This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
If you’re the sort of person who likes to make smoothies with a capital “smooth”, you need a blender in your life. Of course, you can use a blender for all sorts of stuff — soups, juice, general nutritional mush — but the first thing that comes to mind is smoothies. If a blender isn't good at making smoothies, what's the point?
If you’re in the market for a smoothie blender, we’re here to help. Because selecting one model from all the blenders available isn’t always easy. It’s hard to know what’s what among all the whirring and whizzing and brand-specific features.
But before we make any recommendations, we've put some useful information together to make an ultimate blend of smoothie-maker shopping knowhow.
What makes a blender good for making smoothies?
It’s not just a case of grabbing the first blender on the shelf. If you want to make a smoothie, your blender has to be able to handle ice and frozen fruit. Unless you like your smoothies mushy and lukewarm. Which sounds — quite frankly — pretty gross. We'll stick with a smooth and icy texture, thank you very much.
Blenders typically need a decent amount of power in order to be successful at pulverising ingredients that are frozen solid. One thing to note is that you probably won't find too many quiet blenders out there — they are tasked with chopping chunks of ice after all. Making noise is just something you're going to have to accept.
What are the most important features in a blender?
No modern appliance is complete without at least a few features to set itself apart from the competition. Some other general features to look for are the pitcher construction (glass is more durable than plastic) and lid design (is there an easy-pour spout?).
Also, some blenders come with personal-sized blending cups so you won't have to transfer your smoothie to another cup, which is a really great bonus. Just pop on the lid and take them on-the-go to the gym or on your commute.
A model with multiple speed or pre-set options is generally going to be better than a blender with only one speed setting at achieving this consistency. Some blenders have modes for making different things — whether it’s a smoothie, soup, or juice — and can even auto-detect the kind of ingredients you’ve loaded up, allowing the blender to switch to the best blending mode.
How much does a smoothie blender cost?
No matter what you're buying, it's one of the most important questions. But the good thing about shopping for a smoothie blender is that you can do it on every budget. In the market for something premium? Of course there’s a blender for you. Trying to save pennies and spend as little as possible? No problem, we can help with that also. Indeed, you’ll still find a good quality blender at a low price.
How much can a smoothie blender produce?
This is something that often depends on cost, but the capacities of blenders do vary. Cheaper or personal-style models may have a jug of around 700ml, whereas bigger models can hold more than 2 litres. We’ve included a range of sizes in this roundup.
It’s worth considering what suits your lifestyle. Are you a singleton who just needs a quick solo smoothie every morning? Or do you live in a large house filled with smoothie-loving housemates or family members?
What is the best blender for making smoothies?
We've lined up a bunch of great blenders for smoothies to make your decision making process that little bit easier. There is something for everyone on this list, with impressive devices from top brands like Philips, Breville, and Nutribullet.
These are the best blenders for making smoothies in 2024.
