Investing in a blender under $400 means having one that serves a wide variety of purposes and that will be with you for years down the line, or at least that is the idea. Based on the price tag, you do expect to get the best of a blender that will not only blend your smoothies in the mornings, but that should be able to replace other kitchen appliances. So while you may be spending money on a blender you can be saving on a coffee maker, juice extractor, egg beater, presses, spice grinder, food processor, and more. Some blenders these days are designed to do it all.
But finding the right blender in this price range can prove to be a bit of a challenge since you have blenders ranging from under $50 to over $1,000. However, oftentimes what you pay for is what you get and you certainly do not wish to be shortchanged if you are spending close to $400 for your blender. Thus we have prepared a list to guide you in your choice.
7 Best Blenders under $400
(Please note that prices were quoted in Canadian but may be converted to US$ based on your region)
1.Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender – Professional Grade
The Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender is one of the best blenders you could ever own. It can do just about anything you want it to do. After all, Vitamix is one of those more popular brands found in some of your favorite smoothie shops. It will prepare your food from scratch and you do not have to think about prepping before loading them into the blender. This machine allows you to experiment with a variety of ingredients that you wouldn’t think of blending before.
The Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender will give you that wow factor as you can even throw in some rice and it literally turns it into floury form in seconds! It will turn raw almonds into a smooth spread, it can make hot soups from scratch — yes hot soups! This is really amazing since almost any blender can puree ingredients into a soup if you pre-cook the ingredients and then heat that on your stove afterward. But with this blender, you do not need to do that. It will turn cold or room-temperature ingredients into a steaming hot soup in about 10 minutes all from raw ingredients!
The blender is powered by a motor of 1,400 watts with a blending jar of 48 ounces, enough for 4-6 servings. But if you want a larger or smaller jar you can always buy it as an addition from amazon, since all size Vitamix jars are compatible with the bases. The blade and jar work together to create a vortex that forces ingredients down to the blades to ensure that everything is well blended in the smoothest of textures. There is no need to be concerned about the motor overheating during all this as it is made with built-in overload protection, which means it is designed to operate as efficiently and cooly as possible.
The easy-to-use control panel gives you total authority over 10 blending speeds with just the turn of a knob. The pulse feature allows you to make your soups and salsa to satisfaction. It also allows you to make smooth mayonnaise that is nothing short of what you pick up at the store. This blender is so versatile, that it would be an ideal choice for those who have to eat special diets daily and those two love to experiment with new meals. It also doubles as a food processor and can make things like salsa, pesto, sorbet, cashew cream, and dips, grind coffee beans, grind ice, and mix batter and dough.
The shorter design allows it to fit under most counter. The jar is self-cleaning as all you need to do is add a drop of dish soap and hot water, mix at high speed for 60 seconds, and wallah! All removable part, including the jar, is also dishwasher safe. It comes with a five-year, full machine warranty that covers all parts of the blender — base, container, lid, and tamper.
2. Omega Bl460s 3 Horse Peak Power Commercial Blender
If you are on the market for a powerful commercial blender that is highly versatile and easy to use, then the Omega Bl460s 3 Horse Peak Power Blender is the ideal one for you. While it is a commercial blender, it will be a great addition to your home if you blend large batches on a regular basis. It is designed with 3-horse power of energy which makes light of anything you put into it. Throw in hard or soft produce, ice, nuts… you name it, and it will blend them in seconds, thus making this blender a good choice even for your restaurant.
The Omega Bl460s 3 Horse Peak Power Blender comes with a 64 oz container made of Eastman Tritan plastic for high durability and resistance to breakage. It is also equipped with an overload protection feature to ensure that the blender shuts itself off in the event of the machine being overloaded. This is an excellent feature as it gauges how much you put in while being an added feature for the longevity of the appliance. The sturdy rubber lid has two latches to ensure that the liquid remains sealed in the jar and there is no leakage. The lid itself has a removable cap which allows you to add further ingredients whilst blending without having to take the entire cover off.
With the Omega Bl460s 3 Horse Peak Power Blender, you get 10-speeds that will give you total control over the speed at which you want to blend at. While the pulse control setting allows you to make your favorite smoothies or other delicious mixtures without long waiting periods. Most Omega blenders allow you to blend hot soups and this one is no different.
Because it is a commercial blender the construction is very sturdy yet attractive and sleek looking. It comes with a 10-year warranty. The container is not dishwasher-safe so cleaning up takes a bit longer since you have to handwash.
PROS
- Commercial-grade appliance
- Materials are very high quality.
- 10-year warranty on motor
- 3 horsepower
- Ideal for either commercial or residential use
- Overload protection feature
- Latch lid
- 64-ounce container
CONS
- Heavy
- Not dishwasher safe
- Needs extra storage spaces
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3. Blendtec – Original Designer Blender
With the hope of helping people to improve their health, engineer and inventor Tom Dickson came out with the Blendtec brand in 1975. Persons worldwide have found Blentec to be impressively dependable not only in their homes but also in smoothie shops and restaurants. The Blendtec Original Designer Blender is no different.
This stylishly engineered blender comes with a touchscreen display of 8 speeds for variable speed control while allowing you full control to adjust your blending during the process. The Led display with 7 varying blending options also shows the time remaining for your blend. The touchscreen controls make the machine appear quite modern and sleek even though this could be a turn-off for those that are accustom to the old fashion buttons and may not be into high tech.
The blender is equipped with 1570 watts of power making it ideal for your home or for commercial use. The blades are dull and advertised to be 10x stronger than other blender blades – not really sure as I never quite compared the blades before. The blades are designed with wings that will work in blending your food as smoothly and efficiently as possible. The dullness also allows you to clean or take the appliance apart without the fear of being cut.
Another of the most amazing feature of the Blendtec Original Designer Blender is that it comes with a Wild Side+ jar size of 90 ounces with a 36-ounce blending capacity of either wet or dry foods. This is ideally dubbed the Wild Side+ jar. This BPA-free jar allows you to heat soups or other warm drinks working with the friction of the blades to get the task done. You can have your warm food in about 5 minutes. You are able to enjoy ice cream of your flavor, nut butter, hot soups, prepare your cake batter, and your summer drink in minutes. The touch buttons are pre-programmed for six activities — Dips/batters, smoothies, frozen treats, whole juice, mixed drinks, and hot soups. It also displays a timer and a pulse button.
The blender will self-clean if you add water and a few drops o soap and turn it on. In less than a minute it is nice and clean. The bender comes with an 8-year warranty. All Blendtec jars work on the base so you can purchase whatever additional size jars you may desire.
PROS
- 6 pre-programmed settings
- 1570 power watts
- For commercial and residential use
- Timer
- 8-year warranty
- Wild Side+ jar
- touch screen
CONS
- Settings symbols may be confusing to those not accustomed to them
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4. Breville Q BBL820SHY1BUS1 Commercial Grade 1800-Watt Blender
The Breville Q BBL820SHY1BUS1 Commercial Grade 1800-Watt Blender is a quick, quiet, and powerful blender that is capable of vacuum blending. Vacuum blenders will blend ingredients in a ‘vacuum’ environment to reduce oxidation and create a more smooth smoothie. It helps to preserve the colors and flavors and retains as much of the nutrients as possible. This is definitely recommended for the health-conscious family. The Q series is one of the best produced by the brand.
It is powered by 1800 watts or an equivalent of 2.4 horsepower. With this amount of power, it means it can handle anything you put inside. This Q series blender is designed with a sound dampening feature thus making it less noisy than most blenders bearing this amount of power. In fact, the Q means Quick and Quiet.
The Breville Q BBL820SHY1BUS1 Commercial Grade has 5-speed settings along with four one-touch programs — Green Smoothie, Dairy Smoothie, Pulse/Ice, and Soup. It means therefore that it does handle your green leafy vegetables very well, unlike many blenders on the market. The 68-ounce jar is able to feed eight persons. The blender comes with a 7-Year limited manufacturer’s warranty.
PROS
- 68-ounce jar
- Quick and quiet mode
- 1800 power watt
- Commercial or residential use
- Retains nutrients
- 4 one-touch programs
CONS
- Vac Q (noise reducer) sells separately
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5. Omega Blender Powerful 3 Peak HP (OM6560S)
This Omega blender comes with a powerful 2237 watt of power, which equals 3 horsepower. When tested it was proven to be good with all areas of performance. It comes armed with 11 speeds that are chosen by the turn of a dial. The speed chosen will be illuminated by the built-in LED indicator. It also includes a toggle switch for high/low speeds, and an on/off switch with a pulse function located at the bottom of this switch. The blender is designed for easy use and quick blend.
It has a 64-ounce BPA-free blending container with clear measurement markings, ideal for serving 8 persons. The lid comes with a removable ingredient cap that also comes with measurements. The blender is built with a noise reduction feature which is a rubber pad that sits between the motor housing and the container to minimize both the noise and the vibration. This pad can easily be removed for cleaning.
The blender was found to do very well at making smoothies and icy drinks, and also at pureeing foods, turning them into soup. Of course, with 3 horsepower you would not expect anything less than to handle anything you put in including hard foods and ice. It comes with a plunger with a spatula end to guide difficult ingredients into the blade path for even blending, along with suction feet to meet it steady on your countertop during heavy blending.
PROS
- 2237 watt of power = 3 horsepower
- User-friendly dial and toggle
- Pulse, variable speed dial, and high/low-speed toggle
- 10 speed LED illuminated dial
- Durable metal to metal blade coupling
- 64 ounce BPA free Tritan® jug
- Clear measurement markings on jug and removable ingredient cap
- Plunger with spatula end to guide difficult ingredients into the blade path
- Suction feet for stability
- Power cord storage in base
- 10-Year warranty on parts and performance
CONS
- Must ensure the product is bought from a manufacturer of Omega or they will not honor warranty
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6. Vitamix A2300 Ascent Series Smart Blender
The Vitamix Ascent A2300 blender comes with a 2.2 horsepower motor making it very powerful with the capability of delivering faster smoother blends. It has a 10 variable speed dial to give you control over what you put in. It is designed with a built-in digital smart timer while the motor base of this blender detects the container size you have selected and then automatically adjusts both the blending program setting and the time to give you specific results. This wireless connectivity is a new feature by Vitamix. It is designed so that the base of your model uses Near-Field Communication (NFC) to identify the container you are using, whether large or small. It will not operate unless a container is recognized.
The Vitamix Ascent A2300 blender is able to produce some of the best smoothies, milkshakes, juices, soups, frozen desserts, and much more recipes that you could ever make. The pulse feature allows you to manually fine-tune the texture of any recipe to your satisfaction. However, the blender will also count up, and display the blending time and the motor will stop automatically when it is done. For a wider recipe choice, you can get the app that opens up over 500 meals that you can make in your blender. The 64-ounce container is large enough for a family of eight. The low-profile design fits comfortably under the counter.
PROS
- 2.2 horsepower motor
- 64 oz container
- Easy to operate pulse feature.
- 10 variable speed controls
- Digital timer
- Built-in wireless connectivity.
- Four color options – Black, Red, Slate, and White.
- Low profile container
- Dishwasher safe
- 10-year full warranty.
- recipe book
- 500+ online recipe
CONS
- No program settings
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7. Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ
The Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ is made with a large 72-ounce main jar that can serve up to 9 people. It is designed with 5 pre-set modes — smoothie, ice crush, extract, chop, and dough, which means you can put the food in, press a button, and it is done for you. It is powered by a motor of 1400 watts and couple with its total crushing blades will give you snowy ice in seconds.
The blender comes with two 24-oz personal-sized cups and lids that allow you to take your smoothies on the go. It also allows you to blend in the to-go cup by switching blades. The kitchen system also comes with a food processor attachment.
Ninja is known for its reliability and sturdiness and this particular blender is no different. But while it is quite good at crushing ice and making smoothies, it actually does not make the best almond butter. But if this is something you never use your bender to do then you will certainly be happy with your Ninja. If you are looking for something that does hot soups, this is also not the ideal blender for that.
It is fairly easy to handwash or the removable parts can be placed on the top rack of your dishwasher.
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Sturdy built
- 1400 power watt
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Comes with two 24-oz additional to-go jars.
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Food processor attachment.
- crushes ice to snowy form
- 72 ounces bleeding jar
- Makes dough
- Can blend in to-go cups for small batch
- easy to clean
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cannot make hot soup
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Does not do almond butter well
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What To Consider When Buying A Blender
Please note that the blenders above do not appear in any particular order. With that being said, when shopping for a blender it is important to take a few things into consideration before doing so. This will help you to choose the right blender that is suitable for you and that will do the things you intend for it to do. While the price tag is important when choosing a bender it is important to know more about this piece of an appliance than just the cost. Here are some things to consider when shopping for a blender.
Intended Use
If you intend to use your blender only to make your daily shakes and smoothies then you can go for a cheaper one. If you are using it just for you then a personal blender will serve that purpose. If you intend to use it for a variety of things like making soups, nut butter, crush ice, prep food, etc., then you can consider any from the list above.
However, don’t get sidetracked by the various functions of a blender unless you plan to use those functions. Otherwise, it will be a waste of your money as they usually come with a big price tag.
Size
Size is a factor to consider when deciding which size blender to go with. You should think about your storage space, how easy it will be to move around, the blending capacity, and how many glasses you want to blend in one go.
If you d not have the counter space, opt for a lightweight blender that can easily fit under the cupboard and you can easily move to the countertop when you need to use it.
When considering the capacity, think about if you need something to blend for the entire family or just for you. Blenders range from single-serve — largely meant for smoothies, and can often be enjoyed straight out of the container you blended in, to 72 oz to feed a family of 9. depending on the size of your household you can choose the size of your blending jar accordingly. Simply multiply the number of people you intend to use it for on a regular basis by 8 (8 oz per person, which is one glass full.)
Wattage
The higher the wattage, the more powerful the blender… most of the time. It’s important to take note of wattage when considering a blender especially if you intend to use it to blend tougher foods, frozen foods, and ice. If you just want to make smoothies and shakes then low wattage is ideal. But while deciding on the power wattage make sure to choose a blender that is sturdy, durable, and one you would be proud to own.
Glass vs. Plastic
Most blenders these days are made with BPA-free plastic. While these are very safe, the glass blenders have a few advantages. They are less likely to stain or hold onto odors, and better able to blend hot meals. However, unlike their plastic counterparts, they are heavy, and not always the best option if you are one of those who are prone to accidents or have young children who are. One drop and that’s that! It is surely not the best option if you need to take your blending jar with them on the go. But at the end of the day, it is up to your preference.
Conclusion
Choosing the blender that is right for you is pretty important. This can save you money after buying one with a high price tag that is fully loaded but with functions that you will never use. Or you may buy one that does less than you desire. Therefore think about our intended use, how many persons you want it to serve on a regular basis and the amount of money you wish to send. It is always good to read reviews of others who have purchased similar blenders as the one that you may think is best for you. But bear in mind, not all people will have the same experience. Some persons will write a review after human error. However, if you see a product with mostly good reviews then you may want to consider that product. The blenders above have been tested and proven to be among the best in this price range and should e a guide as you choose.
Terms To Look Out For:
Watts: The watt or wattage is the amount of power generated by the motor and will determine just what it can or cannot do. The higher the wattage the better it will be at crushing ice and blending hard foods.
Horse Power: Horsepower is used interchangeably with wattage. Therefore it is the power and speed at which the motor operates to blend your food. if you wish to convert the wattage into how much horsepower it is then multiply the number of wattage by 0.00134102.
Pulverize: This means to reduce your fruit, vegetables, ice, and other ingredients into fine particles. You will need a blender with a higher wattage motor to have your foods, especially hard foods, and ice efficiently pulverize.
Smoothies: This is a thick, smooth drink of fresh fruit pureed with milk, yogurt, or ice cream. A smoothie gives you the capability to consume whole foods and their nutrients in a liquid form and in a faster way.
Puree: The liquidation or crushing of fruits or vegetables usually by using a blender. A number of blenders give you the one-touch option of pureeing.
Leafy Greens: These are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable to gain added nutritional values. Examples of leafy greens are Kale (considered to be one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables on the planet due to its many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants), Collard greens, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, beet leaves, bok choy, turnip leaves among numerous others.
Speeds: The speed on a blender is is typically described in RPM (revolutions per minute). This refers to the exceptionally quick rotations of the tips of the blade. The speeds on a bender vary and persons can choose how fast they want their food blended. The higher speeds are usually able to cut through harder foods in seconds. Blender speed varies from 1-10 depending on which blender you choose.
Pre-Programmed: A blender with pre-programmed settings will automatically blend at the optimal set speed based on which program you choose. Some blenders come with a pre-programs setting for are Smoothies, Frozen Desserts, Purees, Ice Chop, Soups, etc. Once you put in your food and choose the setting, the blender will automatically shut off when it is done blending.
Pulse: Pulse is a momentary blending controlled by a switch that you hold. This can be described as manual blending. Just hold the pulse button down long enough to blend and mix the ingredients to the consistency you desire. The pulse button appears on a number of countertop blenders and food processors. Once you press the pulse button the blender or food processor will work at its fastest speed and will stop when you release that button.
Dishwasher Safe: You can put your mixing jar, or smoothie cups into the dishwasher for cleaning. Never wash the base of your blender as this will damage the motor and the lender will be of no use to you thereafter.