A blender can be one of the most vital tools in your kitchen. Many people love to make smoothies, shakes, and sauces, all of which can be done easily in a blender. They can also help with a number of cooking applications.
Our team scoured the internet and used their first-hand experience to create a full guide on the top 6 blenders under $100 at this price range, using YouTube reviews and consumer reviews to evaluate the products. The exact features and criteria we’ve used for our blender reviews are those that most people will be looking for from their blender, including the power they can offer, the top speed and multitude of speed options, the capacity of the blender, and of course whether or not it can go in the dishwasher. All of these features – and some additional extras – have been looked into when evaluating the products on offer. As a result, we’ve chosen the Ninja Professional BL610 as our Editor’s Choice.
Extra features: Total Crushing technology, 6-blade design
Ninja is a well-known manufacturer in the world of kitchen appliances, such as coffee machines, cookers, excellent home and commercial blenders. We’ve included the Ninja Professional Blender as the top choice overall available to purchase under $100. There are numerous features which you’d expect to find on far more expensive blenders, meaning this offers great value for money as well as being built to last.
The 1000 watts of power is more than enough for most household blending applications, and this can give you all you need for making smoothies or other drinks that require a blender such as a margarita, or some other cocktails. The capacity of the blender is pretty good too, as 72 oz. will likely be more than enough for making something suitable for your whole family at once, or to prepare a big batch of smoothies ready to keep on hand in the fridge.
The blades are one of the biggest plus points of the Ninja blender. They’re more than good enough for use with some of the things other blenders may struggle with, and allow you to put frozen fruit and ice into your drinks and not have to worry about the blades getting damaged. In fact, they will be blended into your drink and fully crushed in a matter of a few seconds. There are six blades in total providing this level of chopping consistency.
The blender has settings for pulsing as well as blending and numerous speeds which can allow you to use it in pretty much every scenario you could need. Though the container could arguably be a little more sturdy, it is generally more than good enough to last a long time if treated with a little care.
Extra features: comes with cups with twist-on sip-and-seal lid
This small, but powerful, blender is our choice for the best ‘personal’ blender. What this basically means is that it is ideal for making single servings of products, and the Nutri Ninja Pro is built exactly with this in mind. The container doubles up as the cup you can drink your beverage from, so just take it off and screw on a lid, and you’re ready to take your protein shake or fresh smoothie out on the go with you.
In terms of portability and convenience, it is hard to argue with the Nutri Ninja as being one of the very best options out there. The parts can be cleaned in the dishwasher with ease, so you don’t have any awkward cleaning afterwards.
The fact that such a small blender can have 900W of power is impressive, and this product manages to blend some of the smaller products such as nuts and seeds which some other products don’t quite manage to. This also helps to properly extract vitamins which some other blenders may not manage to do.
Naturally, due to the smaller size, this isn’t as good for big servings, or if you want to prepare a batch of smoothies or shakes. It is very much designed for individual servings.
Because it is smaller, this also comes in well below the $100 budget we’ve set in this article, so for a cheap option this can be a great choice.
Extra features: make cold or hot foods
The Montel HealthMaster is a slightly different blender to the others on the market. As well as having the ability to blend food into smoothies and even warm foods such as soups, this blender can actually cook food in the process, so creating soups and sauces can be made super simple with this blender.
This is also one of the most powerful blenders we’ve come across, with nearly 2 horsepower in its 1200W motor. It is able to turn fruit and veg into liquid in a matter of a few seconds. The thorough nature of the blend is great for smaller fruits and veg and can blend seeds, nuts, and small foods which other blenders sometimes struggle with. Eight different speed settings allow you to choose exactly what is needed to properly blend your foods.
The hot food can be cooked using the inbuilt ‘centrifugal friction’ which is a natural way of creating soups, fondues, sauces and more. This doesn’t mean you have to use it for hot food though, and the Healthmaster does just as good a job with cold foods.
The blending is done via four high-quality steel blades which are built to last. Many user reviews recommend this as being better than many of the products which are well over the $100 budget we have set.
If hot food is a priority for your blender then this can provide a simple solution to make hot food in no time at all.
Extra features: 6-blade design, comes with 2 travel bottles with lid
The Aicook Professional Countertop Blender is the most powerful model on our list with 1450W of power. As well as having the capacity to blend a huge amount of food and drinks in a matter of seconds, the manufacturers have thought of pretty much everything and it is also one of the best products for accessories, as it comes with everything from travel bottles to a tamp, and even a recipe book for making your own drinks.
A 70 Oz capacity is big enough for family use or for preparing food and drink in batches.
The impressive motor can give 31,000 RPM which means food can be pulverised in basically no time. The blade system includes six titanium-coated blades which give the capacity to blend even small ingredients. These blades can be used in four different speeds to prepare different types of food. Smoothie, juice, grind and jam are the functions which are built in. You can also customize the settings, which can help to make other consistencies such as sauces and purees.
A five year warranty also helps to make this an attractive option for a blender under $100. The brand also have 24/7 customer service which means you can get in touch with them if you come across any issues.
The huge amount of accessories and power make this a pretty good choice, but it is a slightly loud product and some users have said that it can be noisy during use.
Extra features: glass jar withstands extreme temperatures, easy-to-clean: removable blade
This blender, the Oster 4093-008, makes it into our list as a great ‘budget pick’. It has some good features and while it is a little more basic than some of the other options we’ve mentioned, for the price tag, it is not to be sniffed at.
The blending system itself is good quality with great steel blades which can crush ice and frozen fruit with relative ease, though it may struggle to provide the smooth blend that some of the more powerful models do. It has 600W of power, but this is only in two different speeds, so there are less options than other products.
That said, this is reliably built and if you are happy with more basic blending functions then the Oster can do a good job. The glass jar is something not many blenders at this price do offer, and it suits temperature changes better than some of the other plastic containers and jars. It is 40 Oz in capacity and perfectly safe for putting in the dishwasher to help with the cleaning up.
All of this is backed up with an impressive 10 year warranty. While this can’t do everything the elite products can, it blends reliably and for such an affordable price it is hard to find too much fault.
Extra features: diamond blending system, Intelli-Speed motor control, soft start feature
Kitchenaid make a huge amount of kitchen products and appliances, and this is a wonderful offering in the world of blenders, which keeps in with the brand’s impressive history.
There are a number of modes available with the KSB1575ER which allow you to stir, chop, mix, puree or liquify. The standard mode for blending is called ‘pulse’. This blender has 550W of power which isn’t as high as some of the others, but there is still plenty of power to allow you to blend a variety of fruit, veg, and even ice.
The clever blending system is designed to sense the consistency of the contents being blended and it can then keep itself at the right speed to properly blend the ingredients. It also has what is called a ‘soft start’ which mixes and pulls the ingredients in before blending fully, which means a more even and reliable blend.
The pitcher is designed not to get scratched, or to break or stain, and is simple to wipe clean. It can be put into the dishwasher if needed and has a capacity of 60oz which is plenty for most families. The main thing we like about this blender is the protection you have as a buyer, with a 5 year warranty offered by Kitchenaid.
Our buying guide is designed to help you to decide exactly which of the blender features you should be prioritizing, as well as the top features to be considered when you are in the market for a blender on a budget.
Many people associate blenders with smoothies. While it is true that they are the most effective way to quickly and easily prepare yourself a smoothie, they are also a tool which can help with a lot of different areas of cooking. While the top products on the market can be a few hundred dollars (check out the best blenders under 200 dollars, for instance), there are decent options under $100. Moreover, in case you just need an appliance for occasional little tasks, there are effective blenders under 50 dollars only. Choosing the right one can help with making soups, salsas, smoothies and much more.
Features to consider when choosing a blenderThe following features are our collection of those which are most important for blenders, and the criteria by which you’ll probably be picking the best model for your kitchen:
The power of a blender will usually be measured in Watts. Generally speaking, the higher the wattage, the better for the power of a blender, though this does depend on some other factors including the quality of the blades and other materials.
If you buy a blender which is lacking in power, then you may find that it leaves lumpy results which don’t have the smooth consistency you are looking for.
A blender without an adequate amount of power can also struggle with larger, chunkier and denser ingredients or with ice or frozen fruit.
The blades are a really vital consideration. Most of the blenders we’ve listed offer stainless steel blades, which are very good quality, but the material isn’t the only consideration. Good blades should be sharp and durable, built to last and able to cut through the ingredients within. Some models opt for up to six blends which can sometimes have different levels of sharpness and provide their own unique blending setting.
The Jar capacity is a pretty self-explanatory feature within blenders. This is a consideration especially if you are planning to make a large amount of servings in one go. For instance, if you have friends round and are using the blender for margaritas, or if you are preparing a breakfast smoothie for the whole family.
The jar capacity is measured in ounces, and 60 and 72 Oz sizes are very common. These are large capacities and should be more than enough for family servings. Some products such as the Nutri Ninja have deliberately modest capacities. This is due to them being made for single servings rather than making smoothies in a batch.
The material of the jar is important for a few reasons. It will dictate how easy it is to clean, whether it can handle extreme temperatures and even to an extent whether it can be washed in the dishwasher. Some materials are naturally far less likely to break or smash. A lot of the best blenders out there are made of materials which are shatterproof so even if you drop the jar, it should stay in one piece.
Your speed settings are the main level of control you have over the blender and what it is doing at any given time! Most blenders, even those at a lower price, have at least a few different speed settings to allow different textures and to better suit different ingredients. On the very cheapest end of the market you may sacrifice a few of these speed settings, and some of the cheapest blenders only have a couple.
Some of the better blenders out there such as the KitchenAid KSB1575ER have introduced smart features such as ‘intelli-speed’ which can judge the resistance of the ingredients inside and adjust as needed. It also has a soft start which means it starts more slowly to chop the ingredients before switching to a finer blend.
Nobody wants to be spending hours after using their blender cleaning it! Luckily, many of the blenders on our list are very simple to clean. Manufacturers now know that a huge amount of people have dishwashers, and the majority of blenders have jars and other components which can just be put in the dishwasher and cleaned along with your other kitchen utensils.
If you read though the individual reviews of blenders, you will see that the specific ingredients and recipes you are blending will be quite important to the decision you make. For instance, many blenders sell themselves on the fact they can blend seeds and nuts and gain more vitamins in the process. Other blenders may struggle with certain ingredients, especially the smaller foods.
Consider also whether you need to blend hard foods such as ice cubes. Most blades will cope with this, but it is worth checking whether the manufacturer recommends ice and frozen foods as an optional ingredient.
The dimensions are important only in terms of how much space your blender will take up in your kitchen. Consider whether the cupboard or surface space will accommodate your new blender.
Likewise, the power cord should be considered. It should be long enough to reach the area where you plan to use your blender, as extension cords in the kitchen are not usually recommended. The cord should also be neat enough to tuck away if you prefer so it is not in the way when using other items in your kitchen.
Some blenders can be pretty noisy. On the cheaper end of the spectrum, this is something that not all manufacturers have been able to fix. For some of us, a bit of noise for a few seconds while blending our favorite foods or prepping for cooking will not be a problem at all. For others, especially people who have small children or pets who are sensitive to noise, looking for a quiet blender could be a good idea.
Warranties on blenders actually vary significantly. Some of the products on our list offer just one year, others go up to an impressive 10 years of protection. A longer warranty is often a sign of a manufacturer being more proud of their product and confident of it lasting, so look out for those offering a good length of warranty and customer service.
The Ninja Professional Blender is our top choice for blenders at this price range, its six blade design and wealth of blending options provide a huge amount of control, and the reliability is second to none at this price point.
The Nutri Ninja Pro Personal Blender BL456R is third on our list, and with good reason. Though it falls a little bit short of some of the others in terms of capacity, this is by design, as it is intended as a personal blender, making single servings at a time. It is wonderful for those who just want to grab a smoothie and go in the mornings.
The Montel HealthMaster is a slightly different blender to the others on the market. As well as having the ability to blend food into smoothies and even warm foods such as soups, this blender can actually cook food in the process, so creating soups and sauces can be made super simple with this blender.
