I’m in the market for a high-quality and affordable blender and figured I should put my many hours of research to good use by sharing the data with you. I’ve read 20 of the most-viewed articles about expert-tested blenders from Food Network, Good Housekeeping, New York Magazine, Real Simple, RTings, and more. From there I narrowed down the most consistently recommended blenders for quality and value. After that, I read user reviews to check for customer consistency.

Hands-down, the Vitamix Explorian is among the most highly rated and talked-about blenders in the culinary community. The Explorian is on my list but toward the bottom because I’m also tryina build my 401k and my kid’s college savings account. For this reason, I’m focusing primarily on the best blenders that cost less than $175.

Keep in mind, I’m a recreational maker of smoothies and frozen drinks. If you’re looking for a professional-grade blender, this list isn’t the one for you. (For that, you’d probably want a cadillac like the Vitamix Professional Series 750 Blender.) By the way, even Homes & Gardens says, “If you’re only an occasional user, a budget model ($100 to $150) makes sense. At this price, you’ll get decent controls but you may find that your results aren’t quite as smooth.”

Let’s dive into the best blenders for less than $175 as of publishing in November 2022. Note that I’m focusing on full-size blenders and not including immersion blenders here.

Best blenders for less than $175

KitchenAid K150 Blender

• 48-ounce blender jar

• Intelli-Speed motor control automatically senses contents and maintains the optimal speed to power through all of your ingredients

• Available in red, blue, matte and shiny black, gray, and white

---

Ninja BL610 Professional

• BPA-free pitcher has a handy pour-spout

• Extra-large capacity: 72-ounce blender pitcher; 64-ounce max liquid capacity

• Dishwasher-safe

---

NutriBullet blender combo

• Includes 64-ounce blender with lid and vented lid cap, tamper, 32-ounce cup, 24-ounce cup, to-go lids, and recipe book

• To clean, place pitcher and cups in the dishwasher and rinse The easy twist Extractor blades with soap and water.

---

Hamilton Beach Professional Quiet Shield Blender

• Removable Quiet Shield dampens noise

• 4 program settings: Smoothie, Ice Crush, Puree, and Clean 

• Dishwasher-safe parts

---

How about you? What blenders do you recommend? Share your thoughts in comments.