The Best Blenders
Verified by
Ryan V. Editor-in-Chief
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Three of the toughest test kitchens still put the Vitamix 5200 first. Wirecutter's Lesley Stockton kept it as her top pick in August 2026. America's Test Kitchen named it the winner again in October 2025, and Serious Eats' Ashlee Redger picked it as the best blender after testing more than 30 in June 2026.
Texture is the reason. Wirecutter calls the 5200 'the only model we've tried that can make creamy peanut butter and also puree hearty soup without spewing molten liquid up the sides of the jar'. Serious Eats got 'lusciously creamy smoothies', soft margaritas and almond milk with less pulp than its competitors. America's Test Kitchen gave it full marks for smoothies, mayonnaise, crushed ice and almond butter.
It's also the simplest high-end blender to run. One dial covers 10 speeds and a High switch, with no presets to learn, and blade friction heats soup right in the 64 oz jar. Vitamix backs it for 7 years, and Consumer Reports' surveys give Vitamix models 9 out of 10 for predicted reliability.
Vitamix lists the 5200 at $499.95. The Ascent X5 that RTINGS and Good Housekeeping rank first costs $749.95 and comes with a smaller 48 oz jar, so the 5200 is where most serious cooks should stop spending.
What It Won't Do
Price comes first. Wirecutter calls it the biggest issue, since the 5200 costs nearly triple its runner-up, the Cleanblend. It's also tall: at 20.5 inches with the jar on, it won't fit under a standard 18-inch cabinet. There are no presets or timer, so you stand over it while it runs, and Serious Eats found thick, low-liquid recipes like nut butter and pesto can seize up unless you work the tamper.
Below $500, the Breville Fresh & Furious is the blender our sources agree on. America's Test Kitchen named it the Best Midpriced Blender, Serious Eats and Good Housekeeping both picked it for smoothies, and Wirecutter recommends it for a luxe experience. Consumer Reports scored it 81 in its 2026 lab tests. That's five of our seven sources.
Smoothies are its strength. Good Housekeeping's green smoothie test came out smooth and creamy 'with no sign of fibrous kale or spinach'. Serious Eats got smoothies without any kale stem or frozen banana chunks, and America's Test Kitchen found them 'just a touch less fine-textured' than the Vitamix's. Consumer Reports gave it 5 out of 5 for purees and ice crushing.
It also suits a normal kitchen. At 17.7 inches it slides under most cabinets, and the LCD timer counts up on manual speeds and down on the Smoothie, Green Smoothie and Ice Crush programs. Breville lists it at $199.95 with a 3-year warranty, $300 less than the 5200.
What It Won't Do
It's loud. Serious Eats measured 99 dB, the loudest of its winners, and America's Test Kitchen recorded 98.5 dB. There's no tamper, so thick blends need extra liquid, and Wirecutter found it left bits of berry seeds and tiny specks of greens that the Vitamix clears. America's Test Kitchen also found it stops itself every 60 seconds, and Serious Eats got a separated, pebbly margarita from the ice crush preset.
Who Should Buy Which
Vitamix 5200
The top pick at Wirecutter, America's Test Kitchen and Serious Eats, and still the one to beat on texture
- You blend daily and care most about smooth texture
- You want nut butter, almond milk and hot soup from the same jar
- You'd rather turn a dial than learn presets
- You have counter space, since it won't fit under a cabinet
- You want a 7-year warranty and plan to keep it for a decade
Breville the Fresh & Furious
The blender five of our seven sources recommend, for $300 less than the Vitamix
- Smoothies, green smoothies and frozen drinks are most of what you make
- Your blender has to live under the cabinets
- You want one-touch programs and a timer
- You'd rather spend $200 than $500
- A loud motor for a minute at a time doesn't bother you