The 8 Best Blenders for Smoothies, Soups, and Everything in Between

For those who use their blenders daily, taking them out each time you want to use them can be a pain, but Beast has solved the problem. The Beast Mega 1200 Plus is a truly powerful blender that features a sleek, attractive design, so you won’t mind looking at as a permanent countertop fixture.

In accordance with the streamlined design, there is only a single blending button that can pulse or be held down to run a one-minute cycle. The cycle features an automatic stop-and-start to assist with sticking and ultimately the final texture. In testing, I found that the 1,200-watt engine can blast through ice and tough leafy greens to create velvety smooth smoothies and sauces, but it did need a touch more liquid than some other models we tried.

It comes in neutral colors like black, white, charcoal, and navy and in earth tones like sage and sand, if that’s more your kitchen’s vibe.

The Mega 1200 Plus includes a set of three blending vessels in 1,200 milliliters (mL), 1,000 mL, and 500 mL, in addition to the blending base. There’s also a drinking lid and carry cap for taking your blends with you on the go. A straw cap and straws are included, too.

Cleaning is a little challenging due to the design of the blending vessels, but fortunately, the vessels, lids, and blades are all top-rack dishwasher-safe, which is ideal for frequent use.

Ultimately, the Beast Mega 1200 Plus is really a machine suited to the daily smoothie lover, someone who may want to keep things a bit more simple on the function side but really values a machine they’re excited to see on the counter each day and that can produce a truly smooth finish. 

Ninja is known for innovation in the consumer appliance space, bringing together high-powered equipment with fun, whimsical applications. The Ninja BlendBoss Tumbler Blender is no different. It’s 100 percent geared toward home users, with an easy, on-the-go design and fun colors.

Where other blenders have simple, smooth-sided blending vessels and pitchers, the BlendBoss is basically a beverage tumbler turned upside down, complete with a cupholder-friendly narrow base, a convenient handle, and a leakproof lid that has a spout designed for easy sipping. Its 26-ounce (oz) capacity is designed for single-serving blends, but you can also make smaller servings of other items if you’re looking to get creative.

When it comes to performance, our own editor Ashley Ziegler tested the product. She says the blender is “so easy to use. It has four buttons: blend, smoothie, ice, and pulse. We use it for smoothies, and we simply push the button and it does its thing. You don’t have to sit there and hold the button down while it blends; it’s programmed to blend perfectly every time.”

While Ziegler notes that it is quite loud, her smoothies turned out very smooth and creamy, and she also loved that it’s dishwasher-safe. Moreover, it’s one of the more budget-friendly options on our list. It would be just as cute on a family kitchen countertop as it would be in a college dorm room. 

You can’t talk about blenders without mentioning Vitamix. The Ascent X2 is our top pick if you want a full-size blender with all the bells and whistles. It comes with a 48-oz blending pitcher, lid, tamp, and tamp holder, plus three blending functions and a self-clean program for easy cleaning.

This blender also features Vitamix’s “self-detect technology,” which works with other attachments, such as its food processor top that can be used on the same Ascent series base. Outside of the three blending functions, there’s also manual speed control and pulse switches, a digital timer, and a digital recipe book so you can see what Vitamix’s culinary team recommends making with the blender.

Editor and product tester Katie Tuttle gave the Ascent X2 a spin. “The X2 whipped through pretty much anything I threw at it. I love that for, say, the coconut red curry squash soup, you don’t have to peel the squash or ginger, and despite using dried lemongrass, everything blended up silky smooth. Smoothies? This blender scoffs at frozen fruit. Ice? No problem,” she says.

Tuttle also mentions it’s not as loud as other models (including an older Vitamix she owns). She found it “quite easy to clean; hot water and a drop of soap, and done,” with the help of the blender’s self-cleaning function.

While we love the Ascent X2 for its power and functionality, we also know it’s not the right choice for everyone. If you want more of an easy, everyday machine with less bulk and smaller blending vessels (or a smaller price tag), we have others on our list that fit the bill. 

Small kitchens still deserve great appliances, but every inch counts. The Bella Flip & Store clearly takes that into account. Not only is the blender itself smaller at the base by several inches compared with other models, but it’s also a bit shorter without decreasing blending capacity, which, at 48 oz, is one of the highest on our list. The pitcher is designed to flip and fit onto the base upside down for slim, space-saving storage. Iit also includes a lid slot so you don’t have loose parts.

In terms of performance, Caitlin Beale, MS, RDN, a veteran health writer and product tester, gave the Bella a shot. While it did struggle with some icier drinks and could benefit from more time, it blasted through a thick peanut sauce, and she says the controls are easy.

“There are buttons for different types of blends, including milkshake, puree, icy drink, chop, smoothie, grind, ice crush, whisk, blend, and stir. You can also choose the pulse options or change the speed from high to low. Each setting has specific instructions in the manual to follow for best results (although I skipped this and read after the fact). You can press and walk away, as each function has an automatic shut-off after a certain amount of time,” Beale says.

We also love that it’s dishwasher-safe for easy and safe cleanup, making it great for frequent use and ideal for family homes or avid cooks. 

If you’re regularly blending for a crowd or making larger batches, a generous pitcher and a spill-free pour really matter. The Hamilton Beach Power Elite delivers on both without costing much. The 40-oz capacity means easy batching of smoothies, salsa, pancake mix, and, dare I say, margaritas or other beverages for hosting. The convenient spout eliminates spillage and the hassle that comes with it, which should be more common but is hard to find among full-size blenders.

While the controls may take some getting used to with multiple functions per button, Beale says the blender handles blending soup “with no problem. The soup came out creamy with no chunks,” but it did struggle a bit more with icy drinks.

Beale also says it’s “easy to clean. It’s dishwasher-safe, but handwashing is easy, too. There is also a button on the blender for cleaning, so you can add soap and water and run it to really clean the bottom if you are having trouble cleaning beneath the blade.”

We love the Hamilton Beach for larger-batch applications, whether you’re making your own soups, sauces, baby food purées, and more. 

Impact blenders are in a class of their own, named for the impact generated by the blades and the counter-rotation of the container. They’re beloved for being effective and also usually hands-free. The Tribest Backspin is one such blender that we adored in testing.

This blender provides an automated blending experience. With most blenders, you simply pop the pitcher on, ensure your lid is fitted, and blend away. The Tribest Backspin requires a little bit more knowledge and finesse. There’s an inner bowl you fill, an outer chamber it sits in, and more than one lid that must be secured. This is what allows the inner container to rotate and create the force of the impact blender. However, it makes adding food during blending more challenging and introduces additional cleaning challenges.

Marisa Olsen, product tester and food writer, says, “While setup and functionality may take some practice, this blender can really deliver. From fibrous kale leaves to ice chunks to nut milks, every item came well blended without any chunks or residue.” She notes it did an excellent job pulverizing items with no liquid, like sun-dried tomatoes, and was “excellent with nuts.”

We love not only the performance of the machine but also that you can set a program and walk away, knowing your end result will be a success without requiring you to babysit your blender. 

Vitamix blenders are a gold-standard appliance for professional kitchens and home cooks who want to create professional-level meals. The Vitamix 5200 is special for its no-frills approach. It puts you fully in control of your blend with no preset programs and a fully manual speed dial you can adjust anytime during blending. Its capacious 64-oz container is ideal for cooking in larger quantities. The powerful motor blasts through fibrous vegetables and chunks of ice with ease.

While the manual controls can take some getting used to, Tuttle says, “The 5200, true to Vitamix form, can tackle just about anything you throw at it. I’ve owned the Vitamix 5200 since 2023. It was my first expensive blender purchase, so it’s seen a lot of use: smoothies, soups, hummus, sauces, etc.”

Tuttle adds that it is a bit louder than others we’ve tried, but it’s “a powerful machine, so that’s not unexpected.” The Vitamix 5200 is also easy to clean. “You just run it for a bit with water and soap. I’ve rarely had to do much more than that to get the pitcher and blades clean,” Tuttle says.

It’s a truly powerful machine designed for professional and aspiring chefs who prefer control over presets and cook at scale.

Shopping on a budget does not always mean buying the cheapest option available. In many cases, it’s about weighing price against what you actually get in return. Kitchen appliances are a good example of this, which is why the Thyme & Table Countertop Blender Duo stood out to us. It’s affordable without feeling flimsy. While it’s not the lowest-priced blender out there, it delivers solid value for the cost.

The “Duo” refers to its two blending vessels, which have a sleek, slightly retro design that enhances countertop appeal. The larger pitcher is a respectable 57 oz, ideal for batch blending, while the smaller, 25-oz vessel is ideal for single servings and comes complete with a lid and straw.

We also think that, for the money, it exceeds our expectations for a budget-friendly pick. Health writer Riley Blanton, MS, LMFT, says the setup is easy, and it produces very smooth end results. She did note that it’s on the louder side, but she loved the low-effort cleanup. “I just rinsed it with water and then put it in the dishwasher,” she says.

For the price, the Thyme & Table Countertop Blender Duo brings together a lot of what we like in our favorite blenders, making it a strong value overall.