Best KitchenAid Blenders: Our Favorite Models this Year

Whether you are an avid chef or aspiring to spend more time in the kitchen, you are likely already familiar with the KitchenAid brand.

There is a reason why the brand is one of the most well-known and popular names in the kitchenware business. Their products always look nice, perform well, and are typically very easy to use.

With the wide range of blender brands and models, a common question is if KitchenAid blenders are a good choice and how are the various models different.

I have had a Kitchenaid blender for years and compiled a list of Kitchenaid’s best blenders (continually updated). This list is mostly focused on KitchenAid’s full-size countertop models (we do list an affordable hand blender options at the bottom).

#1 Kitchenaid K400 Blender – Powerful Mid-Range Blender

The K400 is designed with a powerful 1.5 HP motor that outperforms Kitchenaid’s lower priced diamond blade blender series (see review below). This model features a unique blade design and heavy-duty build quality. It is designed to be able to puree any smoothie or drink that you dream up.

Simple to use variable speed dial and 3 preset recipe programs (Ice Crushing, Icy Drinks, and Smoothie). This model also uses KitchenAid’s soft start motor which helps to pull ingredients into the center at the beginning for better blending results.

This model is compatible with KitchenAid’s 8oz small batch jar and 16oz personal blender jar.

Features:

• 5 Variable speeds with 3 pre-set programs
• 1200 watt (1.5 peak horsepower) motor
• Intelli-Speed Motor Control
• Die Cast Metal base

Positives: Powerful motor with features like Soft Start and Intell-speed to improve blending. Blends smoothies very well with useful preset blending functions. Can puree difficult ingredients like raw vegetables, fibrous greens, and seeds.

Negatives: It is a relatively newer model so there aren’t a lot of reviews but the consensus is very good.

Overall Opinion: A powerful blender that is perfect for any serious smoothie enthusiast. Less powerful than the more expensive KitchenAid Proline blender but the K400 is plenty for most consumers. The K400 KitchenAid blender offers a nice balance of features and performance for the price compared to other KitcheAid blenders below.

Click Here for KitchenAid K400 current price

#2 KitchenAid 5-Speed Diamond Blender KSB1575 – Popular Model

The KitchenAid diamond 5 speed blender model KSB1575 is their most popular blender (it is available also in KSB1570 and KSB655) as it is easy to use, available is over 20 colors, and reasonably priced.

The “diamond” refers to Kitchenaid’s new pitcher design at the bottom of the pitcher which is supposed to improve blending results.

This blender uses a 60 ounce BPA-free container with a 0.9 horsepower (550 watts according to Manufacturer) motor which weaker compared to other full-size blenders that use a 60 ounce container. The blade is built into the pitcher and uses a gear on the bottom of the pitcher to connect to the motor base.

Features:

• 5 electronically-controlled speeds
• Crush Ice/Pulse Mode
• Intelli-Speed Motor Control
• Soft start feature

Positives: Attractive blender with many color choices and solid metal die-cast base. Performs well with ice and blending smoothies. The Intelli-Speed Motor Control works pretty well throughout the entire blending process. Easy to use and clean design.

Negatives: Not the strongest blender for a 60 ounce pitcher but it performed pretty well in tests. The main negative for this blender is that the small gear coupling on the bottom of the pitcher has plastic nylon teeth which isn’t ideal for the amount of force is supports when blending. Some consumers have complained of the plastic gear cracking which requires buying a whole new pitcher.

Overall Opinion: I reviewed this blender in an earlier post and it is a decent blender despite the more limited motor strength. It does a good job at blending when using enough liquid but not great if you intend to blend thick recipes like nut butters.  The metal/plastic coupling on the bottom of the pitcher is a concern but I haven’t experienced any issues and it works well at pureeing and crushing tasks. If you choose this blender I would suggest getting an inexpensive extended warranty just in case as the manufacturer warranty period is 1 year.

Click Here for KitchenAid KSB1575 current price

See the Kitchenaid Diamond KSB1575blender in action :

#3 KitchenAid KSB560 5-Speed Blender

The KSB560 is similar to the KSB1575 Diamond blender above but more affordable. It comes with the round bottom 56 ounce BPA-free jar (rather than the Diamond jar design) with the same gear coupling design as the KSB1575 blending jar mentioned above.

It has a relatively heavy, sturdy base that is still compact enough for easy storage. Clean design and simple controls with light-up indicators to show what blending function you are using.

The blender doesn’t have adjustable speeds but it does offer seven buttons for stir, chop, mix, puree, liquefy, crush ice, and pulse which allow you to adapt it to what you are making.

Features:

• 5-speed 0.9 HP motor
• Intelli-Speed electronic controls
• Dishwasher-safe and shatter-resistant pitcher
• 56-ounce capacity with Soft-grip handle
• Automatic ice-crushing button
• 7-1/4 by 9 by 15-1/5 inches
• 1-year hassle-free replacement warranty

Positives: In general it is a nice looking blender with a sturdy feel, clean design, and simple controls. We’ve used this model for years and find that it blends frozen fruit, ice, raw vegetables, and soft items quite easily.

Negatives: It isn’t the strongest blender for use with thick recipes like nut butters. It uses the same plastic/metal center gear design as the Kitchenaid KSB1575 Diamond blender and we mentioned the issues some users have had with the gear cracking. Despite the container being dishwasher safe, we would suggest only hand washing the container so that the high heat of the dishwasher doesn’t weaken the blade assembly.

Overall Opinion: I have owned this blender model for years and it works well for the motor strength at blending smoothies, ice, and frozen drinks. I haven’t experienced this blender overheating or issues with the gear cracking. It isn’t the strongest blender but as long as you use enough liquid and don’t overload this blender then it works great.

Click Here for KitchenAid KSB560 current price

#4 KitchenAid Pro Line Series – Premium Blender

The Pro Line is KitchenAid’s most powerful blender designed to compete with top brands like Vitamix. It has been on the market for about 4 years.

The blender line is designed for serious cooks and those who want a commercial strength blender at home to make any blended drink, nut butters, soups, dough, and more.

The ProLine series features 2 main blender models: The KSB8270 and KSB7068. We focus on the KSB8270 in this review as the added benefits of the KSB8270 vs KSB7068 are the special thermal jar for making hot soups and the added preset blending functions for making soups, smoothies, and juice.

This blender features a powerful 3.5 peak horsepower motor and unique stainless steel blade for better blending results. The controls are easy to use with a start/stop lever, Pulse high/low lever, and 11 speed variable dial with 3 preset blending functions that automatically adjust speeds for proper blending.

Features:

• Quality commercial-strength design
• Special thermal jar for blending and heating hot soups
• Very powerful 3.5 HP motor
• 87 oz total capacity (56 oz marked capacity)
• 3 preset Adapti-Blend programs (soup, smoothies, and juice)
• Patented Flex Edge Tamper

Positives: Heavy-duty blender with a clean look and easy to use controls.  Designed to compete against other high-performance blenders. Kitchenaid offers a 10 year hassle-free replacement warranty on their ProLine blenders which is similar to competing premium brands.

Negatives: While this blender has a lot of power, testers found that it didn’t offer quite the same blending performance as Vitamix or Blendtec and the KitchenAid ProLine required more use of the tamper for even blending. Not sure if the performance difference is due to Kitchenaid’s blade or jar design versus Vitamix and Blendtec’s.

Overall Opinion: The KitchenAid Proline KSB8270 has an excellent warranty. While the Kitchenaid ProLine has a lot of power and features, I would go with a Vitamix which is a similar price with unbeatable performance and reliability.

Click Here for KitchenAid Pro Line Blender current price

Hand Blender – KitchenAid KHB1231WH

This affordable hand blender from KitchenAid offers simple features and does the job. It won’t replicate the performance of any of the above countertop blenders but this hand blender is great if you just want to make small batches.

Features:

• Removable 8″ blending arm
• The stainless steel
• Soft grip non-slip handle
• BPA-Free
• 3-cup blending jar
• 2-speed settings

Positives: Reasonably priced stick blender with removable blending arm and quality stainless steel blade. Affordable quality that has been a top seller for years. Compact size without a lot of accessories to fill up your cabinets.

Negatives: Less power than more expensive models.Not designed to perform the same blending functions as a countertop blender.

Overall Opinion: Simple but solid hand blender that just works. Thousands of strong reviews from users. The 3 cup blending jar is convenient for blending protein shakes or frothing milk. Designed to blend up simple purees, dips, and food prep.

Click Here for KitchenAid KHB1231WH current price

Final Thoughts

KitchenAid is a well respected appliance brand and their blender always have a nice design and feel. We recommend the K400 if you want the strength of a high-powered blender without the high price tag of the Proline model.

For a more affordable option the Diamond blender is a decent performer but keep in mind that it isn’t the most powerful blender in its price range.

FAQ’s :

Q: What is the difference between the KSB1570 vs KSB1575 blender ?

A: Same blender just slightly different control panel design. Both blenders offer same functionality. The KSB1575 comes with a 60oz soft grip diamond shaped container and the KSB1570 comes with the 56oz round bottom container.

Q: What about the KitchenAid Magnetic Drive Torrent blender ?

A: This unique blender was introduced in 2014 and the reviews have been VERY mixed for durability so it was not included in our list of top KitchenAid blender models. Besides the questionable reliability, we aren’t a fan of this blender because it is really loud and bulky.