Best Blender For Smoothies: Make Perfect Smoothies

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The best smoothie blender will fit your needs, handle the vast number of smoothies you enjoy every week, and keep on keeping on for years to come. 

If that sounds like heaven to you, then you’ve come to the right place. 

We have five fantastic smoothie blenders to show off before you start enjoying more delicious and thick smoothies.

The best blenders for smoothies are the ones that are built to last and withstand all the stress of making smoothies. 

Crushing ice and whipping it together with other ingredients is no joke, and it’s something that cheaper blenders mess up all the time. 

You’ll feel like you were being served from a coffee house specialty menu after your first smoothie out of one of these.

Our Reviews Of The Smoothie Blender

#1 NutriBullet NBR-1201 Mixer

Nutribullet Set

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As the best small blender for smoothies, this has some serious power behind it. 

You’ll not only be able to make ridiculously smooth beverages, but you’ll also have a simple time cleaning this out. 

The 12-piece kit comes with lip rings, short cups, a tall cup, and different blades to make different smoothies. 

This also serve the purpose of chopping vegetables and making purees if you should ever need it.

NutriBullet is the perfect personal smoothie-making blender. 

With the power of a 600 watt motor behind those blades, you’ll be able to pulverize everything that you come into contact with. 

NutriBullet includes a one-year warranty with your purchase, and while we would like to have seen something a bit more substantial than that, it is what it is.

There’s only one speed: fast. The single speed setting is part of what make s NutriBullet what it is, because it’s about getting things done quickly and effectively. 

The plastic cups will start to deteriorate with consistent use over time, so be careful when a lot of abrasive ingredients are introduced. 

This is the king of the Bullet family: you can do anything in this that you can do in other models.

Technical specifications

  • Power: 600 watts
  • Weight: 7.40 lbs
  • Volume: 32 oz / 18 oz
  • Speed: One high-speed function
  • Warranty: One-year warranty

#2 Ninja Personal Blender​

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Ninja is the best blender to make smoothies in personal serving sizes. 

This little lava lamp-looking blender has a 16 oz cup that sits on top, so you can watch everything meld together right before your very eyes. 

It’s an inexpensive model, so you’ve only got one speed: high. 

Flip it on to watch your smoothie vortex kick off and create something truly tantalizing, while the rubber frame on the base keeps it perfectly in place on the counter.

There’s a powerful 700-watt motor that handles whatever you throw inside, including thick crescent ice and tough fruits. 

It’s a pulse operation, so there’s no set-and-forget pre-programmed mode here, it’s all up to you. 

You get two plastic cups that are completely BPA-free and feature a slick interior that’s great for immediately drinking your smoothie from the cup, as well as cleanup.

You can just pop those cups off and slip a rubber-sealed drinking spout on top. 

This is the best way to get your fix of a healthy smoothie as a breakfast when you’re running out the door, while also keeping things nice and quick in the morning. 

The base is slick and easy to clean, while the rubber feet stay planted on the counter to mitigate movements from vibration. 

It’s lightweight, so it might skid on the countertop a bit, but it won’t vibrate loudly.

Technical specifications

  • Power: 700 watts
  • Weight: 4.0 lbs
  • Volume: 16 oz containers
  • Speed: One speed
  • Warranty: One-year warranty

#3 Ninja Professional Countertop Blender

Ninja Professional 72oz Countertop Blender

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There are good blender for smoothies, and then there are the great ones—Ninja blew us away with this one. 

It’s not designed for personal use, but that’s okay, because it comes with a high capacity 72 oz pitcher that you can store major amounts of smoothie ingredients in. 

The pitcher itself also has a soft touch ergonomic grip that doesn’t deteriorate in the dishwasher, so you can keep things clean without too much manual involvement.

In that pitcher, attached to the lid, you also get a pillar that promotes the perfect blending speed and vortex, making everything go a little bit smoother.

Ice turns into snow in five seconds, and berries are obliterated into a thick smoothie in about ten seconds. 

The whole point of this unit is that you don’t have to worry about what you’re putting into your smoothie; Ninja can take it.

When it comes to the speed settings, you have three different options. 

For a countertop blender like this, that’s a bit limited, but when you consider the fact that this is designed mostly for frozen beverages, it’s enough to get the job done. 

There’s also a pulse option, and nothing else—we enjoy the clean and easy to use UI, which brings this up another notch in our book.

Last but not least, you have six blades at work. 

This not only attributes to its blending power, but the way it’s designed, you won’t get much stuck underneath the blade, either. 

The rubber feet on the base are a bit lackluster for the motor power, so you will notice vibrations and slight skidding across the countertop. 

It’s just best to keep this 6-8” back from the edge of the counter.

Technical specifications

  • Power: 1,000 watts
  • Weight: 7.0 lbs
  • Volume: 72 oz
  • Speed: 3 settings
  • Warranty: One-year limited warranty

#4 Homgeek Personal Mini Blender and Smoothie Maker

Homgeek Personal Mini Blender

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You want a lightweight blender that’s just designed for the most delectable smoothies? 

Well, Homgeek made that, and made it ultra portable. 

This is one of the best single-serve blenders that we’ve come across, as it features a 16 oz sports bottle that fits right on top with a pop-up spout. 

It doesn’t get more convenient than taking out a cup full of smoothie ingredients from the fridge, using a one-touch operation, and getting out the door in record time.

And the operation is truly one-touch. Ensure that the cup is secured, press the button, and you’re good to go. 

It’s already pre programmed to blend a high volume of ingredients, which means you can focus on the consistency more than messing around with some pulse buttons.

Homegeek includes a one-year guarantee, which isn’t quite the same thing as a warranty. For this, you have to register the product in a short time frame. 

If not for the difficulty with the guarantee and defining exactly what it pertains, we would have ranked this a bit higher on the list. 

Bring this portable blender with you anywhere, and enjoy the quiet operation and ultralight motor housing base.

Technical specifications

  • Power: 300 watts
  • Weight: 2.75 lbs
  • Volume: 16 oz sports bottle
  • Speed: One speed
  • Warranty: One-year guarantee

#5 Hamilton Beach Personal Blender

Hamilton Beach Personal Smoothie Blender

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Hamilton beach was one of the first brands to make blenders (a culmination of two separate gentlemen, Hamilton and Beach), and they’ve been focusing on cost-reductive manufacturing methods ever since. 

This unit is basically as inexpensive as it gets, and features a single pitcher cup with your purchase, as well as a one-year limited warranty. 

That only covers manufacturer defects, but on the off chance that this happened, it’s good to have this in your back pocket.

With the price, you can expect some trade-offs compared to the other blenders we’ve reviewed so far today. 

For one, the motor is only 175 watts, which isn’t powerful by any stretch of the imagination. 

It’s just enough, but you should use crushed ice when making your smoothies. 

If you’re using this at  home and have an ice machine in your fridge door, as most of us do, choose the crushed method just to be safe.

The simple one-touch operation makes it dead simple to get this going, and the sports bottle cup on top allows you to just grab it and head out the door. 

This is the definition of a personal blender: lightweight and portable, fit for one person to get the most amount of nutrition in their morning as possible. 

You should get about two to three years of use out of this before you encounter any serious problems.

Technical specifications

  • Power: 175 watts
  • Weight: 2.0 lbs
  • Volume: 16 oz
  • Speed: One-touch speed
  • Warranty: One-year limited warranty

Smoothie Blenders FAQ

Why You need a Special Blender to Make Smoothies?

The best blender for smoothies is different than the best all purpose blender: there’s a few features that we’ll talk about in a minute, but it’s suffice to say that smoothie blenders have more power where it’s needed, which would be to crush ice. 

For all purpose blenders, they’re supposed to serve a variety of purposes with an even level of efficiency.

A smoothie blender doesn’t have to be completely different from an all purpose blender. 

For example, the Vitamix Pro 750 is the best of both worlds, because it can crush ice in record time and also make hot soups. 

However, that’s a high price tag we’re talking about, especially when you compare it to the blenders we’ve reviewed today. 

If all you use your blender for is smoothies, you don’t need a high powered all purpose blender.

Can a Smoothie Blender Make Soup?

Most soups are prepared on the stovetop before they’re blended. 

You can either use an immersion blender while it’s on the stove, or put it into a blender. 

Any blender will work since the ingredients are in a lot of liquid and easy to blend after having been cooked.

However, you’ll notice that most of these smoothie blenders are fairly small. 

We don’t imagine that you could make a 16 oz batch of soup and effectively blend it in a personal smoothie blender. 

Either go with an immersion, or a countertop all purpose blender.

Do I Need Variable Speeds to Make Smoothies?

Holding Blender

Not really. 

You just need something that’s going to hit a good RPM to crush ice, and with most of these personal blender models, the cups are small enough that you don’t need ramp-up time. 

Ramp-up time usually happens in bigger smoothie pitchers to avoid splashing liquids around the pitcher and making a mess.

If you took something like a tongue depressor and put it into a cup of water and stirred it around slowly, gradually picking up speed, you would see that a vortex is created and there’s no mist or splashing. 

However, if you hit that top speed right away, you’ll get water everywhere. 

Bigger blenders need that vortex to function properly, but smaller containers in smoothie blenders (especially those that have a pop-up top) are likely going to be 100% full anyway, so the variable speeds aren’t necessary.

Are Personal Smoothie Blenders Portable?

Yes, they are. 

If you’re drinking a mostly blended diet every single day, then the last thing you want to do is give up that healthy lifestyle when you travel. 

We all know how many fast food restaurants and drive-thrus there are, but you can avoid the temptation with a personal smoothie blender.

They operate quietly enough, and usually sit somewhere around 2.8 to 4.4 pounds, so packing them in your suitcase isn’t going to be a hassle at all. 

So long as the motor isn’t overly powerful, most personal smoothie blenders can even pass TSA guidelines and be boarded on your checked bag if you’re flying somewhere. 

There’s nothing like waking up in a hotel room and having that familiar breakfast that you know will set your day off on the right foot.

Are Smoothie Blenders Easy to Clean?

Washing Blender

Yes, smoothie blenders are pretty easy to clean. 

The pitchers and cups are usually very smooth on the inside without many crevices for food to hide, and the smaller bases (often with less buttons) is simple to wipe up. 

The only thing that you’ll have to be careful about is keeping debris out from underneath the blades, but you’ll run into that problem with just about any blender.

What is the Difference Between a Smoothie Maker and a Blender?

Smoothie makers are just fancy words for blenders, really. There are key differences between those that are built specifically for smoothies versus all purpose blenders. 

You would see different specs on a top rated smoothie blender, like these:

Wattage

Higher watts mean more power. Since blenders aren’t chopping or slicing ice, the sharpness of the blade only matters so much when you’re making a smoothie. 

What really matters is how powerful the motor is (based on watts) since the blades are actually crushing ice with a high RPM rating. 

If you’re after something that will make consistently good smoothies day in and day out, look to the wattage.

Cup Size

An all purpose blender usually has pitchers that are around 32 oz up to 64 oz. That’s all well and good, but you’ll see all that power we talked about housed in smaller containers. 

For instance, the Ninja blender we reviewed has 16 oz cups. That’s a ton of power in a smaller space, ensuring that everything blends together quickly.

Speed

Friction can heat up your smoothie and make it a bit soupy, and friction is caused by long intervals of blade exposure. 

Basically, the faster it can make a thick smoothie, the less likely you are to encounter any melting issues. 

Some blenders can even use the friction from their blades to turn room temperature ingredients into steaming hot food, so you really want to minimize blade friction when you’re making something frozen.

Settings

Countertop blenders usually have a ton of settings, but smoothie-specific blenders, like the ones we’ve seen here today, usually just come with one or two speeds. 

You’re just trying to get a good smoothie; you don’t need all the frills of those extra modes. 

Because of this, you’ll also see a big price reduction since they don’t need to put time into making extra modes or settings.

These are the key differences that really set smoothie blenders apart from traditional countertop units. 

Either way, both are equipped to make smoothies, you’ll just have a better time with one unit than the other (and a longer lifespan).

How Many Watts do You Need for a Good Smoothie Blender?

Woman Blending Papaya Smoothie

At least 350 watts, but it’s more than just that. 

You also have to account for volume on top of the motor power. Smoothies put a lot of stress on blender blades and motors, so you need something that’s up to the task. 

A 350 watt motor in a 64 oz pitcher would be laughable; it wouldn’t work properly, and a full batch of smoothies would jam up the system. 

You’d smell burning rubber and plastic before long, because the motor couldn’t handle that.

Smoothie blender reviews that we read gave us quite a chuckle, because people often expect their blenders to do far more than they are capable of. 

For instance, the Ninja personal blender we reviewed here today has a 700 watt motor, which is fantastic: it cuts through ice without even hesitating, so you get rich, thick smoothies with little to no effort. 

The more wattage, the more powerful the motor. One other indicator of power is amperage, or simple amps.

You’ll find amps listed alongside the wattage. Amps are the amount of power that a blender can draw. 

Some blenders have a high power draw, which can help if your blender motor starts getting stuck while trying to turn. 

You should look to wattage first and foremost, but amps also play into power.

How do I Choose a Blender for a Smoothie?

7 Different Smoothie Blenders

It’s all about the power behind the blades and the motor. 

If you like to make big batches of smoothies with tough ingredients, like berry seeds, nuts, and other similar additives, you’re going to need something that’s up to the occasion. 

That’s how you pick the best blender.

Look for wattage on motor power. The higher the wattage, the more powerful the motor is, and the better the RPM is for the blades. 

Revolutions per minute will define the blade’s crushing power. If it’s moving too slow, it’s just hindering you from making better smoothies.

On top of that, you should also keep an eye on the extra features. Is cleaning the pitcher afterwards a nightmare for you like it is for most? 

Find something with a self-cleaning function. Tired of inconsistent results? Vitamix has a self-detect function that knows what size container you’re using, and it fixes that problem. 

It’s about more than just crushing ice; you want something that you actually enjoy using.

The Greatest Smoothies You’ll Ever Have

That’s the main concept of why people want blenders to begin with—smoothies. 

These blenders not only make them properly, but they’re designed to withstand years of crushing ice without running into common problems. 

Stronger motors, better tasting smoothies, and a fuller, healthier diet; it’s all a win-win situation. 

Take a look at the top smoothie blenders that we’ve reviewed and recommended, and peer over the buying guide to make an informed decision for your frequency, and your most critical needs. 

We’ll leave you to it. Go on, go make an epic smoothie, we’ll still be here.


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James Foust

James Foust
James is a qualified chef and nutrition specialist with a desire to help everyday people make easy changes in their life for the better. His years of experience working with blenders of all shapes and sizes can be used to your advantage to make restaurant quality meals that are good for you, without putting in a lot of effort

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