I love cooking and baking. That means I've gone through my fair share of blenders and I have to say that no brand really comes close to Vitamix. It's an iconic blender that most, if not all, professionals use -- and for good reason. This powerful blender is perfect for making the creamiest soups, dips and spreads, fresh smoothies, baby food and it can even knead dough and bread. There's only one catch. It retails for a pretty penny at $549. This Black Friday, however, you can get it for $249 on Amazon. It's one of Amazon's best Black Friday deals for kitchen appliances.

Here's why we love it.

• Large pitcher: This blender comes with a 64-ounce pitcher that's great for medium to large batches. 
  
• Heating feature: The blades can go fast enough to bring cold foods to a steaming hot temperature in just 6 minutes.
  
• Self cleaning: Add a little bit of dish soap and water, and your Vitamix can clean itself in under a minute.
  
• Tough Stainless-Steel Blades: You can blend even the hardest ingredients in this blender with its hardened stainless-steal blades.
  
• Simple speed control: The three-switch control panel on this blender makes it super easy to use. 
  

If you want a premium blender that's simple to use, powerful and efficient, snag this one before it's gone.