Cooking is not my hobby, it’s a necessary evil for survival. I don’t want a bunch of gee-whiz gizmos in my kitchen. I want a few, high-quality, multi-purpose tools that are easy to use.
When it comes to kitchen blenders that means something crafted for years of hard labor actually blending big chunks of food—because I hate chopping—into a smooth purée. It also means something that is simple to clean once the mashing is done.
I’ve used a number of blenders in my time, but there are only two that I will consider for my kitchen. They rank as number one and number two by Consumer Reports, respectively. Both blenders are pricey (and noisy), but they are powerful and rugged enough to liquify massive pieces of whole fruits and vegetables (skin, seeds, core and all) into a wastefree, high-fiber smoothie. The can knead small batches of dough or grind grain into flour. They can make freezer drinks. They can blend—and even heat—sauces and soups.
My recommendations are:
Vita-Mix 5000 
Blendtec TB-621-BHM Blender
If $350+ is not in your blender price-range. I suggest the Oster BVLB07-Z00 Counterforms (pictured top of post). It’s a handsome, well-designed machine. The Oster blender doesn’t pack all the power of the other two machines, but will perform basic blending functions without making a sloppy mess of your wallet.
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I was just looking for a new mixer for Mother’s Day. Thanks for the info on these blenders. I’m asking for a Vitamix now. I’ll use you to back me up on this.
I just got the newest version of the Vita Mix, the 5200, for myself and LOVE it.
The article was useful for me. I’ll be coming back to your blog.
Blenders are one of the greatest appliances that one can have in the kitchen. Most of the time, we see that we have major appliances like toasters, fridge, microwaves and ovens. Blenders will make you a nice blended drink, or make you a nice smoothie in the morning.
I bought a Vita Mix and love it. We’ve had it about 6 months now. Its a really big investment (for a blender)….but I would swear that I’ve gone thru 1 and sometimes 2 blenders a year since I turned 18. Yep at least 10 blenders (if not more) have bit the big one due to wanting a good mixed drink (back in the day), or a smooth smoothie, or a thick milkshake! My VitaMix is amazing!!!
Sarah, I’m so glad you like yours. With your cooking, I bet it takes a beating, so particularly appreciate the expert testimonial!
We bought ours around 1997 — right after we finished our first home build in Boca Raton, Florida. It’s been going strong for 13 years now. Just tonight we made chocolate mint milkshakes for the entire family to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Not a problem.
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