Blend, Blend, Blend: I Tested High-End Blenders and Landed on Two Favorites

I can still remember the very first time I used a Vitamix blender in a professional restaurant kitchen. The first time I felt its raw power, the awesomeness of a fully analog control dial, the soups that flowed down my throat like the smoothest silk. If you've ever been awestruck by the texture of a purée or a soup in a fancy restaurant, odds are one of these machines was responsible. The good news is that they're now easily available for the home cook. The bad news? There are many options, and they're pricey. We're talking at least $400.

For that kind of bucks, you want to make sure that you're getting the best blender for your needs, and one that's going to last through the years. I spent several weeks putting a slate of blenders through their paces to bring you my two top recommendations: the Vitamix 5200 and BlendTec Designer Series.

The Winners, at a Glance

The Best Overall High-End Blender

Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender

View On Amazon $412 View On Vitamix.com View On Newegg.com $643

This incredibly powerful, no-frills blender makes silky-smooth purées, soups, and smoothies, and, really, it can tackle any blending task. It's expensive, yes, but for those looking to invest in a blender, this is hard to beat.

The Best Smaller High-End Blender

Blendtec Designer Series

View On Amazon $450 View On Williams-Sonoma $500 View On Home Depot $500

This smaller, lighter blender is ideal for those with limited kitchen space. It's still powerful, though: Crushing ice easily and performing on par with the Vitamix 5200 for soups and smoothies.

Why Do I Need a High-End Blender?

High-end blenders—those with a peak horsepower of two or higher—don't come cheap. The most inexpensive models will about $400. So why would you pay two to four times the price of a standard blender for something that performs pretty much the same tasks? Because a high-powered blender simply does them better. Smoother soups and smoothies. Faster ice-crushing. Grains that you can mill to your own specs. Fresh nut butters and purées. You get the idea.

The truth is, you probably don't need one, but once you've had your first taste of a hot soup that's as smooth as silk or a truly velvety, seed- and fiber-free smoothie, you'll have a heck of a hard time going back.

If you've ever had a blender completely conk out on you in a sputter of smoke and plastic dust, there's another reason for you. It's a factor that often gets overlooked in reviews, but customer testimony and years of use can offer some insight: High-end blenders are simply more durable and reliable. Both of the blenders that made my list feature solid metal gears on the blender base and jar. A metal-geared blender will last virtually forever, and these blenders have seven- and eight-year warranties to prove it. Metal ball bearings in the blade enclosure also make for a more efficient blend and longer lifespan.

The Contenders

There are a ton of blenders out there at various price ranges, but for this test, I focused on high-powered blenders: blenders with a peak horsepower rating of at least two. I also set a price cap at $500, which priced out a few of BlendTec's, Vitamix's, and Waring's most expensive models.

I'll get into the details of the testing, but first here's a quick glance at the two (still available) winners.

The Testing

We all use blenders for different tasks at home. Some folks use them almost exclusively as smoothie machines. Some use them on the weekend to crush ice or make frozen drinks. People into raw foods use them to make smooth, raw-food soups and nut butter. A baker would use them to mill grains. As a former restaurant cook, my primary uses are blending hot soups and purées. Marketers will let you know that their blenders can also do things like knead dough or make batters.

To test each of these tasks, I made the following in every blender, starting with identical sets of ingredients. In cases where blenders had a preset button designed to perform a specific task, I tested them both using the preset, as well as operating them manually.

Here's what I did in each blender:

• I crushed one tray of ice.
• I puréed one quart of hot carrot soup.
• I made one cup of peanut butter from roasted peanuts.
• I made enough blackberry, strawberry, kale, and yogurt smoothies to feed four.
• I made an extra-large, extra-thick milkshake.
• I made a pint of hummus.
• I made a cup of mayonnaise.
• I made two frozen margaritas.
• I milled a cup and a half of corn four.
• I ground a half pound of raw carrots.
• I made a batch of pizza dough.
• I ground half a pound of beef.
• I whipped a half pound of heavy cream.

The Results

I very quickly learned one thing about blenders during the testing process: there is really no comparison between a high-powered blender and a standard, sub-two-horsepower blender. Where weak blenders leave seeds and fibers behind, powerful blenders form a perfectly smooth purée—soups so smooth you can pour them through a cheesecloth-lined chinois and leave nothing behind. To really show you the difference, I blended up a couple of blackberry-kale smoothies in a standard blender and in my Vitamix 5200.

I purposely made the smoothies with a very large amount of kale in order to demonstrate the blenders' relative abilities to crush fibers and rupture plant cells to release more nutrients and produce smoother results. Here's what we get, and bear in mind that I designed this test purposely to exaggerate color release from various cells. The results are not particularly appetizing (though they were delicious):

The smoothie on the left was made in a standard blender and is colored purple from easy-to-release pigments in the blackberries. The kale gets chopped into tiny bits, but those bits stay relatively intact—very little green chlorophyll is released from inside the cells.

The smoothie on the right made with the Vitamix is brownish in color, a result of the purple pigments in the blackberries mixing with the green chlorophyll released from fully pulverized kale cells. See the difference?

Despite what the marketers say, none of these machines is a replace-everything-in-your-kitchen contraption. A food processor or stand mixer with an attachment is still far superior for making dough or grinding meat. A bowl and a whisk will make better batters. An immersion blender will make faster mayonnaise and whipped cream. These machines will change your soups and smoothies, not your life.

Blade Design

I also discovered that features that may seem important at first are not necessarily factors in overall performance. Some blenders advertised razor-sharp blades, but the sharpness of the blades had no relation to how well the blenders actually performed. The one thing really sharp blades do: they give you a much higher chance of cutting yourself during cleaning or ruining a rubber spatula during scraping. They also dull faster.

Peak horsepower or wattage is only a very rough indication of performance. The Vitamix clocks in at 1380 watts and two peak horsepower and the Blendtec Designer at 1560 watts and three horsepower, yet both performed their tasks similarly, which goes to show that good blade and jar design are just as important as raw power. Actual horsepower delivered to the blades can vary depending on many factors including how efficiently the motor is cooled, the amperage coming into the machine, and how efficient it is at converting energy from one form to another.

The number of blades also bore no relation to performance. One blender, in particular, offered a central spindle-style fixture with six blades arranged up and down it. Despite menacing appearances, the blender couldn't measure up to models with a more traditional bottom-based vortex-style blade system. Of my two favorite models, the BlendTec has only two dull blades and the Vitamix has four moderately sharp blades.

Jar Design

The shape of a blender jar can affect the efficiency of the blend. Ridges, fins, and extra sides make for more turbulence, which in turn makes for a more even blend, but they can also make the blender much harder to clean or scrape, so finding the right balance is key. The Vitamix blender's tall, narrow, tapered jar produces the most effective vortexing action—the whirlpool that pulls down ingredients into the spinning blades below.

This is important because a good vortex not only leads to faster, more efficient blending, but it also means less splashing, which means less food wasted by getting stuck on the lid or sides of the jar. Even at high speed, a smoothie will show virtually no splashing: all of the liquid is getting circulated back to the blades below.

By contrast, the extra wide, square jar on the BlendTec blender leads to tons of splashing. The liquid virtually bounces up and down as it blends. While this made only a slight difference in the quality of the finished blend, it does make tasks where a strong vortex and minimal splashing are necessary—like making mayonnaise—much more difficult, if not impossible.

Jar design also comes into play when emptying the container: The Vitamix has a long pouring spout that makes for drip-free pours. The BlendTec has no spout at all, virtually guaranteeing that you're going to be dripping soups or smoothies onto your counter as you pour from the pitcher.

Blending Wet Solids

As I mentioned above, a good vortex is important when it comes to blending soups, smoothies, and other pourable liquids. What about thicker purées, dips, or nut butter? In these cases, you're going to want one of two things: A wide jar with the ability to pulse easily—which bounces large chunks of food up and down so that they don't end up riding around the blade—or a blender that comes with a firm tamper in order to push chunks of food down into the blades.

The BlendTec goes with the former approach, which makes it the best at hands-off puréeing. A super-wide base and good presets quickly reduce raw vegetables and nuts to purees and butter, though if you want perfect results, you're still going to have to stop it occasionally to scrape down the sides with a spatula. Raw carrots were reduced to a baby food-like paste within 45 seconds in the BlendTec. With the Vitamix, on the other hand, a narrow jar meant that after 45 seconds, large chunks of carrots still remained.

That said, once you factor in the included tamper for the Vitamix, you get a different story. Pushing ingredients down into the blades of those mixers produced purées that were even smoother than the BlendTec's. To me, a few minutes of extra work are worth the superior results. The BlendTec has no tamper, which means you can't operate it this way even if you want to.

Controls

Blenders have slowly been falling into what I call the "Microwave Trap." Remember back when microwaves used to have two control knobs—one for power, the other for time—and that was it? Somewhere along the line manufacturers got it in their heads that a microwave must have at least 20 different presets to be functional, and that simply turning it on and making it go should require a half dozen button pushes. It's absurd and makes simple tasks far more difficult than they should be.

Blenders are not quite at that level of ridiculousness yet, but they're getting there fast. Presets can be useful if you're the type of person who likes to multi-task. Want a smoothie in the morning? Just dump the pre-measured ingredients into the jar, hit the "smoothie" button, and let the machine make your drink while you shower or get dressed (if those pre-sets actually work, that is). Don't want to bother learning that a milkshake needs to be pulsed slowly first before it can be rapidly blended for the best results? Okay, fine. Push the milkshake button. But at a certain level, more buttons end up obscuring the basic functions of the machines.

The Vitamix has nothing but an on/off switch, a switch to take it between variable mode and high-speed mode, and an analog dial that is truly analog—its speed can be adjusted up, and down in a smooth continuum all the way from a very lazy stir to a blindingly fast 37,000 RPM.

The Blendtec comes with a touchscreen slider for not-quite-analog control and a few presets. That touch screen, for the record, does make the BlendTec extremely easy to clean. It's completely smooth!

Grinding and Crushing Ability

I don't often need crushed ice at home, but it's a standard test for a good blender, and in this department, there is again a clear winner: the BlendTec blows the competition out of the water. With its super-wide base, you can drop in a tray of ice cubes and turn it into snow-like crushed ice in eight seconds flat. The Vitamix fails pretty hard due to its tapered shape. If an ice-crusher is what you're looking for, then there's no question that BlendTec is the machine for you.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a High-End Blender

My overall favorite blender had a tall blender jar that worked effectively, was easy to pour from, and had a simple control panel that was easy to understand. You can read more on my top picks below.

The Best High-End Blenders

The Best Overall High-End Blender

Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender

View On Amazon $412 View On Vitamix.com View On Newegg.com $643

What we liked: This is the blender that I keep on my kitchen counter. It's a true no-frills tank of a machine that'll make the smoothest soups and purées you've ever tasted. It's a serious tool that hands-on type cooks will really appreciate. Sure, it takes a little while to figure out the best way to make a smoothie or a milkshake without presets to guide you, but with a little practice, you'll be better equipped to deal with a wider variety of blending needs than anyone who relies on those presets.

The Vitamix also has the lowest speed, which makes blending hot soups quite simple. The biggest issue you face when blending hot soups is creating too much turbulence too fast. Blenders that have a very high lowest speed will cause hot soups to suddenly release steam, which can result in a lid that blows off, spraying scorching hot soup all over your kitchen and face. The Vitamix's slow start prevents that from happening.

Fully analog control also helps you to find the "sweet spot" of a particular food you're pureeing. That is the speed at which it forms a perfect vortex, drawing food continuously into the blades. Blenders with more granular controls have trouble doing this. At one speed, the liquid on top may not get sucked down, while at the next, the blade may spin so fast that the ingredients near the base end up riding on top of the blades instead of falling into them.

Vitamix also has an auto-shutoff feature for those rare occasions when the motor is working too hard. In the entire time I've worked with Vitamixes, the auto-shutoff and cool-down have only been tripped twice (both times when making extra-thick hummus). It gives me good peace of mind to know my blender will turn itself and stop for a short rest rather than burn itself out.

What we didn't like: For those looking for a blender with a range of presets or fancier, digital controls, this isn't it (for that, there are other Vitamixes out there).

Key Specs

• Capacity: 64 fluid ounces
• Weight: 10.5 pounds
• Number of Speeds: 10
• Controls: Manual
• Comes with tamper: Yes
• Warranty: 7-year

The Best Smaller High-End Blender

Blendtec Designer Series

View On Amazon $450 View On Williams-Sonoma $500 View On Home Depot $500

What we liked: The BlendTec is significantly smaller and lighter than either of its competitors, which can be a big deal for compact kitchens. My Vitamix, for instance, wouldn't sit underneath the cabinets in my old apartment. The BlendTec had no problem. It's also the best crusher out there if turning ice into snow is your game, and it performs on par with the Vitamix for soups and smoothies.

What we didn't like: True, the blender jar drips when you try to pour from it and the lack of a tamper means that you have to stop it more frequently to scrape down the sides when making things like nut butter, but those are minor flaws in an otherwise superb product.

Key Specs

• Capacity: 36 fluid ounces
• Weight: 8 pounds
• Number of Speeds: 8
• Controls: Touchscreen
• Comes with tamper: No
• Warranty: 8-year

FAQs

What's the difference between a high-speed blender and a regular blender?

The difference is at least a few hundred dollars. Kidding aside, it’s all in the motor. Higher horsepower (or higher wattage) translates to a more powerful motor. A more powerful motor means greater efficiency in puréeing, blending, and pulverizing. Whereas standard blenders often leave behind fibers, seeds, and pulp, a great high-speed blender is all smooth sailing. There are also a handful of other upgrades that come with high-speed blenders, including more speed controls and settings.

Is a high-speed blender like an immersion blender?

Not even close. Although we love immersion blenders, they’re not interchangeable with high-speed blenders. The usefulness of an immersion, or stick, blender is its portability. With a stick blender, you can purée soup without transferring it to a separate container. However, it's not as powerful as a blender-blender and shouldn't be used for tasks such as making your own nut butter.

Are high-speed blenders expensive?

No way around it: Yes. High-speed blenders cost more than basic blender models, due to the powerful motor. As I discovered in my testing, many high-speed blenders are also just generally better and higher quality. In other words: The motor isn’t the only thing that’s upgraded. More durable container jars, a variety of programs, and better-designed controls are all included in most high-speed blender models.  

Should you buy a refurbished blender?

You can buy a refurbished model. Making the purchase directly from the blender manufacturer will result in a better experience, including a warranty and customer service. Some sellers, such as Vitamix, offer what they call “reconditioned” blenders, which are inspected and certified before they're sold. You’ll generally save at least $100 with a gently used blender like this.

These babies can do so much more than purée soup. With top models boasting a horsepower of two, you can pulverize even tough foods, like nuts, into a silky-smooth sauce. (On that note, they’re useful for homemade nut milk.) If horsepower doesn’t mean anything to you, consider that two hp translates to roughly 1,490 watts. 

Are high-speed blenders worth it?

It depends. (Don’t you hate when that’s the answer?) If you rarely use your blender or only plan on using it for smoothies and soup, you may find a standard blender to be sufficient. However, the allure of a high-speed, high-end blender is in its versatility. In our tests, we used them for everything from grinding carrots to whipping heavy cream. While no blender can replace every tool in your arsenal, it’s a smart investment purchase if you’ve got the budget for it.

Why We're the Experts

• J. Kenji López-Alt is the former culinary director of Serious Eats and still moonlights as a culinary consultant for the site.
• He's the author of the James Beard award-winning cookbooks The Food Lab and The Wok.
• We've separately reviewed (nearly) all of the Vitamix blenders.
• Rochelle Bilow is a contributing writer who's been freelancing for Serious Eats for more than two years. She helped to update this article.