This Versatile Kitchen Blender Is Actually Worth The Money And The Counter Space

This mid-priced workhorse can handle any blending job with ease and will look great on your kitchen counter — it's well worth your hard-earned dollar.

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

A good blender is a worthy investment that’ll come in handy for a variety of drinks and dishes, from smoothies to baby food to margaritas.

Disney

Especially for people who use their blenders at least once a day, selecting a powerful and versatile model is well worth the time and money.

If you're looking to upgrade from your budget blender but not quite ready to shell out $$$ for a premium model, the Hamilton Beach Professional 1800W Blender is the perfect mid-priced option.

BuzzFeed

We tested out a bunch of blenders to find the best one in every price range (check out BuzzFeed Reviews for all three of our picks for the best kitchen blenders), and the Hamilton Beach Professional stood out in several ways.

First of all, it's extremely versatile — it can pretty much tackle anything you throw at it. Smoothies? No problem. It’ll even pulverize hardier greens like kale. Hummus? Of course. It made the best hummus in our taste test. And guess what? It also won in the carrot-puree category, so it’s a great choice for new parents who want to make baby food at home.

youtube.com

We think the precise pre-programmed settings (smoothie, ice crush, puree) do indeed lend themselves to the best results for whatever you’re blending. Just dump in the ingredients, hit the right button, and the machine knows exactly how long to blend. You can even track the countdown on the LED screen. This smart blender is perfect for busy people getting ready in the morning. Once you hit the button, you can just leave it, go do something else, and the blender will stop automatically once it’s done. In most respects, it’s as good as a $300+ model (lacking just a few special functions like the ability to make soup from scratch, like a Vitamix can) but retails for a little more than half the cost.

Small details and features make this blender feel high-end. The jar is made of Tritan plastic, a material much more durable and shatter-resistant than regular plastic or glass. It has an extremely powerful motor, which runs on 1800 watts/2.4 horsepower, so whatever you’re blending will be blended fast.

BuzzFeed

And you don’t have to worry about it burning out, since the motor is thermal protected to prevent overheating. The tamper helps to move things along when ingredients get stuck (this happens to the best of blenders). It has a clean setting — just add warm water and a couple drops of detergent, hit the button, and the blender will rinse itself out (this method works on most blenders, but having a specific preset is convenient because the time is set). For a more thorough cleaning, you can throw the lid, jar, and tamper into the dishwasher. And when it’s not on the highest setting (or blending ice cubes), this machine is relatively quiet compared to others we tested.

Another bonus is Hamilton Professional’s five-year limited warranty — if anything breaks due to defects in material and workmanship, you can get it fixed or replaced.

NBC

While most blenders have a one- to two-year warranty — meaning if anything’s wrong with it after a couple of years, you’re SOL — with this one, if there are any defects in material or workmanship within five years (not including normal wear and tear), they’ll fix or replace it for you. You’ll have to pay for the shipping, but it’s still a pretty good deal.

One thing to note: There are two different models of the Hamilton Beach Professional 1800W Blender.

amazon.com, amazon.com

The one we tested, the more expensive option (left pic), has added presets and an LED display. The base model (right pic) has the same horsepower, container, 1–10 speed dial (which gives you precise control over blending speed), and a five-year limited warranty, but it is significantly cheaper at $179.99. If you like this blender and don’t need the presets and LED display, it may be a good idea to go for the basic model and save yourself those dollars bills.

Get the pre-programmed model from Amazon, Walmart, or Bed Bath & Beyond for $249.99; or get the base model from Amazon for $179.99.

And check out BuzzFeed Reviews to see our picks for the best kitchen blenders across three price categories!

Blend away, my friend!

Freeform

Reviews here have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Looking for the perfect gift for any occasion? Check out all of BuzzFeed’s gift guides!

Allison Krausman / BuzzFeed