The Best Blenders for Those Low on Counter Space

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Capacity:32 oz.| Size:12.01” x 7.72” x 15.94”| Power mechanism:Push down and twist

I have come to rely heavily on my Nutribullet Pro. Though it’s still much smaller than a full-size machine, it has the largest capacity of any personal blender on this list, meaning I can use it to whip up a salad dressing to keep in the fridge all week long, blend enough sauce to coat more than a full pound of pasta, and chop salsa for a generous bowl when friends come over. The two blending jars come with lids that turn them into storage containers, so I never have to decant into something separate if I’m saving the contents. The blades are powerful: I can throw parsley stems and whole cloves of garlic into a salsa verde and it blitzes them into oblivion. And the operating mechanisms are straightforward. I simply add all my ingredients to the jar, twist on the cap, attach that to the base, and press the whole thing down to blend. My hand acts as the power button, meaning I can easily pulse by pressing down and lifting up as needed. And the jar takes up hardly any space in my dishwasher.

This is also the model most of the pros I talked to recommend. “It’s powerful enough to get through a lot of the same stuff as a Vitamix,” says recipe developer and cookbook authorJess Damuck, who uses hers for dips, sauces, dressings, and smoothies. “I use it with a lot of frozen fruit, ice, and nuts, and it hasn’t had a problem.” Food writer and recipe developerGrace Elkusnotes that she doesn’t even have to worry about making sure her mostly liquid ingredients are at the bottom. Usually, this helps ensure that everything blends smoothly, but Elkus says the Nutribullet can wade through anything. Former Strategist managing editorKelsie Schraderhas been making smoothies weekly in hers for over a year and says they get perfectly blended in less than a minute. “It hasn’t slowed down at all,” she says.

Capacity:18 oz. and 12 oz.| Size:4.5” x 4” x 11.8”| Power mechanism:Push down and twist

The cheaper Magic Bullet is made by the same company as the Nutribullet. While its 250-watt motor isn’t quite as powerful as the Nutribullet’s 600-watt one,it’s a solid machine that will get most basic blending jobs done. For comparison, it takes me a bit longer, by about 30 seconds or so, to blitz up tougher ingredients, like herbs for a smooth green sauce — and it feels like it’s working a bit harder to get there. But the machine is well-built. Its stature is incredibly similar to the Nutribullet, though overall smaller in size, which is a plus for storage. Though of course, this makes it tough to blend larger-batch sauces and smoothies, so keep that in mind.

Personal chef and recipe developerJane Morgan, who has had hers for four years and says it’s still going strong, likes the 18-ounce jar for smoothies but prefers the smaller 12-ounce jar for emulsifying dressings because the blades have a lot of contact with the ingredients inside. She also uses it for prep work, like mincing garlic, making a mirepoix for Bolognese, or grating Parmesan. Strategist newsletter editorAshley Wolfganghas been using a Magic Bullet nearly daily to make smoothies for the last decade (she replaced it recently with a new one, as it finally wore down). She primarily uses it for smoothies and says it “blends everything I throw in there super smoothly, including frozen fruits, in just about 30 to 45 seconds.”

Capacity:18.6 oz.| Size:5.39” x 5.39” x 14.06”| Power mechanism:Dial with smoothie setting

I very much like thefull-size blenderversion of the Zwilling Enfinigy, so it’s no surprise its smaller-size model is just as great. I’ve made sauces, pesto, marinades, and dressings in it, all of which emulsify beautifully. This one works with a dial (as opposed to the press-down mechanism of the Nutribullet and Magic Bullet), and is also the only machine on this list that has a dedicated smoothie setting. The jar comes with a travel lid and — this is niche but worth mentioning — a vacuum-sealing lid that is compatible withZwilling’s Fresh-and-Save system. (I have this latter setup, and I must say, it’s great for ensuring green sauces stay fresh and bright.)

Recipe developerFarideh Sadeghinis also a fan. She used to rely on her mini Cuisinartfood processor, but in the year-plus she’s had the Zwilling, she has been turning to it more often for sauces and herb oils. “It does the same thing but with a lot more power,” she says. And whereas her Vitamix will take ingredients from full-form to super smooth in a matter of seconds, this is more likely to leave abitof texture, which is a plus for pesto and certain marinades. Sadeghin appreciates the measurements on the side of the jar to help guide proportions, but otherwise says her favorite thing is that there aren’t too many bells and whistles. “It’s just easy to use,” she says.

Capacity:21.5 oz.| Size:4.13” x 4.13” x 13.43”| Power mechanism:Power button

The Beast is a particularly attractive blender. It has a cylindrical fluted jar and comes in quite a few pretty muted color tones (somehow it manages to escape the just-for-Instagram look of some other aesthetically minded kitchen products). Though its capacity is only second to the noticeably bigger Nutribullet, it’s quite compact overall — only slightly bigger than the Magic Bullet but smaller than the others on this list.

I recently tested one (specifically the Plus version, which comes with extra vessels), and was impressed by its power. When you press its sole button, it pulses. This is helpful when you want more of a chopped consistency, like with salsa or pesto. But if you hold the button down for a prolonged second, it will automatically blend for one minute. It winds down and then back up several times over the duration so as to let whatever is inside settle and therefore incorporate more evenly — helpful for smoother purées and sauces.

Elkus likes the Beast Mini Plus, too. While she does warn that it’s not quite as responsive as her Nutribullet when it comes to certain ingredients (sometimes she has to scrape down the sides in order for chunkier, harder ingredients like frozen fruit to reach the blades), “once it gets going, and everything is moving around, it’s great,” she says. “It’s never gritty.” Best of all are the accessories. “It doesn’t feel like the jar you just blended in. I would never even consider transferring this one,” she says. The jar also has a cap that you can stick a straw right into, if that’s your preference.

Capacity:23.6 oz.| Size:4.13” x 4.13” x 13.43”| Power mechanism:Power button

This year, Beast came out with a stainless-steel version of its blender. This is unusual, as small appliances made without plastic parts are few and far between. But the company is onto something, as not only does it give peace of mind, it works just as well as the original. I’ve used it make an ultrasmooth herb sauce (which took all of 40 seconds). I’ve pulsed a garlic marinade that ended up with consistent, not-too-big pieces of garlic — exactly what I was after. I’ve blended Sungold tomatoes into a fresh sauce. The blender can handle ice for smoothies, too, which you can then take on the go, thanks to the accompanying lid. Not only that, but because it’s stainless, your drink will stay cold for longer.

The biggest downside of an all-stainless blender is that you can’t see the consistency as you’re blending like you’d be able to with a clear plastic jar. But I don’t find that to be too much of an inconvenience. I simply start with about 30 seconds of blending, then take it off the base, unscrew the lid, and check inside.