KitchenAid’s new five-speed blender may have an ultra-light polycarbonate pitcher, but there’s nothing else lightweight about this machine. Sure, it can blend tomato sauces and purée vegetable soups with ease, but what’s most impressive is how well it pulverizes the tough stuff: ice cubes, frozen fruit, nuts, chunks of Parmigiano. Whenever I made pesto or thick smoothies in my old blender, I would have to reach in several times to prod the ingredients into the blades. With this blender that wasn’t necessary.

The two keys to its success seem to be the powerful motor and the roomy 56-ounce pitcher, which has a wide base and a contoured design that funnels ingredients toward the blade for fast and thorough blending.

The KitchenAid five-speed blender comes in white, red, cinnamon, chrome, and black.