Buy KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender: https://cooks.io/2KGFyEB
Buy Black + Decker Performance FusionBlade Blender: https://cooks.io/2NDFm71
Behind the Testing: http://cooks.io/2saDSZM
Full testing details and ranking chart: http://cooks.io/2saV5CF

** UPDATE JULY 9, 2018 **

Our winning mid-priced blender, the Breville Hemisphere Control, has been discontinued, though some are still available for sale. Breville is launching a new line of blenders this fall, including a replacement for the Hemisphere. We'll test the new model as soon as it's available and report back with our findings. In the meantime, we recommend our runner up, the KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender for those who want to make blended drinks, soups, and thicker recipes like almond butter, or our winning inexpensive blender, the Black + Decker Performance FusionBlade Blender, for those looking to just make blender drinks, soups, and thinner recipes.

***

We tested 7 midpriced blenders to find the best blender (listed in alphabetical order):
Braun PureMix
Breville the Hemisphere Control
Cuisinart Hurricane 2.25 Peak HP Blender
Cuisinart Hurricane Pro 3.5 Peak HP Blender
KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender
Nutri Ninja Ninja BlendMAX DUO
Oster Versa Pro Performance Blender with Tamper 1400 Watts

What are the best blenders out there? From burnt-out motors to cracked pitchers and smoothies that aren’t smooth, most midpriced blenders are a bust. Luckily, in our latest blender review, we found one you can count on.

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WINNING TRAITS OF A GOOD MIDPRICED TOP-RATED BLENDER
- Powerful, durable motor
- Well-designed blade that results in optimal food circulation
- Well-designed jar that requires few or no scrape-downs
- Reasonably quiet motor
- Clear, logical control panel

WHAT WE EXAMINED
We tested seven blenders, priced from $159.99 to $285.00, rating them on their ability to perform various tasks. We also evaluated each blender on how easy it was to operate and clean. We measured the diameter of each jar at the midpoint. We used a tachometer to measure how fast each blender’s blades turned on the lowest setting and a decibel meter to measure how loud each was.

SMOOTHIES: We made kale, pineapple, and orange juice smoothies in each model. The best made completely smooth smoothies while incorporating minimal air.

CRUSHED ICE: The best models quickly turned ice into fluffy white snow with minimal scraping.

MAYONNAISE: We evaluated each model’s ability to blend small amounts of eggs and oil into mayonnaise, measuring the efficiency of its lowest speed and the functionality and usefulness of the hole in the top of its lid, through which we poured the oil while the blender was running; the best models produced a smooth and creamy sauce on the first try.

ALMOND BUTTER: Models that were able to produce smooth butter from whole almonds with minimal scraping or overheating rated highest.

EASE OF USE: We rated each blender on how logical and intuitive its controls were, as well as how maneuverable the jar and the blender itself were. We also evaluated how easy it was to clean.

NOISE: We noted how loud the blenders were throughout testing and measured their noise levels with a decibel meter, noting a range of roughly 80 decibels (comparable to the dial tone of a telephone) to 103 decibels (comparable to a lawn mower). Those that stayed under 100 decibels rated highest.


ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.

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