In the 1930s, the blender hit homes like a tornado in a jar, and gourmets were knocked out by the time and trouble its whirring blades saved them. In the 1970s, the mighty food processor caused even more of a stir, but today that cumbersome latecomer is often relegated to the nosebleed section of the kitchen cabinets, while the slim, easy-to-use (and clean) blender remains a countertop mainstay.
Chopping, grating, and slicing are best left to the processor, but for liquefying, pureeing, and emulsifying, you can’t beat today’s powerful new blenders. Real Simple took 25 of them out for a spin, making dozens of smoothies and soups and mountains of hummus to identify the top performers.

Smooth Operators
Features to look for: a glass pitcher (plastic retains smells) that holds at least 40 ounces, a weighted base (so the blender won’t shake itself off the counter), removable stainless-steel blades, a tight-fitting lid, a pulse mode (for optimal control), and at least 350 watts of power (note: when it comes to watts, more does not necessarily mean better). Go to www.realsimple.com/blend for a guide to when to use a blender and when to use a food processor.

GOOD: Cuisinart Smartpower Basics 18-speed electronic blender, $60
What to Expect: The 48-ounce glass jar means everyone gets a margarita at the same time. The ice-crushing feature puts a damper on the usual fork-in-the-garbage-disposal sound. Bonus: a rare three-year limited warranty.
How It Blended: This 500-watt model worked as effortlessly as Cuisinart’s 600-watt stainless-steel blender (which looks cool — and costs $150). Achieving an even consistency took some hand stirring.
To Buy: www.cuisinart.com for store locations. Available in white and black.

BETTER: Westinghouse Intelliblend, $60
What to Expect: Machine and culinary muse in one, this electronic 425-watt six-speed pulses, mixes, chops, blends, purees, and crushes ice, plus it holds more than 400 recipes in its database. Search by name or ingredient on the digital panel and call up an easy recipe for buttermilk pancakes, salsa verde, or banana daiquiris, which can be made in sizable batches in the 48-ounce jar.
How It Blended: Testers preferred its push-button controls to the Cuisinart 18-speed’s less precise dial.
To Buy: www.esalton.com. Available in white and black.

BEST: Viking Professional Blender, $154
What to Expect: Expensive but worth it, this commercial-grade blender with a 40-ounce jar cuts through ice cubes and carrot chunks as if they were pats of butter. Viking pared down the control dial to the only speeds you need — low and high — plus a pulse mode for quick bursts of power. Though tall, at around 17 inches, the blender will fit under most cabinets.
How It Blended: With only 390 watts of horsepower, the Viking outperformed the 600-watt blenders Real Simple tested, knocking out smoothies on low that were equal to those made at other blenders’ highest settings.
To Buy: www.vikingrange.com. Available in six colors.

BEST BLENDER ON A STICK
If moving batches of hot soup from stockpot to blender and back again leaves you with more soup on the counter than in your tureen, consider the handheld blender, which lets you puree directly in the pot. The KitchenAid Immersion Blender (available in four colors, $70, www.shopkitchenaid.com; accessories are extra) fared best in testing: The pulse button on the side is comfortable for sustained use, and the sturdy motor and stainless-steel blade do the job handily. Accessories include a storage bag, a whisk for whipping powdered drink mixes or beating cream or egg whites (regular blenders don’t aerate liquids well), and a chopper canister that converts the blender into a mini food processor to handle herbs and nuts.