How To Choose A Blender
A blender is a great tool for cooking and making drinks, such as smoothies, keeping the pulp of fruit and vegetables as well as the juice.
The type of blender you buy really depends on how often you want to use it and what you mostly want to use it for. All blenders are capable of making smoothies, particularly blending softer fruits.
MotorIf you want to make frozen fruits or desserts or deal with harder fruits or vegetables, then you may need a machine with a more powerful motor, so that it can crush ice into fine snow.
Programs Look out for a blender that has automatic programs for the kinds of drink or action that you want, as this takes the guesswork out of using a blender.
That said, manual controls are important if you want finer control over the results, say blending a soup that still has some chunks in it.
A pulse function is a great way to get fine control: the blender runs while you press the button but stops the second that you release it.
FeaturesMove up the price scale and youll find that you get additional features. Some of the most powerful blenders, for example, can use friction to heat raw ingredients, delivering hot soup in just a few minutes.
If you want something that can blend directly into a pot or pan, one of the best immersion blenders we’ve reviewed will be more appropriate.
What Is Vacuum Blending
You’ll notice that some smoothie makers are equipped with vacuum blending technology for locking in vitamins and nutrients for a better, healthier blend and taste.
Expect your smoothie to look brighter, be lighter in texture and taste better than a regular blend of the same recipe, even several hours later .
Our GHI tester reported that, when vacuum blending technology was at play, their ingredients didn’t separate or form a thick, frothy layer after a few hours, like they did when blended in a regular machine.
This modern technology, offered by the Tefal Freshboost Vacuum BL181D65, does come at a higher price, but it’s worth the investment if you’re trying to live more healthily and like to make your smoothies in advance.
What We Love About The Koios Pro 850w Bullet Personal Blender:
- Fiber & Vitamins: unlike what a juicer does, this personal blender does not leave fiber out. The result holds almost 100% of the fiber and vitamins from the original fruit and vegetables put into the blender, and they taste great without bringing you a blood sugar spike.
- Quick & Easy: a strong and powerful motor drives the uniquely designed 6-edge blade and delivers extra smooth results in less than 1 minute. Cleaning is also easy: simply rinse under tap water or put it on the top rack of your dishwasher.
- Sports Drink & Protein Shake: make it at home, control the ingredients used according to your training goal and explore your favorite flavor. Screw on the spout drinking lids and take it to the gym. It would be a great companion to your workout.
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What Size Blender Do You Need
A few compact blenders offer trouble-free cleaning, but most self-cleaning functions and wide bases are found in full-sized, professional blenders. Usually, this means your pitcher will sport a 48-ounce container or larger. Some brands offer additional jars and other accessories, like the WildSide+ container sold by Blendtec, which boasts a wide motor base and blunted blades for a quick blend and an even easier clean-up.
Nutribullet 600 Watt Blender
Talk to anyone about blenders for smoothie making, and it won’t be long before Nutribullet comes up. The company has taken the blending world by storm. But do its machines live up to the hype? In the case of the Nutribullet 600-Watt Blender, it seems so. This personal smoothie blender, its flagship product, is a compact and affordable offering from the company, and despite having a lower power capacity than other models, is still capable of delivering a smooth drink, . This blender also has an intuitive design and ease of use which, although it may leave some people wanting more than its solo power function, makes creating smoothies pretty simple, .
The Nutribullet 600 Watt Blender comes with two cup attachments, both of which are dishwasher friendly. One of these attachments also has a useful handle attached to it, for sipping on the go. The Nutribullet 600-Watt Blender also has a pulse function, helping you break down larger chunks of food. The product included a one-year warranty, and its handy nutrition and recipe manuals make this machine more than the sum of its parts.
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Ninja Professional Blender Bl610
Ninja has a pretty wide-ranging offering of kitchen products, with pans, air fryers, and instant pots all made by the U.S.-based company. And it’s also branched out into blenders, with some great results. The Ninja Professional Blender BL610 is a powerful choice and is well-equipped to deliver speedy ice-crushing and blitzing of fresh produce, according to Gadget Review. This is largely thanks to the BL610’s 1000-watt motor, which gives a good amount of power for this blender’s price point.
All of the attachments are dishwasher-safe, and the large 72-ounce jar comes with handy measuring markers on the side, so you can keep an eye on how much you’re making. The BL610 also comes with a range of settings and a pulse function, so you can blend your foods to the texture of your liking. All of the plastics that Ninja uses are BPA-free, and it’s easy to order replacements from Ninja directly should you need to although the blender also comes with a one-year warranty.
The Question Of Noise
When it comes to the amount of noise a blender makes while operating, there isn’t much difference from one machine to another, according to our test. We saw $50 blenders operate at the same decibel range as $500 blenders.
But for those with sensitive ears, the small differences can matter.
When we tested the noise levels on all of the blenders we used a decibel reader to see the actual amount of noise it created. We used the same ingredients every time for all the blenders and at the highest speed that was allowed. All of the smoothie blenders registered around 80-100 decibels.
If you really want to reduce noise, blenders with a Soundshield are your only option. They can all make smoothies. The prices tend to be higher. You probably want to read our article on quiet blenders for the full breakdown.
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Best Multipurpose: Cuisinart Kitchen Central 3
This 3-in-1 kitchen appliance from Cuisinart is a handy tool for anyone whos looking to downsize and save space in their cabinets. The 500-watt base comes with three interchangeable parts that can turn the machine into a blender, food processor, and juicer. Not only does it blend ingredients to a smooth consistency, but the blender unit has a 40-ounce capacity, so it can handle family-size batches as well. Plus, each removable element is dishwasher safe for easy cleanup.
Multiple reviewers mention that the blender is great for making smoothies, among other things. One writes, The blender is great its high speed and powerful, and makes perfect smoothies and purees for our little one! I love the no-spill spout it has, so you dont have to worry about spilling anything . The juicer is perfectit makes amazing fruit and veggie juice, and I end up now leaving it on my counter.
Is A Smoothie Maker Better Than A Blender
It all depends on your culinary preferences. If youre something of a master chef, then a blender may be a wiser bet. Their larger capacity makes them ideally suited to prepping everything from soups to sauces. They often come with smoothie add-ons too, so you get the best of both worlds.
That said, if your kitchens small or youre all about the shakes and cant see yourself needing any additional features, smoothie makers are powerful gadgets and should serve you well.
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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 blender cups are made with heavy-duty Tritan with fitted spill-resistant seals.
The Beast outperformed others in the smoothie test. Its smoothies are both silky in texture and easy to pour, which personal blenders dont always achieve. It was quick, too, blending in under a minute.
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.
What we dont like is The Beast’s blending cup. Its much bulkier than the others we 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, essentially a water bottle with an infuser inside. You can add fruits, herbs, or tea in the stainless steel infuser.
Power Rating: 1,000 watts Capacity: 1 liter Dimensions: 4.92 x 4.92 x 15.75 inches
Pros
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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Quentin Tarantino Is A Fan Mark Kermode A Champion How Cornwalls Best
Famously, he uses a hand-cranked 16mm 1978 Bolex camera, black-and-white Kodak stock, and he develops his own films using washing soda, coffee and vitamin C powder. Its a method that is not for the faint-hearted, as it returns the film-maker to the pre-digital murk of not knowing whether the shot is truly in the can until the film stock is developed. Neither can he rely on such contemporary innovations as the Video Tap or Video Assist.
Its nerve-wracking, but it takes out the opportunity or temptation to do stuff again, says Jenkin. Obviously with digital, you just never commit to anything. You look at it and see another shot or see a way of improving it. Because were not looking at the final footage, you just commit to it in that moment and move on. So I think it speeds things up. I dont even have anybody to confer with because I dont use a preview monitor or anything. Im the only person looking down the viewfinder. Sometimes, Ill shoot something in close-up. And Ill say, do you think we got that? And theyll be like, no idea were all looking at a wide shot.
The rapturous response was a shock for Jenkin and his partner and collaborator, Mary Woodvine.
We were keen to distance ourselves from folk horror at first because I felt it was a really pastoral Merry Old England thing
Mark Jenkin
We used different interiors because, literally, when I stepped inside, I had to put a hard hat on. The roof was being held up by scaffolding
Mary Woodvine
Sage The Boss To Go: Best Worktop Blender
Price: £129 | Buy now from Currys
If youre in the market for a powerful, versatile blender that can chop, pulse and whizz through anything from fruits and veggies to nuts and ice cubes, then its worth saving up for the Boss To Go. This well-built and chic-looking blender is a cut above the average fire up the Boss to Gos 1000W motor, and it scythes through fruit and vegetables alike to create smooth, delicious soups, shakes and smoothies in a matter of seconds.
The brushed aluminium finish looks smart and modern, and the two thick plastic blending cups feel as tough and robust as you could possibly ask for. If you plan to blend often, then the Boss To Go is a sleek, sturdy and powerful choice and it looks good on your worktop, too.
Price: £18 | Buy now from Argos
You don’t need to break the bank to get a blender that does a great job. The Breville Blend Active is a compact blender with a 0.6-litre plastic jug. It has just one speed setting with an additional pulse function, but it produces consistently good smoothies. The Blend Active comes with two plastic jugs with easy-seal flaps, so you can have one in your gym bag and one in the dishwasher. Plus, the 300W motor will happily crush ice cubes into your blended concoction.
The Breville Blend Active comes in a choice of vibrant neon colours and, at this price, it’s something of a steal. If you want simple and tasty smoothies at a low price, this is the blender for you.
Price: £74 | Buy now from Robert Dyas
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Best With Travel Cups: Magic Bullet Blender 11
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Comes with multiple travel cup sizes and lids
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Dishwasher safe
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Difficulty blending ice
The Magic Bullet Blender is a buttonless, compact, countertop blender with a 250-watt motor. It comes with multiple accessories, including two cups, one 12-ounce and one 22-ounce, multiple travel lids and lip rings, plus one stay-fresh lid. This variety of to-go cups paired with the easy-to-use design makes it our top pick for a blender with the best travel cups. We also love that its easy to cleanall parts are dishwasher safe, except for the motorized base.
The Magic Bullet Blender has the same functionality for blending as other personal blenders on the list. After attaching the cup to the motorized base, simply push down to start blending. Despite the 250-watt power, the blender may have more difficulty crushing ice and other large pieces of food than some of our other options. Additionally, packing the blender with too much food may make it impossible to start the blender. If that happens, remove some of your ingredients, and try blending in two batches.
Price at time of publication: $48
Weight: 3.27 pounds | Power: 250 Watts | Volume: 12 oz and 22 oz cup | Dimensions: 13.19 x 6.93 x 10.63 inches
Easy Clean Blenders Vs Standard Blenders
The main difference between a standard unit and an easy-to-clean blender is the shape of the jar, assembly, and features. Some blenders have a narrow base, making cleaning the motor base difficult and dangerous if youre working around the sharp blades. On the other hand, models with a wide-based jar and concave bottom are much easier to clean food that may be lodged under the blades.
A self-cleaning function may also set easy clean blenders apart from other models. Unfortunately, this particular feature is only found on more expensive models. Ultimately, this means you wont find this feature on great blenders under 100.
Finally, many standard blenders arent designed to be taken apart some models even have their jars permanently attached to the motor base. This can make clean-up more difficult, and there is a higher risk of food hardening in the nooks and crannies. In contrast, an easy-to-clean blender has parts that easily disassemble, including the pitcher and stainless steel blades.
If you dont want to break the bank by dropping a few hundred dollars on a high-performance model with a self-cleaning function, then consider something like the best Ninja blender. Ninja boasts a great line of appliances that strikes a balance between cost, power, and easy-to-clean parts. Most of their blenders are effortless to disassemble and simple to wash by hand.
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The Best Budget Smoothie Blender: Oster Blender Pro 1200
The Oster Blender Pro 1200 is a great blender if you don’t have a lot of money to spend but still do not want to cut corners on the quality of the machine. You would think that since the blender is so affordable, it would not be able to handle most blending tasks the other blenders can do. But the Oster Pro 1200 is still able to create a delicious smoothie or perfect puree with ease.
The blender comes with a very powerful 1200 watt motor which makes it capable of blending dense foods to create purees, soups, and smoothies. It is equipped with 7 different speeds including three pre-programmed settings for common blending applications. The blender also has a large capacity container with a volume of 6 cups. Unlike any other model on the list, the Oster pitcher is made of tempered glass, meaning it’s less likely to scratch, warp or break with repeated usage. It’s also dishwasher safe.
Reason #1 to Choose the Oster Instead: 10X Warranty
Even though the Nutribullet is still very affordable, the Oster Pro 1200 blender is a better deal overall, considering what it can do. In addition to the lowered product cost, the Oster Pro 1200 blender comes backed with a 10-year limited warranty which blows the Nutribullet’s warranty out of the water. The Nutribullet comes with a 1-year limited warranty. This could be a game-changer down the road and may sway you in your decision-making.
Reason #2 to Choose The Oster Instead: Low-Cost Ice Crushing
How We Chose Our Selection Of Smoothie Blenders
When it comes to recommending any household electrical appliances, there are so many factors to be considered. Well go on below to run you through some of the most important key features. Our team of researchers spends hours reviewing all the best products in that given category, looking at reviews, evaluating the best brands around and ensuring that there is a representative cross-section of price points so that there is something that everyone can realistically afford. Whether you are looking to pick up a cost-effective personal single, serve smoothie maker or what a commercial style model, our list will have something for everyone. Quality is of the utmost importance along with performance and durability. All our smoothie blender recommendations have been tried, tested and extensively reviewed.
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