A smoothie is quite possibly one of the most nutritious routes to go down for breakfast, snacks or even deserts. But what’s a good smoothie without a perfect smoothie machine?
One of the best smoothie makers will ensure a smooth drink in a short amount of time – where possible.
The variations between models, such as wattage, blade material and speed settings, can determine which is the best blender for smoothies for you.
As with most kitchen appliances, the only issue is the multitude of blenders on the market!
To take the hard work of searching or the best smoothie maker, we have compiled 6 smoothie maker reviews and a buying guide at the end!
See Our Best Smoothie Blenders
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| 1
Best Overall
1Sage BPB550BAL the Boss to Go Personal Blender
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| 4
Best For Low Budgets
4Breville Blend Active Personal Blender & Smoothie Maker
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| 5
Best For Higher Budgets
5Vitamix Ascent A2500 Personal Blender
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Buy On AO1. Sage BPB550BAL the Boss to Go Personal Blender
- Unique curved shape blade.
- Smooth tumblers included.
- Ring design lid.
- Includes a recipe book.
This stainless steel Sage blender is both a pretty and a powerful addition to your kitchen countertop.
The high-quality stainless steel base is paired with 2 comfortable 500-millilitre tumblers for blending, ensuring you’ll always have one clean while the other is being washed.
Each tumbler also includes a ring design lid for easy sealing.
In terms of mechanics, this 1000 watt blender comes with a uniquely shaped curve-style blade.
The purpose of this is to provide a kind of suction when blending, pulling all the ingredients down into the blade and preventing things from getting stuck on the side of the blender.
This is useful for smaller ingredients like powders, nuts and seeds!
Furthermore, this model is not overly large, and will comfortably sit on a countertop, or store in a cupboard.
The weight of just over 5 kilograms makes it easier to move around than some other blenders too.
An additional bonus of this model is the included recipe book!
Specifications
Pros
- High-quality materials.
- Suitable weight.
- Easy shape to store.
- Design is attractive.
Cons
- The large base can make it hard to remove the cup with one hand.
- The lids are a little hard to remove.
2. Ninja Nutri 1000W FreshVac Personal Blender BL580UKV
- Includes a vacuum pump.
- Patented pro extractor blades.
- Includes preset programmes.
- Blend and drink from one cup.
This jet black Ninja blender holds powerful patented extractor blades, ensuring even the finest foods will be blended to smithereens.
The 1000 watt motor takes the blending time down to a minimum, providing smoothies within seconds.
Once blended in one of the two 700 millilitre cups, you are able to drink straight from them.
They also include drinking lids to store your smoothie on-the-go.
Furthermore, this intelligent blender includes a vacuum pump with FreshVac technology.
The purpose of this is to extract oxygen from the blender and contain the vitamins – providing a far more nutritious smoothie. Additionally, it includes Auto-iQ programming.
This feature includes preset programmes that automatically, blend, pulse and pause.
The design of this smoothie blender is attractive, with a black blending base and clear blending tumblers.
It’s easy to use with a frontal control panel and can easily be stored in a cupboard afterwards thanks to the convenient cylindrical shape.
Specifications
Pros
- High wattage.
- Lighter than some other models.
- Easily fits on a countertop.
- The size of the jug is generous.
Cons
- Only one jug size.
- The base is a little bulky.
3. NutriBullet Balance Smoothie Maker
- 930 millilitres capacity.
- Higher wattage than other models.
- Super lightweight for a blender.
- Includes “smart nutrition sensor technology”.
This blender takes your traditional smoothie blending morning routine to the next level.
It includes Smart nutrition Sensor Technology which weighs the ingredients you put into the blender cup and tracks their nutritional values into the pairing app on your smartphone.
This helps you to keep aware of the calories and nutrients in your drinks as conveniently as possible!
In terms of mechanics, this motor holds a value of 1200 watts, which is above many other blenders on the market. This ensures a powerful blend in a fraction of the time.
Although it’s powerful, it keeps the weight very low at just under 3 kilograms. The result of this is a blender that’s both easy to store and easy to move around.
The stainless steel base is made to last and also includes additional accessories.
The entire unit is 9 pieces, including two 930 millilitre drinking tumblers, two comfortable flip-top lids and drinking rings.
An added bonus is that all of the parts are dishwasher safe!
Specifications
Pros
- High-quality materials.
- Convenient flip-top lids.
- Dishwasher safe blending parts.
- Includes comfort lip rings for drinking.
Cons
- It’s expensive.
- The liquid can seep into the motor if accidentally spilt.
4. Breville Blend Active Personal Blender & Smoothie Maker
- Incredible value for money.
- Super compact size.
- Very lightweight.
- Simple to use.
Breville pairs both value for money and efficiency with this low budget blender.
The green and white design holds a 300-watt motor, which is powerful enough for regular fruits, vegetables and even ice.
Firstly, the small size accounts for the super lightweight design at just over 1.5 kilograms, making it an ideal travel blender if that’s what you are looking for.
The square shape base also stores easily inside a cupboard, and the blending bottles are the same kind of size and shape as a pint glass.
The blender package includes 2 bottles and 2 drinking lids, helping you to easily transport smoothies too.
Thankfully, all of the blending parts (apart from the base) are dishwasher-safe, saving tonnes of time and keeping it hygienic.
Lastly, this design is one of the easiest blenders to operate.
The single frontal button can just be pushed and held in place to start blending. It is simply released when you are finished!
Specifications
Pros
- Includes portable lids.
- Two blending bottles.
- Dishwasher-safe bottles.
- One-touch blending
Cons
- Not as powerful as other models.
- Blending cups are long, and food can get stuck.
5. Vitamix Ascent A2500 Personal Blender
- Extremely powerful motor.
- Includes 3 different programmes.
- Different speed options and a pulse setting.
- Includes a digital timer.
The Vitamix Ascent is certainly a top of the range blender on the market.
It’s 1400 watt motor effortlessly combines any ingredients it is put up against – even frozen foods and ice.
What’s more, it includes several program settings.
These settings are for smoothies, hot soup and frozen desserts providing a multi-function machine on one.
Furthermore, the Vitamix blender includes controllable speed settings, allowing you to get the exact movement you need from the blender, depending on the ingredients.
It also includes a pulse option. If you are unsure of which setting you need, the self-detect function can be used. This puts the motor in control and automatically adjusts the settings.
The front of the blender holds a digital timer, allowing you to set it to your needs and get on with other things in the meantime.
Plus, the rotary timer dial is easy to use, alongside the flip-up switches.
The set includes a 2-litre capacity blending jug, and a sharp stainless steel blade to slice through seeds and other smaller ingredients.
Lastly, this design has a 10-year warranty so the high price point is well-justified.
Specifications
Pros
- 10-year warranty.
- Self-detect technology.
- 2-litre capacity.
- Stainless steel blade.
Cons
- Very expensive.
- Quite heavy compared to other blenders.
6. Kenwood Blend X-Tract Smoothie 2Go Smoothie Blender
- Great value for money.
- Includes 2 different speed settings.
- Detachable blender base is easy to clean.
- Powerful motor for such a small design.
Here we have another awesomely priced yet powerful personal-use blender.
This Kenwood model has a fairly compact design that sits well on a smaller countertop where you would like to save space. It also comfortably fits inside a cabinet if it needs to be stored away.
Additionally, the blender weighs just 1.5 kilograms, making it a perfect unit to travel with if necessary.
The package includes 2 blending bottles, each with a 0.6-litre capacity, an ideal size for a large smoothie or other blending drink!
Each bottle has a travel lid with a pop-open drinking circle.
They are well-designed to not leak when closed properly and are dishwasher safe!
The front of the blending base has a small rotary dial, allowing you to manoeuvre between the two-speed settings and the pulse option.
This is particularly attractive on a smaller, less expensive blender as they tend to be more basic.
Specifications
Pros
- Compact size.
- Super lightweight.
- Includes 2 travel bottles.
- Easy-to-use rotary dial.
Cons
- Less powerful than other models.
- The bottles are a little hard to clean due to the long shape.
Smoothie Maker Buying Guide
Cup Size
The cup size of a blender varies quite drastically between models, with some blenders even having multiple options within the one package.
Usually, the size of the blending cup will range between 500 millilitres and 1 litre.
However, some models, such as the Vitamix Ascent we featured above, come with much larger 2-litre blending cups.
The size of the cup won’t usually affect the power of the blender, but it is something to consider based on what you plan to use your blender for.
For example, a 0.5-litre blending cup will be ideal for as a personal blender for smoothies or soups.
On the other hand, a larger 1 or 2-litre capacity is better suited for multiple servings at once.
Blender Speed Settings
The speed settings of a blender are, alongside the blades themselves, one of the most important features! You will find most of the simpler models contain just one speed setting with a push-button.
However, some super high-tech models only include one speed setting, such as one of the best bullet blenders, the Nutribullet.
If you plan on using your blender for things other than smoothies, it’s a good idea to go for multiple speeds. However, if you’re looking for drinks and liquids then one to two speeds will do just fine!
Smoothie Blender Size
The size of a smoothie blender is crucial, particularly if you have a smaller countertop or need a model that’s easy to travel with and store.
Most of these appliances are around the same size as a kettle, if not smaller and a little taller. Lower budget models tend to be smaller, such as the Breville model featured above. This is an ideal choice for personal use and a smaller kitchen. If you want something smaller than that. you can always use a hand blender.
For larger families or a blender that will be used to serve many people at once, a larger version will be essential. These will take up more space on the worktop and can be a little harder to store away.
Noise
Although kitchen appliances are handy and somewhat essential, the noise levels can be a deterrence.
To combat this, many manufacturers produce specially designed blenders with encased motors, and rubber bases to absorb sound.
If you are looking for a quieter blender, here are some things to consider:
- A lower wattage.
- A smaller base and motor.
- A soundproof case (much like a professional blender used in cafes and restaurants).
- A rubber base or rubber feet that will stop surface vibrations.
Important Features To Look For
A blender that works efficiently is the first point of attraction, however, there are some additional key factors to look out for when choosing the right blender for you.
Dishwasher Safe
You will have seen above that most blending cups are detachable from the motorised blender base.
This makes it easy to drink from them, and easy to clean them.
While hand washing these cups is suitable, it is far more hygienic to be able to put them in the dishwasher to wash them more efficiently, so be sure to check our review for best dishwashers.
Many of the blender cups we have featured above are dishwasher safe, allowing them to be placed straight into the washer as soon as you have finished using them.
Longer blending cups, such as those with the Kenwood option, are more conveniently washed in the dishwasher as the end can be hard to reach by hand.
Generally speaking, most plastic blending cups nowadays are dishwasher safe, however, it’s important to check the manual first if this is something essential for you.
BPA Free
Bisphenol, commonly referred to as BPA, is a chemical that used to be used in most plastic products due to its strength and durability.
However, nowadays it has been discovered that this chemical could seep into foods and liquids that are contained inside the plastic containers – such as smoothie cups.
As a result, most plastic food products do not contain BPA anymore and are stated as “BPA free”.
Most appliances containing plastic will state on the packaging or on the product itself if it is BPA free. We highly recommend going for a blending cup that does not contain this chemical.
Pricing Range
Pricing of a blender can depend on a multitude of features.
Firstly, the wattage. A higher wattage, such as 1000 watts, will mean that the motor within the blender is larger than that of a model with a wattage of 300 watts.
With a larger motor comes a larger price point. If you need a basic blender for daily use for morning smoothies, for example, then you will be perfectly happy with a lower wattage of 200 or 300 watts.
Secondly, the blade quality.
High-quality stainless steel blends will, of course, cost more than other metals.
You will find certain blenders have 3 blades rather than 2, which will cost slightly more.
Heavy-duty blenders that require the strength for nuts and frozen foods will need more blades and evidently cost more.
Thirdly, the brand can alter the price of a product with well-known brands often costing more.
For example, Vitamix is well renowned for high quality, yet expensive blenders. Nutribullet is the same. On the other hand, Kenwood is popular for well-priced kitchen appliances.
Our Verdict
Mixed opinions on which blender to purchase should have been set straight now, after 6 in-depth reviews and what was hopefully a useful buying guide for the world of smoothie blenders!
We’ve covered all ends of the spectrum when it comes to blender prices, size, additional features and brands which should have cleared your mind on which is right for you.
If you are looking for a simple model for everyday use, don’t feel pressured to go for the one with the most features and highest wattage.
Our Best for Low Budgets option can work perfectly.
If you do want to splash the cash and opt for a heavy-duty model, go straight for the Vitamix Ascent, you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re stuck in between, our “Best Overall” rated blender, the Sage blender should tick all the boxes.
