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TOP BLENDERS 2021: The Ultimate Blender Buying Guide For Vegans

The ultimate guide to finding your perfect blender for 2021.

A powerful and reliable blender is a crucial part of the vegan kitchen. Whether you are making soups, smoothies, or sauces, a trusty blender will be your best friend. While most blenders will get you through making smoothies and can handle low power tasks, investing in a higher-end blender will allow you to expand the options of your plant-based diet. This guide will take you through the key features to look out for when looking for your next blender

A powerful and reliable blender is a crucial part of the vegan kitchen. Whether you are making soups, smoothies, or sauces, a trusty blender will be your best friend. While most blenders will get you through making smoothies and can handle low power tasks, investing in a higher-end blender will allow you to expand the options of your plant-based diet. This guide will take you through the key features to look out for when looking for your next blender

Here are some of the things you can make with a great blender:

  • Soups

  • Smoothies

  • Vegan Cheese

  • Plant-based Milks

  • Vegan Butter

  • Sour Cream

Some of the nicer blenders will even be able to:

  • Grind Flours

  • Chop nuts and make nut butters

  • Crush Ice

What to Look for in a blender

  • Strength: Watts vs. Horsepower

  • Ease of Cleaning Your Blender

  • Plastic/Glass Pitcher

  • Blender Size

  • What Are You Making in Your Blender?

  • Blender Price

  • Extra Blender Features

Blender Watts vs. Horsepower

Many blender manufacturers will display the horsepower of their blender motors on their packaging and marketing to convert the strength of their blenders. Is this a good metric to base your impressions? Is this just marketing mumbo jumbo? Well… like many things it depends. Some manufacturers choose to market their blender’s peak horsepower, but some market their blenders operating horsepower.

Take blendtec’s classic 575 blender. Blendtec has advertised a peak horsepower of 3hp. The blender has a 1560 Watt motor and using this nifty formula hp = w / 746, we can calculate that the blendtec classic 575 has an approximate operating horsepower of 2.09hp. That is a 33% difference! Now, the 2.09hp is still one of the highest power blenders you will see on this list, so hats off to blendtec. For the purposes of this list, we will look at Wattage, which will be a more consistent measure.

Ease of Cleaning Your Blender

Blenders with the conventional design are already quite effective at self cleaning. Just throw some soapy water in the pitcher and run it for a minute or two. This will allow you to clean the blades and pitcher with little to no hassle.

Some blenders like the nutribullets will not fare as well with this method. The shape and orientation of these blenders may make the cleaning process more of a hassle. However, these blenders are often made to be dishwasher safe.

You will want to consider the base of you blender and how easy it is to clean. Does it have a bunch of knobs and buttons? This can introduce many cracks and crevices for food stuffs to get stuck in, making your cleaning process much more involved. This is why many brands are going for a simpler design with less buttons, buttons covered with a plastic layer, or if you’re fancy - capacitive touchscreen buttons.

Plastic/Glass Pitcher

The pitcher, or jar of blenders are primarily made of glass or plastic. While the material of the pitcher (jar) for your blender will not necessarily change the quality of your food, it can make a difference of the quality of life using your blender. Here are some things to consider with the pitcher.

Glass pitchers are generally cheaper than the alternative, but still quite good. They will be compatible with both cold and hot contents and dishwasher safe. The downsides to glass are the fragility and weight. If you like to manipulate your food with a spoon while your blending and the spoon gets stuck in the blades while they are moving, this could mean disaster for your pitcher as it can and will shatter. Glass is also heavier than the plastic alternatives, so if weight is a priority you should look into blenders with a plastic jar.

Many manufacturers opt for a high-grade plastic pitcher. Brands like Vitamix, Ninja, blendtec, etc. These pitchers will be lighter, safer, and more durable. However, these pitchers will be more expensive. Some may not be dishwasher safe, so make sure to check before purchasing

Blender Size

While this is a small point to make, it is just as important. If your blender will not be permanently stationed on your countertop, the size and weight of your blender can be important. A large and powerful blender may provide the capacity for what you want to make, but will also be harder to move around and store than the smaller counterparts.

What Are You Making in Your Blender?

A VERY important thing to consider when buying a blender is the food you will be putting through it. Are you just making smoothies? Then a weaker and more budget friendly blender will probably do the trick. Fruits won’t put too much wear on the motor and blades compared to tougher foods.

However, if you plan to make foods that require a little more umph, you will want to plan that in your budget. Foods like nut butters and thick sauces will require a more powerful blender and that will be reflected in the price of your blender. Some nicer blenders will even be able to heat the contents as you blend to make hot soups, cheeses, and more. Blender Price

When it comes to the price of your blender, you generally get what you pay for. If you buy cheap blenders, you will probably be buying replacement parts or a new blender with the next year or two. These blenders will also not provide the best blend for lack of a better word. For that reason we will mostly be covering decent blenders that should last you longer as long as you don’t abuse them too much.

For under $100 dollars, you are looking at your low-end/budget blenders. While you can find some gems, most blenders in this range will be good smoothies and not much more. You will be sacrificing some quality of life features for the cost savings.

In the $100-$200 range, you will find your medium range blenders. These will be a big step up from the budget options and you will notice. The build and output quality will improve. You’ll find these will last you a lot longer as well. This range is a great option if you want to invest a great blender, but are not a blender every other day or more.

The $200-$400 & $500+ range contains some of the heavy hitters of the bunch. You’ll find the most well known brands in this category and they are there for a reason. These blenders will have more powerful and more durable components and will last you. I’ve been using a Vitamix (not sponsored) consistently for years now and I don’t see it faulting one bit. If you have the funds for it and plan to use and abuse your blender, this is definitely the range to be looking at.

Extra Blender Features

This is not the end all of blender decisions, but some blender manufacturers have included some fun features to lift the experience up just a little bit. Blenders often come with pre-programmed modes, and special features that make the blender using experience a little more fun. We will cover some of these features for each blender on our list.

TOP BLENDERS

High End

Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series

$699.95

Vitamix 3500

Vitamix A2500 Ascent Series

499.99

Vitamix 2500

Vitamix A2300 Ascent Series

$449.99

A2300 Vitamix

Vitamix has been a powerhouse in the blending space for years. The Ascent series is the newest line of Vitamix blenders that uses their powerful and dependable components and adds more tech to the package. The ascent series ranges from $399.95 to $524.95. 

The lower range of this series includes the more classic Vitamix design with a pulse switch, a start/stop switch and a 1-10 speed dial on the A2300, but includes a helpful digital timer on the front face of the base. 

The highest point on this list sits the A3500, with capacitive touch buttons replacing the switches of its brother, a touch programmable timer, and 5 pre-programmed modes.

This line is great if you want to invest in a high end blender that will definitely last you. With 1,380 watt motors, you will be able to throw almost any food you want into this blender. You will be able to make any of the specialty foods we’ve discussed and really take your plant-based diet to the next level. You can make smoothies, cheeses, soups, and even make hot food just by friction during blending.

These blenders also are compatible with Vitamix’s “Self-Detect” containers, which allows the blender to detect which type of container is attached and modify the pre-programmed settings based on that information. The Vitamix line will come with a 10 year warranty.

The following are coolest new features on Ascent models:

  • Timer display counts up minutes and seconds (all Ascent models) and counts down to automatic shutoff on A3300 and A3500

  • Clear lid with better locking mechanism

  • Container detect allows use of small 8-oz and 20-oz containers.

  • Bluetooth connectivity: send programs to blender from Perfect Blend app.

Blendtec Designer 650

$349.99

Blendtec Blender

If we’ve ever wondered if some random object will survive a blender, blendtec has shown us. Blendtec’s been a YouTube staple for over a decade and if their videos have taught us anything, it’s that blendtec blenders can probably blend anything.

Blendtec’s blenders range from $299.99 with their classic series, to $499.99 (at the time of writing this) with the Designer series. The Designer 650 sits at a middle point at $449.99.

The motor included in these blenders will be one of the strongest you’ll see at 1560 watts. The blendtec blenders are another great option with touchscreen controls, a digital timer, and their WildSide+ jar that is advertised to increase efficiency for frozen ingredients. This blender will come with an 8 year warranty.

MID TIER

Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender

$119.95

Ninja Foodi

The Ninja line is an interesting mid range option. This is one manufacturer that only advertises peak wattage, so expect less power during normal operation. However, the blender does perform well for its price. 

This Ninja blender includes a 64 oz. glass pitcher with a cleaning brush and food tamper to use during use. The blender includes a digital timer, pulse and continuous options, and 11 “Auto-iQ Programs”. 

The unique feature of this blender is the heating element found inside of the bottom of the pitcher. This allows the Foodi to introduce heat during blending, hence the “Hot” in the name. With this you can make hot soups and drinks. However, this makes the pitcher not Dishwasher safe.

This blender sits at a nice affordable price for most people, with some extra features that make it an enticing offer. The Ninja Foodi Blender comes with a 1-year warranty

Cleanblend

$178.97

Cleanblend Blender

Cleanblend is a new to the blender game, and they seem to be coming out with a bang. Their blenders offer great build quality with great power with an advertised 1800 watts. It is unclear if this is operating wattage or peak wattage. Either way this is likely to be at the higher end of our list.

Their Cleanblend Classic comes with a 64 oz. plastic pitcher, and the base supports controls reminiscent of Vitamix control. You’ll see a variable speed knob, one On/Off switch, and one pulse switch. Cleanblend foregos extra features for reduced cost.

The Cleanblend classic uses stainless steel blades and stainless steel bearings to provide a durable build. Their blenders come with a 5-year warranty, with an optional 10 year warranty at additional cost.

BUDGET

Oster 1200

$69.99

Oster 1200

If you are really balling on a budget the Oster 1200 can be a good option. This blender advertises 1200 watts, which may be peak but will still be enough to blend whatever you need. The Oster 1200 comes with a glass pitcher and a smaller smoothie cup. 

The blender features pre-programmed settings for smoothies, salsas and milkshakes, and 7 speeds. With the lower price at $69.99, you’ll be getting some bang for your buck, but this will come with some drawbacks. The durability will suffer. I’ve seen these blender components start to leak after months of use and on occasion the blender will start to have problems after a year of use. The Oster 1200 comes with a 10 year limited warranty, so some issues may be resolved, however the extent of this warranty is not clear.

The Oster blender will definitely be able to provide you with a good blend for the price. It has a decent power output, and could be a great option to use while you save up for a higher end model.

Conclusion:

When it comes to buying a blender, you’ll generally get what you pay for. If you have the funds, I would highly recommend investing in at least a mid-range blender. This will allow you the power and versatility to make what you want, with the durability (and warranty) to validate the price. 

Of course the high-end models will give you the best experience, with the least head-aches. These are the blenders to get if you plan to use your blenders for every other day, as they will last through your cooking adventures. These models will also provide the opportunity to dive into more intensive recipes involving cheeses, nut butters, and more.

The Vitamix series will give you a dependable machine. With their newer Ascent series with touch capacitive buttons improve upon their previous models by reducing the hassle of clean up, and attempt to add new features to enhance the experience with digital interfaces and their smart detect tech.

A3500 - $524.95

A2500 - $449.95

A2300 - $499.95

If you’re looking for an enticing package at a lower cost, the Cleanblend blenders look to be a good option. They offer a good build quality with a decent warranty span. Their initial reviews look to be good, so if they are in stock, this could be the way to go.

Cleanblend - $178.97

To learn about the cool things you can make with a great blender, view some of our recipes below:

  • Vegan Cheese

  • Cheap Oat Flour

  • Amond Nut Butter

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