whipping up fruit smoothies, which turned out smooth as can be, and its 700-watt motor’s relatively low noise level while grinding away.

While the blender’s design isn’t visually stunning, it’s black-and-silver base is sleek and unassuming and, most importantly, small and light enough to easily be stored away. The blender’s 16-oz. containers with measurement marks are similarly sleek and perfectly transportable (they come with tight travel lids!) for on-the-go sipping. The Fit requires users to hold the container down or use the “pulse” method while blending, but this precaution works to prevent motor burn-out and means the blender will last longer than many of its counterparts. It’s so fast, you might not even notice.

As a proud owner of the Fit for seven months, I can attest to its capabilities throughout daily use (and misuse). I’ve used it to mix up smoothies and shakes, blend butternut squash soup, whip up salad dressing and dips, and even grind granulated sugar into powdered sugar. While I don’t recommend that last one, the Nutri-Ninja Fit has taken everything I’ve thrown at it in stride. If you’re looking for a multi-purpose personal blender that’s portable and powerful in equal measure, this is your guy.

See more of the best personal blenders we tested and reviewed.

BEST IMMERSION
Breville Control Grip BSB510XL

Our highest-performing immersion blender in both the first and second round of testing, this Breville can do everything but cook your meal for you. Its shallow, bell-shaped blending head has a unique design that prevents it from suctioning to the bottom of blending cups, as well as a non-scratch base that won’t damage metal pots. Its wand is also long and sturdy, but not so heavy you’ll want to give up halfway through your task due to a sore arm. Backed by a 15-speed, 280-watt motor, these parts are a match made in blender heaven.

While the Breville blender wows on its own, its attachments are impressive bonus items that helped it breeze through our testing. The whisk attachment was perfect for whipping cream, and the food processor attachment quickly chopped pine nuts, garlic, and more for minimal-effort pesto. When it came time to make smoothies in its 42-ounce blending jug, I was pleasantly surprised to escape splatter-free. The jug also houses the blender’s 25-ounce chopping bowl for easy storage.

If you’re looking for a high-quality immersion blender with all the bells and whistles, this Breville was made for you. It can chop, whip, and emulsify without causing you to break a sweat, so it might just become your go-to kitchen gadget.

See more of the best immersion blenders we tested and reviewed.

Personal Blender, Immersion Blender, or Full-Sized Blender?

If you’re not already a kitchenware connoisseur, you’re probably wondering, “Why are there so many types of blenders? Are they actually that different? Do I need to own every single one?!”

The answer to that last question is no, you don’t necessarily need all three. When it comes down to it, they all use the same mechanics to blend, mix, and pulverize food and drinks into whatever form you choose—but choosing which blender for your kitchen will make life a lot easier.

Full-sized blenders are great for making icy cocktails, health smoothies, milkshakes, and other drinks for more than one person at a time. High-end models, like our favorites from Breville and Vitamix, can also be used to make soups, dips, nut butters, and other tricky foods. These blenders are the ideal choice for larger households, people who like to entertain, and people who are very serious about cooking. They provide unparalleled power and speed that you won’t find in other blenders, which is the reason most models cost anywhere from $200 to $700.

Personal blenders, however, are ideal for individuals or couples who rarely need to blend a lot at once—they’ve exploded in popularity since everyone started juicing and making healthy smoothies for those post-gym vitamins. They’re easier to store, clean, and transport than full-sized blenders and their containers are ideal for on-the-go sipping. They’re also cheaper and less powerful, so they likely won’t stand the test of time the way full-sized blenders will. If you’re looking for a quick blending solution and don’t need to make a lot of anything at once, you can probably forgo a full-sized blender in favor of a personal one.

More and more companies are now launching “hybrid” blenders, which are compatible with both full-sized and personal blending containers. These are great for multi-person households that want things both ways.

Immersion blenders are the odd-one-out, but they’re incredibly useful and very versatile. Also called hand blenders, their wand construction and lack of fixed blending containers make them portable, simple, and perfect for hot foods. They often come with food processor and whipping attachments that make them true multi-use tools. I’ve used mine to make pesto, whip up homemade mayo and whipped cream, and blend butternut squash soup.

If you’re like me and enjoy cooking but aren’t trying to feed a family or outfit a full kitchen, an immersion blender and a hand blender can help you cover all your blending bases without taking up too much room. But if you’re serious about cooking and regularly serve more than two people, a pro-style blender is the right choice.

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