If you're like other blender hunters, you came across these well-priced blenders and you were all like... "Calpha-WHO?"
In the article below, we've reviewed all of Calphalon's best blenders to see how they stack up against the competition and to see if it's worth it for you to spend your hard-earned money on a Calphalon blender... or if you should bring your business to a different brand.
In addition to reviewing the different Calphalone blenders, we've compared them to each other and to the other top brands such as Breville, Ninja, and Cuisinart.
Table of Contents
What Should You Look for in a Calphalon Blender?
The first thing we're going to need to do is to learn what to look for when we judge the Calphalon blenders, so we know how to assess Calphalon when we compare them to the other brands. We've used a series of criteria to assess the blenders of Calphalon and of the other brands, and we've detailed the criteria below.
Criteria #1: Motor Strength - The motor is the heart of the blender. It's what spins the blades which actually blend your food. A stronger motor means faster spinning blades, and faster blades mean a finer and smoother blend for your smoothie, protein shake, cocktail, or nut butter. We'll be measuring motors based on how many watts they put out. Most motors tend to run on somewhere in between 1000 and 1500 watts, though there are cheaper blenders that fall below the 1000 watt threshold, and Cuisinart actually has a blender with an incredible 2000-watt motor. While we're mostly focusing on watt strength when it comes to speed, the number of blades on the fan will also affect the blending quality, but there's a little less variation on that throughout the market than with motor strength, so that took priority.
Criteria #2: Versatility and Control - This matters for two reasons. The first reason is that even if your blender has the strongest motor in the world, there are times where you don't want the fastest speed possible. For example, recipes like sauces or dips will require a more delicate touch. On the other end, if your blender doesn't have any higher speed functionality, all of that horsepower won't really do much for you. A wide range of speed settings is key. You should expect a good blender to have at least five, though some will have as many as 10 or even more, and certain blenders will have just three speeds of slow, medium, and fast.
Criteria #3: Design and Size - A good, powerful blender doesn't help much if it's poorly designed and the wrong size for you. In terms of design, we look for certain features such as auto-clean and presets for common recipes like green smoothies. There's also the physical design of the actual blender. For example, if the blades are removable, then the jar will be easier to clean, and if the base has a ring to wrap the cord around, then the blender will be easier to store and package. A good design goes a long way.
Criteria #4: Price - We don't want you spending your hard-earned cash on a blender that isn't worth it. Even if the blender is good, and does what it advertises, if it's too expensive it just isn't a good purchase. For example, Vitamix has very strong blenders with a lot of different speed settings, but they're just far too expensive to be worth buying. Oster on the other hand has comparably weaker blenders, but they're sold at an incredibly cheap price, so they might be what you're looking for. I can say right off the bat that Calphalon sells their blenders for a pretty reasonable mid-range price, so you don't need to worry too much in that category.
Here's How We've Determined the Best Calphalon Blenders
We used the criteria above to assess the blenders in this list while using the officially listed specifications online in tandem with customer reviews to make sure the blenders actually performed as advertised. We also kept in mind your personal needs and tried to find different blenders for different purposes, so that everyone can find the perfect blender for their kitchen.
#1: Calphalon Auto-Speed Blender (Best Value - All-Purpose)
The Calphalon Auto-Speed blender is Calphalon's flagship series, and it's the best product for the best price. I spent all that time talking about how important it is to have multiple speed settings, and the Auto-Speed blender has great speed functionality, with 10 different speeds.
The real kicker is that, as the name suggests, the Auto-Speed blender is able to sense the mixture in your Tritan jar and adjust its speed accordingly, so it does half the work for you. It also comes in with a respectable 1100-watt motor, so it'll be up to the task for most recipes you can throw at it. It comes with four preset options as well: smoothie, dip, milkshake, and frozen drink.
This blender has a nice design that, besides just looking pretty (who can resist that stainless steel finish?), is easy to use and quick to understand. There's one knob for selecting speed or presets - though this blender loses points for the speeds not being labeled - and three different toggle switches.
The switches are an on/off switch, a pulse option, and a reverse pulse feature, so you'll really get to use all 1100 watts in this motor. This blender is also equipped with 6 stainless steel, dual-direction blades to give you the smoothest blend possible.
Calphalon also gave the Auto-Speed blender a convenient countdown timer so you'll know exactly how long until your smoothie is ready, and you won't need to babysit the blender while it works. The Tritan jar of the blender holds 2 liters, big enough to host friends for cocktail night or to meal prep your smoothies for the week, and it's BPA-free in case that's a concern of yours.
The Auto-Speed blender also and it comes with a 25-ounce Blend-N-Go smoothie cup that can attach to the motor base of the blender, so you can blend your smoothie right into your smoothie cup and go about your day.
Calphalon sells all of this for less than most comparable blenders, making it the number one deal in their catalog. Oh, and the Calphalon Auto-Speed Blender comes with an amazing 10-year warranty, so you'll really be certain to get every penny's worth of usage out of this blender.
Customer reviews for this blender were very positive, with reviewers pointing to its strong blades, which they said are perfect for smoothies, and the fact that it's surprisingly quiet.
#2: Calphalon 2099742 ActiveSense Blender (Strongest Blender)
The Calphalon 2099742 ActiveSense Blender is the strongest blender Calphalon offers, but it's more expensive than the Auto-Speed. Which you decide to buy would basically decide on your budget, and if you care about the extra strength and features the ActiveSense blender has to offer. We've outlined below the key points where the ActiveSense is superior to the Auto-Speed blender.
Reason #1 to Choose This Product: Motor Strength
As we said before, a stronger motor means a better blend. The ActiveSense has the same six stainless steel blades as the Auto-Speed, but the ActiveSense has a 1200-watt motor to go with it. It also uses similar technology to the Auto-Speed to detect the consistency of the mixture inside its Tritan jar (which also holds 2 liters and is BPA-free) and adjust its motor accordingly. That extra wattage will go along way if you want to use your blender for more demanding tasks like crushing ice or nuts, or grating cheese. This blender is pretty close to doubling as a full-on food processor. (though not quite. Don't make that mistake.)
Reason #2 to Choose This Product: Hi-Tech Design
The ActiveSense 2 delivers a streamlined blending experience with its modern, hi-tech design that delivers both form and fashion, and will look amazing in your new kitchen. The dashboard of the base has 3 physical buttons for the standard blending speeds, as well as a pair of arrow buttons, a "food mode" button, and a "thickness" button. The thickness and food mode buttons activate the digital display in the middle of the base, which you can scroll through using the arrow keys. This saves a lot of room on the base and allows you to have 5 different preset options as well as the ability to choose the thickness of your mixture without making the dashboard feel crowded or overwhelming. This blender will make you feel your kitchen time-traveled to 2030.
Outside of the digital display and the stronger motor, the ActiveSense 2 has the same essential features as the Auto-Speed blender, and it comes with the same Blend-N-Go smoothie cup. It really comes down to how much you value the motor strength and the superior design and what you're willing to spend your money on, but either way, you're getting a solid blender. Just like with the Auto-Speed, reviewers had a lot of good to say about the ActiveSense 2, mostly noting its high speed.
#3: Calphalon BLCLMB3 Precision Blender (Best Low Cost)
The Calphalon BLVLMB3 Precision Blender is one of Calphalon's cheapest blenders available and should be your go-to option if you're trying to save. It has a slightly sub-par 900-watt motor powering the same six dual-direction, stainless steel blades you've seen in the other Calphalon products on our list, which will go a long way towards holding that motor accountable. As long as you don't get too overzealous with which ingredients you throw in, this blender shouldn't give you any problems.
In terms of button-layout, the Precision Blender looks more or less identical to the Auto-Speed blender, with the noteworthy differences being that it only has one pulse option and that it doesn't have a countdown timer. It also doesn't come with a Blend-N-Go smoothie cup, which is a bigger deal to some than to others. Another drawback of the Precision Blender is that its jar only holds 1.5 liters compared to the 2 liters of the Auto-Speed blender and the ActiveSense 2.
There's not really any way to sugar coat it: This blender is worse. It's a clear step behind the Auto-Speed and the ActiveSense, but it is cheaper. I personally think it's close enough in price to the Auto-Speed that you should just make the splurge for that, but if you feel that every dollar counts, you'll probably want to go with the Precision Blender.
What about the Competition? The Best Products from Brands Other Than Calphalon
Okay, so we've drawn our conclusion on Calphalon - they're pretty good. All three of the blenders above will get the job done. But how do they hold up against the rest of the competition? Just because Calphalon makes good blenders doesn't mean their blenders are worth it over the other brands. That's why we've reviewed the top blenders from some of the top brands below.
#1 Best from Breville: The Fresh and Furious
A little more expensive than the blenders from Calphalon (except the ActiveSense), the Breville Fresh and Furious gives you an 1100-watt motor with a 1.5-liter, BPA-free jar, and it comes with 5 different speeds. The speeds are clearly labeled by their purpose, with the slowest speed being "mix", which is meant for mixing liquids into a dip, sauce, or dressing, and the fastest speed being "liquify." The Fresh and Furious also has an auto-clean function, which is incredibly convenient (and lacking from the Calphalon products), and three different presets. The presets are "green smoothie," "auto pulse ice crush," and "smoothie." Just like our top two Calphalon mixers, the Fresh and Furious has a countdown timer for the presets, and the counter counts up for the standard speeds. A nice bonus about this blender is the clear measuring lines on the jar, which come in cups and milliliters.
The real selling point for the Fresh and Furious is the auto-clean. It has the same motor as the Auto-Speed blender, with a smaller jar and fewer speeds. Unless you're dying for the auto-clean feature (I definitely wouldn't blame you) you're better off spending less and buying the Auto-Speed blender.
#2 Best Cuisinart: Hurricane Velocity 2.25 Peak HP Blender
Because of its monster 1600-watt motor, this blender is probably more comparable to the ActiveSense than the Calphalon Auto-Speed. It has four blades instead of the ActiveSense's six, but the extra wattage more than makes up for that, and the Hurricane Velocity is a little cheaper. A big blow for this blender is that it only has two speeds and two preset options - one for crushed ice and one for green smoothies. Another issue is that reviewers have complained that the Hurricane is loud. The extra wattage is a solid selling point, but if it's between this and the ActiveSense, I'd probably spend the extra few bucks and go with the Calphalon Auto-Speed.
#3 Best Ninja: Ninja CT810 Chef High-Speed Premium
Ninja has begun to make a real name for themselves in the kitchenware market, and the CT810 makes it easy to see why. It's the most expensive product on our list, but there's a lot going on. Using a crafty digital display that changes based on whether you have the "IQ" toggle on or the "manual" toggle, the Ninja has 10 presets (I won't list all of them), and an adjustable speed knob that gives you a lot of versatility in a compact and easy-to-manage dashboard. It has a sleek electronic looking design and a massive 72-ounce pitcher. On top of all that, it has a strong motor powered by 1500 watts. The Ninja is probably the best mixer on our list, but as we said, it's also the most expensive. It's up to you if you're willing to spend that extra cash or not.
Verdict: How Does Calphalon Hold Up?
So, are Calphalon blenders worth it? Absolutely. They have great design, adequate blenders, and a lot of versatility and presets, and they're cheaper than the competition.
Want to get the best value for money option? Grab a Calphalon Auto-Speed Blender on Amazon and be happy.
Unfortunately, it's not so simple to say Calphalon is the absolute best brand, and there's still a decision to be made.
Each brand has its pros and cons. Ninja has the best but most expensive blender. Cuisinart has a strong blender that's not as versatile. And Breville's Fresh and Furious is more expensive but has the auto-clean feature. You'll have to weigh the pros and cons, but we hope this article makes that easier for you.
Leave a Reply