Best Blenders for $100 or Less
Several inexpensive blenders earn solid scores in our puréeing and icy drinks tests
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Our tests have found that several full-sized blenders under $100 perform just as well—if not better than—higher-end models. That means that despite there being so many options on the market these days, plenty of them are wallet-friendly blenders that get most of the job done, excellently puréeing and crushing ice.
“You can still buy a solid blender for $100 or less that should last for years, if you pick a reliable brand,” says Kenneth Sutton, who oversees our blender testing.
The trade-off? These inexpensive models usually don’t have the powerful motors and versatility of high-end blenders, so they won’t be great at making nut butters or pulverizing seeds while making smoothies.
Below are six full-sized blenders, listed in alphabetical order, that typically go for $100 or less and perform well in CR’s lab tests. Most of the blenders we chose are from brands that score high for predicted reliability. But a few either don’t have enough survey data for us to gauge their reliability or receive only middling reliability ratings. So if you value a blender that’s less likely to break down within the first five years of ownership, it might be worth selecting one that CR members found reliable.
CR members can check out our full blender ratings for complete results and more options, including personal blenders and immersion blenders. We also have a roundup of the best full-sized blenders for every budget. And check out our blender buying guide for more information as you shop.
Best Blenders for $100 or Less
These six models do a solid job at puréeing, blending smoothies, and crushing ice in our tests—and come at a fraction of the price, compared with higher-end models.
The 900-watt Black+Decker BL1400DG-P blender got a top score in our durability test and performed admirably at puréeing and making smoothies. Our testers also found it convenient to use. It comes with a 6-cup glass blending jar and a lidded 24-ounce personal jar that can be used on the blender’s power base for drinks you can make-and-take without fuss. Our members gave it a solid mark for reliability, but a poor score for overall satisfaction.
A whiz at puréeing, the 720-watt Hamilton Beach 58600 also serves up very good smoothies, earning a strong rating on our icy drinks test. This 6-cup blender earns a very good score for convenience and for crushing. It has three speeds but not much else in the way of bells and whistles. Still, it comes with a five-year warranty, more generous than many competitors in its class. Hamilton full-sized blenders garner a very good predicted reliability score but a below-par owner satisfaction rating in CR’s member surveys.
The 1,400-watt 9-cup Ninja BN701 with Auto iQ is an excellent model when it comes to durability and convenience. It also earns a near-top-level rating in our puréeing test, serving up very smooth soups. But it earns only a so-so rating in our icy drinks test, meaning it creates fairly silky smoothies. This Ninja comes with seven speeds, a removable blade, and a plastic travel jar. Ninja’s full-sized blenders receive a very good score for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction in CR’s member surveys, so it should easily power through daiquiris and margaritas during summer patio parties—and perform for many years.
The Ninja Master Prep Professional QB1004 features a unique top-mounted motor to turn out snow cone–textured ice for smoothies. While Ninja doesn’t claim this model makes hot soups and juices, it earns satisfactory marks for puréeing and a strong score in our icy drinks test. Plus, the removable blade makes cleanup easy. Swap out the 6-cup blending jar for its 16-ounce food chopper and this versatile Ninja does an impressive job chopping onions and nuts and grating cheese. But at just 450 watts, it’s the lowest-powered blender of this bunch.
The Ninja TWISTi High-Speed Duo SS151 is another good contender from Ninja. This 1600-watt full-sized blender is very good in overall performance, and has a 4.2-cup capacity, 6 claimed speeds, and a removable blade. It earns an excellent score for puréeing, which measures how well a model blends raw ingredients into a soup. It also earns solid marks in our smoothie test and in terms of convenience. It is worth mentioning that it is one of the louder models, earning an only average score in terms of noise.
The 6-cup Oster 2143023 800-watt blender is a champ when it comes to whipping up smoothies, earning a top-notch rating in CR’s icy drinks test. It also does a very good job of puréeing raw ingredients. This model features five speeds, touchscreen controls, and a pulse function so that you can easily churn through egg whites, creamy mayonnaise, or pancake mix. As a brand, Oster full-sized blenders garner a strong reliability rating and a midlevel owner satisfaction rating in CR’s member surveys.
How CR Tests Blenders
In our lab, we make batches of nonalcoholic piña coladas and use a series of sieves (with diminishing mesh sizes) to evaluate smoothness and thickness. “When a blender earns an excellent score in our icy-drinks tests, the drinks have a smooth, consistent texture,” says Larry Ciufo, a test engineer who oversees CR’s blender testing.
Consumer Reports tests blenders on the following criteria to see how well each blender holds up:
Ice-crushing: For our ice-crushing tests, we use another set of sieves to separate the big chips from the finer bits. A blender that garners a top-level score in our ice-crushing test serves up ice that looks uniformly like snow, while a very good score tells you the ice is more like a snow cone. (The lower the score, the bigger—and more irregular—the ice chips.)
Puréeing: In this test, we blend veggies and other ingredients in boiling water, operating on the manufacturer’s recommended speed (or high) for 15 seconds—three times per model.
Convenience: We measure a machine’s convenience by how easy it is to use its controls, clean its base, and remove and replace the blade—among other factors.
Durability: Our durability test involves crushing seven ice cubes (four for personal blenders) without liquid for 1 minute on the highest setting.
Noise: To gauge the noise level, CR blends 1 cup of water and takes an average decibel reading over 30 seconds.
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