Blender Buying Guide

By: Nicole

11 min read

A comprehensive blender buying guide that will give you all the information you need on how to buy a new blender for your kitchen.

How To Pick A Blender

Still have a question?

Get Expert Help

How To Pick A Blender

Small Kitchen Appliances

Getting Started: How Does a Blender Work

Blenders are great kitchen tools to have if you plan on cooking a variety of different foods. They can do everything from blending food, making smoothies or milkshakes, and more. A blender works best when you use it to puree or crush ice. Make something drinkable or that can drip or drizzle. Using a blender is easy and can be done in five simple steps:

Just plug it in.
Add the ingredients.
Secure the lid, and press start.
Serve and enjoy!
Don't forget to clean afterward.

Continue on to find out exactly what you need to know about the different blender types and features.

Shop Blenders

Different types of Blenders

Countertop Blenders

When kitchen counter space is not an issue, a Countertop Blender is just what you're looking for. These blenders feature a motor and a fan housed inside their base along with a spinning blade attachment. Many blender manufacturers offer separate mixing attachments that you can add to the device to give you more functions.

Every classic blender has an encasement made of glass, stainless steel, plastic, or porcelain where the ingredients are added. The sides of the container are marked with volume measurements to help you add the correct ingredient portions. And to prevent spills during blending, they also include a removable lid.

When it comes to countertop blenders the wattage ranges between 300 and 700 watts. However, some blenders use horsepower (hp) as a measure of their power. Some models can produce as much as 2.2 hp which is equal to more than 1600 watts. Typically a blender with a 450-500 watt motor should be sufficient enough for everyday blending tasks.

Countertop blenders offer a variety of speed settings, each of which results in different consistencies. At a minimum, the blender will have three speeds to choose. However some models offer as many as 10 speeds.

Handheld Blenders

Handheld blenders are thin and long in order for them to be easily submerged in a drink to blend milkshakes or smoothies. Immersion blenders can also be used in a saucepan to puree cooked vegetables for soups or sauces. Immersion blenders are handy to have around for quick, small jobs; they often come with multiple mixing attachments, but you shouldn't expect a Handheld Blender to be able to replace a countertop blender. Handheld blenders range between 150 and 300 watts, but 200 watts should work just fine for daily use.

Understanding Countertop Blender Features

Most traditional blenders feature a control panel on the base and give you the option of selecting different settings based on the recipe you are using. These options include mix, puree, stir, chop, and liquefy.

Mix

The mix setting will successfully combine recipes that include ingredients such as chicken or tuna.

Puree

The puree setting will benefit those who want to make a well-blended soup recipe, as this particular setting will eliminate any vegetable chunks. Some Vitamix models can even heat the soup for you without cooking the vegetables.

This setting is also perfect for making smoothies. However, if you're using frozen fruit, make sure it's at least slightly thawed. Frozen fruit is more dense than an ice cube. As a result, less powerful blenders will struggle to liquefy. This struggle can cause their motors to overheat and potentially lead to the blender to breaking down.

Stir

The stir setting is perfect for making sweet treats such as a milkshake, because it will blend the recipe's ingredients thoroughly while leaving a thicker texture.

Chop

If you plan on making a soup or casserole recipe and it requires smaller fruit or vegetable pieces, the chop setting is just the thing you're looking for.

Liquefy

This setting is great when making smoothies because it will make the treat drinkable.

Blender Buying FAQs

Can you use a blender as a food processor?

You can use a blender as a food processor for softer ingredients, but they cannot completely replace a food processor. While these two appliances do share a few functions, they're typically not interchangeable. Blenders are better at handling liquids and they're used to make things like smoothies, milkshakes, salsas, hummus and more. They require some form of liquid to run. Food processors, on the other hand, can break down foods that are harder or larger. Both appliances can perform tasks like pureeing and emulsifying.

What is an immersion blender?

An immersion blender shares the same function as a blender, only the appliance is handheld and does not feature a jar or container. Instead, it resembles a stick or wand. Just place the end of the immersion blender into your bowl of ingredients and the machine will combine them smoothly.

What's the difference between a food processor and a blender?

Outside of their contrasting performance abilities, there are a few other differences between these appliances. Blenders are taller and more narrow, while food processors are wider with a broader base. Both appliances use blades to break down ingredients, but food processor blades are sharper, larger and shaped like an "S". Food processors also come with various kinds of blades for tasks including pureeing, chopping, mixing and dicing. Blenders, in contrast, come with a single fixed blade that cannot be changed out.

How much is a blender?

How much your blender costs relies on the type of blender, the capacity, the additional features and the brand. Currently, the units at Abt range anywhere from $60-$700, but there are blenders on the market priced as low as $12 and as high as $900.

Can you juice with a blender?

Yes, you can juice with a blender. While the two appliances are designed to do different things, you can still get similar juice results when using a blender.

Shop Blenders