The 4 Greatest Blenders for Smoothies of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

For creamy smoothies, you want a powerhouse blender. You’ll need one which retains the tempo if you crank up the pace, leaving you with clean drinks with none fibrous bits which are laborious to get by a straw.

Over time, we have examined practically 40 blenders (sure, 40!) and put collectively an inventory that can assist you select the most effective one for smoothies and any and all blended drinks. You’ll discover winners from our opinions of high-speed, private, and budget-friendly blenders. We’ll additionally reply questions you won’t have thought to ask, like whether or not smoothie buttons and presets really make a distinction.

The Winners, at a Look 

Issues to Take into account

What Makes a Blender Good for Smoothies?

There are just a few options it is best to search for in an excellent blender for smoothies: blunt blades, a tapered jar, and easy controls. It could sound counterintuitive, however you don’t need to put money into a blender with sharp blades. The perimeters are sure to decrease from processing laborious elements like frozen fruit. Plus, you threat chopping your self throughout cleanup in case you encounter knife-like factors within the jar. As an alternative, search for uninteresting blades with 4 or 5 factors that mix elements with out getting caught.

Scope out your blender’s design specs, too. When it comes to digital options, pre-programmed settings are good to have however not fully mandatory (extra on that later!). You’ll need a blender with a tapered jar. This form helps create a vortex, which pulls elements down, protecting them near the blades. That is the method that turns fibrous produce into silky, clean drinks. The tapered form additionally helps emulsify elements, must you use your blender to make a sauce or mayonnaise. And do not low cost the spout! Slender pour spouts hold spills at bay.

Are Smoothie Buttons and Pre-Programmed Settings Actually Crucial?

The concept of urgent a button and letting it do all of the give you the results you want sounds good, however having autonomy over the pace issues much more. After testing blenders at varied worth factors, we found that pre-programmed settings limit your capacity to tinker along with your beverage consistency. When you’ll be able to slowly ramp as much as a fast tempo, you’re extra more likely to finish with totally blended, chunk-free smoothies.

Are Excessive-Pace Blenders Higher for Smoothies?

The reply is extra sophisticated than a easy sure or no. Horsepower (or larger wattage) determines the pace of the blender. In principle, a robust motor means fast pulverizing. Nonetheless, primarily based on our exams, fashions with decrease wattage can nonetheless carry out equally. That’s as a result of the elements we listed above—dullness of blades, variable speeds, jar form, and speel management—contribute to the total efficiency and outcome. 

Do I Want an Costly Blender If All I Use It for Is Smoothies?

If you would like a blender that’ll final years, get a mannequin with the above-mentioned specs. These sometimes price extra. Price range-friendly choices exist, however many battle to course of fibrous elements, leaving you with pulpy smoothies. When you resolve to snag a less expensive choose, select one with probably the most variability in pace controls and a serrated blade (in exams, these carried out the most effective, however consider over time, they’ll get uninteresting). It additionally helps to go for one with a good guarantee. 

The Standards: What to Search for in a Smoothie Blender

Make loads of smoothies? You’ll need a powerhouse blender with variable pace settings, permitting you to ramp up slowly. Blenders are available many designs, however the most effective have tapered jars. This form excels in creating vortexes mandatory for pulling rock-solid elements down towards the blades. Whereas it sounds a bit backward, select a mannequin with uninteresting, blunt blades to protect the longevity of your machine. As soon as you discover one with all these qualities, you will get choosy about these nice-to-have add-ons like colours that match your kitchen decor. Choices on the quieter finish—sometimes something underneath 88 decibels—protect the peace of your morning routine. 

Our Favourite Smoothie Blenders

What we appreciated: It’s value noting: For the previous decade, the Vitamix 5200 has been our favourite blender for each job. It will possibly make a pulp-free smoothie in 30 seconds, even when fibrous kale and blueberries are within the combine. It’s outfitted with a 10-speed dial, permitting you to slowly ramp up peacefully (it was the second quietest mannequin in our decibel check). It’s thoughtfully designed with a tall, slender, tapered jar and four-blade configuration: This mixture creates a vortex. Plus, it’s versatile, so it’s also possible to use it for different cooking initiatives like soups, pureés, and nut milks. It’s out there in three shades: cherry crimson, glossy black, and glossy white. 

What we didn’t like: This blender weighs 10 kilos, so it might turn into annoying to lug again into a cupboard every day. Its rubber lid doesn’t have the locking mechanism discovered on Vitamix’s newer fashions, however in exams, we by no means had points with it remaining snugly in place. Whereas it excels in smoothies, it didn’t have the greatest efficiency for frozen margs (it left behind just a few chunks of ice throughout a current re-test). 

Key Specs

• Jar capability: 64 ounces
• Weight: 10.9 kilos
• Sort of interface: Analog
• Pace settings: 10
• Guarantee: 7 years

What we appreciated: The Blendtec performs equally to the Vitamix, with just a few distinctions. The largest is its design. Whereas we’ve decided that the 5200 is a powerhouse, it takes up loads of house because it’s tall. The Blendtec is considerably smaller and lighter, making it straightforward to hold and retailer in tinier kitchens. Plus, it carried out the most effective when crushing ice right into a snow-like texture (excellent for these comfortable hour margaritas!).

What we didn’t like: The broad, sq. jar induced the liquid to bounce round an excessive amount of and splash when mixing. Whereas this doesn’t matter for making smoothies, it turns into virtually not possible to execute emulsified initiatives (assume home made mayo or hollandaise sauce) the place a robust vortex is required. The jar design makes it tough to pour with out it dripping. 

Key Specs

• Jar capability: 32 ounces
• Weight: 7.5 kilos
• Sort of interface: Analog, with digital timer
• Pace settings: 10, with pulse function and 6 presets
• Guarantee: 2 years 

What we appreciated: Typically, automated smoothie features don’t work in addition to they promise, however the Zwilling stood out. Its pre-programmed setting delivered creamy, well-mixed smoothies throughout our exams in solely 40 seconds. It’s developed with a user-friendly interface permitting you to pulse manually, providing you with extra management. It’s straightforward to wash as a result of there’s no cross-blade. The glossy and compact design makes it a classy addition to your kitchen you could simply tuck away if wanted.

What we didn’t like: Throughout our exams, we had issue eradicating the jar from its lid though the grooved plastic seemed that it will be simpler to twist off. 

Key Specs

• Jar capability: 20 ounces
• Weight: 5 kilos
• Sort of interface: Pre-programmed, manual-pulse
• Pace settings: 1
• Guarantee: 3 years 

What we appreciated: When investing in a blender, you’ll be able to simply find yourself shelling out $400, however this Breville mannequin is half that. It’s designed with a five-blade configuration, giving frozen elements sufficient house to cycle by with out getting caught. There are 5 speeds to tinker with: excellent for ramping as much as produce emulsified smoothies. It has a pre-programmed auto-clean function, which we appreciated.

What we didn’t like: Because the blade is serrated, the sides will turn into uninteresting over time, making the mixing course of harder. The spout tends to drip when pouring contents out of its jar. Though it left some pulp behind, it nonetheless outperformed rivals inside its worth vary. 

Key Specs

• Jar capability: 50 ounces
• Weight: 8.8 kilos
• Sort of interface: Pre-programmed, analog
• Pace settings: 5
• Guarantee: 3 years 

FAQs

What kind of blender is greatest for smoothies?

When selecting a blender, contemplate your particular wants. When you take pleasure in making smoothies every day or need to use it for different recipes, put money into a high-quality one. Search for a well-designed, highly effective, easy-to-control, and sturdy mannequin that may final for years. However, in case you’re in search of a short lived answer, loads of reasonably priced choices (like Breville’s Recent and Livid Blender) can nonetheless aid you make creamy drinks.

Are private blenders good?

Private blenders ship one to 2 servings of smoothie and provide streamlined controls, making them user-friendly. They’re sometimes cheaper than full-sized fashions and, primarily based on our exams, can nonetheless produce scrumptious blended drinks. A couple of elements issue into worth, just like the cup measurement (you’ll need one which holds 20 to 32 ounces), whether it is highly effective and fast, straightforward to wash and retailer, and whether or not it pours with out making a large number. One in every of our dependable favorites, the Zwilling Enfinigy, passes all of those exams.

What’s the easiest way to wash a blender?

It’s all the time a good suggestion to learn the care and use directions on your blender. We advocate rinsing the container instantly. Fill the jar midway with heat water, add just a few drops of dish cleaning soap, and put the lid on. Then, run the blender by a cycle, beginning on the lowest pace and steadily rising to the max. Let it run for about 30-60 seconds, then pour the answer into the sink, rinse it once more, and let it air dry the other way up. Lastly, use a humid fabric to wipe any residue off the bottom of your equipment.

Why We’re the Specialists

• Ashia Aubourg is a contract author with expertise researching cooking home equipment and dealing in kitchens (and farms!).
• Her work with Critical Eats spans present guides and product opinions. 
• For this story, Ashia combed by our quite a few blender opinions, evaluating successful fashions in each class.