Best Smoothie Blender Reviews (2018): Top Rated Appliances For Any Budget

“This Nutri Ninja is essentially a new and improved NutriBullet. It’s surprisingly powerful for something so compact. I think this is a great budget option for someone who only wants to make one or two smoothies at a time. It’s also a convenient way to go if you’re tight on space and need something compact. The design is super user-friendly, and I’ve always been impressed by how straightforward it is to clean. You shouldn’t expect one of these to last forever, though. No Ninja product is all that reliable, and this is one of their cheaper models to boot. Unless you’re set on the compact format, I think the Vitamix’s are still better choices for anyone who can afford them.”

“This larger Ninja model is a nifty combination setup that allows you to make both small and large amounts of smoothie using the same base. You just swap between the different container sizes and then switch settings on the base. It’s not the end of the world to make single servings in a larger blender, but this is a convenient way to get the best of both worlds!

This setup is very powerful, user-friendly, and packs a surprising amount of features. I recommend it to anyone who wants to have a versatile smoothie setup without spending more than $200. It’s by far the best in its price class.

Having said all that, the Ninja isn’t the easiest to clean thoroughly. And like the smaller Ninja model I’ve recommended above, it’s not the most reliable gadget you can buy. If you can afford to spend more, I recommend doing so.”

“The Vitamix Explorian is my recommendation to the average buyer. This is an astoundingly good blender for making smoothies of all varieties, especially for its price! It’s not the nicest Vitamix on the market, but it’s as much blender as most people actually need.

You’ll have precise speed control at your fingertips, as well as the pulse option. The motors on these are rock-solid and last forever, which is a key upgrade from the cheaper Ninja’s. They also run cooler. More importantly, you can do just about anything you like with a Vitamix, from making smoothies to heating up soup without ever turning on the stove. It’s just as versatile as the fancier Vitamix’s, although it doesn’t have quite so many features.

The best thing about a Vitamix is always the self-cleaning feature, though. Especially compared to the Ninja gadgets, which are a pain to get completely clean, being able to just load up the Vitamix with soapy water and press ‘go’ is as good as it gets with kitchen cleanup.”

“The Vitamix Ascent Series is the way to go if you’re a smart-home sort of person. Why would you need app connectivity to make a smoothie, you ask? Well, you probably don’t need it, but there are some nifty possibilities that open up when you have it. You can use the app to access recipes, then just load up the ingredients and press start. The blender will do everything else, adjusting speed and runtime as necessary to get the perfect result.

While making smoothies probably won’t involve using the app so much (unless you decide to get super fancy), it definitely comes in handy for making things like sauces, nut butters and so on. I also absolutely love the smart-sensor technology, which adjusts all the preset programs to match whatever size vessel you’re blending in. Ninja have a similar feature, but it doesn’t work very well. This works so well you forget it’s there, and that’s always the mark of great design!

If you don’t think you’ll use the app, there are plenty of reasons to save money by sticking with the Explorian or going with something simpler and more powerful like the Professional Series Vitamix’s below. Regardless, this is a phenomenal blender. It’s powerful, user-friendly, and super reliable. And unlike most kitchen gadgets with connectivity, it’s not an unreliable gimmick.”

“These two premium Vitamix models are wildly overkill for the vast majority of people, but they may be worth it if you make large batches of smoothies on a regular basis. They have massive pitchers, extremely powerful motors, and all the bells and whistles you could ask for. They’re not app-connected, but you can do just about anything with them and expect amazing results.”