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The 6 Best Blenders For Smoothies - Winter 2024 Reviews

Updated
Best Blenders For Smoothies

If a smoothie is part of your morning routine or a typical post-workout snack, you'll want a blender that makes quick work of ingredients like chunks of frozen fruit and leafy greens like kale. A good smoothie blender can handle large and small amounts of fibrous ingredients and help with a wider variety of kitchen chores. Many full-size blenders come with personal-sized jars to blend single-serve smoothies.

The best blenders make it easy to whip up a silky, delicious drink and are simple to clean afterward. Depending on your preferences, you may also want something with preset modes for simple one-press smoothie blending or even a battery-powered model so you can make a fresh drink during your lunch break.

We've tested over 95 blenders, and below are our recommendations for the best smoothie makers. This list focuses on the best full-size blenders for smoothies, but most personal and bullet blenders are intended for smoothie making, so you can also find some great options on our lists of the best personal blenders and best bullet blenders. For more, check out the best blenders.


  1. Βest Βlender For Smoothies

    Current Deal: The Vitamix 5200 has dropped in price by $140 at Amazon.com. Get Deal

    The Vitamix 5200 is the best blender for smoothies we've tested. This sturdy, premium blender might be overkill if you want a blender for simple smoothies, but it's worth considering if you want the smoothest blends. It does a fantastic job of blending fibrous fruits and veggies in its 64oz jar, whether you fill it to capacity or blend smaller amounts for a single-serve.

    It's very well-built and has a long seven-year warranty (depending on where you buy it). The controls are simple, consisting of a speed dial and a switch for pulsing. That's all you need for any recipe, but it means you stop the blender manually when it's done, so you may find it less convenient than a blender with automatic blending programs. There's only one jar included, so if you want a personal jar for smoothies, you have to buy one separately from Vitamix.

    If you want blending programs, other full-size blenders from Vitamix are strong choices. The Vitamix Venturist V1200 is a good option that avoids some of the downsides of the 5200: it comes with a personal jar and resealable lid, so you can easily blend a single-serve and then bring it on the go. While it doesn't have dedicated blending programs, its controls include a programmable timer, so you can set the blender to run for a set amount of time before stopping automatically. However, it's much louder than the 5200.

    See our review

  2. Best Mid-Range Blender For Smoothies

    The KitchenAid K400 is a cheaper option with a comparable performance when it comes to blending fibrous elements like leafy greens and fruits. It's not as well-built as the Vitamix 5200 and has a much shorter, one-year warranty (again, depending on where you buy it). Still, it blends fruit and vegetables into a smooth puree, whether you're blending small volumes for single serves or using the jar's full 56oz capacity for multiple servings. Like the Vitamix, it only comes with its main jar, but KitchenAid also sells personal jars for single-serve smoothies separately. Its controls also include a few blending programs, so you can have the blender stop automatically when it's done.

    It's more challenging to clean by hand than the Vitamix since it can be difficult to reach under the blades. However, that's most noticeable with sticky ingredients, and it's less of an issue if you're mostly making liquidy recipes like smoothies. Similarly, it doesn't include a tamper and isn't easy to use for thicker mixtures like hummus or nut butter. Again, that's fine if you only use your blender for smoothies, but if you care about overall versatility, it's worth keeping in mind.

    See our review

  3. Best Budget Blender For Smoothies

    The Oster Pro 1200 is the best budget blender for smoothies we've tested. As you might expect from a cheaper machine, it's not as well-built as the other blenders recommended here. Its 48oz main jar is also one of the smallest, and you might find it limiting if you usually blend multiple servings at once. That said, it comes with a 24oz jar and to-go lid, so you don't need to spend extra if you want a personal blending jar that doubles as a travel cup. When it comes to making smoothies, it doesn't quite match the nearly perfectly smooth texture you get with all of the previous picks, but it'll still do a fantastic job with most recipes.

    It easily crushes ice, but the manufacturer says not to add more than six ice cubes at once, while most full-size blenders can handle twice that. You can remove the blade assembly from the main jar, making it easy to clean by hand. However, it only comes with one blade assembly instead of one for each jar, so you need to disassemble and reassemble it when you switch jars. Some parts of the blender feel flimsy and not very sturdy, but you can get it with a three-year U.S. warranty (depending on where you buy it), which is long for a blender.

    If you'd like to see more inexpensive blenders, you might find what you're looking for on our list of the best budget blenders.

    See our review

  4. Best Cheap Blender For Smoothies

    If you want to spend as little as possible on a good smoothie blender, consider the Black+Decker Quiet Blender with Cyclone Glass Jar. This inexpensive blender is available for well under $100. It shares some of the same flaws as the budget-friendly Oster Pro 1200. For example, some of its components feel flimsy, and it can't handle tough jobs like ice crushing as well as the previous picks. However, it has some of the same features. It comes with a 48oz glass main jar and a 24oz personal jar, and using either one makes a mostly smooth blend with fibrous fruits and vegetables.

    It's also easy to clean since the blades are removable from the jar. It's also significantly quieter than the Oster. However, even if you work with a small batch of about six ice cubes, it struggles to create uniform crushed ice. While it does an excellent job of processing big batches of fibrous ingredients, the Oster makes a smoother blend in its main jar. That said, adding ice as part of a smoothie recipe isn't an issue, and it can still do a very good job with most kinds of smoothies.

    See our review

  5. Βest Quiet Βlender For Smoothies

    If you want a quiet blender and to avoid the pitfalls of cheaper models, consider the Hamilton Beach Professional Quiet Blender. Unlike the Black+Decker Quiet Blender with Cyclone Glass Jar, it's a sturdy, well-built blender. It also offers a better performance when blending common smoothie ingredients. It uses a plastic dome to muffle noise, and it's marginally quieter than the Black+Decker despite its more powerful motor. It makes a smoother blend with ingredients like leafy greens and ice and does a much better job of crushing ice, so it's more suitable for recipes like slushies or blended margaritas.

    However, it's not ideal for bigger batches since its main jar only has a 32oz capacity. You can use the noise dome as a serving pitcher but not for blending. This blender also isn't ideal for thicker recipes like smoothie bowls since the ingredients can get pushed to the corners of the jar, and you have to remove the noise dome to use the tamper. That said, it'll easily handle most smoothie recipes, and it's very easy to clean either in the dishwasher or by hand.

    If the noise level is a priority, you can also check out other options on our list of the best quiet blenders.

    See our review

  6. Best Personal Blender For Smoothies

    Personal blenders are designed for blending up individual-sized smoothies. If you don't need a large capacity jar and mainly use your blender for smoothies, the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO is a fantastic option. Its short, compact motor base makes it easy to bring in and out of a cupboard or store on your counter. The pair of 24-ounce personal jars can create a velvety blend with smoothie ingredients like leafy greens and berries. Like the Vitamix 5200, it can quickly produce a nearly perfectly smooth mixture. You can drink your smoothie from the same jar since each has a matching spout lid.

    While its smaller capacity limits you, it's versatile. The 14-ounce Smoothie Bowl Maker jar has rotating arms that help a lot with thick mixtures, which is nice if you like making spoonable smoothie bowls with frozen fruits. It also easily crushes ice, meaning you can add a few ice cubes to your smoothie with no worries. However, it's very loud. If you're looking for a quiet personal blender for smoothies, the Beast Health Blender makes much less noise and offers a similar performance. However, it's more expensive, and not all its components are dishwasher-safe.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Blendtec Classic 575: The Blendtec Classic 575 is a bit more expensive than the Vitamix 5200. It's fantastic for blending fibrous ingredients and ice but doesn't perform quite as well as the 5200 for blending smaller batches, like for a single-serve smoothie. It's also louder and not as well-built. See our review
  • Breville the Fresh & Furious: The Breville the Fresh & Furious is around the same price as the KitchenAid K400. It's much quieter and easier to clean by hand, but it's not quite as good at blending common smoothie additions like leafy greens, fruit, and ice. Still, it's more compact, so you might prefer it. See our review
  • Breville The Q: The Breville The Q is priced between the KitchenAid K400 and the Vitamix 5200. It's very good at processing common smoothie ingredients like fruit, leafy greens, and ice, but it's not as suitable for single-serve smoothies because when you blend small amounts of ingredients, you have to stop the machine and use a spatula to scrape the jar walls to get the best results. See our review
  • Ninja Chef Blender: The Ninja Chef Blender is a versatile blender that processes fibrous ingredients just as well as any blender we've tested. It's less expensive than and performs similarly to higher-end models like the Vitamix 5200, but it's the loudest blender we've tested, so you should only consider it if you don't mind an extremely noisy machine. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Feb 27, 2024: Added the Breville The Q, the Blendtec 575, and the Ninja Chef Blender to the Notable Mentions. Removed the NutriBullet 900 from the Notable Mentions to focus on full-size blenders and made the Vitamix Venturist V1200 an alternative to the Vitamix 5200 because it comes with a personal jar.

  2. Feb 01, 2024: We've made minor updates to the text and checked that the products are in stock.

  3. Jan 04, 2024: Added the Black+Decker Quiet Blender as the 'Best Cheap Blender For Smoothies' and moved the Breville the Fresh & Furious to Notable Mentions.

  4. Dec 01, 2023: Made minor updates to the text and checked that the products are in stock.

  5. Nov 01, 2023: We've checked that the picks represent the best recommendations and that the products are in stock.

FAQ

What size blender do I need for smoothies?

It depends if you want to blend multiple servings at once or just enough for one person. Personal blenders are smaller and usually have a resealable lid, so you can use the jar as a travel cup. Full-size blenders are better for blending multiple servings at once. If you want both, look for a full-size blender with personal jars to blend smoothies for a crowd or make a personal blend for yourself.

How do I choose a good blender for smoothies?

For ingredients like leafy greens and fruit, it's important that a blender can process fibrous ingredients smoothly. The blade speed is a factor -higher blade speeds help make a silky-smooth blend with fibrous elements like kale. If you're looking for a full-size blender that can blend single-serves, a narrower jar can help prevent splashing. However, a lot of variables can affect a blender's performance, so it depends on the model.

How many watts is good for a smoothie blender? Is 600 watts enough for smoothies?

Generally, more power is better for any kind of recipe, but you can't assume more power will equal a better performance in all cases. The KitchenAid K150 has a relatively low motor power (650W) but does a much better job of blending fibrous ingredients compared to some higher-power blenders, like the Ninja Smart Screen and Ninja Professional Blender NJ601AMZ (1000W). The Magic Bullet Mini does a good job of smoothly blending fibrous ingredients, and it has a much lower blending power (250W), although it has a much smaller capacity.

Blade speed and jar shape are big factors in blending performance, so it's hard to judge a blender based on motor power alone. Faster blending speeds are better for smooth blends with fruits and veggies, while narrow or small jars often work best for smaller batches. Blending programs don't necessarily produce better results, but if your recipe includes a lot of ice cubes or frozen fruit, you may want a blender with pulse mode since it helps break up bigger chunks.

When making a smoothie, what goes first?

Adding liquid first, followed by ice, frozen fruit, and other ingredients, helps reduce the effort it takes for the blender to get going. Adding heavy ingredients last, like ice cubes, can also be helpful since they can help weigh down lighter stuff like leafy greens and push everything toward the blades.

Can you make milkshakes in a smoothie maker?

Sure! Many milkshake recipes simply include ice cream and milk, and a good blender won't have an issue blending that combination. If you want milkshakes that you can eat with a spoon, a blender that does a good job with thick mixtures like nut butter will have an easier time keeping the ingredients moving. Of course, if your blender struggles, you can add more liquid.

How long should you blend a smoothie?

The very best blenders for smoothies can blend a single-serve or full batch in 1-2 minutes, even if it includes difficult ingredients like fruit and leafy greens. Of course, it depends on your recipe, so you just blend until you get the results you want or until you notice that it's not getting any smoother from more blending. However, blending for several minutes can heat the ingredients.

All Reviews

Our above recommendations are what we think are currently the best smoothie makers for most people. We factor in the price (a cheaper blender wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no blenders that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).

If you want to choose for yourself, here is the list of all our smoothie blender reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no blender is perfect, most blenders are great enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you look for them.