The Best Blender To Make Smoothies

Are Glass Pitchers Better Than Plastic

Most blenders come with a hardened plastic pitcher, but youll find the odd model that has a glass one. Strictly speaking, glass is harder wearing and wont scratch as easily as plastic. This can make a difference if you regularly crush ice, as the sharp edges can scratch cheaper plastics. Plastic can also get tainted by ingredients staining.

The downside of glass is that its much heavier and if you drop it, youre likely to end up cracking or breaking the pitcher.

Modern plastics are much better, particularly on high-end machines, so you shouldnt notice scratching. And, plastic is lighter and less likely to break if you drop it.

Other Options We Tested

• Vitamix 7500 Blender: This is one of Vitamix’s classic G-Series blenders that simply has a manual dial with 10 speeds and a pulse feature, and it makes a good blender for those new to Vitamix. But when we tested it in our Lab, we found that it didn’t stack up against more advanced Vitamixes. When making a smoothie, our testers could feel the fiber grit while drinking. Meanwhile, it “painted” the inside of the blender with peanut butter, making quite the mess to clean up.
• Vitamix A2500 Ascent Series Blender: The Ascent series is known for its smart technology and that’s the main highlight with A2500. Incredibly similar to our Best Tech pick, this has all the same features as the A2300, with an additional 3 program settings. We tested the two against each other in our Lab and found that those program settings are its only leg up on the A2300. Unless you truly need programs, you’re better off with the A2300.
• Vitamix A3300 Ascent Series Blender: Here’s another Ascent series pick, with a digital interface and easy touch operations. We tested this as an option for our Best Splurge category, except that it doesn’t have program settings like our current pick, the A3500. It performed exceptionally well, but we still recommend the A3500 over this since it has five program settings, including the rare self-cleaning function.

The Spruce Eats / Tamara Staples

Why You Should Trust Us

As a senior staff writer for Wirecutter, Ive covered everything from chefs knives to stand mixers, and Ive tested every blender worth testing since 2014. I also have a breadth of cooking and entertaining knowledge from decades of working in restaurants and magazine test kitchens. This guide builds on the work of Christine Cyr Clisset, now a deputy editor at Wirecutter.

We reached out to Jonathan Cochran, a former blender salesperson who now runs the site Blender Dude, for his take on the best Vitamix and Blendtec models to test . For our original guide, authored by Seamus Bellamy, we consulted with Lisa McManus, an executive editor in charge of equipment testing at Cooks Illustrated and Cooks Country magazines.

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What Is Better A Blender Or A Smoothie Maker

The key task of a blender and a smoothie maker is to blend. They both blend food ingredients. However, it depends which equipment is better suited to the task you want to perform.

Smoothie makers are the a great choice if you want to get thick, smoother consistency and less or zero froth while blending fruits and vegetables. On the other hand blenders are better at performing various kitchen tasks such as grinding, mixing and pureeing.

Most blenders will just puree the fruits and vegetables and it is difficult to get the smooth pasty consistency of a smoothie unless you have a high quality or a professional blender.

Ninja Professional Bl660 Top Pick/best Ninja Blender

• Harder to clean
• Short, 1-year warranty

Ninja is making a name for itself in the blending world with its powerful blenders at more affordable prices. Rather than spend $400+ on Blendtec or Vitamix, you can spend less than $100 on the Ninja Pro BL660. While it may not offer as many flashy features as the high-end blenders, you better believe this blender can crush ice and other hard ingredients like its nobodys business.

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The BL660 features a super powerful, 1100-watt motor and unique, Total Crushing 6-blade assembly. These blades are specifically designed to pulverize ice for smoothies and other frozen drinks. Just be careful while handling these blades because they are extra sharp. One of the most disappointing aspects of the Ninja Pro blender is its limited and short warranty. At only 1 year of coverage, youre getting much less protection that with other brands. All in all, though you shouldnt have to use this warranty since the blender itself is built to last. It may be the new best blender for green smoothies.

Also Check: How Do I Make A Smoothie

The Best Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe

Strawberry banana is a classic smoothie flavor combination that most people love. If you have not been able to perfect the strawberry banana smoothie at home, I highly suggest you give this recipe a try. It is filled with delicious strawberries, banana, and the addition of healthy Greek yogurt gives the smoothie an extra dose of healthy fats and protein. I know you will love this recipe!

Measurements And Capability For Storage

There are a variety of high-quality tiny and personal blenders that are capable of executing tough jobs wonderfully while occupying much less room, making them suitable for kitchens with restricted space.

With a high-capacity blender, it is considerably simpler to mix huge quantities of food at once, such as soup. Blenders with variable pitcher sizes make it simple for the user to tailor the blending process to their particular needs.

The amount of storage space needed for a blender may be affected by its frequency of usage. If you frequently prepare smoothies, it might be beneficial to designate a special counter area for that purpose.

If you only use the blender sometimes, you should seek for a tiny, lightweight model. In households with limited counter space, a compact stick blender that can be put in a cupboard or drawer may be the most practical option. Although having a few extra blender jars, to-go cups, and other accessories might be useful, they need additional storage space when not in use.

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Who Makes The Best Blender

Vitamix is well known for its high-end, powerful blenders. These machines are a great choice for those that blend daily and that want the absolute best results. Controls can be rather basic on some models, so these choices are ideal for experienced users.

Ninja products tend to be cheaper, and may not produce quite as smooth results. However, youll generally get more automatic programs and the overall value is usually very good, with many sets coming with a lot of accessories to expand what the blender is capable of. We have a complete Vitamix vs Ninja guide that goes into more detail, and you can also take a look at Ninja vs NutriBullet and Vitamix vs Blendtec for more comparisons.

How Do You Clean A Vitamix

To clean the blender jar, all you have to do is add a drop of dish soap and some water and run on high speed. Or select the cleaning cycle on programmed models to completely clean the blades and jar. A quick rinse and a double-check of the lid and jar rim, and youre done. The blender base can be wiped clean with a cloth.

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Liquid First Then Solids

Help your blenders blade and motor last longer by putting your ingredients in the jar in an orderly manner.

The general rule of thumb is to start with liquids, making sure that it covers the blade. Putting the liquid first ensures that all the ingredients are incorporated well. Next, add the fresh fruits followed by the frozen ingredients. Lastly, put the ice.

Will My Small Kitchen Accommodate A Blender

Blender cables can be substantial, so look for machines with built-in storage to prevent the flex getting out of hand. Unless youâre buying a machine that youâre happy to have on display on the worktop, your blender will probably live in a cupboard. If so, choose one that can be easily dismantled, is light enough for you to lift in and out and wonât take up too much storage room.

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Ingredients For A Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Heres what youll need to make this strawberry banana smoothie. Youll notice a lot of the traditional ingredients for a creamy smoother arent necessary. Theres no yogurt, no milk, no dairy to make it creamy! Just two pure, healthy ingredients that result in a plant based and vegan smoothie. Heres what youll need:

• Frozen strawberries: Its easy to find and store frozen berries, and they add a great icy texture to this smoothie.
• Fresh banana: Our pet peeve is smoothie recipes that call for frozen bananas, because we dont always have them on hand. We customized this one to use a fresh banana so that you can make it immediately.
• Water and ice: For the body of the smoothie, youll just need a little water to get it to blend and ice for the perfect frothy texture.

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How To Choose A Blender For Smoothies

When you choose a blender to make smoothies you need to make sure the blender is going to do the work for you. Ideally, the blender should either be built for making smoothies specifically or at least mention that it can make smoothies. If the blender just vaguely says it will blend ingredients up to a smooth consistency, that is not good enough for a lump-free smoothie.

You’ll also want to consider:

Capacity: Keep in mind the number of smoothies you want to create in the blender. If it is just for one or two people, then a smaller and more compact smoothie blender is going to be the best option. Anything with a 16-ounce to a 32-ounce container will be a wise choice. If you are wanting to make a larger quantity of smoothies at one time, then maybe splurge for the larger blenders on our list. Their capacities go all the way up to 72oz, while still being able to create a smooth drink you can enjoy the same way.

Making More Than Smoothies? If you are wanting to do more with your blender than just make smoothies like make pureed foods, soups, salsa, and crushed ice, then keep that factor into consideration. You might be interested in the Nutribullet Pro which is on the top of our list for making smoothies. However, if you want to also crush ice and make other foods, you may want to spring for a larger yet more expensive model like the Vitamix E310.

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Key Features For A Good Blender For Crushing Ice

Horsepower

• The last thing you want is for your blender to get jammed up or refuse to crush ice down to the particle size that you need for your smoothie or mojito. That means paying close attention to the horsepower and how powerful the motor really is. Of course, horsepower doesnt tell you everything, but its a good metric for looking at just how powerful a blender can be. The average 2HP blender can usually handle anything, but for real ice performance look for more power. The wattage is also a good correlation. For blending ice, make sure you get a blender in the range of 1200-1500 watts. Thats enough power to crush ice and frozen fruit almost instantly, giving you crushed ice that is easy to blend.

High-Quality Blades

• Strong, durable blades are a must when looking for a great ice blender. Ice can be tough to chomp down on, and blades may wear down more easily if you make a lot of smoothies. Look for blunted blades made from stainless steel, and preferably molded with strong, single-piece components that reduce wear while increasing durability.

Crusher Settings

Noise and Performance

Tamping Options

• No one likes a blender that churns all the lower-level ice into snow while leaving the top layer of ice just floating there. The large containers that we favor in the list help take care of this problem, but tampers are also a good solution to look for on your next model.

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Best Budget: Hamilton Beach Personal Blender With Travel Lid

• Comes with travel cup and lid

• Low power and may lack durability

• Difficult to clean

The Hamilton Beach Shakes and Smoothies Personal Blender is a compact, single-serve blender. It has a single button that can be used to blend continuously or use as a pulse feature. It comes with a 14-ounce travel cup that fits in most cup holders and includes a travel-friendly lid. The inexpensive price point and user-friendly functionality make it our top budget pick.

This blender differs from many other smoothie blenders as the blade is not removable from the travel cup. That may make it more difficult to clean, since the blade remains attached. One plus is that the lid and cup, including the blade, are dishwasher safe.

The motorized base of the blender includes a wraparound cord for easy storage, and the compact design allows for countertop or cabinet storage. While this blender is functional and easy to use, it may not be as durable as other options.

Price at time of publication: $23

Weight: 2.07 pounds | Power: 175 watts | Volume: 14 oz | Dimensions: 11.8 x 3.94 x 3.94 inches

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How To Freeze A Healthy Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Yes, you can freeze smoothies! As I mentioned above, my favorite way to do this is to store it in a blender bottle so that when the smoothie thaws, you can shake it up to mix up all of the ingredients again.

If its frozen solid, make sure you thaw it in the fridge overnight, or keep out on the counter until its thawed.

You could also blend it again to get everything incorporated.

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Most Powerful Cleanblend Commercial Blender

Another strong contender for the best blender for frozen fruit smoothies is the commercial blender from Cleanblend, which boasts an extremely powerful 1800 watt base and an 8 point stainless steel blade. Blending ice and frozen fruit with ease, you will never have to worry about large chunks in your smoothies again!

The large container allows you to cater to many guests and prepare large batches. It is also BPA-free and dishwasher safe. You can rest assured that this blender is durable and long-lasting, able to pulverize frozen ingredients in seconds without causing damage.

Whats even more impressive is this blenders ability to process hot soup, creating heat from the friction of its blades! Enjoy frozen drinks, hummus, or peanut butter, all made in your Cleanblend. The opportunities are endless with this impressive, multi-functional blender.

If youre deciding between a juicer vs blender, weve got some great advice.

Compared to the Ninja and Nutribullet, this blender has a much more powerful motor base to successfully blend hard, frozen ingredients.

Though this blender does reach high speeds due to its powerful motor base, unlike its competitors it may require some help. Holding the container into place while blending prevents it from coming loose. This powerful blender is also on our list of the best blenders for pureeing food!

Cons:

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Blendtec Total Classic Best Personal Blender

Blendtec is a family-owned company that engineers and assembles products in the USA. The Blendtec Total Classic Original Blender has a powerful engine that can blend any fruits and vegetables you throw into it.

The square jar design makes it easy to use, easy to pour, and clean. Using the preset modes, you can set your desired blend mode, and the blender will automatically select the correct speed for blending.

Although its a bit noisy, just like any other blender, it has amazing speed and power. In addition to its awesome build quality, the patented square-shaped jar pulls all the ingredients into the blade for better blending and mixing.

Blendtec is also the company behind one-touch blending technology, and this blender has that iconic feature. One thing I really like about this blender is the blade. They arent sharp but blunt and ideal for pulverizing thick ingredients.

How To Make A Smoothie + 27 Simple Smoothie Recipes To Try

Im a believer that smoothies are the perfect meal or snack no matter what the weather. It is never too cold to have an awesome smoothie! Since smoothies are such a tasty way to pack in a meal on the go, I put on a big sweater and happily drink them even when the temps are frigid.

We originally published our first guide on smoothie making way back in 2015, and since then, millions of folks have visited this post and used our recipes to make the best ever smoothies! I consider these smoothies simple classics because they have great flavor, all the ingredients are easy to source , and they pack a nutritional punch that can nourish you nicely. These are the kinds of smoothies that I think everyone should know how to make, and chances are, youll find a favorite combo among these recipes. There really is no wrong way to make a smoothie, but I think these recipes are a great jumping-off point if the blender intimidates you.

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