Ninja Nutri Auto iQ (BL480D)

Best Blender for Smoothies and Ice

The Nutri Ninja Auto IQ was launched a few years ago and it makes for both a blender and a food processor; what’s very interesting about this model is that it comes at an affordable price yet it offers features that are specific to higher-end (as in more expensive) blenders, especially the Auto iQ technology, which makes it play in a league of its own.

The Auto IQ thing consists of 5 preset programs, and, on top of that, you get 3 manual settings plus Total Crushing Technology, everything aimed at extracting nutrients in an efficient manner. The Nutri Ninja Auto IQ can blend, puree, make delicious smoothies out of everything, and more. The blender is compact, ergonomically designed and has a powerful 1500 watt motor, which is almost twice as powerful compared to an average blender or extractor; that means you can blend virtually anything, including ice, and this is the reason for which the Nutri Ninja Auto IQ is a best seller and in high demand even years after its initial release.

Design wise, the Nutri Ninja Auto IQ is a countertop blender, with removable blades, built using high-quality stainless steel; the blender has 3 modes, 3 speeds, a Pulse feature, a 64 oz Food Processor Bowl, plus a 72 oz plastic jar and comes with a cookbook with 75 recipes, which is kind of cool. The Pro Extractor Blades can easily break down ice, whole fruits or veggies, while the blender arrives with Nutri Ninja cups in 3 sizes with Sip & Seal Lids.

The Auto iQ technology is a one-touch automated system which makes the blender function in a pulse-blending-pause pattern for consistent and accurate food preparation, taking out the guesswork in the kitchen.

Nutribullet 600W Nutrient Extractor

Best Blender For Frozen Fruit Smoothies

Next we have an interesting blender improbably named Nutribullet, but what’s in a name, right? Compared to the Ninja, the Nutribullet only has a 600 watt motor, but truth be told, it’s more than enough to handle anything you throw at it.

The “bullet” thing comes from the shape of the blender, which resembles a bullet, and the Nutri particle comes from the fact that this is basically a glorified nutrient extractor. Specs wise, the Nutribullet weighs 1.8 Kg/63 oz, has 680 ml maximum capacity or 24 oz and measures H31 x W15 x D14cm, i.e. it’s compact in size yet large enough for making 2 smoothies at a time. The retail package contains 2 short cups (1 with removable handle), 1 tall cup and 2 lids, as well as a milling blade and extractor blade.

It’s worth mentioning that the Nutribullet is a copycat of the Magic Bullet blender design wise, and it’s built to be as easy to use as humanly possible, i.e. there are no fancy features like changing setting/speed functions. Everything is kept at a minimum, so if you want to grind or blend, you’ll have to screw on either the milling blades or the extractor to a large or small cup containing your ingredients, then you’ll have to push down the cup, twist it into place so the motor starts, and then you’ll have to leave it running until the smoothie is blended properly.

As you can see, using the Nutribulllet is a child’s play and everything is focused on simplicity, efficiency and ease of use, but if you’re looking for a solid no-nonsense blender which is also significantly cheaper than smart varieties, this baby is definitely worth a look.

Magic Bullet Blender

Best Small Blender For Smoothies

The Nutribullet or the Magic Bullet, that’s the question that drives online shoppers since 2017. All jokes aside, as we already told you, The Magic Bullet is the inspiration for the Nutribullet, as this model is on the market for more than 10 years now. So what’s behind its huge commercial success you asked? Well, to begin with, the Magic Bullet is not the Ferrari of blenders, as in it’s cheap, tiny, not very powerful compared to others, yet it makes for a solid option for smoothie aficionados looking for an affordable, portable and efficient blender to last for a lifetime.

The main arguments for buying the Magic Bullet are simplicity, ease of use, affordability and durability, in no particular order. The retail package includes the blender, additional blades and blender cups, a recipe book and more, so you can blend, chop, mix, grind, whip etc. The 250-watt motor is nothing to write home about, but it’s more than enough to make delicious smoothies effortlessly and other things, including sauces or omelets, plus you’ll get a ton of recipes for delicious dishes, if one so inclined.

Be advised: if you want an all-purpose blender, this is not the droid you are looking for, but if you’re looking for the smoothie-master, the Magic Bullet won’t disappoint you, as it’s specifically designed for blending shakes and drinks. Speaking of which, the design is very clever, and the blender is incredibly easy to use, just like the Nutribullet we might add, yet the Magic Bullet is significantly cheaper and comes with more accessories, but the motor is weaker hence not as noisy. Keep in mind that the 250 watt motor on the Magic Bullet is not suited for crushing ice or processing stuff like frozen strawberries, so if you’re expecting heavy duty jobs for your blender, pick something else. As far as fresh fruit goes, this little fellow will do a fine job.

Blendtec Total Classic Original Blender

Best Smoothie Blender

If you’re looking for a high end blender, let’s take a look at the Blendtec Total Classic Original Blender. The long name says it all: this is a professional-grade $300+ machine which is aimed at yuppies looking for a high-powered smoothie-crushing machine, or at small businesses. Kidding aside, if you take a look at the specs, i.e. the 75oz volume/32 oz Wet/Dry Fillable capacity of this blender, you understand that what we’re dealing with here is a 1560 watt 29,000 RPMs power-house and most probably, the last blender you’ll ever own.

Why? Well, this beast has it all: it can blend instantly bananas, avocados, apples, kale, frozen or fresh, it can make salsa via the pulse function, can deliver hot soups using the power of friction, can mix quickly batters for waffles, pancakes, muffins, cookies, what have you, has 6 preprogrammed buttons and no less than 10 variable speeds, and, first and foremost, you’ll find this bad boy at restaurants like Dunkin Donuts or smoothie shops like Planet Smoothie. So, yeah, the Blendtec Total Classic Original is the ultimate blender if you’re ready to pay a small fortune on a kitchen appliance.

Ninja Professional Blender 1000W (BL610)

Best Ninja Blender For Smoothies

Despite its fancy name, this professional blender costs under $100 and even if some may call it “just another model” from SharkNinja, the parent company, there’s more than meets the eye, as the Ninja Professional has a powerful 1000 watt motor and comes with something called Total Crushing Technology. We know, it already sounds impressive, but truth be told, the Ninja Professional blender is an impressive piece of kitchen-machinery, as it’s perfectly capable of crushing the toughest ingredients in mere seconds, thus providing high performance and versatility to people looking for the perfect blender for smoothies at an affordable price-point.

Weighing 3.18 kg or 7 lbs, and measuring 8,19’’ in width, 10,63’’ in depth and 15,75’’ in height, the Ninja Professional is reasonably compact for daily use in the kitchen, yet it’s large enough to make enough smoothies for up to 6 people at once due to its 72 oz. pitcher. Moreover, you’ll get three speed controls plus a pulse function, a jar lid with locking handle, a Ninja triple stack six-blade assembly and a book of recipes included in the instruction manual.

Design wise, the Ninja looks great on any kitchen countertop thanks to its sleek lines, yet its height may become a problem if you’re looking to store your pro-blender under cabinets. For daily use, this will not be an issue definitely, and speaking of daily smoothies, the triple stacked blades are made from stainless steel, which is a corrosive-proof material, and perfectly capable of crushing ice and frozen fruit thanks to Total Crushing Technology and the multiple-blade design. By the way, the blades are incredibly sharp compared to other blenders on the market, which makes the blender the ideal tool in any smoothie-aficionado’s paraphernalia.

Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender

Best Personal Blender For Smoothies

The Vitamix Explorian reintroduces us to the “high-end” world, as it’s quite expensive compared to the last 2 blenders reviewed, retailing for a tad less than $300. However, despite its respectable price tag, the Explorian E310 is not a high tech gadget, offering just the essential features in a no-nonsense package, with everything being focused on functionality and efficiency. There are no fancy features, like NFC connectivity or Bluetooth, but a high performance Vitamix motor ( 1380 watts/ 2 HP) under the hood, with variable speed control and pulse switch.

The variable speed thing makes the E310 Explorian the smoothest smoothie maker on the market (pun intended), i.e. this high-performance machine can blend up ice or frozen desserts, as well as hummus and nut butter hassle-free; moreover, if you let your Explorian run for 5-6 minutes, you can use it to make hot soups using ingredients at room temperature. The 48 oz container is large enough for smoothies and juices for the whole family, yet the low profile design makes it easy to store.

The self-cleaning feature is excellent and the aircraft-grade stainless steel blades will handle the toughest ingredients with ease. Unlike other (cheaper) models on the market, these blades will not require replacement frequently, as they’re built to last, and the 5 year warranty is great for peace of mind, i.e. there are no quality issues regarding this blender long-term.

Breville BBL620 Fresh & Furious Blender

Best Blender For Green Smoothies

As far as smoothie-makers go, the fresh and furious from Breville (yes, that’s the coolest name so far) is running with the best. Retailing for approximately $200 give or take, this machine is any smoothie aficionado’s wet dream, and we suspect it was specifically designed for that purpose. To begin with, the Breville BBL620 Fresh & Furious is the updated version of the BBL 605XL (discontinued) and comes with advanced features, including a large capacity bowl, 9 different controls, and the ability to combine food processing functions with blending capabilities, which translates into the versatility of the highest order.

The fresh and furious has a smooth (see what we did here?) and silent 1100 watt motor, which is respectable for its compact size, and its sharp/serrated blade system is designed for efficient and quiet operation. The blades are made from surgical stainless steel and they stay will sharp forever (almost); the thing is, this blender is incredibly efficient in the smoothie-making process, while its 1.5 liters jug is made of BPA free and lightweight durable plastic.

On top of the aforementioned 9 controls, of which 3 are backlit (and automatic) and used for green smoothies, regular smoothies and crushed ice, you will get an integrated timer and multiple speeds. There’s also an LCD display that counts up or down and keeps you up to date on the blending process, including an overload-alert, and the auto clean function makes cleaning it a child’s play.

Hamilton Beach Personal Creations Blender

Best Cheap Blender for Smoothies

Finally, we have the Hamilton Beach Personal Creations blender, a single-serving “smoothie blender” if you like, designed to be as compact as affordable as possible without sacrificing performance in the process. Be advised, this is a smoothie blender first and foremost, and due to its lightweight and compact size, it would make for the perfect companion whether you’re at home or at the office, traveling or wherever on the go.

However, there’s a compromise at work here, or maybe two: first, this blender will only make one smoothie at a time due to its 14-ounce jar, and second, its 175-watt motor is not strong enough if you’re looking at heavy duty stuff, like ice crushing, frozen fruits or things of that nature. However, as far as smoothies go, this baby will definitely make your day, as it looks great, it’s versatile enough and it will get the job done hassle free. Even if the manufacturer praises the stainless steel blades as being capable of crushing ice and whatnot, we would strongly advise you not to go on that road.

If you are aware of its limitations, the Hamilton Beach Personal Creations Blender will last you for a long time and it won’t disappoint.