The Best Glass Blender In 2021: Reviews & Buying Guide

There are some important pros and cons to buying a glass blender.

If you’re thinking of picking one up, it’s well worth being familiar with both sides of the argument.

To help you out, I’ve put together a guide to buying the right one for your own kitchen. All budgets and needs have been considered, and I think you’ll find your own perfect pick right here.

I’ve also put together a guide on what to look for when you’re doing your own research – just in case you want to keep exploring.

These are the best glass blenders I shortlisted for this review round-up:

1. Oster Blender Pro 1200 – BEST OVERALL
2. Hamilton Beach 54221 Wave Crusher – BEST BUDGET
3. Hamilton Beach Power Elite Blender – BEST COMBI
4. Oster Reverse Crush Counterforms Blender
5. Oster Core 16-Speed Blender

(Want to learn more about juicing and blending? Take a look through my collection of guides and reviews.)

Why Should You Buy A Glass Blender?

Before moving onto the reviews, there are some important pros and cons to owning a glass blender.

I want to take a moment to run through both sides of the argument, so you have a really clear understanding of what’s involved.

They’re Great For Hot Liquids

Many of the most popular glass blenders make a big deal of the fact that they work great with hot liquids.

Think things like hot soups and sauces.

Although BPA-free plastic is designed for safe hot food preparation, it’s inevitable that regular heating at high temperatures will cause some kind of material breakdown.

There’s another reason why glass blender fans prefer the material over plastic.

If you’re working with a lot of hot liquids – under high speed and pressure – there’s also much less chance of a glass jar cracking.

Glass Eliminates The Scratching Problem

Even a high quality plastic jar will accumulate a big collection of scrapes and scratches after a period of time.

That gives the jar an unattractive, cloudy appearance. Before long it can end up looking quite tatty on your kitchen countertop.

There’s a bigger problem than just appearances though.

Over time, those scratches can make it tricky to read the measurement markings easily.

That’s obviously a problem when you’re working with precise measurements, rather than whipping up a quick smoothie, for example.

Glass blender jars just don’t have this problem, and so they’re a very appealing alternative.

Price & Volume Can Be A Problem

If you compare like for like volumes, you’ll typically pay more for a glass jar than a plastic jar.

The materials and the manufacturing process are simply more expensive.

To keep the product affordable, the end result is very often a smaller jar.

That’s not a problem if you live in a small household – or work in small blending volumes – but it is something you need to be aware of.

Is The Taste Improved?

This one is going to come down to personal preference.

Still, some glass blender owners swear blind that the sort of commercial grade plastic used in regular kitchenware leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.

With a glass jar, you obviously don’t have this problem. As you won’t suffer scratches on the inside of the jar, you won’t get any remnants of food stuck in them either.

The Potential To Break

I have stone floors in my own kitchen and so I need a very compelling reason to buy any kind of glass kitchenware. I’ve got the broken Pyrex jugs to back this up!

It’s true that a glass blender will withstand scrapes and scratches better than a plastic jar. That gives them more longevity in one sense.

Glass is less forgiving of big impact accidents though. Not only will you have to replace an expensive jar, there’s the risk of missing those itty bitty fragments of glass on the floor.

Given that blending typically involves working with messy, slippery liquids, you’ll need to exercise a little more caution when carrying the jar.

Summary

So, just to summarize the pros and cons of a glass blender:

Pros

• Ideal for blending hot liquids in particular.
• Won’t pick up scratches and stains over time.
• No possibility of plastic contamination.
• An improved taste for some.

Cons

• More expensive by volume, compared to plastic jars.
• Risk of shattering if dropped onto a hard surface.
• Less options in terms of container size.

Glass Blender Comparison Summary

That’s a quick overview of what to expect from buying a glass blender, then.

Before I move onto the individual reviews, here’s a quick look at the glass blenders that proved to be the big winners in my reviews.

BEST OVERALL – Oster Blender Pro 1200

“Oster’s earned a great reputation in the niche glass blending market, and the Pro 1200 is the best of the bunch. The motor’s strong enough to tackle even tough stuff, and at 48 ounces it features one of the largest glass jars you can buy.”

BEST VALUE – Hamilton Beach 54221 Wave Crusher

“I found the Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher offered the best balance between budget and performance in my comparisons. The Wave Action system creates very consistent blends, the jar has a decent capacity of 40 ounces, and there’s a huge selection of presets.”

BEST COMBINATION – Hamilton Beach Power Elite Blender

“There are trade offs in power here. If you need a food processor bowl attachment with your blender though, this is the best option I could find to review. It’s reasonably priced too, and provides a surprising amount of functionality for the cost.”

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Glass Blender Reviews

Let’s move onto the individual glass blender reviews.

Oster Blender Pro 1200 With Glass Jar

Oster’s pretty much the king when it comes to glass jar blenders. More than that, the Pro 1200 has proved to be one of its most popular appliances.

There are just a handful of presets here, but they each get their respective job done very well. The jobs covered include:

• Green / Frozen Smoothies
• Food Chop / Salsa
• Milkshakes

When you want more manual control, you can instead choose from a Low, Medium or High setting. That gives you more control when working with either very soft produce, or much harder stuff.

Finally, the pulse button lets you apply a burst of power without risk of firing the thing up and forgetting about it.

Those presets and speeds are just about good enough to tackle your most common blending jobs.

Why do I like the Pro 1200 more than, say, the Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher which has more presets?

The answer here is the motor power.

At 1200 Watts, the Pro 1200 is capable of tackling much tougher ingredients. If I have to choose between power and presets, I would much rather come up short on the latter!

The Pro 1200 also features a very clever blade design, which rapidly blitzes forwards and backwards. This keeps the produce moving through the jar very efficiently, giving the most consistent blend.

As for the jar, the Pro 1200 comes with a truly heat-resistant 48 ounce glass jar. That’s one of the biggest jars I know of in this corner of the blending world, and gives a little extra wiggle room if you’re buying for a family-size household.

One extra welcome bonus here is the smoothie cup included in the box.

The 24 ounce capacity of this cup compares very favorably against the likes of Ninja and Magic Bullet‘s cups. It’s really useful for when you want to take a power-packed smoothie on the go.

Finally, despite the very reasonable cost of the Pro 1200, Oster also backs the motor drive with an impressive 10 year warranty

Would I have liked more presets on this blender? Sure. But I think the benefits found elsewhere more than compensate, making this my preferred pick overall.

Pros

• One of the biggest glass jars at 48 ounces. That’s just about enough for a family household.
• A handy, generously sized on-the-go container is included with the blender.
• Powerful 1200 Watt motor gives the Oster Pro a lot of versatility.
• 10 year warranty.

Cons

• More presets would have rounded this one off very nicely.
• Replacement parts can be difficult to source without going directly through Oster.
• Quite loud when it’s operating at its highest speed.
• Can also be a little unstable on the countertop at high speed.

Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher

I’m happy to recommend the Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher as my top budget pick. It wins out here by offering really impressive performance and versatility at a very affordable price point.

The 700 Watt motor stands up to most ingredients very well, and it also features some of Hamilton Beach’s patented blade technology.

Combined, these give this glass blender a surprising amount of bang for your buck.

As for the Wave Crusher name, this refers to the design of the glass jar. Having to constantly scrape the contents off the sides of the jar mid-blend is a common problem with blenders.

The “wave action” system is especially designed to force the contents down through the jar while it’s operating. That gives you a much more consistent blend, with less pauses while you have to mix things up.

In terms of capacity, the Wave Crusher comes with a 40 ounce heat-resistant, shock-resistant jar. That’s actually quite large considering the glass material involved and the entry level price.

Even more unusually for the price, the Wave Crusher also comes with a generous selection of presets.

There are 14 in total, and they cover the most common blending tasks. Think smoothies, milkshakes, purees and so on.

You just have to add your ingredients, select the setting, and then let the Wave Crusher get on with things.

Everything except the motor base is dishwasher safe, and so clean up is pretty easy all-round too.

I can’t think of another glass blender that does so much at this price point, and so it’s the obvious choice if you’re working to a budget.

(Oh, and the fact that this budget blender also comes with a three year warranty is the icing on the cake!)

Pros

• A very affordable blender that covers a decent selection of blending tasks.
• 40 ounce glass jar is also generous for the price.
• Wave action system works well to achieve a smooth blend.
• 3 year warranty is impressive for a budget blender.

Cons

• Quite an ugly, chunky control panel.
• 700 Watt motor will struggle with very tough ingredients.
• The lid can be quite fiddly to clean.
• Those chunky buttons can rattle a bit at high speed.
• Limited power for crushing ice.

Hamilton Beach Power Elite Blender

“Power Elite” is probably pushing things a bit far, but this is another affordable blender from Hamilton Beach.

If you like the sound of the earlier Wave Crusher blender, but want something a little beefier, I think this is a very good alternative.

Unlike my top budget pick, the Power Elite actually comes with a pair of glass jars.

The first is a 40 ounce main jar, while the second is a 24 ounce jar designed for rough food chopping.

Combined, they provide a surprisingly amount of versatility at this price point.

Like the Wave Crusher, the Power Elite also features a 700 Watt motor. Again, not the strongest on the market, but good enough for tackling all but the toughest ingredients.

The controls are a little simpler on this blender though.

Four blending buttons on the front control panel combine to provide a total of 12 different blending functions.

These cover all the basics well, like milkshakes and purees. Switch the jars over when you’re chopping vegetables and you get really good results!

It’s a bit of a tricky one. Given the relatively small price difference between this and the Wave Crusher, you might find that extra chopping jar to be worth the extra money.

On the other hand, you get slightly fewer functions overall. I found myself coming down on the side of the Wave Crusher, but don’t discount this one as an alternative.

Pros

• A very affordable glass blender set.
• Chopping bowl provides extra functionality.
• Pouring spout is well designed and keeps the kitchen countertop clean.
• Particularly good at making smoothies.

Cons

• The motor is rather weak and will struggle with tough or frozen ingredients.
• A clunky control panel that might look a bit industrial in your kitchen.
• The chopper bowl is quite slow to get the job done. Extra manual chopping helps here.
• 40 ounce main blending jar is quite small.
• Lid needs to be fixed tightly, but can be quite tricky to remove afterwards.

Oster Reverse Crush Counterforms Blender

You can think of the Reverse Crush Counterforms Blender as being a slightly weaker version of the Pro 1200 I’ve already reviewed.

The thing is, there’s not that much difference in terms of price when you compare the two. When you look at it like that, you can see why this one ends up in the other one’s shadow!

There are just the two presets on the Reverse Crush too: Frozen Drinks & Food Chop.

In addition to these, you also have a Low, Medium & High speed setting, as well as a pair of Pulse buttons. One of these is for low speed pulsing, while the other is for high speed.

It’s not a big deal for me, but you might find it useful to be able to pulse at various speeds without selecting a speed first.

The Reverse Crush also does a pretty good job at smashing ice. The control panel makes it pretty clear you should be using either High Speed or High Pulse to get the job done.

There’s one further difference between this and my first Oster machine though: the motor power.

At 1,000 Watts it’s marginally weaker than the Oster Pro 1200, but at this level those extra 200 Watts can actually make quite a difference.

Again, we’re in a situation where it’s hard to justify buying this particular blender. Not when you consider the price of the Pro 1200 isn’t a million miles away, at least.

As for the Reverse Crush jar, it’s exactly the same capacity as the Pro 1200’s at 48 ounces.

Pros

• Solid ice crushing functions.
• Includes a 2 ounce filler cap for adding ingredients partway through.
• Simple control panel with different functions clearly marked.
• Small enough to fit under most kitchen cabinet placements.
• Heavy base keeps the blender stable under high speed.

Cons

• Limited presets and other functions.
• Weaker motor than the other Oster blender I’ve reviewed.
• For the difference in cost, it’s hard to justify buying this over the Oster Pro 1200.
• Unusually loud – even for a glass blender!

Oster Core 16-Speed Blender with Glass Jar

The last Oster glass blender I wanted to review for this guide is its 16-Speed model.

One advantage I do think the Oster 16-Speed Blender has over the competition is its design.

Blenders are rarely easy on the eye, but I really like the size and shape of this one! The controls are also a little less clunky than those on the Hamilton Beach blenders in particular.

Considering the power rating and the speed options, I think this Oster blender is best compared with the Hamilton Beach Power Elite.

You again get a food chopper attachment which does a good job of tackling those chopping and dicing tasks.

It’s not as good as a high end food processor, but it’s good enough to handle small batches. This extra jar has a capacity of 24 ounces.

Like the Power Elite, the Oster Core has a 700 Watt motor. That means you really do need to think about what you’re going to use this for.

Smoothies and other “wet” blends? No problem.

If you’re going to be working with a lot of frozen ingredients or tough vegetables though, you may find this power level a little limiting.

Pros

• Extra chopping bowl unit helps tackle basic food processing jobs.
• Great for smoothies, shakes, salsas and other liquid blends.
• Lightweight motor base makes this one easier to take in and out of storage.
• An unusually stylish blender at this end of the market!

Cons

• Food processor bowl is plastic and not very durable.
• A bit fiddly to clean.
• Extra prep work required for chopping tough ingredients.
• Chopping bowl struggles with small, hard items like seeds.
• Quite noisy at high speeds.

What I Look For In A Glass Blender

What are the criteria I use to determine the best glass blender for my own kitchen?

In this next section, I’m going to cover some of the most important issues to consider when making your own comparisons.

Check The Power Of The Motor

Whether you choose a glass or a plastic jar blender, it needs to be able to tackle at least the “softest” jobs like soups, purees and smoothies.

As a general rule of thumb, the higher the motor Wattage, the better it will be able to tackle tougher ingredients (think hard vegetables).

There’s definitely a ceiling though, in my opinion. Once you go over 1000 Watts, you’re typically going to get the same job done faster.

As a minimum though, I’d never go below 500 Watts, unless you’re really only planning to make things like single serve smoothies.

At this level though, you will struggle to get a satisfying crush out of ice cubes.

You’ll come across certain terminology when buying your glass blender. This can make life a little confusing.

One of the most common terms you’ll see referenced is something known as “peak power”.

This is the raw strength of the motor when it’s first fired up. Note that the effective power is reduced once the blades come into contact with resistance – ie the produce you’ve added to the blender.

How Easy Is It To Clean Up?

Right off the bat we’ve got some good news here!

By their nature, glass blender jars are much easier to clean than plastic jars.

You also don’t have to worry about working a brush in-between those plastic scratches that build up over time.

Although a glass jar is easy to clean, do make sure its dishwasher safe as well.

That’s because the blade unit is very often hard-wired into the jar itself. If it can’t be put through the dishwasher, you’ll have to clean around the blades.

That’s potentially risky if the blades are very sharp (and the glass jar is small), so grab a soft-bristle, long-handled brush if you’re going to clean it by hand.

Finally, certain blenders feature something called a self-cleaning function.

The really good news is that if the model you choose doesn’t have this, you can sort of “hack” it yourself.

Just fix the glass jar to the base, fill it halfway with warm water, then add a few drops of your standard kitchen dish soap.

Pop the lid on, pulse the contents at a medium speed for a minute, and you’ll get most of the grime off!

Do You Need Preset Programs?

If there’s one thing that will dramatically increase the cost of a glass blender it’s the addition of pre set programs.

These are very convenient, single button settings that will take care of those very common blending tasks: salsas, purees, milkshakes, smoothies and so on.

I find it very useful to be able to fire the blender up and let it do its thing while I busy myself elsewhere in the kitchen.

This sort of extra tech will have a big impact on the price of your glass blender though.

For that reason, it’s something you should think about quite carefully if you need to keep a close eye on your kitchenware budget.

It’s a convenience factor, but not a deal-breaker. I don’t need to tell you how many soup and smoothie recipes there are on the internet, after all.

Ask yourself what you really need from your glass jar blender. If I’ve learned anything from the last 30 years of cooking it’s to avoid paying for what you don’t need.

With that said, do be mindful of what you might need in the future. No one wants to find themselves upgrading before they want to.

I’ve bought plenty of appliances in the past, thinking I won’t need a certain feature, only to realize I need something more advanced.

Are There Speed Controls & A Pulse Feature?

This becomes particularly important if the glass blender you’re considering doesn’t come with any presets.

In general, the more speed control settings on a blender, the more control you’ll have over the consistency and timing of the blend.

I can’t imagine buying a blender without a pulse button either.

These are handy for putting the finishing touches to a blend, or when you want to achieve a specific consistency for chunky stuff like salsas.

With one of these you can select a speed, hold the pulse button down, and then release it as soon as you want the blender to stop blitzing the contents!

How Big Should The Jar Be?

As I mentioned at the start of my review, glass blender jars tend to be smaller than their BPA free plastic equivalents.

Are you going to be making a lot of single serve smoothies for one? You’ll have no trouble with any of the glass blenders I’ve reviewed here. Just pick the one that has the features you like.

If you’re buying a glass blender for a family though, you’ll benefit from buying the biggest jar your budget can stretch to.

It’s really annoying to have to prep a meal in batches, and it’s worth the extra expense to get the job done in one sitting.

Check The Quality Of The Glass

Not all glass jar blenders are created equal!

It’s important to check the manufacturer’s listing to make sure that the jar is truly heat-resistant.

If you’re going to be subjecting the ingredients to high speed – particularly if they’re hot – then this is something you really don’t want to skimp on.

If the glass shatters you’re going to have a very hot, very messy – and potentially dangerous – concoction all over your kitchen.

Some manufacturers make a big deal about the maximum temperatures the glass jar can withstand. This is always worth paying close attention to.

Consider The Size & Weight Of The Glass Blender

The nature of the material means that a glass jar blender will typically weigh more than a plastic blender.

It’s not the kind of thing you’re going to want to take in and out of storage, in other words.

I recommend identifying a permanent home for your glass blender, and checking the dimensions carefully before making your choice.

If you are planning to place the blender under kitchen cabinets, give yourself plenty of room for removing the lid and adding your ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Finally, I wanted to wrap up this article by answering some of the most common questions people have about glass blenders.

Which Ninja Blenders Have A Glass Pitcher?

At the time of writing this guide, I’m only aware of one Ninja Blender that comes with a glass jar.

That’s the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender, but it’s only available as a refurbished model at the time of writing this article.

I tend to avoid discontinued product lines wherever possible, simply becomes it only gets harder to get support when something goes wrong.

If you’d like to explore the option though, you can read plenty of reviews over at the Amazon listing:

Are Glass Or Plastic Blenders Better?

It’s a question of personal preference really.

Most of the plastic blender jugs you’ll find on the market these days are made from highly durable BPA free plastic.

If you’re really concerned about plastic in your kitchen though, then you’ll obviously see an immediate benefit to buying glass kitchenware.

There are other benefits to buying a glass blender too.

They don’t accumulate scrapes and scratches, the measurement markings remain clear as a result, and they don’t attract any food stains over time either.

You have to trade all that off against the fragility of the glass container if it falls onto the floor.

As you can tell, it’s a real balancing act and is going to depend entirely on your own circumstances and preferences.

Can I Definitely Make Hot Soup In A Glass Blender?

Hot soup is one of the main reasons people are drawn towards buying glass blenders in the first place.

As always though, it depends on the individual model you’re looking at.

Look for high quality, heat-resistant glass that will withstand the kind of speeds and pressure you’ll be putting your soup ingredients under.

If you’re buying a glass blender specifically for this job, the best advice I can give you is to buy from a trusted brand.

If they also mention hot soups in the description, then you’re onto a winner.

Do Vitamix or Blendtec Offer A Glass Jar?

At the time of writing this guide, neither of these companies offers a glass jar option for their blenders.

Vitamix stands by the quality and durability of its Eastman Tritan Copolyester BPA free plastic.

Blendtec has cited concerns about the sheer power of their blenders going up against glass.

By far and away the biggest brand in the glass blender world is Oster.

The company’s machines feature prominently in this buying guide, and it’s a corner of the market they’ve carved out for themselves.

Can You Recycle A Glass Blender?

The glass jar itself can be recycled, just as you’d be able to recycle any glass.

The majority of blender jars are supplied with a fixed blade unit, however. That obviously complicates the recycling question.

I definitely don’t recommend trying to remove the unit for separate recycling!

Your best option here is to consult your local recycling center. They likely have a dedicated drop off point for mixed-material kitchen goods.

What’s The Best Personal Glass Blender?

If you’re only going to make things like small batch smoothies and sauces, then I think the Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher is the best personal glass blender available today:

The glass jar is big enough to make a couple of drinks and soups at a time. It’s also one of the most affordable glass blenders on the market.