What To Consider When Shopping For Blenders
- Blades: While it seems counter-intuitive, better performing blenders do not come with sharp blades . Instead, they come with strong blades that stand the test of time and are able to pulverize just about anything. This also makes them much safer to clean.
- Size: If you don’t want to keep your blender on your countertop, look for a lightweight model. They’re more portable, but also more likely to move around on the countertop when in use. If you plan to keep your blender on the counter, you may also want to consider the height as some models are too tall to fit neatly underneath kitchen cabinets.
- Glass vs. plastic: Glass is heavier, but wont retain odors or stain as easily as plastic models. Most high-powered blenders do not use glass jars because they’re not guaranteed to be completely shatterproof, but if you really want glass, look for one thats been thermal shock tested . Many of our top performing blenders have jars made of BPA-free Tritan plastic which can withstand the high-speed blades.
- Wattage: Though the blenders with higher wattage tended to perform better, this was not always the case. The overall design of the blender is more important in determining performance.
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Other Models We Tested
Hurom Hexa Power Speed: If you’re looking for simple functionality and pure power, this our top pick. The Hurom Hexa doesn’t have many fancy presets and functions but does have 1,600 watts of power to whip the crap out of anything that you put inside. It almost feels industrial grade and creates a vortex inside akin to something you’d see at a science museum. We also love how this blender looks with its shiny stainless steel armor. Worth noting that it’s the tallest of the blenders we tested so it won’t store as easily as some of the others.
Oster Versa Pro Series: This Oster model is a good performer and includes a few extra features we found helpful. It’s on the expensive side, but this price includes a beverage container and a set of bowls and blades for food processing. You’re almost getting two appliances here, a blender and a food processor. It also has a reverse blend button which is great for crushing ice and making nut flour.
Vitamix Explorian E310: I don’t have much bad to say about the Vitamix Explorian. We used them plenty and loved doing it but it is still rather pricey when you get right down to it. That said, there’s a reason Vitamix has a cult-like following and this model will do just about any standard kitchen blending task and then some. Even if we had an extra hundred or more to spend on one of Vitamix’s premium models, we’d still opt for the Explorian. It also includes a great recipe book and custom tamper.
Must Have Smoothie Blender Requirements
If your goal is to make smoothies daily to significantly improve your health , then these are the absolute must have things to look for.
Must Have #1 – Minimum 40 fl. oz. Container
Even with nutrient-dense super foods like spinach, kale, and blueberries, you’ll need to moderately pack a 40 fl. oz. blender container to yield a 700 ml smoothie serving.
This serving size yields a portion that has at least 100% of the daily recommended amounts of Vitamins A and C, as well as significant quantities of other important health promoting micro-nutrients and phytochemicals.
Based on our experience, and those of our readers, this is the appropriate minimum daily serving size to notice significant health benefits from a smoothie.
If your blender container is smaller than 40 fl. oz. you’ll have to either go through the entire blending process twice, or repeatedly blend, stop, repack, blend, etc. We’ve found that having to do this will over time prevent people from making smoothies regularly as it is too much work. *details of micro-nutrient calculation included at end of the article
Must Have #2 – Minimum 750 Watts
Any blender with less than 750 Watts of power won’t have enough power to blend a full 1.18 liter container.
This is the absolute minimum amount of power you’ll need to get the ingredients blended in a reasonable amount of time.
Must Have #3 – Minimum 5 Year Warranty
Also Check: Tropical Smoothie Cafe St Clair Shores
The Best Blender Deals From This Guide
Blenders can be a pricey upgrade to make in your kitchen, so it’s always better to buy with a discount. Blender deals, specifically for our picks, are sporadic throughout the year, but when they do crop up it’s usually worthwhile the Vitamix 5200, for example, typically sees discounts of $50 or more. We rounded up the best blender deals for our picks below. You’ll be sure to find a miniature appliance that suits your preference and budget.
Here are the best blender deals available now.
There are currently no deals on our recommended blenders.
Nutri Ninja Personal Blender
Best smoothie-maker for features
This powerful machine by Ninja has the capacity to blend powerfully and consistently. It comes with various blend functions, including a FreshVac oxygen pump accessory which helps make smoothies vibrant in colour and taste, giving it a very clear USP. The set-up is complicated so youll need to follow the instructions closely. Its also a loud blender, despite the brand name. Read our full review of the Nutri Ninja personal blender.
Available from:
Recommended Reading: Tropical Smoothie Cafe Lean Machine Fat Burner
Other Personal Blenders We Tested
The Beast is one of the newer players in the personal blender market. Its sleek and modern design attracts smoothie superfans who care about aesthetics and quality. The blending cups are made with heavy-duty Tritan with fitted spill-resistant seals.
During testing, the Beast outperformed others in the smoothie test, making the smoothie both silky in texture and easy to pour, which isnt always the case for a personal blender. It was quick, tooin under a minute, the blending session was completed.
What we dont like about this blender is its blending cup. Its much bulkier than the other ones weve tested and not ergonomic enough to hold comfortably in one hand.
The Beast has some interesting accessories that may be useful to some people. In addition to a small cup thats good for salsa and hummus, it comes with a Hydration System that is essentially a water bottle with an infuser inside. You can add fruits, herbs, or tea in the stainless steel infuser.
Everything except the blade attachment and the base is top-rack dishwasher-safe. However, its so easy to clean that weve found a quick rinse is sufficient to fully clean the parts.
Pros
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Strong motor can handle most ingredients
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Stylish design
Are Magic Bullet And Nutribullet The Same
Biggest differences: NutriBullet vs Magic Bullet The biggest difference between the NutriBullet and the Magic Bullet is the motor size. The Magic Bullet has a 250 watt motor, which is fine for basic fruit smoothies as well as most soups and sauces, but not as effective for green smoothies or frozen and raw ingredients.
Also Check: Spinach Banana Smoothie Weight Loss
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers
We know that for many people, the biggest issue with the Vitamix 5200 is its steep price. At around $400 or so, its at least twice the price of our runner-up, the Oster Versa Pro Series Blender. In the past, weve even made the Oster our top pick because of its comparatively affordable price. But after years of testing the Vitamix and using it in our test kitchen, we think its truly worth the investment. Its more durable and all-around more effective than any other blender weve found, and if you plan on using a blender regularly, it will make your life a lot easier. Plus, consider the cost of buying a smoothie rather than making it at home: A morning smoothie can run from about $5 to $13, so in two to four months you will have paid the same amount as for a 5200. A Vitamix, by contrast, will last you at least seven years .
At more than 20 inches tall, the Vitamix 5200 is a big appliancetoo big to fit under some kitchen cabinets. But none of the other high-powered blenders we tested were much smaller. Though the Oster is a couple of inches shorter, it also has a beefier base. If size is an issue for you, Vitamix makes other lines of blenders that have a shorter profile. But weve found that the tall, narrow shape of the 5200s blending jar is one of the components that help this machine create such an effective vortex.
Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher Blender
- Small pitcher
- Hard to push buttons
Hamilton Beach is a trusted brand and has been producing high-quality and innovative products for many decades. The next product on our list is Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher Blender. The product combines power, efficiency, and impressive construction quality for excellent performance in the long run. The blender is not very powerful but features innovative technology making it highly efficient for crushing the ice cubes and frozen ingredients.
It is powered by 750-watt motors and high-quality stainless steel blades. What makes the blender perfect for smoothies is its Wave action technology. This innovative technology keeps the ingredients close to the blades and ensures no ingredient is left untouched by blades. Plus, it has 14 blending functions allowing you to get the required level of smoothness and consistency.
Hamilton Beach wave blender features a 40 Oz glass pitcher making it perfect for preparing smoothie drinks for 2 to 3 person serving. The glass pitcher can bear extreme temperature changes making it perfect for hot soups and icy drinks. From blades to pitcher, all the parts of the blender are dishwashers safe.
Hamilton Beach Wave Crusher blender is a simple and efficient smoothie blender for daily households. Its innovative design and wave action technology give the silky smooth consistency, and its slow speed enhances the nutritional value of the icy drinks.
Read Also: Daily Harvest Smoothies For Weight Loss
Nutri Ninja Duo Blender
Peak PowerJar Size
If you are a daily smoothie drinker, then the Ninja Blender DUO could be a great choice for you. This appliance is certainly a good option if you’re routinely making blended drinks for one, but it doesn’t top the charts when it comes to overall performance. Multiple personal cups are included that make it easy to whip up a to-go breakfast smoothie in the morning. The triple-blade in its main pitcher also does an excellent job crushing ice for blended drinks, and it’s not too much of a hassle to clean.
Although we were huge fans of the smoothies this appliance made in its personal smoothie cups, we weren’t impressed with the results when we used the large pitcher. Many of our recipes came out worse than when we used other products, and we found the texture to be very inconsistent. Despite this disappointment, it’s hard to overlook the personal cups’ added convenience if you’re making smoothies regularly.
Budget Pick: Kitchenaid K150 3 Speed Ice Crushing Blender
*At the time of publishing, the price was $80.
If you blend only the occasional smoothie, daiquiri, or soup, you dont need an expensive high-powered blender. The KitchenAid K150 3 Speed Ice Crushing Blender will serve your needs. Offering a low profile and a 48-ounce blending jar, this blender is the most compact of all our picks. In our tests, the K150 proved adequate at blending thick smoothies, but not without a couple of stops and starts or our having to add a little more liquid to get a consistent vortex going. It cant puree tough berry seeds as our top pick can, nor can it produce such velvety-smooth frozen drinks. However, the K150 has a mighty motor for the price and will handle most simple blending tasks.
The KitchenAid K150 offers three speeds plus a pulse setting for crushing ice. For frozen drinks and smoothies, the second speed seems to be the sweet spot, as thats where we encountered the fewest air pockets. As with most blenders at this price, you need to add more liquid to get smoothies and frozen drinks to blend with a continuous vortex otherwise, you need to stop it a couple of times to break up air pockets. Overall, we were satisfied with the drinks we made in the K150. The piña colada was a little icy but not offensive, and the smoothie was what wed expect from a good $100 blender: very drinkable, with whole berry seeds and tiny flecks of kale.
Read Also: Plastic Cups With Lids For Smoothies
Best Blenders For Smoothies
There are just two important criteria when choosing a smoothie blender:
1. A smoothie blender should give you the maximum health benefits from each serving.
2. It should have a proven high success rate in allowing people to make smoothies every day.
Below are our two recommended best blenders for smoothies, along with our detailed “must-have” blender ratings methodology.*all sources and data included at end of article
Hamilton Beach Power Elite Blender
Amazon
- Customer Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
- Power: 700 watts
- Dimensions: 8.66 x 8.5 x 14.69 inches
Coming in at under $50, the Hamilton Beach Power Elite Blender is an excellent budget-friendly option. It has five buttons that allow you to cycle between 12 different blending functions that run the gamut from milkshakes to smoothies to salsa. While it doesnt include a tamper, the 700-watt motor operates on a Wave Action system that pulls the pitchers contents down into the blades, so you get peak performance every time. In addition to a 40-ounce pitcher, you also get a 3-cup food processor thats perfect for chopping, grinding and other cooking tasks.
Also Check: How To Make Better Smoothies
Kitchenaid K150 Ice Crushing Blender
Amazon
- Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
- Power: 670 Watts
- Dimensions: 8.5 x 7.1 x 14.8 inches
While most of the best blenders can handle crushing ice, the KitchenAid K150 was made for it. The 48-ounce pitcher was designed with unique asymmetric blades that bend at four different angles to pull ice into the center of the machine for optimal crushing. The 670-watt motor may be one of the least powerful on this list, but it can crush a half a try of ice in less than 10 seconds. Of course, you can use this blender for other pulverizing needs too. In addition to the ice crushing setting, it also has three different speeds and Intelli-Speed Motor Control, which senses the contents of the pitcher and maintains the right speed to properly handle the job.
Is A Vitamix Really Worth It
The short answer is, yes. Vitamix blenders are worth it because theyre more powerful, durable, and versatile than the competition. On top of that, theyre engineered to last. Whether youre blending a smoothie, soup, or making nut butter, no other brand can deliver the power and precision of Vitamix.
Recommended Reading: Best Personal Blender For Green Smoothies
Nutribullet Pro Smoothie Blender Best Value
We think that NutriBullet Pro NB9-1301 is the best value pick and the perfect choice when you only need one smoothy at a time. Once you see what this little blender has to offer, we believe you will agree that this is the best smoothie blender for the money.
The NutriBullet uses your smoothy glass as your pitches, and it comes with two. You mix the ingredients in the cup, put the lid on, and attach it to the NutriBullet. It has a powerful 900-watt motor that made short work of everything we placed in the cup. It uses stainless steel extractor blades and cyclonic action to break up your ingredients. Its effortless to clean up and only requires rinsing the blade and cup. The Nutribullet also comes in many colors.
The complaints we have about the Nutribullet are that its very noisy, especially for a blender this size, and the lid has a tendency to unscrew while your blending, which could lead to leaking.
To conclude, we think this is the best blender for smoothies for the money.
The Vitamix Professional Series 750 Blender is our premium choice. The Vitamix is a powerful blender for those concerned with performance over budget. This blender features a large cool-running motor with more power than most swimming pool pumps.
The 64-ounce low-profile pitcher is large but still fits nicely under most counter-tops. You can control the blending speed by turning a dial on the front panel, and the variable speed gives you the most versatility.
The Best Blenders Will Help You Eat More Vegetables And Drink More Margaritas
All products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
If there was a video game based around consumerismand once these game developers start opening my e-mails, there will bebuying a blender would be the final boss. Its the perfect test of your critical-thinking skills, filled with marketing lies and useless bonus features. There are options from $20 to $600, an incredible amount of worthless jargon, and variable speed-control settings that trick you into daydreaming about grinding your own nut butters in-house. To find your perfect blender, you must first look deep within yourself and remain steadfast in the humbleness of your blending aspirations. Fortunately, we’ve already narrowed it down to six options.
When testing, we looked at the basics first: the power of the motor how easily, quickly, and quietly the blender did its job. How good are the blenders at blending the stuff 99% of guys will actually be blending? Thats really the core question. We threw in ice solo. We threw in all types of Daily Harvest smoothies. We threw in the ingredients that constitute 99 percent of things Ive actually seen men put in blenders: combinations of almond milk, spinach, peanut butter, bananas, protein powder, and frozen mixed berry blends from Whole Foods. Also, .
Below, the beginning of a healthier life. Or at least smoother margaritas.
Read Also: Great Tasting Smoothies For Weight Loss