On the hunt for one of the best blenders for smoothies? Look no further than our guide to the best currently on the market right now.
Be honest – do you always get your five portions of fruit and veg every day? You’re not alone. According to Gunter Kuhnle, one of the professors at the school of Food and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Reading, “Less than a third of UK adults eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day”. One of the best ways to up your intake of fruit and veg quickly is to throw your favourites into a blender with some liquid, and blitz into a smoothie and drink, but you need the right tool for the job - e.g. one of the best blenders for smoothies.
Nowadays, once we've got to grips with how to use a blender we’re getting much more adventurous with what we put into our smoothies – beyond the classic strawberry and banana combination, we’re more open to experimenting with nuts, leafy vegetables, oats... the list goes on. As a result we need a blender that can cope with every aspect of our five a day, like frozen produce, ice, harder fruits and vegetables (such as apples and celery), as well as the aforementioned nuts, and still produce a super-smooth glass of goodness.
What to look for when buying the best blender for smoothies
It goes without saying that you want to invest in a blender that can blitz anything you throw at it, but there are other things to consider when buying one. Are you planning to have it on show on your kitchen counter, or hidden away in a cupboard? If it’s on display, you can afford to choose one that’s a little heavier, as you won’t be moving it much, but go for a lighter model if you need to lift it in and out of a cabinet every time you use it.
Noise is a big factor too. No blender is going to be whisper quiet, but you also don’t want one that’s going to wake the dead every time you want to make a smoothie, so check the decibel levels when buying – 88dB is about average.
If you’re using a blender you’re going to have to clean it, sadly, so you want one that has parts that are easy to remove, reach and clean. Blenders with glass jugs fare better than plastic designs in the dishwasher, but if you don’t have a dishwasher or are happy to clean it by hand, a plastic one might be a better – and cheaper – option.
Finally, ease of use and price will always be driving factors when choosing a new kitchen gadget, so look for a blender that is easy to put together (and take apart), doesn’t have more buttons and dials than you’d find in an aeroplane cockpit and doesn’t cost more than the kitchen itself.
Best blender for a stylish look
We like that this blender looks and feels sturdy while also being stylish. It has a 1200W motor that can pulverise ice with little effort and comes with two cups – one large, one small – with lids for drinking on the go, all of which is pretty good for the price. It’s easy to use too, simply push down on the top of the plastic chamber to blend.
Best blender for added technology
So much more than a blender, this NutriBullet has what they term Smart Nutrition Sensor Technology, which weighs each ingredient you put into it and tracks the nutritional value via the NutriBullet Balance app. The app also allows you to set and track nutrition goals and download hundreds of recipes. Clever technology aside, it has a 1200W motor, is dishwasher-safe and comes with two cups with lids.
Best blender for high-power blending
The most powerful model on our list at 1400W, this Vitamix blender (as with all of the brand’s offerings) has a loyal following. This one has 10 speeds, so you can fine-tune the texture of your smoothie easily, a digital timer for recipes that require exact blending times and – as you’d hope with something that costs more than £500 – it goes without saying that this blender can tackle more than just smoothies. Three programme settings (smoothies, hot soups and frozen desserts) automatically adjust to the container size you have selected, process your recipes, and stop the blender when complete. The plastic jug is dishwasher-safe too.
Best blender for small budgets
Considering that this blender comes in at under £40, we’re impressed that it has a glass jug rather than a plastic one. It’s compact too, making it ideal if you don’t have much worktop or cupboard space. The trade off here is that the jug is fairly small. While it’s not the most powerful blender, if you’re looking to just blitz fruit and veg, it’ll do the job well. We also like its retro looks that, combined with the toughened glass jug, belie its low price.
Best blender for retaining nutrients
This clever 600W design from John Lewis blends food and drinks in a low-oxygen environment. What does this mean? Well, when less oxygen gets into a mix, it means more nutrients are retained, colours are more vibrant, flavours are fresher and there’s less froth and less separation in the blended ingredients. It comes with a vacuum-sealed beaker too, which keeps your smoothie fresher for longer. We are fans of the large-capacity jug, which at 1.5 litres is good for batch blending.
Best blender for compact spaces
Despite being small, this blender can blitz a litre of fruit and veg very quickly with its powerful 1200W motor. It comes with two 800ml cups with flip-top lids for drinking on the go, as well as two storage lids. It’s light at only 4kg but does only have one blending speed. The metallic red shade makes a nice change from the usual black or stainless steel.
