The best blenders can elevate your morning routine, transforming fruit and veg into delicious smoothies. A good quality blender makes it simple to increase your vitamin and fiber intake without much time or effort.
After our roundup of the best blenders, our team of experts wanted to share their choice of blenders specifically for smoothies. We assessed how well NutriBullet, KitchenAid, Vitamix, and other market-leading brands could make smoothies and smoothie bowls.
After lots of testing in the kitchen, we found that the below blenders produced smoothies that will get you out of bed in the morning. However, each one suits a different household. Whether you’re looking for an aesthetically pleasing appliance, a portable powerhouse, or finance-friendly blender, we have the thing for you.
Best blenders for smoothies 2024
You can trust Homes & Gardens. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing the latest products, helping you choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
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Best for big households
Why you should buy it
This blender can tackle the toughest fruit and veg
Why we love it
It’s no secret that we love Vitamix. The A3500 Ascent came top in our roundup of the best blenders, so it’s only natural that we place it number one for smoothies. The 1,500 watt blender is powerful, even when filled to its 64 oz capacity. This combination of size and power makes it a great option for families, or if you’re looking to cater for four to six people.
The process for blending with the Vitamix is simple. Twist the dial to the preset smoothie mode and the blender crushes the contents into a light smooth drink. If you want something a little thicker, there is a manual dial which you can adjust too.
Good to know
As a powerful, large, high-spec blender, this is designed to do more than simple smoothies, so it comes with a price tag to match. Sitting towards the $600 dollar mark, it’s an investment appliance.
Our full Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series Smart Blender review has more detail.
Best personal smoothie maker
Why you should buy it
Compact and effective, it makes perfect single-serve smoothies
Why we love it
When it comes to personal blenders, Nutribullet’s Pro 900 always comes out on top. After twisting and locking the pitcher in place, this smoothie maker will effortlessly whizz up frozen berries, tough kale stems, and fibrous ginger.
With a removable handle and sealable lid, the blender quickly converts into a cup for taking with you on-the-go. The design is well-equipped for busy, small households.
Good to know
As a personal blender, the NutriBullet has limited capacity, so isn’t suited for large families. The blades aren’t dishwasher safe, so you’ll have to wash them by hand.
Our full NutriBullet Pro 900 Series Blender review has more detail.
Best value for money
Why you should buy it
Great quality results at a fair price
Why we love it
Of all the blenders, we think the KitchenAid K150 balances blend and budget perfectly. With a number of different settings, a considerable 650 watt motor, and 48 oz capacity, this is a safe option for first-time smoothie makers. We made a thick smoothie bowl and smoothie which satisfyingly blended tough spinach, strawberries and lemon without much complaint.
Good to know
To get through everything thoroughly, the blender needed some pulsing. It’s not designed specifically for smoothies, so this didn’t come as much of a surprise to us. The lid is also a bit stiff too.
Our full KitchenAid K150 3 Speed Ice Crushing Blender review has more detail.
Best portable blender
Why you should buy it
Effortless blending, wherever you are
Why we love it
NutriBullet is a trusted brand when it comes to smoothie-making. All this handy bullet needs its rechargeable base and you can whizz, crush and blend wherever you are. For the price, it’s a great buy. We love that it’s lightweight and easy to carry around - it would fit in a regular handbag.
We found that it easily handled soft fruit and could just about manage frozen fruit (with a few seeds leftover). The fact that it is portable and about as loud as an electric toothbrush more than makes up for a few seeds.
Good to know
It’s handy to have if you’re on the go, but doesn’t stand-up to the power of a plug-in appliance. You pay the price with cordless convenience, as it struggles to blend ice. However, if you’re on the move, it’s unlikely that you’ll have still-solid ice with you anyway.
Our full NutriBullet GO Portable Blender review has more detail.
Best cordless blender
Why you should buy it
Powerful single-serve blends that stand up to corded blenders
Why we love it
Entertaining outdoors, or on the commute, this blender can make smoothies on the move. We tested ice, smoothie bowls, and smoothies and were impressed with the results.
Rather than having to make allowances for the convenience of cordless, this Cuisinart boasts 150 watts of power. That’s enough to rival plug-in kitchen appliances, transforming this from a handy handbag blender to a hefty kitchen appliance. It’s a great option for smaller kitchens, as it stores away easily too.
Good to know
To get a good blend, our expert Lindsey had to chop up her frozen fruit into manageable chunks, so you’ll need to prep before blending. We also found it has a short 20-minute runtime, and you can’t use the blender when charging, so make sure that you charge regularly.
Our Cuisinart EvolutionX Cordless Blender review has more detail.
Best for kitchen aesthetics
Why you should buy it
A stylish wellness blender that couldn’t miss the list
Why we love it
It’s not a roundup without a little vanity addition. From Oprah’s ‘Favorite Things’ list, this blender looks like how smoothies feel. It crushes ice, frozen fruit and the toughest textures in under a minute. With useful accessories and, let’s face it, a gorgeous look, this blender is an ornament for your kitchen.
Good to know
It’s lucky that this is beautiful, because it’s heavy too. Store it on your countertop rather than in high-up cupboards. You’ll need to be patient with cleaning, as the ridges can make it a little tricky to clean everything out in one go.
Our Beast Blender review has more detail.
Best for kitchen coordination
Why you should buy it
In a range of colors, it’s a complement to any kitchen
Why we love it
Smeg’s ergonomics never fail to please. This blender comes with all of the essentials for smoothies: a dedicated smoothie setting, manual controls, a large 48 oz jug, and a range of color options. It sliced through ice, tore up tough greens and effortlessly crushed frozen fruit. For a thorough blend and flawless style, you can’t go wrong with this blender.
Good to know
Quality comes with a price tag and this blender costs around $250. Our expert reviewer, Millie, was disappointed that it couldn’t blend hot ingredients. For the price and size, it would be useful to be a little more versatile.
Our Smeg Blender review has more detail.
Our final verdict - which is the best blender for smoothies?
You can’t go wrong with any of the blenders in this roundup. My advice would be to think about what you are looking for when making your smoothies: single serve or batch blend; portable or fixed to a countertop; versatile or specialized. Once you know what you’re looking for, the answer is simple.
FAQs
How to choose a blender for smoothies
If you’re looking for a new smoothie-maker in your life, we recommend that you think about size, speed, and settings. It doesn't hurt if it looks the part too.
Size
NutriBullets are great for single servings. Their products come with 24 oz or 32 oz cups, the ideal size for 1-2 servings. The KitchenAid and Vitamix can make enough for 4-6 servings, so think carefully about how much you plan on making.
Speed
Some smoothie makers will have variable power, others will have one speed setting. Manually changing the speed means that you can control your texture a little more.
Settings
If your blender is one with different settings, you can tailor your blend even more. These appliances tend to be more versatile, where blenders like the NutriBullet Pro 900 specialize in smoothies.
A smoothie made in our test of the Cuisinart EvolutionX blender
Is a smoothie maker the same as a blender?
You can use a blender as a smoothie maker, but it won’t work the same the other way around. Often, smoothie makers are smaller, taller and less versatile. More often than not their jug doubles up as a cup too.
Can I put my blender in a dishwasher?
That will depend on your brand of smoothie maker. NutriBullets don’t have dishwasher safe blades, because of the battery attachment.
How do I clean my blender?
Add some warm water and a dash of soap to the blending cup. Pulse the blender a few times and this will get the worst of the remnants off the edges. You can do the finishing touches by hand.
Testing smoothies in the Nutribullet Combo
Can I make smoothie bowls with my blender?
Of course! These are sometimes better in machines with a little bit more manual control, so that you can vary the thickness of your smoothie. We found that the Vitamix made the best smoothie bowl by virtue of its size and power.
Where are Ninja blenders in this roundup?
We have tested a range of Ninja blenders and think that they do a great job. However, when it comes to smoothie making, NutriBullet pipped them to the post in terms of quality. Ninja are great for catering to more people, but Vitamix is the better large blender. If your heart is set on a Ninja, we think you can get a great blender, but we prefer the above options.
Meet the team
As eCommerce editor, Laura is always eager to offer her perspective on which appliances are worth the investment. She’s an avid baker and cook at home, so has experience using different blenders and food processors. She is inseparable from her NutriBullet, but is very tempted by the Smeg.
Millie Fender is Head of Reviews and has written for Homes and Gardens since 2021. She specializes in cooking appliances, and is a whizz when it comes to blenders. She used these blenders both in our dedicated testing kitchen and in her day-to-day life at home. When it comes to smoothies, she's tested the best of the best.
Lindsey Davis has been writing about homes for most of the last decade. She has worked on Real Homes, Livingetc, Gardeningetc and Ideal Home where she helps readers find the best products for their properties. She tested the Cuisinart blender personally and ongoing, so keeps updating us on how it works day-to-day.
Midwestern product tester and writer Courtney Irwin is a working mom of three who loves nothing more than a good deal. Courtney has spent years curating home renovation and appliance content, and has tested a range of products for Homes & Gardens, including various blenders.
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