The best nine blenders in 2024 out of over 50 we tested

The best blenders are easy to use, sturdy and blitz effortlessly – with each offering a good mix of performance and programs. I’ve selected and tested models at a range of price points to give you a better idea of which ones are worth the space in your kitchen. All of these can make light work of crushing ice, emulsifying sauces, and blitzing smoothies and soups.

If you're looking for an appliance that performs a wider variety of food preparation tasks - such as grinding and mixing up coarser ingredients - you might want to see our guide to the best food processors, although several high-end blenders can also easily assume the role of a food processor.

To test the best blenders on the market, I used them to create everything from icy cocktails to vegetable-packed soups and even pancake batter. I looked at how quickly each model blended, how smooth the finished product was, and what kind of functions they had to make the task even easier. 

Below are nine of the best blenders to buy right now, ranging from budget-friendly smoothie machines to premium models with an abundance of functions and exciting accessories. I have included both the best classic jug blenders that are suitable for a range of tasks, as well as including a smaller round-up of our favourite 'personal' blenders at the end of this list, each of which is ideal for whizzing up smaller amounts. 

Our top 9 picks

The best blenders on the market, for soups, smoothies, sauces, shakes, and more

I've worked through all the big name brands in the blender industry, from Sage and Smeg to Vitamix and Nutribullet. Alongside a team of experts, we've used these in the test kitchen (creating recipes for the magazine) as well as our own home kitchens. These nine are the ones we'd actually recommend:

Best blender overall

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After testing over 50 different blenders, the team and I decided that this is the sweet spot for balancing quality, performance, versatility, capacity, and price. So, even though it's not the cheapest model on the market, it's well-made, quiet, and a wonderful blender.

With a 1.8-litre, sturdy blending jug, the Magimix can tackle some seriously tough tasks. It's easy to navigate through the different pre-sets (which range through smoothie, soup, dessert, ice, and clean), but if you want some manual controls there are three buttons for pulsing and different functions. It's just worth noting that the soup function doesn't actually heat: it can handle hot ingredients, but won't actively warm your food.

When I used this to make smoothie, soup, hummus, and crushed ice, it really stood out for a few reasons. It's quieter than almost all the other models; incorporates powders into batters and smoothies really well; and delivers silky results. 

The Magimix Blender Power 4 doesn't come with any accessories as standard, although accessories such as a smoothie cup, mill attachment, and citrus press are available to buy separately. 

Most versatile blender

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It's important that your blender can do more than make a sensational smoothie (which this can). With eight different hot and cold pre-sets, the Tefal can make hot soup from whole, raw vegetables; steam vegetables; work with batters; make protein shakes; nut butters; and, once that's all over it'll clean itself too. That kind of versatility warrants a hefty price tag, but the Tefal remains to be one of the most affordable blenders out there.

I used this for a few months (and very reluctantly took it off the counter) and found the soup function to be incredibly effective. In just half an hour, my peeled onion and chopped carrot became a hot, steaming bowl of soup. You can leave this to run and work by itself, just listen for the beep

I also rigorously tested the smoothie program over the few months and found that the Tefal has enough power to make a velvety drink, even with ice cubes, seeds, protein powders, and fibrous vegetables thrown in. 

Cleaning this blender is a little harder than others as the base of the jug can not be submerged in water, and the majority of parts are not dishwasher safe. However, it does have a cleaning setting. And for deep cleaning, the jug can be disassembled and the blades can be removed and cleaned with the cleaning brush that comes included. 

This blender is sturdy and well-made. But this also means it’s rather chunky and heavy, so if you’re not planning on using the heating capability we would suggest a more compact model.

You can find out more in my full review of the Tefal Perfectmix Blender.

Best blender for soup

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Everybody wants a soup-making blender these days and, whilst the Tefal Perfectmix is great, it's pipped to the post of top spot by the Ninja. This boasts some incredible hot and cold settings, spanning from sautés, sauces, jams, and soups through to ice creams and frozen cocktails. 

The menu will helpfully count you down through the 20 minutes that it takes to make a silky, piping-hot soup. I've worked through a whole host of different recipes, from carrot and coriander; pea and mint; tomato and basil; as well as a chunky country vegetable recipe. This can deliver second-to-none smoothness or you can opt for some more texture. It's like using a hand blender, but with better results and less maintenance.

What makes this a firm contender as a kitchen essential is its independence. It chopped onions using the chop setting, sautéd them effortlessly, and made the perfect smoothie. The only downside is that this cannot be submerged underwater, making cleaning more of a faff. Luckily, Ninja has integrated a self-cleaning function that makes use of the Ninja's power, heating element, and thoroughness.

You can find out more in my full review of the Ninja Foodi Hot + Cold Blender.

Best luxury blender

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Sage is known for offering a range of the very best coffee machines on the market, and they have a stellar blender in their collection too. One of the priciest in our guide, the ultra-powerful two-litre 2400W Super Q justifies its cost by blitzing quickly and using noise-suppression technology. It's far from whisper-quiet, but the sounds it makes are less obtrusive than many other blenders with a larger motor. 

The LCD display is a notable feature, allowing you to easily see what speed you’ve selected, set a timer or keep an eye on how long a program will be running for. The Super Q performed well on all my blending tasks, producing fibre-free smoothies, efficiently crushing ice, and blending soup that was heated to hot—if not quite as hot as in the Vitamix below. 

I'd take note of the toppy price tag for a few reasons (not just because it'll make a sizeable dent in your wallet. It looks like a commercial kind of number and that's reflected in how this is made: it's tall, heavy, and the 2L blending jug can make enough soup, smoothies, and hummus for a big family. 12 speed settings and 5 programmes is certainly more than enough for the average kitchen, but I came to rely on the power for milling flax seeds and making homemade nut butters. 

It is worth noting that this blender really is better suited for large families. On the occasions where I made a single serving of smoothie or soup, the blades weren't quite in the right place to give the same impressive results that the Sage is capable of doing on a bigger scale. Don't get me wrong, the performance was still of a high calibre, but I think there are better, cheaper options for single-servings. For serious home cooks and smoothie enthusiasts though, this is second to none.

You can find out more in mine and Rachel's Sage the Super Q blender review.

Most powerful blender

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If blenders are something that you're willing to splurge on, the Vitamix A2500i will repay you in dividends with its impressive 1400W motor. I threw huge ice cubes, leafy greens, and all sorts of tricky tasks at the Vitamix and it whizzed them into insignificance. There really is nothing that this blender can't do.

Naturally, with a big motor, it weighs a lot (nearly 7kgs). It'll also demand 25cm of depth on your counter, which sounds like a lot, but the sleek design makes it seem like less of an intrusion than smaller, but cheaper and uglier, models that I've tested. There are also some design subtleties that are generally underappreciated, including the ease at which the jug sits on the base: you can put it at any orientation, which is perfect for left-handed users.

As with the Sage, this boasts a family-sized, 2-litre blending jug that can handle hot and cold ingredients. In fact, out of the full ten speed settings and three pre-sets, you can make juices, smoothies, hot soup, and crushed ice. The sky really is the limit.

Of course, there are some catches: this is better on classic recipes than newer ones that push the boundaries. For example, if you use it to make juice, it'll be much more grainy than a cold press juicer. However, if you use it as a blender, it'll impress you. In particular, the way that this misted even the largest ice cubes that I threw in showed incredible promise for some iced cocktails.

You can find out more in our full Vitamix Ascent A2300i review

Best budget blender

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Had I not known the RRP of this blender, I would have given it a spot as the most powerful blender or the fastest blender on the market. However, given that it's only £149, it had to get the award for being the best value blender on the market. For what it does, this is a steal.

The Braun comes with a powerful 1600-watt motor, a blade speed of 45,0000 RPM and 6 different programmes, this can work through just about any task you throw at it. I've made hot soup (yes, it friction heats); enough smoothie for four people (with protein powder added in); and crushed ice (that was misted in seconds) effortlessly. Even better, the triangular design ensures that there aren't any blending blind spots and the heating mechanism is simple enough that you can submerge the jug underwater (a rarity in soup-making blenders).

The simple control panel makes it easy to navigate the pre-sets, but there's also a neat dial that will let you adjust the texture settings with precision and efficiency. 

The only downside is just how noisy this is. I measured that it creates about as much noise as a hairdryer or power tool, which isn't ideal, but it's worth it for the results. In spite of that, I still bought this for my flat (I make a lot of soup) and have been enjoying it for nearly a year now.

You can read more in my full Braun Powerblend 9 review.

Best blender for a family

Nutribullet are best known for their bullet blending series and, whilst I've given them top marks in my reviews, the brand's Blender Combo takes all the ingenuity of a single-serve blender, but offers extras that might limit the functions of a bullet blender.

The Nutribullet Blender Combo delivers a lot in terms of value. It's got a full-sized 1.8 litre blender that can handle hot liquids (a big no-no for Nutribullet's other Series Blenders); three cups that can be used for blending and storing; a tamper for making frozen desserts and a powerful 1200W motor. 

It’s louder than some other models but delivered consistently in our tests, producing evenly blended smoothies, chunk-free soup and snowy ice which was perfect for cocktails, another aspect that the Nutribullet Series Blenders lacks. Of course, the ice isn't quite as consistently misted and a little more icicle-scattered than the Vitamix and Sage, but when you think about the savings you're making, it's easy to forgive the finer details. Our experts have gone into more detail on all things price and brand names in our comparison article featuring the Nutribullet vs Vitamix debate.

For everything this Nutribullet is capable of making, you can rest easy knowing all components are dishwasher-safe, making for an easy kitchen clean-up. In an ideal world, it would have more choice of speeds or programs, but as an affordable all-rounder, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that ticks as many boxes. If you opt for a NutriBullet, make the most of it by checking out our guide on how to use a NutriBullet.

You can find out more in our full NutriBullet Blender Combo review

Most stylish blender

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Having a KitchenAid mixer has become something of a status symbol, but if you don't have much use for their stand mixer, you can still buy into the brand with the Artisan K400 blender. It’s available in a range of glossy colours and looks impressive, which means it's one of the best engagement gifts or the best wedding gifts you could give to a couple that loves cooking. 

Beyond its good looks, this blender performs well too, delivering velvety smoothies and evenly crushed ice in seconds. It also offers a whole host of functions and speeds so you can make soups, sauces, doughs, and frozen desserts. While the weighty glass jug is more limited in capacity than some (it's 1.6 litres), this 1200W machine can be easily accessorized with extra containers, one of which is a lighter plastic jug. 

Using this over a few weeks, I found that heavier jug can be tricky to clean by hand and it's a little tougher on the wrists (a reason that the Sage and VItamix get so much love - their pitchers are very light). If that might pose a problem, rest assured, there’s a self-cleaning program on the dial. 

Overall, this blender works hard and looks fabulous in any kitchen. If you're shopping for a blender that you can happily leave on the counter for your guests to admire, it has to be the KitchenAid.

You can find out more in our full KitchenAid Artisan K400 blender review

The blenders that just missed the list

How we tested these blenders

Our team of experts has personally tested each of the blenders below, all within the last few months to ensure they are the best models on the market. To judge each of the blenders we compared how each model tackled blending ice and frozen and fresh fruit. We also looked at how smooth the final results were for smoothies and sauces and how long each model took.

These were the areas we looked at in particular:

• Ease of use: How simple were they to set up and put together? We also looked at how easy each machine was to pack down and clean.
• Functions: Pricier models tend to come with more attachments and modes. We evaluated how useful they actually were and whether or not they justified the higher price point.
• Performance: Most importantly, we assessed how well each blender performed at blending brittle, hard ice, as well as soft fruits and smoothies, both in terms of the time taken and the final product. In addition, we looked at how noisy they were.
• Value for money: We tested a range of blenders, spanning a range of price points. We examined whether or not the more expensive models were worth it.
• Design: We looked at how much space the blenders required in the kitchen and how they actually looked.

If you want to find out more about how we test blenders, you can visit our dedicated page.

FAQs

Why buy a blender over a hand blender?

A countertop blender is a good option if you often make soup or smoothies for more than one person and you’ve got the kitchen storage space.

The best hand blenders are convenient if you prefer minimal washing up. However, they often only have one setting and speed so those seeking silky perfection might be left disappointed. 

The benefit of a stand blender is that many models have several useful settings like the Vitamix Ascent A2300i which can heat soup, blend nuts, ice, and much more - so if you need it for multiple functions and will use it regularly, it could be a sage investment.

What to consider when buying a blender

There are various things you’ll want to take into account before investing in a blender.

• Programs and speeds: A few basic speeds are fine for most, but more expensive options will have more. Decide whether these are necessary for you. Some blenders have programs like a pulse mode, a puree mode, a soup mode, and a smoothie mode: dedicated programs provide convenience for these specific tasks, so can be very handy.
• Capacity: Larger jugs are useful in family households, or for those who batch-cook, while smaller models are ideal for compact kitchens. As a specific guide, a 2-litre jug should be more than enough for all uses. The compact sizes available are also one of the reasons why the best blenders win in the food processors vs blenders debate, as food processors are less likely to be offered in smaller sizes.
• Cleaning capabilities: Many (but not all) blenders come with self-cleaning functions - although learning how to clean a blender isn't too difficult without them. These self-cleaning functions use a high-speed mechanism to whisk away stubborn debris (when filled with water and washing-up liquid). Similarly, some blenders have dishwasher-safe parts, whereas others don't.
• Power: Generally, the higher the wattage the better—it’ll provide faster blending and reduce your food prep time. Do note, however, that while higher wattage gives a rough idea as to how powerful the motor is, it doesn’t always equate to a blender being a better all-around model. 500 watts is generally powerful enough for a blender that's expected to do the typical tasks.
• Blender material: Glass blenders are generally more scratch-resistant, and are less likely to become dulled or hold odors. However, they can be heavy to lift, and of course, more likely to break if dropped or knocked. Most good plastic blenders will use high-quality BPA-free plastic.
• Any extras: Some come with additional accessories, such as cups, a tamper, or a feeder cap in the lid. Just like food processor attachments, these are all helpful extras for a blender so it's good to work if which, if any, are essential for you. 

How much should I spend on a blender?

Your budget will depend on what you intend to use your blender for. If you need something quick and easy for smoothies or shakes, a budget model that costs £50 or below may suffice. However, these less expensive models don't always have the strongest motors or the most precise blades, so your smoothies or soups may not always have the consistency you want.

For more heavy-duty usage - like making soups, dips and cocktails for parties - consider graduating to a mid-range model starting from £100. Blenders in this range will usually have more powerful motors, more speeds and perhaps a few nifty presets. They'll also provide a greater capacity than most cheaper blenders so you can make large batches for friends and family to enjoy.

Consider a premium blender (like a Vitamix) if you'll be frequently making big quantities and/or working with dry ingredients like grains, coffee beans or spices. Top-of-the-line models feature the most powerful motors, excellent build quality (to drown out the noise of said motors), and an array of pre-programmed features. But unless you plan to use your blender regularly for a multitude of tasks, there's no reason to spend a lot of money on one.

Fortunately, major shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday boast plenty of deals on small appliances, including blenders. If you have your eye on a top-tier blender, taking advantage of one of those sales could help you save a good chunk of change.

Are glass blenders better than plastic?

When it comes to glass versus plastic, it's all a matter of preference. Plastic blenders tend to be cheaper, so they're the budget-friendly choice. They're also more lightweight so if you like to take your smoothies with you to the office or gym, a plastic blender will be your best bet.

Nowadays, most plastic blenders are BPA-free so they're not as harmful to your body or the environment. 

Glass blenders are pricier and give off that "high-end" aesthetic. Since glass is heavier than plastic, glass blenders won't always be the easiest to handle — especially when it comes to cleaning. (And let's not forget how easily glass can shatter!) But glass blenders won't retain odours or stains as easily as their plastic counterparts. And if you intend to make soups, glass is the way to go since it's heat-resistant.

Which blender is best for smoothies?

We think the best blender for making smoothies is the NutriBullet Personal Blender since it has a high-speed blend function plus sturdy blades that allow it to liquefy frozen fruits and veggies with relative ease. We're also fans of the Sage Super Q Blender for its efficient yet powerful ice crush program and dedicated green smoothie button that removes any trace of fibre and spinach specks.

Generally speaking, you'll want to find a smoothie blender with blades that can pulverize ice and frozen fruits and veg into silky smooth liquids with minimal grit. Also, seek a model with a travel cup and lid so you can take your drinks on the go. In the case of personal blenders, you should be able to remove the cup right from the base as soon as you're done blending. For larger-scale models, seek a container that doubles as a pitcher so you can pour your drinks straight away.

Need some inspiration for your healthy drinks? Here are some easy smoothie recipes that you can make in no time.