The Best Blenders for Every Type of Culinary Queen

It's easy to take having a blender for granted. It just sits there quietly on the kitchen counter, patiently awaiting the next piece of kale you'll whip into a green drink (get that New Year's resolution, girl!), or the tasty lentil soup you'll blend on a cold winter's day. But here's the truth: All blenders are not created equal. So, no matter what and where you're emulsifying, chopping, or puréeing, we've got you covered with our top picks. Scroll on to browse our newest installment of The Buy and learn how to find the right appliance to best meet your specific blending needs.

Best All-Around: With its super sleek design and ultra powerful crushing blades, the SharkNinja Ninja Professional Blender ($90) is your go-to choice for making every kind of delicious, blended drink. Why We Love It: Dishwasher safe, BPA-free, 1000 watts of power The Downside: Not great for celery, kale, and other tough-to-blend veggies

Best for Travel: Launch into each morning feeling energized and efficient when you're whipping up daily breakfast drinks in your NutriBullet 12-Piece High-Speed Blender/Mixer System ($70). Have blender, will nutritiously travel. Why We Love It: High-torque power base, one-year warranty, easy to travel with, affordable The Downside: Not great for couples/families, reports of motors burning out

Best Investment: Meet the Vitamix 7500 Blender ($464), the Mercedes Benz of blenders. Don't let the price deter you; it's totally worth it if you're a foodie who loves experimenting with textures and creating simple smoothies, chunky soups, smooth nut butter, and everything in between. Why We Love It: Powerful motor, 10 variable speeds, pulse feature The Downside: Spendy

Best Immersion: With a whisk feature for the win, the KitchenAid KHB2351CU 3-Speed Hand Blender ($48) is great for all the single ladies (one smoothie and done), those living in small apartments (and lacking counter space), and new moms (DIYing baby food). Why We Love It: Removable blade, soft grip and non-slip handle, BPA-free jars and attachments The Downside: Sharp edges reported to sometimes scratch bowls, labor-intensive, not as versatile as others

Best Value: Touting a seven-year warranty and an affordable price point, the Oster VERSA Pro Performance Blender ($187) is perfect for those looking to upgrade from a basic model to something more powerful. Not sure what to make? Flip through one of the two included cookbooks for plenty of colorful inspo. Why We Love It: Variable/manual speeds + pre-programmed settings, powerful, affordable, BPA-free The Downside: Not dishwasher safe