The 5200 has reliably made velvety soups, delicious smoothies, and pulverized solid ingredients like it’s no big deal. Though the BPA-free plastic blending jar is large (64 oz.), this blender can make a single-serve smoothie without issue, and because you can so easily control the speed, it will even emulsify mayonnaise, a task full-sized blenders can struggle with because the ingredients get stuck on the sides of the jar. A simple dial has 10 variable speed settings, or you can flip a switch to blend on high. Another switch turns the motor on and off. Other than that, there are no bells, whistles, buttons, or lights to clog up the control panel. While you can’t remove the blade for cleaning and it lacks a dedicated cleaning cycle, you can rig up your own“self-cleaning” function by just adding some warm water and dish soap to the pitcher and running it on low or medium speed to dislodge anything stuck in or under the blade. As food director Chris Morocco has previously said, “If you get anything other than a Vitamix 5200, price better be the only reason.” And while we still think it’s an exceptional blender, the introduction of the less expensive and slightly more powerful VX1 bumped this from its forever spot as our top pick. But there’s also size to consider. This is a bulky blender, and the pitcher alone is too tall for some cabinet shelves. So if you’re short on counter or storage space you might want to take some measurements before adding it to your cart, or opt for the VX1 which accommodates a smaller 48 oz. pitcher.
Oster Extreme Mix Blender
The Extreme Mix Blender from Oster has a lot going for it, including a 1600-watt motor and a 10-point titanium-coated blade system that was able to blend everything tester Emily Farris threw at it. She was a little surprised there was no tamper in the box, but the motor (all-metal drive) reverses on the auto settings/presets, which so far (as promised) has eliminated the need for tamping or mixing mid-blend. The blade detaches from the sturdy glass (dishwasher-safe) pitcher for easy cleaning. This blender also comes with a smaller Blend-N-Go travel tumbler for single-serve smoothies. It has five speeds and three presets/iBlend settings. Overall, this is a solid blender and a great value for the price (especially when it’s on sale). Unfortunately, it’s very loud (not entirely surprising given the 1600-watt motor), and we really wish it had a knob or somewhat more manual adjustments than the buttons on the control panel.
Cuisinart Hurricane Pro
The high-performance Cuisinart Hurricane Pro is a great full-size blender that performed nearly as well as the Vitamix 5200 in our testing. It crushes ice with ease and makes smooth and airy smoothies. The interface comes with a bit of a learning curve, but the presets (which include smoothies, ice crushing, soup, and cleaning) are helpful. It’s big and heavy and only a little less expensive than our top pick, but if you want to save a little money, this powerful blender gets the job done.
Breville Fresh and Furious Blender
Breville Fresh and Furious Blender
The compact Breville Fresh and Furious Blender is a good option for those with smaller kitchens. The 50-oz. pitcher feels generous for such a compact machine. It blends powerfully and efficiently, and the intuitive control panel has nine one-touch presets. While the 1100-watt motor can blend frozen fruit and ice, it’s still no Vitamix, and in our testing, it didn’t produce the same silky smoothie texture the Vitamix 5200 did.
Nutribullet Full-Size Blender
The Nutribullet Full-Size Blender has a 1200-watt motor and three speeds plus a pulse and extract function. According to the manual, the latter is the smoothie preset (not a juicer function, sorry). This blender crushed ice better than the Magic Bullet Combo blender and did a nice job breaking down rough kale stems in a smoothie. The motor base has a nice matte finish and suction cups to keep it planted on the counter, but the round plastic 64-oz. pitcher felt both flimsy and bulky. It was also tricky to get on and off of the motor base. We actually tested a combo version of this blender, which offers more versatility for not a lot more money. But the extra parts (personal blending cup, travel mug with a handle, travel lids, and tamper, plus an included recipe book) are a lot to keep track of and store. If you’re looking for power and don’t want to spend a lot of money, this is a good option at a good price point, and if we had to choose between this blender and the Magic Bullet above, we’d choose this. It just doesn’t feel like something that’s made to last.
Oster Original 3-Speed Chrome Blender
Oster Original 3-Speed Chrome Blender
If the Oster Original 3-Speed Chrome Blender looks like something your grandma used back in the day, that’s because it kind of is. Oster was one of the first brands to make blenders for home cooks, and this three-speed blender is a contemporary take on the brand’s original single-speed beehive blender—but has some very useful updates. A sturdy chrome base houses a 700-watt motor that, combined with the stainless-steel blades, can crush ice as well as many higher-priced blenders, though not quite as well as a Vitamix. At its highest speed, this blender quickly and easily incorporated almonds and kale into a smooth smoothie, though it wasn’t as velvety as what we got from the Vitamix 5200. The 1.5-liter glass pitcher (about 50 oz.) is square-ish, a departure from the original round one, with gently sloped corners, and those four straight sides that make it so ingredients get thrown back into the blade’s vortex. The blade base unscrews from the pitcher for easy cleaning. And because the pitcher body is all glass, it can go in the dishwasher. But glass blenders jars are a mixed bag. When filled high with hot ingredients (like if you’re blending a soup) there is a risk the pressure will make it crack or, in a worst-case scenario, explode. So while this Oster is a good value, we won’t make it a top pick.