10 Awesome (And Powerful) Blenders Under $100

When you need to prep a large quantity of whatever your kids are willing to eat any given week (or to blend some adult beverages to help cope with those kids), a large, reliable blender will come in handy. The Ninja professional has a 72 ounce blender jar that’s dishwasher safe, 1,000 watts of power, and four presets to crush, blend, puree, and more. This parent and reviewer said, “It has been a long time since I used a blender. I stopped because they sucked. Old blenders leaked out the bottom. They were hard to clean. They had a ton of different buttons for blending speed with labels that required a thesaurus next to the cookbook. And however I parsed the gradations of perturbation between ‘emulsify’ and ‘macerate’, they didn’t actually blend. What was at the bottom of the blender became angry and confused while whatever was in the top two thirds of the decanter remained beatifically serene. This blender has high, medium, and low settings. You can pulse. It is loud, which I take to be a feature and not a drawback. Even more than my espresso machine, this blender is extremely effective at ending unwanted conversations. For particularly persistent interlocutors, use the pulse setting. Neither my kids nor I particularly like fruits and vegetables and as a result we don’t get nearly enough. And yet I can put in 10 bananas, two cartons of strawberries, two of blueberries, a bag of spinach (yes, spinach!), a cup of plain Greek yogurt, one interrupted conversation … and: ambrosia! The decanter is huge, and yet between the three of us we can and do empty it in one meal. Yay!”

Going the appliance route for a 4th anniversary gift? Good call. A Vitamix is an investment, but a worthy one, and one the whole family will benefit from. Think of all the morning smoothies you could make for your beloved and, um, yourself.

The Hamilton Beach Power Elite blender has 700 watts of power and continuously pulls ingredients down into the blades for smoother results. The glass pitcher can hold 40 ounces and has an easy-to-pour spout, and there are five buttons and 12 blending functions including milkshake,smoothie, chop, and crush ice. The blades are removable and are dishwasher safe along with the jar and lid. One reviewer said, “Works like a charm! Have had this machine for about a year now and it still works great. It is not the most powerful blender out there but especially for the price point works great and gets the job done. The glass is a nice addition, sturdy and it feels like it keeps a little cleaner than plastic jars I have had on blenders before. This is definitely great if you are on a budget and want a sturdy machine that will last a while — perfect for smoothies and any other sort of blending.”

For those who have limited counter space or want a smaller handheld tool to whip up purees or soups, an immersion blender is a good option. The Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick has 500 watts in a compact size, and it has two speed options with eight variable speeds. In addition to the blender with stainless steel blades, it also includes a wish and frother attachment. Say hello to beaten eggs, coffee drinks with frothed milk, and sauces, all in a matter of seconds. This hand blender has almost 16,000 five-star reviews, including one from this reviewer: “I got this after my old stand blender burned out while I was grinding oatmeal. I thought a stick blender would be able to work through dry ingredients a little better and keep from overheating. I’m happy to say that is the case. This little thing is very powerful for its size and really chops whatever you set it to. Its easy to assemble, disassemble, and clean and works great.”

The Braun Immersion Hand Blender has 350 watts of power and two different speeds to help you blend, pureé, blend, or whisk up your favorite dish. The blender has a soft grip handle and comes with a whisk attachment and a convenient 20 ounce beaker. Says one reviewer, “After reading countless reviews of multiple products, I finally landed on the Braun and glad I did. First, the attachments click into place rather than screwing in. So, they are secure and the two push button release is easy to use, even for weak hands. Second, it is powerful. It beats egg whites quickly with the whisk. I used the blade to coarsely puree soup in the pot. It is ideal for that task. No more need for pouring portions of soup into the processor. I had that soup to the desired texture in a few moments. It feels quite substantial. It is so easy to use and clean that I can see it becoming my go to appliance.”

The Cuisinart Smart Stick has a 30-watt motor, ergonomically designed grip, and a two-speed slide control. The blending shaft is made of stainless steel and measures eight inches to help you reach into large bowls or pitchers. One parent and reviewer said it’s also a great tool for making baby food: “I read the glowing reviews about the Cuisinart Smart Stick on Amazon and YouTube and decided to give it a try. I have to say, it didn’t disappoint. I’ve used it to purée just about every fruit and vegetable, and the texture has always been smooth and creamy. I’ve always liked Cuisinart products and this model in particular is very well built. It feels nice and sturdy. Not heavy or too light. It has two speeds, which is convenient. It’s fairly loud, but not much louder than any other blender. It also comes with a very sturdy plastic cup that can be used to blend your food. I’ve had this product for two years now and I still use it for lots of food dishes. I’ll also be using it for my second baby who’ll be starting solids soon. Overall this was a great buy and worth every penny.”

If smoothies are your go-to easy snack or meal (or you want them to be), and you want to quickly make one for yourself the compact Nutribullet will become your favorite tool to make them. All you have to do is throw in your fave ingredients into the included BPA-free cup, push it down into the blender base, and twist. It has a 600 water motor and removable blades for cleaning, and the cups are safe for dishwasher top racks. This set also comes with a recipe book, 24 ounce cup, and to-go lid so you can carry your smoothie around with you. One happy reviewer said, “Love it! Easy to clean and use. A bit of noise, but it’s a blender, what can you do. Very efficient, even with ice, as long as you don’t overfill it. I would recommend to anyone. I have a Vitamix as well and find myself using this more because it’s smaller and easier to clean.”

Similar to the Nutribullet, The Magic Bullet helps make blending small batches a breeze. The compact size also means it won’t take up a ton of counter space and is easy to store in a cabinet. With a twist of the wrist, this 250-watt gadget can help you chop, mix, blend, grind, whip, and more. The 11-piece set comes with the blender, additional cups, several lids (including a flip top to-go lid), recipe book, and more. With over 16,000 five-star ratings, the Magic Bullet is a clear people pleaser. One reviewer said, “Blenders are nice but bullets are just more efficient and more functional for those who love to make sauces, ground coffee beans, shakes and smoothies. Blenders are good for large scale smoothie shops or for large families, but for single people or small families, the magic bullet is the most versatile investment you can get.”

For the price, this Oster blender is pretty mighty. For reference, a personal Vitamix has 750 watts, and this one is at 700, so its power is comparable. This has five speed settings (low, medium, and high pulse) and its Crush Pro 4 Blade is made of stainless steel. Many reviewers find that, for twenty bucks, they’re able to use this blender to blend and chop seamlessly — even ice or frozen fruit. A reviewers added that it definitely helped to add more liquid for a smoother process.