Whether you’re a kitchen pro or an amateur chef, having a quality blender can make whipping up a smoothie, meal-prepping for the week, or regular daily cooking a breeze. The very best blenders are versatile enough to make a slew of purees and blends, from green smoothies to green pestos, with minimum fuss and cleanup. But how do you know which is right for you? We spoke with food experts to find the top blender picks out there.

How to pick the right blender

When choosing a blender, it’s important to consider a few things: wattage, speed, and special features that cater to your regular cooking routine. “Higher wattage and faster speeds are essential when combining frozen or dense ingredients,” Kelsey Costa, MS, RDN tells SELF. Certain design features, like preset programs for soups and smoothies, and self-cleaning cycles can also help simplify things.

You should also consider size and capacity. “Consider how much you will be blending at one time and choose a blender with a capacity that meets your needs,” Francesca Alfano, MS, CND, tells SELF. For example, if you live in a large household where you meal prep for a big family, a large 64 oz blender will come in handy, but if you use them mostly to make smoothies for yourself, a compact blender is more practical.

Lastly, you should have an idea of how much you’re looking to spend. Top-of-the-line blenders like Vitamix blenders are investment gadgets that you’ll have for years, but there are also cost-effective, quality mixers you can buy for under $100.

The best blenders

To help you sift through the many types of blenders on the market, we looked at highly-rated, enthusiastically-reviewed blenders and asked chefs and dietitians for their top picks. Here are some of the best blenders you can buy (at every price point) from retailers including Amazon, Williams Sonoma, Walmart, and more.