The best blender is must-have appliance even if you’re not much of cook. Blenders are easy-to-use and even if you always order take-out when your friends pop by, you can still use it to impress them with a multitude of blended drinks. From coffees to crushed ice in fancy cocktails or perhaps protein shakes for your gym buddies.
Blenders aren't just for drinks though and budding chefs will know a blender is a valuable tool for plenty of culinary creations including blitzing up beautifully smooth soups, sauces, salsas and dips. If you’re not sure whether you need a blender or what you might use it for, our article the five best dishes to make in a blender offers up some inspiration. You can also check out how to use a blender for some tips and tricks on getting the most from a blender.
Blenders come in a variety of types, from a standard model with a large pitcher, to single serve cup blenders specially designed to create lump-free shakes and smoothies. Some even offer a combination of a large pitcher and single serve cups so you get the best of both worlds. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can create fresh fruit juices in a blender though, for that you’ll need one of the best juicers, if you use a blender to liquidize fruits you’ll get a thicker smoothie style drink.
Some of the best blenders offer food processor attachments, making them multi-purpose appliances and regular cooks will benefit from this additional functionality. But it’s also worth considering one of the best food processors if that’s what you’re looking for. Alternatively, if you’re short on space but still want to be able to blitz up soups and sauces, an immersion blender could be just the appliance you need. These handheld blenders are the ideal space saving solution, but they don’t have the blending power of their full-size counterparts. Our article, jug blenders vs immersion blenders, offers a more in-depth look at the two types of blender.
We’ve put a range of models to the test, making smoothies, crushing ice, and blitzing nuts to help you decide which is the best blender for you, so scroll down for our top picks.
The best blender of 2022
How we test blenders
In a bid to compare each blender, we’ve put in hours in the kitchen preparing bowlfuls of mayonnaise, while also blending pineapple, spinach, and Greek yoghurt into a smoothie. As well as assessing how smooth the sauce and smoothie are, we’re also looking for ingredients that are well-combined without any curdling and whether there is residue trapped under the blade, or if the ingredients have leaked from the base or lid during blending.
We also evaluate how finely and evenly the blenders chop ice and nuts and compare how easy they are to use. For each model we rate how loud they are, how durable and easy to clean the body and parts are, and the useful accessories they come with such as a tamper for moving ingredients closer to the blade, extra jugs or containers, and recipe booklets for inspiration.
Best blender FAQs
What to consider when buying a blender
When it comes to selecting the best blender for you, start by identifying the type of blender you need.
Jug blenders feature a blade inside the plastic or glass receptacle, which spins when connected to the motor in the base units. They can blend large quantities but are usually bulky.
Meanwhile, smoothie blenders, also known as personal blenders, come with a small plastic cup rather than a jug. Fill the cup with your ingredients then attach the blade, flip the cup upside down and attach to the base. When the ingredients are blended to your liking, remove from the base, unscrew the blade and screw on a to-go lid, then take your drink with you.
Finally, there’s also immersion blenders to consider. Often referred to as hand blenders or stick blenders, they are designed to be inserted into a saucepan or container of ingredients you want to puree. These compact appliances should be swirled around in the liquid while the blade spins to ensure it’s blended uniformly. The blade can be detached from the main unit, containing the motor for easy cleaning too.
Also consider the number of speed and power settings the blender offers. If you’re looking to crush ice and grind coffee beans, it’s worth considering a blender that has more control over how quickly it spins, to ensure you can chop the food to the consistency you want.
Finally consider any accessories the blender comes with such as additional containers, a tamper to push food down during blending, and a brush to clean under the blades, as well as whether the parts are dishwasher-safe and simple to clean.
Which blender is best for smoothies?
If you’re looking for the best blender to make smoothies in, we’d recommend opting for a dedicated smoothie maker rather than a jug or immersion blender. As we’ve already mentioned above, these feature a cup that the blade assembly screws on to, before being attached to the base. Once blending is complete, the blade assembly can be switched for a to-go lid that includes a spout, letting you sip on the drink without having to decant it first. Our pick is the Ninja Personal Blender and Smoothie Maker QB3001 as it strikes the right balance between price and the ability to blitz fresh produce into a smooth, grit-free drink.
However, there’s no way to add liquid during blending, so it can’t be used to emulsify ingredients such as when making mayonnaise. In this case, we recommend the Breville the Super Q, as it comes with a pitcher so liquid can be added during blending. It’s also powerful enough to crush ice and pulverize nuts, as well as coming with a travel cup for smoothies - although you will need to decant the drink from the jug into the cup.
Blenders vs juicers
While juicers and blenders look similar, they perform slightly different tasks. Blenders use sharp blades to break down the contents of the blending jug. This means everything in the jug is turned into a smooth mixture. Juicers, however, extract liquid and leave behind the rest of the fruits or vegetables. As you might expect from the name, juicers are primarily used to make fresh juice so they can be quite limiting whereas blenders give you the means to make everything from smoothies to dips.
For all the pros and cons of both of these appliances, head to our full feature on Blenders vs juicers: what’s the difference?
How do I clean a blender?
Staying on top of cleaning your blender is key if you want it to last as long as possible and if you want to avoid any nasty odors building up. Many blending jugs can be placed inside the dishwasher but you can also clean them by adding warm water and dish soap to the blending jug, placing the lid on, and blending up the soapy solution.
If you’re struggling to get rid of any stubborn stains, create your own cleaning paste using 1 tablespoon of baking soda and mix it with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar. You can add this solution to the stains by using a clean scrubbing brush or a clean toothbrush.
For more handy hacks, read our how to clean a blender feature.
- Check out these great air fryer deals
