Blenders have become a kitchen counter staple. Of course, a blender can crush a smoothie, but now some models can blend soups , purees, sauces and batters.

Finding the right one for you? That’s an exercise in understanding a few key factors: your budget, how you’ll use it (most frequently), the space you have to house the unit and if any fancy add-ons or multiple uses are of value to you.

My over 20-year-old blender just got checked into in motor-hospital (muffin batter gone wrong), so I took the opportunity to dig into the options for at-home blenders and came back with this ‘Best of’ list in hopes it helps you find the right blender for you (and in hopes you avoid the burnout-by-batter mistake I made).

Summary of best blenders

Best overall : Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender

Best

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