Blender suggestions, please!

December 2, 2015 1:02 AM

After hearing for years about how much people love their smoothies, I'm finally ready to get a blender. I know of people who seem like they will stake their lives on the superiority of their Vitamix or Nutribullet, but I just wanted to do kind of a quick poll about what blender you use and why. Details within.

So I don't know that much about the different kinds. It's my impression that Vitamix is the most powerful but also with the highest price tag. I'm not sure if I need that much power. I just want to make basic smoothies with fruit, yogurt, flaxseed, what have you. The one special condition I have is that I would like to put hot water in my smoothie and, with the frozen fruits, I'm hoping my smoothie will turn out to be room temperature. I don't want ice cold smoothies. So which blenders are able to "take the heat," so to speak? And is this room temperature smoothie a potentially bad idea, or does anyone else do this? I just don't like drinking something cold first thing in the morning. Also, I would really like it to be easy to clean, as much as possible. That's mainly what's deterred me from getting one.

Thank you!

posted by madonna of the unloved to Health & Fitness (50 answers total)

Having used cheaper blenders and more expensive ones, I'd highly recommend spending the money on a more expensive one. Only two brands really stand out for me in this category (at the consumer level at least):

Blendtec
and
Vitamix

They should both handle warm water (I use them to blend soups straight from the stove) - just make sure there's room for steam to escape.

Only caveat is that they are very loud.
posted by backwards guitar at 1:13 AM on December 2, 2015

Oh, and to clean I just add some water and dish soap and pulse for 5 seconds, then rinse.
posted by backwards guitar at 1:14 AM on December 2, 2015

Vitamix forever!!!

Same thing for cleaning- water and soap, quick pulse and then rinse out. DONE.

Vitamin is awesome at making quick soups as well as sorbet (frozen fruit and a splash of almond milk -that's it! So good!)

It's awesome at handling hot and cold temperatures. For my smoothies I don't use ice because I like mine warmer too. I freeze my fruit instead and it comes out great. They are spendy machines but they last forever and are bulletproof (I tend to beat the crap out of my kitchen stuff).
posted by floweredfish at 2:00 AM on December 2, 2015

I'm Team Ninja.
I bought the Ninja Mega System from Amazon after seeing the infomercial, and it's the best dang thing ever.
Let's put it this way: I OWNED a Vitamix and took it back to Costco after getting the Ninja.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 2:17 AM on December 2, 2015 [5 favorites]

Honestly I'm super happy with a very low maintenance immersion blender like this for efficiency and ease of cleaning. I make daily smoothies with frozen and fresh fruit, different types of milk, and additions like shredded coconut and chia seeds. It works perfectly and couldn't be easier to clean. Inexpensive and easy to travel with as well!
posted by JenMarie at 2:37 AM on December 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

My Cusinart immersion blender does the job well along with many other kinds of blending jobs without taking up counter space. My regular blender is in the garage!
posted by Elsie at 2:48 AM on December 2, 2015 [4 favorites]

I've had a basic blender forever. It makes great smoothies, soups, etc and I think it's a bit silly to spend money for all that extra power if you aren't going to use it.
posted by Aranquis at 4:12 AM on December 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

We bought an Oster Versa a few months ago (recommended by either Wirecutter or Cook's Illustrated, I can't remember which) and it's been amazing so far. It's so many orders of magnitude better than the junky old Cuisinart that it replaced (and any blender I've ever used), that it feels like maybe it's a different thing entirely, like maybe we'd just accidentally been using a series of weird, blender-shaped mixers all these years. Can't recommend it highly enough.
posted by saladin at 4:12 AM on December 2, 2015

Just a little trivia about BlendTec and Vitamix: they both use motors from the same company.
posted by JoeZydeco at 4:42 AM on December 2, 2015 [6 favorites]

I have no experience with the blendtec, but I bought the vitamix after being tired of having to replace my cheaper blenders every year or so because they couldn't keep up with smoothie making and eventually burned out. It's been going strong for 8 years now with near daily use.
posted by Karaage at 4:55 AM on December 2, 2015

We got a Nutribullet a few months ago and I can't believe how well it blends everything. The blades aren't even sharp! And somehow it works on ice, hemp hearts, everything we've tried with it. It only cost like $60 at Costco. We even tried kale a couple times and it was fine.

I'm sure the Vitamix is better and more powerful and maybe it does the job faster, but I'm happy having that extra money in my bank account. If you buy any of these at Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohl's, or Costco, you can just try them out and bring them back with receipt if they aren't powerful enough.
posted by getawaysticks at 5:02 AM on December 2, 2015

I am also Team Ninja. I use it every day for smoothies and so much more. Clean up is a breeze -- the blade stem comes right out and I just rinse it off. Once or twice a week I throw it in the dishwasher. Super safe -- the blade still spins after you power off and takes a couple seconds to stop, but as soon as you pop the lid open, the blades instantly stop spinning. I LOVE the tiered blades because the make smoothies so fast and cut through frozen fruit like buttah.
posted by archimago at 5:11 AM on December 2, 2015

We bought a Breville Hemisphere Control blender a while back as a high-quality blender that still cost significantly less than a Vitamix. It's been great for making smoothies as well as all the other things one uses blenders for.
posted by Betelgeuse at 5:16 AM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

I looked at Blendtec and Vitamix when I decided to upgrade (like karaage, I kept breaking $80 blenders). I went with the Blendtec because it's shorter and wider; the Vitamix was too tall to store in the designated cabinet. My in-laws bought a Vitamix and ran into a storage problem because it was too tall for their space -- they couldn't even leave it on the countertop as it didn't fit under the hanging cabinets. My very handy father-in-law reconfigured the cabinets to accommodate the blender (!). So, if I were you I would figure out where you want the blender to live and measure, then see which option fits.

I've had mine for six years and it's going strong with regular use. I think it's worth it. The hot water shouldn't be an issue. I blend hot soup in mine on the regular.
posted by katie at 5:17 AM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Based on reviews at the time, we bought a Kitchenaid blender in part because you can put the pitcher directly into the dishwasher without first having to dissasemble the blade, gasket, and other parts. It has held up well do fairly heavy use (unlike the two more basic blenders we had before), so I haven't been tempted by a more expensive model.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:21 AM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

America's Test Kitchen recommends the Vitamix, but also likes the Breville Hemisphere Control at less than half the price.
posted by General Malaise at 5:40 AM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

I grew up in a commercial kitchen, surrounded by chef toys, and for some tools, I recommend really high end products, but if you're just making smoothies, I would buy a $20-50 blender first and see if you actually use it often enough to justify the upgrade and the counter space of a $200+ tool. I've had, and have used for 20 years, a big box store blender. It handles soups, smoothies, and other things where the food processor is the wrong tool. I periodically look with longing at the shiny toys, but really it's a lot more tool than I need. (That said, I use my food processor for all sorts of things that other people use high end blenders to do.)
posted by SecretAgentSockpuppet at 5:46 AM on December 2, 2015 [6 favorites]

Since you are just starting out, go ahead and buy one of the under $20 ones at Wal-Mart. I prefer glass to plastic for cleaning purposes. Just use room temp water. Boiling water is excessive. Fruit doesn't hold the cold very well and you will end up with glop if you use boiling.

Once you are in the habit and you know you are going to continue with it, buy your super expensive blender during an after Christmas sale. You can even check craigslist or ebay, since there will be people receiving these things who would rather have the money. You can keep the cheap one for back up or donate it.
posted by myselfasme at 5:53 AM on December 2, 2015 [4 favorites]

Like saladin, we bought the Oster Versa based The Sweethome's review. As they say in their review "we’d say it’s about 85 percent as good as [...] the Vitamix 5200, but at roughly 40 percent the price."

We've only had it for a few months but we use it for smoothies most mornings, and it's been great. Our smoothies include frozen fruit, cooked beets, yogurt, chia seeds, and greens, all of which it handles with no problems. Hot liquids aren't a problem (and I don't think they would be with most blenders), the cookbook it came with includes plenty of pureed soup recipes where you put hot soup in the blender.
posted by radiomayonnaise at 5:56 AM on December 2, 2015

I make smoothies almost every day using my $20 single serving Oster blender and I'm very happy with it. Drink straight from the bottle you blend in, and wash in the dishwasher. I'm happy to have saved $500 for something I would enjoy more.
posted by ellenaim at 6:04 AM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Let me counsel you away from Kitchen Aid in this one area. I have the stainless steel professional series (for hot liquids!) and it's a piece of shit. I'd feel guilty giving it to you for free.

I've enjoyed all iterations of Nutri Bullet every time I have used one. You should get one from Costco and save yourself the hassle and money. You will love it!

Vitamix is kinda overrated and definitely huge - for that I would go with the Ninja.

There are websites and blogs to educate yourself about motors and strength. The NutriBullet comes in a few iterations... Let's just say I wish I owned the biggest bullet instead of my blender + cuisinart.

Also, I think some stick blenders are awesome. My kitchen aid has a piece that wore out and can't be replaced... Motor is great though! *sad horn*

Does Macy's sell Nutri Bullets? Macy's has excellent sales on appliances.

Ninja or NutriBullet.

Also - warm water from your tap has sediment and junk from your hot water heater tank and you should never ever drink that cause it's poison-y. K? Use a kettle or stove. Enjoy your smoothies!!
posted by jbenben at 6:05 AM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

The fancy blenders can do things that even nice lower-end ones like the Breville cannot, like completely take apart greens [see some comparison pictures at this Serious Eats comparo], but if you don't have to do those things it might not matter.

I got a Vitamix 5200-type for $250ish by biding my time; I like it because
1) Greens smoothies that don't suck. You can also throw in whole carrots with tops, whole apples, whatever, and it purees it.
2) Can turn raw sesame seeds ($0.54 a pack from Badia) plus chick peas into hummus, no tahini required.
3) Nut butter (very occasionally).
4) Very, very smooth and thick frozen daquiris (constantly in the hot season).
5) When a soup recipe says to pass it through a chinois for smoothness, I just laugh.
posted by ftm at 6:09 AM on December 2, 2015 [3 favorites]

My Braun handblender is about fifteen years old, yellowing, and the cord has a bit of a curl from me storing it wound around the stem, but it works like the first day.
It's not the best thing for ice cubes or frozen fruit, because it's really not designed to chop down through a pile of hard stuff, but you don't want to use ice anyway, so no worries there.
posted by Mister Moofoo at 6:12 AM on December 2, 2015

I also bought the $20 Oster single-serving blend-in-cup doodad about a year ago, in a deal that came with an extra cup, with the agreement with myself that it was a Proof of Concept and if I burned it out on smoothies I could have a multiple-hundred-dollar blender.

I still do not have a multiple-hundred-dollar-blender. Or, very often, smoothies. But when I do, it handles both ice and frozen fruit (even my own clunkier frozen fruit) just fine. The cup is dishwasher safe, so hot liquid shouldn't be an option.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:21 AM on December 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Just to provide food for thought on some other issues people raised about the vitamix:

Clean up is really easy. No need for disassembly. I've always just filled it with hot water and dish soap, then let it run on high, empty it out and rinse and I'm done. No need for dishwasher.

I agree that it is tall. Mine will fit under the cabinet if I take off the lid. However they sell a smaller 32 Oz container that is much shorter if height is a concern.
posted by Karaage at 6:31 AM on December 2, 2015

I have a Cuisinart immersion blender and I love it. It takes up very little space, it's easy to clean, it's transportable, it's inexpensive, and it comes in purple. I've used it for soups plunking it right down into a pot, so yes, it can handle hot things. It does a perfectly adequate job of blending everything I ever need blended without making me feel guilty if I go 6 months without making a smoothie. A+ would buy again.
posted by phunniemee at 6:51 AM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

If you want:
- Smoothies that are ingestible, and don't plan on using a lot of ice, get whatever.
- Thicker soups that you don't have to pour out of the pot, get the Cuisinart immersion blender.
- Smoothies that are perfectly smooth with no gritty chunks of ice or stringy bits from leaves, get a Vitamix.

I have a Vitamix and I love it because it makes delicious green smoothies, the tamper is well designed and solves the air-pocket problem, and things with frozen stuff in them are creamy and smooth, never gritty. The top is nicely vented so if you do blend hot things it doesn't explode. I'm very happy with the Vitamix and if you can justify the extra cost, I think you will be too.
posted by telepanda at 7:06 AM on December 2, 2015

I have a Waring Pro. It looks fantastic and blends really well but is a PITA to clean since the bottom doesn't come off. Well, it does, but that requires unscrewing the blade, which is sharp, I realized, when I tried to do that in a Bed Bath & Beyond with my bare hand. It was shocking how unconcerned the staff was that I was dripping blood all over the checkout counter.
posted by grumpybear69 at 7:30 AM on December 2, 2015

I bought the Oster Versa based on The Sweethome's review, especially their feeling that on smoothies the Oster did better than the Vitamix or Blendtec at less than half the price.

I love this blender, use it constantly, recommend it often.
posted by Cosine at 7:38 AM on December 2, 2015

I have a Ninja. It does what I want it to do, but I had problems with the smallest container. We have a Ninja and a Nutri-bullet at work; I use the Nutri-bullet exclusively there. I have a friend who has a Vitamix and swears by it.

I'd vote for the Nutri-bullet.
posted by sara is disenchanted at 7:41 AM on December 2, 2015

Another vote for the Nutri-Bullet. It was something like $70 at Bed Bath & Beyond, but as someone noted upthread, you could get it cheaper at Costco. Works really beautifully for smoothies, and super super easy to clean. Also takes up very little space on the counter, which is a real plus for me in a NYC kitchen.
posted by holborne at 8:07 AM on December 2, 2015

I have the Blendtec Tabletop Total Blender and I would not recommend it. It was insanely expensive but it just hasn't blown me away. It's much better than the Waring Pro blender that I had before, which is notorious for motor problems, and yet...it just doesn't seem to be 4x as good so I feel like it was overpriced.

I make smoothies frequently and it's obnoxiously loud to the point where I really dislike using it. I really didn't factor in any noise complaints about blenders when shopping for a new one but it bothers me so much that I wish that I had. According to this, the Blendtec Total Blender is louder than other similar power blenders.

You know the infomercials for the Vitamix that shows it completely pulverizing something like strawberry seeds? The Blendtec doesn't do that. You also need to buy a separate ($100) jar if you want to make nut butters.

If I was going to spend $400 on a blender again, I'd go with a Vitamix. I did a lot of research before buying mine and it came down to the Blendtec because it was slightly cheaper, but Blendtec had a lot more negative reviews than Vitamix (and Vitamix reviews often mentioned that they switched from the Blendtec). Maybe it's a "grass is greener on the other side" thing, but it just seems like Vitamix owners are happier.
posted by the thorn bushes have roses at 8:10 AM on December 2, 2015

Wow, how strange to read this first thing this morning, because I woke up thinking how I never use my Vitamix and wondering why I was so desperate to buy it. Part of the problem is it can't go in the dishwasher. The other part is that I only go through very brief but intense phases of making the things that a Vitamix excels at, like frozen drinks, smoothies, etc. The other part is that it's too tall to fit under my cabinets so it's up on a shelf and pretty heavy to lift down. But, when actually in use, it is indeed a fearsome blending apparatus.
posted by HotToddy at 8:17 AM on December 2, 2015

I finally got a vitamix after really wanting one for 10 years, and I have no regrets. I like green smoothies and things like dates and nuts (even if I forget to soak them) turn out perfectly smooth.

A mix of frozen fruit and greens and cold tap water will end up room-temperature, I add 4-6 ice cubes to make it chilled. It's not ICY like that.

The blender also has a "soup" setting which I haven't tried yet, and I think it just runs the motor long enough to heat up the contents! So you could also give your smoothies an extra minute to bring up the temperature.

I picked up the dry container as well, and it basically works like a food processor. Like the wet container blends things together as it chops them, the dry one pushes them apart. Or something. There are some seriously intense blogs out there that will tell you more than you need to know.
posted by jeweled accumulation at 8:19 AM on December 2, 2015

I had a Waring Pro and found it not able to make anything really smooth (soups and smoothies mostly). So I coughed up the money for a Vitamix. Maybe it's so good it's beyond my plebeian blender needs, but I can't say it felt like money well spent. It's a blender and it blends. I don't find myself exclaiming wow! or anything. After using my dad's Ninja Professional that he got for a 6th of what mine cost, I wish I'd done more research at the time and gotten his instead.
posted by cecic at 8:19 AM on December 2, 2015

I have had an original type Ninja, and it wore out and became funky at the seals after a year of almost daily use, but I didn't expect it to be Buy It For Life. Then I bought the most basic Vitamix. It is better in almost every way, and I expect it to last. Very easy to clean. Replacement parts available. I chose Vitamix over Blendtec because I like analog controls. In my opinion, electronics are just one more thing to go wrong and not necessary on a blender. But I also hate fun.

I also have an immersion blender for soup. It is not a substitute for a real blender, I wouldn't try to make a smoothie with it. Even with the whisk attatchment I can't get it to whip cream. I just don't like to transfer hot chunky liquids into another vessel to turn into hot puree.
posted by monopas at 9:33 AM on December 2, 2015

I've had a basic blender forever. It makes great smoothies, soups, etc and I think it's a bit silly to spend money for all that extra power if you aren't going to use it.

I used to think that - and then I saw the difference in how a Nutribullet handled kale and spinach. No floating fragments. I've had both a Ninja and a Nutribullet and preferred the latter
posted by TravellingCari at 9:56 AM on December 2, 2015

Team Ninja here. I use an old Master Prep Ninja that I've had for years and which shows no signs of slowing down. If it ever gives up the ghost I'll get another Ninja.
posted by essexjan at 10:41 AM on December 2, 2015

I finally got a Vitamix a few years ago after going through several other blenders. It is a rockstar. It just feels nice to use because it does its job very well. In general, I prefer to buy quality things just once and this has been a winner in that regard. I have no desires for any other blender in my life!
posted by ainsley at 10:48 AM on December 2, 2015

Just grab the first brand you recognize at the thrift store. A lot of 1970s Osterizers are still going quite strong. I've never had a Braun immersion blender wear out; all mine have only been lost in moves.

I have a lot of blending options in my house and the thing that gets the most use for blending is a simple Braun immersion blender that comes apart in the middle so you can throw the blending end into the dishwasher. They are very easy to clean even without that, though.

Throwing down $$$ to do the most basic blending task around is consumerism run amok.
posted by kmennie at 11:12 AM on December 2, 2015

We shelled out for the Blendtec and it does soups like nothing, nut butters like a champ, and could probably make a smoothie out of axle grease and 10-d nails. It will not only take the heat of soups off the stove, but actually heats the butter up from sheer friction.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 11:20 AM on December 2, 2015

Vitamix is the best, hands down. I once scoffed at how much they cost, but now I'm a true believer. I've used different bullets and Ninjas, and nothing gets the incredible smoothness of the Vitamix. (I have not tried Blendtec.) I use mine every day for smoothies, and it's fantastic for sauces too. In fact, just the other day my wife was talking to someone who just went vegan and did not like cashew cream sauce. But she was making them in a Ninja. The cashew cream that comes out of a Vitamix is silky smooth.
posted by slogger at 11:40 AM on December 2, 2015

We got a Vitamix a few years ago, and it has been used multiple times a day, every single day (no exaggeration) to blend my son's food. It has been a steady workhorse, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
posted by RedOrGreen at 11:54 AM on December 2, 2015

(Oh, and cleaning:

1. Pour out the Vitamix contents. Use one of those rubber spatulas to clean it out.
2. Rinse under hot water.
3. A few drops of dish soap, then fill up with hot water to maybe the 3/4 mark.
4. Blend! For a few seconds, running power up to High briefly. Don't over-do it or you'll have a frothy mess on your hands.
5. Pour out, rinse again. Set upside down to drain and dry.

Done. In practice, this takes less than a minute.)
posted by RedOrGreen at 11:59 AM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

Ninja . You don't need the highest power if you are looking for basic smoothies. A $40 Ninja Master Prep will do your job in a jiffy. If you want convenience get the Ninja 2 in 1($70). It comes with convenient containers for your take and go smoothies, so nothing extra to clean up.

Whatever you do , do not get immersion blenders. They are not meant for ice/frozen fruits and not worth it if you are buying it for smoothies.

I have been researching like crazy recently on this topic and found the $40 Ninja -400W motor perfect for smoothies . Any higher wattage is just diminishing returns
posted by radsqd at 12:30 PM on December 2, 2015

Another vote for the Ninja if you're doing basic stuff. I didn't know if I'd get much use out of a blender, I just wanted to try out basic protein-powder-milk-frozen-banana smoothies, and turn citrus into a mass of pulpy juice, and the Ninja Master Prep does the job, in literally seconds. I always run it a bit longer, because I don't have much experience yet to trust my eyes that everything's blended, but I peeled and cut into chunks a few lemons and threw them in there, and less than 30 seconds later it was lemon puree. Frozen bananas and milk were a smoothie in less than 10 seconds. I suppose if I ever do more complicated things, I'll consider upgrading if need be, but I have no complaints - I'm just basing that on other people's ideas. I'm happy with mine!
posted by dust.wind.dude at 3:21 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

I have a Blendtec. I got it in one of those aspirational "this will make me ingest a lot of spinach and make my own pistachio nutella" kind of frenzies.

It's INSANELY loud. I almost never use it. It is not significantly better than my old regular blender for the purpose of making regular banana+ice based smoothies. I have never put any spinach, kale, or carrots in it, although I have no doubt they'd be pulverized instantly. (I did try the pistachio nutella cause I'm a fatty, but it didn't really work, sob.) To sum up: it is total overkill, and the noise is enough to dissuade its use.

But, it does clean up fabulously easy, the blades aren't sharp so I can even just stick my fingers in there to swish it clean.
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:14 PM on December 2, 2015 [1 favorite]

We have something along the lines of this Cuisinart, which is useless—it won't even chop all the way through the skin of bell-pepper slices, much less make smoothies. It was a gift, alas, or it wouldn't still be sitting in a kitchen cabinet. So just one data point, I don't recommend that.
posted by limeonaire at 8:04 PM on December 2, 2015

I have the Oster Versa as well (and I asked here about blender reviews before I purchased!). I'm happy with my purchase but have already decided that my next blender is a Vitamix!
posted by treehorn+bunny at 8:35 PM on December 2, 2015

blendtec ftw. I bought a refurbished unit for $280 inc shipping.

- loud!! oy is it loud
- cant dishwash the unit

+ unstoppable
+ bulletproof (I used it for >200 smoothies from frozen fruits spinache whole bannana and nut butter in about a year, the seal started to go after 9 months, I phoned them up and they replaced it for free; entire unit, no questions asked)
+makes amazing nut butters with the minitwist jar
+ smaller than the vitamix (fits under shelf)

takes 1 min to clean the same way a vitamix does
posted by lalochezia at 9:15 PM on December 2, 2015