Beyond Smoothies: Unlocking Culinary Potential with the Right Blender
For too long, blenders have been pigeonholed as mere smoothie machines. While they excel at transforming fruits and greens into nutritious drinks, the truth is, a truly great blender is a culinary powerhouse capable of revolutionizing your kitchen. Imagine effortlessly whipping up fresh salsa, rich mole, vibrant chimichurri, or silky carrot and squash soups in minutes. These versatile appliances are staples for savory cooking, promising to expand your gastronomic horizons.
At WIRED, we understand the modern blender boom is largely fueled by nut butters and smoothies. Rest assured, our rigorous testing involved countless concoctions, from green-packed health drinks to indulgent frozen fruit and milk blends. To keep things interesting, we even experimented with a few cocktails. Over the past five years, we’ve put dozens of blenders through their paces, and our perennial top pick, the Vitamix 5200, has graced the counters of multiple WIRED editors for a decade, proving its enduring quality. We’ve curated a selection of favorites for every budget and kitchen size, including the best personal and immersion blenders, updated in January 2026 with new additions like the Tribest Backspin and Ninja Blendboss.
Our Top Blender Picks for 2026
Best Blender Overall: Vitamix 5200
When it comes to blenders, the Vitamix 5200 isn’t just a product; it’s a legend. This unyielding classic stands as the benchmark for a reason: unparalleled simplicity, minimal failure points, and raw, untamed power. It will liquify virtually anything you throw its way. WIRED contributing reviewer Joe Ray, a former blender skeptic, described it as a kitchen tool pared down to elemental perfection after his transformative encounter with the Vitamix. WIRED editor Kat Merck’s refurbished 5200, purchased a decade ago, continues to perform flawlessly.
The 5200 boasts an intuitive design with just two switches and a 10-speed dial. Its distinctive tall, 64-ounce blending chamber, with a tapered bottom, creates a powerful vortex that relentlessly draws ingredients into its whirling blades. While its 20-inch height might challenge some kitchen cabinets, this Calla-lily shape is precisely what ensures its exceptional performance. Our tests spanned smoothies, lassis, frozen margaritas, and salad dressings. We ground spices and crafted complex moles. Joe Ray even transformed dried avocado leaves, black bean paste, chiles, garlic, and onion into a silky-smooth concoction, leaving no fibrous remnants.
Despite its formidable power for dense ingredients, the Vitamix 5200 also exhibits remarkable finesse, capable of producing airy whipped cream. Its lowest setting is gentle enough to churn hot soup without a single splatter. In an era of smart functions, presets, sensors, and apps, the 5200 stands as a testament to the enduring value of simplicity, reliability, and unwavering competence. For those desiring a dishwasher-safe option with presets, the Vitamix Ascent X2 offers a compelling alternative in a similar price bracket, though the 5200’s container still reigns supreme for vortex creation.
Vitamix 5200 Specs:
- Dimensions: 8.75 x 7.25 x 20.5 inches (D x W x H)
- Power: 1,380 watts
- Chamber capacity: 64 ounces
- Power settings: 10-speed dial; high or variable modes
- Presets: None
- Accessories:
Optional personal cup adapters, tamper, dry grains container, or Aer disc container
- Warranty: 7 years
Best Blender Under $300: Braun JB9040BK TriForce Power Blender
For those seeking Vitamix-level performance without the premium price tag, the Braun JB9040BK TriForce Power Blender emerges as a formidable contender. This 1,600-watt powerhouse, named for its distinctive triangular jug (designed to optimize ingredient draw-down into the blades), largely mirrors the performance and aesthetic of Vitamix’s budget-friendly Explorian model, but at a more accessible price point and with a robust five-year warranty.
The TriForce offers 10 speed settings alongside a suite of highly useful preset modes. These include dedicated options for smoothies, quick-start chop and ice crush functions, and specialized settings for frozen desserts, soups, and spreads. WIRED contributing reviewer Emily Peck lauded its efficiency, noting that smooth hummus was achievable in just 30 seconds. The accurate nut butter settings, which perfectly time blending for coarse, medium-chunky, or silky-smooth peanut butter, were particularly appreciated. Be aware, however, that like the Vitamix Explorian, the TriForce operates with a noticeable level of noise.
More WIRED Kitchen Appliance Guides
Explore our other expert guides to elevate your kitchen experience: Best Juicers, Best Air Fryers, Best Toaster Ovens, Best Electric Kettles, and Best Latte and Automatic Espresso Machines.
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