But which blender is right for you depends on what you’re most likely to use it for. Some blenders are optimised for crushing ice, making smoothies and cocktails. Others can be used to turn cashews into butter and whizz fibrous leaves like kale into smooth sauces, dressings and dips. There are also different types of blender, the key ones being jug (or stand) blenders and immersion (also called stick or hand) blenders. It’s useful to have an immersion blender in a cupboard for quickly blending sauces and soups while they’re in their cooking pots. It’s easy to use and easy to clean. You can also get more use from it if you buy one with different swappable attachments, like a whisk and mini chopper. But a jug blender is likely to be much more powerful. Some come with additional blending cups, which you can blend a smoothie straight into and then take out with you, saving time, hassle and washing up. Bear in mind that not all jug blenders can be used for both hot and cold ingredients, so check before you buy. Our reviews will let you know about that, as well as all of the key features and pros and cons of each appliance. Where power consumption is concerned, a blender is the one appliance where more is better. As you use it for such short periods of time, it’s not a power-hungry device and a higher wattage usually indicates a more powerful motor. It will handle more and produce better results. Read on to browse the best we’ve tested.
Best blenders
Gorgeous design Crushes ice Blends hot and cold
Pricey Weighs 4 kilos Lid requires firm close
Switch it on and the control panel illuminates: it’s a series of function icons around a central dial. Just turn it to the setting of your choice and press. There are five pre-set programmes: clean, ice, cocktails, smoothies, and pulse. You can blend either hot or cold ingredients, although you can only blend a litre of hot liquid. The Zwilling Efinigy table blender’s dedicated ice crushing setting can be used without liquid, so you can crush 150g of ice or frozen berries at once. There’s a neat safety feature as well: you can’t run the blender without having the lid securely fixed on, so there’s no danger of getting a surprise kitchen redecoration if you forget the lid. Plus, if you’re after inspiration, you can download the free Zwilling app, which has a database of recipe ideas.
Large capacity Hot and cold usage Effective on nuts and fibrous veg
Can't be used without liquid as an ice crusher
A large appliance, it’s also heavy, so you’ll want to find a dedicated spot on your counter for it. It has a 1,200/1,000 watt motor (depending on your location) and three blending settings. Unusually, it’s not retro-style, nor is it a generic and squared-off jug-on-a-box. Instead, it’s modern with a distinctive, curved control panel. It has a large capacity, of 64oz in the US and 1.65l, with a liquid capacity of 1.4l in Europe. As with all blenders, you need to be careful when blending hot foods, and it has a two-part venting lid to make this easier. It’s dishwasher safe but easiest to clean with a couple of drops of washing up liquid and a quick spin. Use it for creamy soups, sauces and dips. It can blend nuts into butters and handle fibrous fruit and vegetables. We found it to be powerful, versatile and easy to use.
Attractive Easy to use Dishwasher safe
Lack of pre-sets Not the toughest blender around Can’t use with hot ingredients
It’s a sturdy, durable blender, with a 1.5 litre jug made of BPA-free Tritan. It has a two-part lid but you should let hot ingredients cool before blending or risk damaging the jug. It has four speeds and two pre-sets and can crush ice. Still, although it has an 800 watt motor, which is decent, it’s not the most powerful blender around and we’d suggest using it with care. This is a good blender but you’re paying a premium for the beautiful Smeg design rather than opting for the most versatile or high-wattage appliance. Still, not everyone minds that. If you want a general-use appliance to make smoothies or sauces and look good in your kitchen, you can’t go wrong with it.
Attractive Well-made Easy to use
650W motor Plastic base Just 3 speed settings
It’s also got a less powerful 650 watt motor. It can still crush ice – and in fact has a dedicated setting for doing so, but it fared less well with nuts and fibrous vegetables. In our tests, it performed better making drinks and smoothies than soups and sauces. It’s available in a range of colours, although the options may vary depending on which region you’re in. There’s a big price difference in the UK and the US as well, with US buyers getting the better deal by some margin.
Compact Versatile Dishwasher safe
Small volume capacity Bright green trim No pre-sets
It also comes with a 600ml blending bottle and sports lid, so you can blend yourself a smoothie or shake and head straight out with it. And, as it crushes ice, you can use it for cold sports drinks – but you need to add liquid to the ice. Unlike the Zwilling, you can’t use it on ice alone. It’s versatile and hardy, useful for chopping herbs, making breadcrumbs, pureeing baby food, making dips, cake batter and salad dressings. But you won’t be able to use it for large volumes of soup or sauce as it just doesn’t have the capacity. It’s not the quietest appliance and its green trim won’t be to everyone’s taste either.
Powerful Beautifully made Robust
Expensive
Smeg’s hand blender does everything you’d want. It’s powerful, with a 700 watt motor and a blending wand of stainless steel, with scratch-resistant blades. The handle is in Smeg’s classic, retro design and it comes in four colours: black, cream, red and pastel blue. It’s not the cheapest option but it feels sturdy and durable. To get more use from it, you can buy it with an accessories kit that includes a 1.7 litre jug, a whisk, a masher and a sealed chopper for vegetables, as well as the standard blending head. It’s much better value to buy the whole kit at once, so give it some thought before you purchase. Keep in mind that it’s not a cordless blender: you’ll need to use it plugged in.
Cheap Comes with accessories
Less powerful Less durable
It’s versatile and it’ll perform most blending and chopping functions around the kitchen. It’s dishwasher-safe as well. The downside is that it isn’t as sturdy as other blenders we’ve tested. We wouldn’t recommend trying to crush ice with it and we do suggest you treat it carefully to get the most use from it: use the pulse function on tougher ingredients and ensure that accessories are properly attached before blending or you could damage it. Emma is Home Tech Editor at Tech Advisor. She covers everything from kitchen appliances to smart home devices, from floor care to personal care to air care technology. She’s particularly interested in environmentally conscious brands and products that save people time and money.
