5 Best Blender

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

These 2-in-1 appliances allow you to make smoothies and chop herbs efficiently.

As appliance experts, we often get asked about the difference between a blender and a food processor. Blenders are great for liquids like smoothies, shakes and soup, and food processors are great for almost everything else: They chop, puree and mix — some even make dough — and they often come with accessories to slice, shred and maybe juice. Blender–food processor combos typically have one base and multiple accessories, including a blender jar, food processor bowl and several food processor accessories.

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we've been testing all sorts of blenders and food processors for years, including full-sized ones, portable blenders, mini food choppers and more.

In our tests, we assess how well blenders can make smoothies, milkshakes, frozen margaritas and more, and we test how well food processors can chop onions and herbs, puree sauce and hummus, slice vegetables and more. Read on for more about our testing process as well as what to look for when shopping for a blender–food processor combo.

In our tests, this blender–food processor combo stood out for its sturdy feel with a glass blender jar and strong chopper attachment. It has a 700-watt motor, which means it's powerful (but it's not the highest-power blender you can find; some have more than double the power). The three-cup food processor attachment is great for small tasks like chopping and pureeing. It was able to achieve a fine mince on parsley quickly, and it blasted through parmesan chunks to create powdery results, according to Lab analyst Eva Bleyer. The shredding and slicing attachments worked acceptably: Mozzarella shredded evenly, but hard carrots were a little less even. We had to process our smoothies, milkshakes and margaritas longer than with other blenders we tested, but this model was amongst the highest scoring in terms of ease of use.

Through both performance and design, it delivers on the appeal of multifunctional appliances: It takes up less space than two separate appliances and has an approachable pricepoint.

We've tested numerous blenders from Ninja, and they've performed well. This compact blender–food processor combo brings the pronged blade design Ninja blenders are known for to a smaller, more compact appliance. It works by placing the interchangeable motor on top of the desired attachment. This design eliminates the need for a bulky base. Both the 48-ounce blender cup and the 40-ounce chopping cup have large handles to help make blending and chopping easier and more controlled.

We like that this unit comes with a small chopping cup, too, for ingredients like garlic, half an onion or a few herbs. And the two included storage lids feel like a bonus. This model is great for people with limited space who are still looking to make smoothies, dips and more, but there are multiple pieces to store.

This Vitamix blender is the best Vitamix blender we tested. Both the blender and the food processor can be purchased separately or in the bundle pictured here. The blender has several preset settings that allow you to make a smoothie, shake, heated soup or nut butter (as well as to clean) with the touch of a button along with 10 different speed options and additional half increments in between. In our tests, smoothies came out thick and smooth with no flecks of kale. Milkshakes and margaritas were also thick and homogeneous — qualities that are difficult for many blenders to achieve. When we tested the food processor attachment, we were impressed with its 12-cup bowl size. It aced challenging tasks like grating parmesan but was better at roughly chopping parsley than it was at finely chopping it.

This kit comes with the widest variety of slicing discs that we've seen, including two slicing/shredding discs, a multi-use blade, a julienne disc, a veggies disc and a storage case, which we highly appreciate. The discs don't produce the neatest cuts we've ever seen, but they scored average or above in all of the tests Bleyer conducted, except for slicing tomatoes, which can be difficult for many slicers since they're so delicate.

The design of this blending system is intriguing. The big, 72-ounce container can be used as a blending jar or food processor workbowl, which can accommodate slicing and shredding as well. It's also unique that this unit comes with a plastic blade that's designed to be used with dough — a unique feature in the blender–food processor category.

In our blender tests, smoothies and margaritas got average scores, but peanut butter came out better than it did with other Ninja blenders we tested. We particularly like the portable blending cups, which make breakfast easy, especially with the inclusion of the Twisti blending system that allows you to stir ingredients by turning the tamp from the outside. While quite versatile, all of the parts can be cumbersome to store.

If you're looking for a blender that can perform basic food processor tasks like chopping and making small batches of salsa or hummus, this Hamilton Beach pick offers a good, affordable solution. It has a large 40-ounce glass jar and 700 watts of power, which matches our best overall pick. The jar is sturdy with a wide handle, and the base is lightweight but stable. The buttons are reminiscent of "old-school" blenders and are easy to use with markings that indicate what each speed is designed for.

While we haven't tested this specific blender–food processor combo from Hamilton Beach, the tapered shape of the chopper attachment reminds us of the brand's coffee grinder, which we've tested and recommend. Our testing experience leads us to believe it can handle small amounts of food like garlic cloves and that it would chop food evenly, especially if you pulse the ingredients (because the bottom part will process first and the top items will then shift to the bottom).

Over the years, we've tested more than 100 blenders in the Good Housekeeping Institute by making smoothies, milkshakes, frozen margaritas and pureed soup.

When we conduct these tests, not only do we taste the results but we also pass them through a sieve (shown) to assess whether there are chunks that remained unblended.

We conduct a staining test to see how well the blender jars can be cleaned by processing hot sauce in each and then washing with soap and water.

When we test food processors, we evaluate how quickly and evenly they chop, puree, shred and slice using an assortment of ingredients such as parsley, onions, carrots, canned tomatoes, zucchini, cheese and more.

In addition to collecting many performance data points along the way, we assess each machine's ease of use by rating its control panel: We look for buttons, switches or dials that are clearly labeled and easy to use. We also note whether a device is loud or prone to leaking or spilling.

✔️ Accessories: It's important to first consider what you're hoping to do with your blender–food processor combo. If you'll most frequently chop and make a few salsa or purees, you can choose a basic model with a blender carafe and a chopper bowl. If you want to slice and shred in addition to chopping, look for a unit that comes with slicing and shredding discs. Slicing and shredding discs may provide just one thickness option, or they might include multiple. Some blender–food processor combos also come with portable blending cups so you can make smoothies directly in a travel mug–style carafe you can take on the go.

✔️ Size/capacity: Most blender–food processor combos have a blender jar that's around 40 ounces. This size is versatile and manageable. The size of the food processor tends to be more noteworthy when it comes to these multifunctional appliances: It could match the capacity of a full-size processor or be as small as a mini chopper. Smaller sizes are ideal for chopping and making dips, while larger ones can handle big batches and even doughs.

✔️ Material: The blender jar can be made of plastic or glass. Plastic is newer and more affordable, while glass was more common in the past. Plastic tends to be lighter weight; glass is believed to last longer, but it can, of course, break.

Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab; she oversees all content and testing for gear related to cooking, eating and drinking. Earlier in her career, she helped develop blenders and food processors, and she has tested many of the products in this roundup herself. She also scoured Lab data and interviewed her fellow Lab analysts to determine the picks for this story.

Eva Bleyer is Good Housekeeping's Kitchen Appliances Lab analyst. She conducted the most recent side-by-side testing of blenders and tested several blender-food processor combos. The data she collected helped determine what blender-food processors were selected to be featured in this story and bolstered the product descriptions.

Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.

Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.

19 Best Neck Firming and Tightening Creams of 2023

The Most Comfortable Shoes You Can Buy in 2023

12 Best Kids Backpacks for School 2023

11 Best Mattresses for Side Sleepers 2023

10 Best Food Storage Containers 2023

12 Best Water Bottles to Keep Your Water Cold

9 Best Pimple Patches of 2023, According to Derms

11 Best Air Fresheners of 2023

Best Dyson Airwrap Dupes

14 Best Hand Creams of 2023

The Best Pillows for Every Type of Sleeper

14 Best Mattresses