Credit:
Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
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Credit:
Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
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Fast, simple, and very transportable, the Magic Bullet is designed with busy people in mind. Add enough liquid, and it can handle almost any smoothie ingredient. Read More
From mixing liquids to finely milling almonds, this blender can do it all. It also adapts into a food processor, ice cream maker, and personal blender. Read More
It’s the Goldilocks of the category: not too big and powerful, not too small and weak, but just right. We were impressed by its speed and strength. Read More
The 5300 series offers a powerful 2.2-hp motor and a low height that fits underneath cabinets. We loved how it performed, quickly churning out great smoothies and more. Read More
The Vitamix 780 is the company's flagship, with looks that will impress your guests as much as its performance impressed our testers. Read More
Smoothies are the MVP of drinks, and you might not even realize it. Whether you’re dashing from school to the office or a workout class, smoothies offer a nutritious liquid meal that will keep you from going hungry or hold-off fast food cravings. They’re aspirational, sure—not everyone wants to drink liquid vegetables—but they’re also totally customizable, allowing you to have fun with ingredients and make something you’ll love.
However, your morning or afternoon smoothie is only as good as your blender. You need something fast, thorough, and possibly transportable that will turn whatever ingredients you throw at it into a delicious drink. So we’ve pulled out the very best blenders for smoothies from all the great blenders we’ve ever tested to help you make a smart decision.
Our favorite blender for smoothies, the classic Magic Bullet Blender (available at Amazon for $39.88) , quickly produced some of the smoothest smoothies we’ve seen with the least fuss—all within travel containers that make sipping on-the-go a breeze. While it's the best fit for people looking to make quick smoothies day after day, the Breville Super Q (available at Amazon) is our upgrade pick for shoppers who are looking for a high-end, full-sized blender that can make smoothies and much, much more.
To find out which blenders are worthy of turning your favorite ingredients into something magical, we tested dozens across multiple categories, from single-serving personal blenders to pro-style, on their smoothie-making abilities, also taking into account design, speed, noise level, and how easy they were to clean. After making gallons of fruit and vegetable smoothies, we knew exactly which products deserved our badge.
The Magic Bullet is small but mighty.
The Breville Super Q is our favorite pro-style blender.
Fast and efficient
Durable
Easy to transport and store
No buttons or automatic programs
Limited volume
Blends exceptionally well
Fast
Fits under cabinets
Only affordable when refurbished
Blends well
Great at chopping
Struggles with ice
Less sensitive controls
Expensive
Stylish design
Blends well
Sturdy, durable base
Oversized—hard to transport and store
Flimsy travel attachemnts
Blends very well
Well-built
Less sleek than similar models
Manual controls
Blends well
Sturdy and well-built
Good control
Too tall
Short blades
No presets
Versatile
Blends well
Not bulky
Not good for large-volume blending
Expensive
We whipped up dozens of fruit smoothies across blender categories.
Hi, I’m Cassidy, Reviewed’s kitchen and cooking editor. As a somewhat-recent college grad and a terminally annoying yoga person, I’ve been making smoothies nonstop for about 5 years. I even used to work at a smoothie bar! Throughout my time in undergrad, I actually used two of the blenders in this round-up with regularity—the Magic Bullet (which belonged to my housemate) and the personal Nutri-Ninja (my own).
I saw them at their best and at their worst, saw them after being misused and brought back to functionality, and saw them on days when I had just enough energy to make myself a liquid meal and continue studying. I’ve also tested for Reviewed’s roundups of the best immersion blenders and best professional blenders. As a result, I know a lot about the ins and outs of these appliances, from which containers will leak in your bag to how much liquid you need in each to make them operate smoothly.
For this ranking, we meshed our testing-driven numbers in each category with our understanding of what people look for when making smoothies to find out products are actually worth your time and investment.
We loved the Breville Super Q's intuitive control panel.
To figure out which blenders are best for making smoothies, we did the unthinkable—made a lot of smoothies. We compared the results of the standard smoothie test across all blender categories to see which stood out as the best of the best, taking into account speed, noise level, and ease of use while the blender was on, and then smoothie quality, lid tightness, and ease of cleaning when all was said and done.
But we didn’t stop there. Because some people might want their blender for more than whipping up smoothies, we also compared how the full-sized blenders compared on tests chopping almonds, crushing ice, and mixing liquids.
When evaluating the blenders and blending containers themselves, we prioritized portability, design, accessories, and wattage, among other factors.
While some blenders are clearly more powerful than others thanks to their higher wattage and larger size, we found that bigger doesn’t always mean better—these blenders were usually louder, more difficult to clean, and had high-reaching blades that couldn’t handle small amounts of liquid. And what’s the point of keeping a large blender base on your counter if you only want to make a 16 oz. smoothie?
If you want to learn more about how we tested in each category of blender, check out our main roundup of the best blenders.
Not all blenders are created equal.
This ranking cross-compares personal blenders and full-sized blenders, and there’s also immersion blenders to consider. If you're not already a kitchenware connoisseur, you're probably wondering, "Why are there so many types of blenders? Are they actually that different? Do I need to own every single one?!"
The answer to that last question is no, you don't necessarily need all three. When it comes down to it, they all use the same mechanics to blend, mix, and pulverize food and drinks into whatever form you choose—but choosing which blender for your kitchen will make life a lot easier.
Full-sized blenders are great for making icy cocktails, health smoothies, milkshakes, and other drinks for more than one person at a time. High-end models, like our favorites from Breville and Vitamix, can also be used to make soups, dips, nut butters, and other tricky foods. These powerful blenders are the ideal choice for larger households, people who like to entertain, and people who are very serious about cooking. They provide unparalleled power and speed that you won’t find in other blenders, which is the reason most models cost anywhere from $200 to $700.
Personal blenders, also known as single-serving blenders, are ideal for individuals or couples who rarely need to blend a lot at once—they've exploded in popularity since everyone started juicing and making healthy smoothies for those post-gym vitamins. They're easier to store, clean, and transport than full-sized blenders and their containers are ideal for on-the-go sipping. They’re also cheaper and less powerful, so they likely won’t stand the test of time the way full-sized blenders will. If you're looking for a quick blending solution for smoothies and the like, you can forgo a full-sized blender in favor of a personal one.
More and more companies are now launching “hybrid” blenders, which are compatible with both full-sized and single serving blending containers. These are great for multi-person households that want things both ways.
Immersion blenders are the odd-one-out, but they're incredibly useful and very versatile. Also called hand blenders, their wand construction and lack of fixed blending containers make them portable, simple, and perfect for hot foods. They often come with food processor and whipping attachments that make them true multi-use tools. I’ve used mine to make pesto, whip up homemade mayo and whipped cream, and blend butternut squash soup. While they can also be used to make smoothies, we find they're less convenient than personal blenders and full-sized blenders, so we haven't included them in this roundup.
If you're like me and enjoy cooking but aren't trying to feed a family or outfit a full kitchen, an immersion blender and a hand blender can help you cover all your blending bases without taking up too much room. But if you’re serious about cooking and regularly serve more than two people, a pro-style blender is the right choice.
Cassidy covered all things cooking as the kitchen editor for Reviewed from 2018 to 2020. An experimental home chef with a healthy distrust of recipes, Cassidy lives by the "Ratatouille" philosophy that, with a few techniques and key tools, anyone can cook. She's produced in-depth reviews and guides on everything from meal kits to stand mixers and the right way to cook an egg.
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