While most people buy blenders for smoothies, shakes, and other frozen drinks, the truth is there’s a whole world of uses for these versatile appliances. Did you know you can even use them to blend dry ingredients like oats and rice to make your own flour? It’s true, though to get the job done right, you need to find the right machine.
The best blender for making flour should have a balance of power, settings, durability, and ease of use. To find one that checks all of your boxes, take a look at our guide, where we cover top brands and break down all the factors that separate them from the competition.
Top Blenders for Making Homemade Flour
There are plenty of blenders well-equipped to make flour, and each one offers something a little different. Take a look at some of the top models below.
Ninja BL610
What We Liked
- Spiral blade design is perfect for an even blend
- Simple interface
- Ideal for working with large batches
What We Didn’t Like
- Blade dulls easily
- Larger blending jar is not ideal for smaller quantities
One of the most important factors when making fresh flour in a blender is the consistency of the finished product. Lumps in your flour mean gritty cakes and bread. The Ninja BL610 is a great blender to ensure smooth, consistent flour with its 6-blade assembly design.
The blade layout is intended to help when crushing ice, though it works perfectly well when blending flour. Other blenders rely on circulation to ensure that ingredients get mixed evenly, which can be a problem when working with large quantities. This design bypasses this problem by including blades along the full height of this Ninja blender.
The main downside is that, unlike a real milling blade, it relies on the blades’ sharp edge to get the job done. It’s fine for light use, but you may find yourself replacing the blade sooner than you think. Overall though, it’s a great choice for blending flour, especially if you want to make big batches.
Blendtec Classic 575
What We Liked
- The blade never has to be replaced
- Wide pitcher is easy to clean
- 2-year warranty
What We Didn’t Like
- Louder than other blenders
- On the more expensive side
What makes the Blendtec Classic 575 different from other blenders is that its blade is completely dull. It may sound counterintuitive, but this dull blade design actually blends just as well as machines equipped with a razor-sharp blade. The way it works is by relying on its powerful motor to pulverize ingredients at high speed. This works just as well with grains and other dry ingredients as it does with smoothies.
Of course, one factor to keep in mind is that this powerful motor also makes a bit more noise than your average blender. It’s a small price to pay for quality results, though if you’re making more than one batch, your family will be sure to notice.
Give this Blendtec blender a try if you’re able to make a bigger investment upfront to save on blade replacements later. Since it comes with a two-year warranty, you can be sure the money you spend will be well worth it.
Black and Decker Powercrush
What We Liked
- 4-tip blade for easy blending
- Dishwasher-safe design and easy to clean
- Good selection of speed settings
What We Didn’t Like
- A bit lacking in power
This Black and Decker Powercrush was designed with frozen drinks in mind, but it is well equipped to work with dry ingredients as well. Its four-tip blade helps blend ingredients evenly for perfectly smooth flour every time and is equipped with a range of features included to simplify your life.
One of our favorite features is the blender’s easy-to-clean design. All of its parts are removable, which makes it simple to get sparkling, whether you toss it in the dishwasher or clean it by hand. All the parts aside from the motor base are completely dishwasher safe. The blending jar is made of glass, which is a huge advantage when it comes to cleaning as well as durability, as it is more scratch-resistant.
On top of that, the variety of speed settings makes it even easier to get exactly the consistency you’re going for. All-in-all, it’s a convenient and effective option.
Vitamix 7500
What We Liked
- Many speed control settings
- 1400 watt motor
- Self-cleaning feature
What We Didn’t Like
- More expensive
So far, most of the blenders we’ve looked at have either high power or a wide selection of settings, though none have both. For the complete package, take a look at the Vitamix 7500. It comes equipped with a 1400-watt motor, 10-speed settings, a pulse function, and one of the most durable designs on the market.
Of course, all these features also come with a hefty price tag. In fact, this Vitamix blender is the most expensive on our list, though if you’re able to make the investment, it will be sure to live up to your expectations.
In addition to being a professional-quality blender, the Vitamix company also offers a few handy perks for those interested in making their own milled flour. Their dry grains container is designed to simply work with a range of features like a reverse blade that pushes dry ingredients away from the center to avoid packing.
Vitamix 5200
What We Liked
- More affordable than the Vitamix 7500 blender
- 7-year warranty
What We Didn’t Like
- Is a slight downgrade in power from the Vitamix 7500
If you like the look of the Vitamix 7500 but want to save a bit of money, the Vitamix 5200 might be the answer you’re looking for. It has the same design and number of speed settings as the other model with only a slight step-down in power, clocking in at about 1300 watts. This makes it still powerful enough to tear through dry ingredients to make flour.
Best of all, it comes equipped with the Vitamix seal of quality we’ve come to expect from the company. In fact, this model comes with a 7-year warranty, to ensure you won’t be disappointed with your purchase. Overall, it’s a great choice that’s still leagues ahead of other blenders in terms of power, capacity, and durability.
Buyer’s Guide–Choosing the Best Blender for Making Flour
With so many good blenders out there, it can be hard to choose the one that’s best for your needs. The only way to make the call is to break down your top picks by the features that are most important to you. Whether you’re making almond flour, rice flour, or oat flour, take a look at these criteria for a bit of guidance.
Blender Type
Blender designs fall into two broad types. The first are those that use a high-powered motor to pulverize ingredients with a dull blade. The second are those that rely on a comparatively weaker motor but sport a razor-sharp blade to cut through ingredients. When it comes to making flour or blending dry ingredients of any kind, your best bet is the first type.
The reason is that blenders that rely on sharp blades to do their work just aren’t going to last very long. Barley, corn, oats, and other grains all have tough outer hulls that take a lot of work to chew through. While a sharp blade might get the job done the first time you use it, you’ll find you have to replace it much sooner than you like.
Blade Type
A regular blender blade can actually do a pretty good job at blending grains to make flour. One of the key functions it does stunningly well is creating that classic blender vortex which helps ensure your grains are getting evenly distributed throughout your blending jar, for the smoothest possible consistency. This is one of the factors that differentiates a blender from a food processor, and why a blender is the better choice for making flour.
However, if you’re planning on making flour in your blender regularly, you might want to consider investing in a milling blade. This type of blade is slightly different from your standard blender blade, as it has a flat design that is specially designed to chew through tough ingredients like grains. And just like the traditional blade, it does a great job of ensuring your grains are evenly blended for a smooth consistency.
Power Output
A more powerful blender is always a good idea, as it allows you to blend your food faster and smoother than a lower-powered blender. Plus, a more powerful motor is also a safeguard against it burning out since it won’t have to struggle as much when making nut flour.
This is true of any of the best blender models, though it goes double when choosing a high-powered blender to make flour. Since the grains you’re working with are much tougher than your typical smoothie ingredients, the motor needs to make the extra effort. Weaker blenders may not be able to make flour at all, or if they do, they run a high risk of overheating.
While the ideal power of your blender depends on a few factors, generally you’re looking for a power of at least 1,000 watts. This will ensure it can cut through tough grains without chugging and will help your motor enjoy a long lifespan.
Speed Settings
While pure power is important, it doesn’t mean all that much if you’re not able to have full control over it. Your blender doesn’t need to have an abundance of speed settings, but a one-speed blender might not be the best choice for making flour.
One of the most crucial settings on your blender is the pulse. This lets you activate your blade at the push of a button and then shut down as soon as you release it. It sounds simple, but it makes a world of difference when making flour. The reason is that the texture of your flour is of the utmost importance. The difference between a fine powder and a coarse grain can be a matter of seconds for a powerful blender, so working in quick bursts is often necessary.
Aside from the pulse, it’s a good idea to have at least three other speed settings. The lower settings are the most important for making flour, though the more you have will give your blender greater degrees of versatility. Some of the best blender models also include digitally programmed presets to help ensure consistent results when making flour or anything else. Such features can be especially useful for those with less experience.
Durability
Durability is an important factor when buying any blender, but especially so when working with dry ingredients. Hard grains will scrape against the side of your blending jar, wearing down its surface over time. More flimsy jars can break after multiple uses, which is why it’s best to stick with a more durable option.
Glass and plastic blending jars each have their pros and cons. Glass jars stand up better to scratching but are more likely to shatter when dropped. Plastic jars can withstand most accidents, but will scratch more easily.
If you’re not sure whether your brand of choice is a durable blending jar, check and see if they offer a warranty. A one, three, or five-year warranty can be a good sign that the manufacturer has faith in their product. It can also help you replace broken parts without additional expense.
Capacity
When blending grains to make flour, you probably want a blender that can work in large quantities. High-capacity blenders offer jars that are 48, 64, and even 72 ounces. Giving yourself a bit of extra space is a good way to maximize efficiency.
However, don’t forget that bigger doesn’t always mean better. A larger blending jar may be able to hold more flour, but the downside is that it isn’t suitable for working with smaller quantities. Usually, larger blenders have a minimum capacity, around one cup, which is required for the blender to work properly.
Budget
Maybe most important of all is the cost of your blender. Generally, investing a bit more upfront is a good way to ensure you’re getting a quality personal blender that can work with dry ingredients without issue. If you’re working with a smaller budget, you can still get a good blender, though you have to be a bit smarter about how you spend your money.
Our Top Pick
While each of the five blenders mentioned above can be a great choice for making flour, there’s one that stands above the rest. That’s the Vitamix 7500. While it does cost a bit more than the other models, it’s the only option that has the perfect balance of power, settings, and durability that’s ideal for blending dry ingredients. As an added bonus, Vitamix also offers specialty attachments for working with dry grains.
