Essentials

100 Most Wanted Holiday Gifts: This blender is a chef's dream — and it's almost $100 off as an early Black Friday 2022 deal

By Carolin Lehmann

October 27, 2022 / 11:47 AM EDT / Essentials

CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

Vitamix 5200 Blender — Amazon/CBS Essentials

A blender that has trouble blending ingredients finely is incredibly frustrating--which is why we suggest gifting your family member or friend an upgrade this holiday season. Find out why the Vitamix 5200 blender is one of our 100 Most Wanted Holiday Gifts this year below.

Top products in this article

Vitamix 5200 blender, $456 and up (reduced from $550)

$456 and up at Amazon

Vitamix Quiet One blender, $1,081 (reduced from $1,181)

$1,081 at Amazon

Vitamix A3500 Ascent series smart blender, $650

$650 at Amazon

Why the Vitamix 5200 blender is a most wanted gift

There are plenty of blenders available on the market, but we truly love the Vitamix 5200 blender. It's an expensive, small kitchen appliance, but it's built to power through the most difficult of ingredients. The Vitamix 5200 blender never leaves smoothies or soups lumpy, thanks to its high-performance motor (1,380 watts). Less powerful blenders just can't compete.

The Vitamix 5200 blender has been popular with CBS Essentials readers over the last year. Amazon reviewers love the Vitamix 5200 too, giving the splurge-worthy blender a 4.7 star rating.

"This thing has taken a lot of abuse and gets a pretty intense daily work out of frozen fruits and ice cubes, etc. and it still works like it did when we bought it five years ago," reviewer Kate Mahoney says. "We haven't had to replace parts or have any maintenance done."

"It has an incredibly powerful motor that crushes ice instantly," reviewer Shanna Banana says. "It is not nearly as loud as I thought it would be, which was a very pleasant surprise."

"With my previous [blender], I had to add extra water since the blender wasn't strong enough, but not with this one," reviewer E&J says.

The Vitamix 5200 blender is a top pick of chefs and our pick for the best blender to gift this Hanukkah or Christmas. That's why we've included it on our CBS Essentials 100 Most Wanted Holiday Gifts list.

Best of all, this top-rated, professional-grade blender is on sale now at Amazon.

The best blender to gift: Vitamix 5200 blender

The professional-grade Vitamix 5200 blender has a dial that can be rotated at any point during the blend to achieve the texture you want. Its blades move so fast that you can make hot soup out of cold ingredients, right in the blender.

The Vitamix 5200 blender comes with a tamper (a tool that lets you manually move ingredients in the blender) to help with thick blends.

Vitamix 5200 blender, $456 and up (reduced from $550)

$456 and up at Amazon

The best alternatives to the Vitamix 5200

If you're looking for a more affordable (or even more high-end) blender, check out these alternatives.

Vitamix E310 Explorian blender

This kitchen gadget features a 48-ounce container and sturdy, aircraft-grade, stainless steel blades. The blender offers 10 different speeds, including a pulse feature.

Vitamix E310 Explorian blender, $350

$350 at Amazon

Vitamix Quiet One blender

Are you serious about perfecting your purees? The Vitamix Quiet One blender has a plastic sound enclosure to reduce noise. It features six program buttons, 34 optimized programs and 93 variable speeds.

This commercial-grade blender is $100 off right now on Amazon.

Vitamix Quiet One blender, $1,081 (reduced from $1,181)

$1,081 at Amazon

Vitamix A3500 Ascent series smart blender

This smart blender has five program settings for smoothies, soups and more. The Vitamix A3500 has Wi-Fi connectivity, pairing with the Vitamix Perfect Blend App to automatically adjust its blade speed and run time for specific recipes.

Vitamix A3500 Ascent series smart blender, $650

$650 at Amazon

Vitamix A3300 Ascent series smart blender

Like the A3500, the A3300 features Wi-Fi connectivity. Its smart motor base adjusts program settings and maximum blend times based on your container size. And you don't need to babysit it either: The Vitamix A3300 blender includes a built-in programmable timer.

Choose from two colors. We found the best price on the black model (pictured).

Vitamix A3300 Ascent series smart blender (black), $511 (reduced from $550)

$511 at Amazon

Ninja professional blender

This 72-ounce countertop blender boasts a 4.7-star rating on Amazon. It features a 1,000-watt power base with ice crushing technology, making a smart budget choice for smoothies. It comes with a recipe guide with 25 chef-inspired recipes.

Get the Ninja professional blender now for $20 off at Amazon.

Ninja professional blender, $80 (reduced from $100)

$80 at Amazon

NutriBullet blender combo

The NutriBullet blender combo comes with a 64-ounce pitcher and 24- and 32-ounce cups for personal use. One of the most powerful blenders from the brand, with three speeds and 1,200 watts of power, it can make everything from smoothies to soups, sauces and nut butters.

NutriBullet blender combo, $128 (reduced from $150)

$128 at Amazon

Beast blender

The Beast personal blender makes velvety smoothies and shakes in just a minute. Designed by the brain behind NutriBullet, the 1000-watt gadget's turbulence-inducing, ribbed blending vessel also doubles as a bottle with the help of an included drinking lid.

Beast blender, $165

$165 at Amazon

Wolf Gourmet blender

Best known for making large, high-end kitchen appliances, Wolf also offers a line of professional-quality countertop gadgets, including this red-knobbed blender, styled to match its trademark ovens. With a large, 64-ounce container, four settings (smoothie, puree, soup and ice crush) and 1,500 watts of power, a commercial-style blender is a perfect option for a large family or even a small business.

Wolf Gourmet blender, $700

$700 at Amazon

Cuisinart SmartPower Duet blender and food processor

The ultimate multitasker, this blender-slash-food processor offers a great space-saving opportunity. With 500 watts of power, seven functions (pulse, stir, chop, mix, puree, food processor and ice crush) and a three-cup food processor attachment as well as a 48-ounce glass blender jar, it greatly simplifies food prep and blending.

Cuisinart SmartPower Duet blender and food processor, $65 (reduced from $74)

$65 at Wayfair

$65 at Amazon

Breville Fresh and Furious

The Breville Fresh and Furious performs some food processing tasks in addition to blending. It offers nine one-touch programs and five speed settings, with the ability to turn ice into snow, thanks to 1,100 watts of power.

Breville Fresh and Furious, $200

$200 at Breville

Hamilton Beach Power Elite

The bargain of the bunch -- and a highly rated blender on Amazon with just over 30,000 reviews and a 4.4-star rating -- the Hamilton Beach Power Elite might not be quite as powerful as the competition, with only 700 watts, but users claim the gadget chops and blends like models several times the price.

Hamilton Beach Power Elite, $45

$45 at Amazon

Best Way Day deals on kitchen appliance essentials at Wayfair

Save up to 55% on small appliances right now at Wayfair during the site's Way Day sale. There are great deals on cookware and dishes, too. But don't delay -- the sale ends Oct. 27. Here are our favorite deals at Wayfair now.

See all Way Day deals

De'Longhi espresso machine

If you're shopping for an espresso maker, the top-rated De'Longhi Espresso Machine makes shots of espresso with 15 bars of pressure and includes a manual milk frother.

De'Longhi espresso machine, $170 (regularly $221)

$170 at Wayfair

KitchenAid artisan series 5-quart stand mixer

The KitchenAid artisan series 5-quart mixer features a 10-speed slide control. The kitchen device comes with a pouring shield, flat beater, dough hook and whisk attachments.

Right now, you can save $30 on this highly-rated mixer at Wayfair during the Way Day sale with coupon code "tabletop30".

KitchenAid artisan series 5-quart stand mixer, $420 (reduced from $450)

$420 at Wayfair

Oneida Avery flatware set, service for 12 (90 pc.)

Looking to replace your family's everyday flatware set? This service for 12 by Oneida, rated 4.6 stars by Wayfair reviewers, is easy to stack in your kitchen flatware drawer. Plus, it's greatly discounted for Way Day (save 64%) and built to last.

Says reviewer Kim: "Very pretty flatware, will last forever at a great price. Looks great after being in dishwasher."

Oneida Avery flatware set (90 pc.), $107 (reduced from $300)

$107 at Wayfair

Cuisinart Perfectemp 14-cup coffee maker

This programmable 14-cup coffee maker by Cuisinart is great for busy households that prefer traditional drip coffee. You can adjust the flavor and temperature settings to fit your preferences and then set it to brew at the desired time so your coffee is ready when you get up.

Cuisinart Perfectemp 14-cup coffee maker, $100 (reduced from $185)

$100 at Wayfair

Dash Tasti-Crisp mini air fryer

If you want the convenience of air frying but don't have the counter space for another kitchen appliance, check out the Dash Tasti-Crisp 2.6-quart air fryer. It's the perfect size for a one or two-person household.

Dash Tasti-Crisp mini air fryer, $40 (reduced from $50)

$40 at Wayfair

100 Most Wanted Holiday Gifts: The best gifts to give this Christmas

It may seem early to start shopping for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts, but trust us, it's not. Last year's holiday season was riddled with supply-chain issues, and CBS News is anticipating more of the same in 2022. Plus, there's inflation -- unfortunately, prices may rise even more before December comes.

So it's time to shop for holiday gifts now. Pick out a great hiding spot and check out CBS Essentials' 100 Most Wanted Holiday Gifts of 2022. We've based our top 100 gift picks on our own bestsellers, owner reviews and our own extensive research into the most-buzzed-about gifts of 2022, such as this I am Groot Lego set, a guinea pig toy that gives birth and this pooping purple turtle.

Stay tuned to the CBS Essentials 100 Most Wanted Holiday Gifts Series for our picks of the hottest gifts to give in 2022. Our list includes some of Apple's newest products, the top toys of 2022, game-changing kitchen appliances (such as this air fryer) and so much more.

Carolin Lehmann

Carolin Lehmann is an expert in health, fitness, furniture, apparel, gift guides and books for CBS Essentials. She's always testing new products to recommend. Some of her current favorites include Stanley cups and Alo Yoga workout sets.