The Best Blenders for Smoothies According to Our Test Kitchen

Dec 28, 2023

Here are which models produced the smoothest results.

Title: Contributing Writer Location: Los Angeles, California Education: B.A in Creative Writing, UC Santa Cruz Expertise: Nutrition, wellness, whole-food ingredients, ingredient trends, health-food trends - Certified nutritionist by the National Healing Institute Experience Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef, certified nutritionist and lifestyle writer with over 25 years of culinary and literary experience. She is the author of five books, including the first official healthy Disney cookbook and a wellness manual based on her own recovery from a half decade of near-deadly chronic illness. She divides her time between writing for digital lifestyle publications and functioning as the long-term private chef and nutritionist for pop star Pink. Deemed an iconoclast of the wellness world by Well + Good and consulted by platforms from the New York Post to Livestrong on upcoming health-food trends, Ariane has been on the pulse of wellness since childhood, when her mother ran a co-op out of the family basement. She is a self-taught chef who credits growing up in a kitchen with her mother for her culinary prowess, and whose skills at multifaceted, complex dietary restrictions have satisfied A-list clientele across the United States and Europe. Ariane is an advocate for inclusivity and accessibility in the health-food and wellness spaces, speaking publicly about these causes at conventions such as the Women in Wellness Leadership Conference, W.E.L.L. Summit and Bulletproof Conference. Her work has been featured in several media outlets, including CBS' The Doctors, Hallmark's Home & Family, NBC News, ABC News, Forbes and many more. She has trained numerous celebrity private chefs, professional chefs and home cooks on accommodating special diets without additional cost or effort, and has volunteered considerable time leading both nutrition and writing workshops for underserved youth.

Brierley is a dietitian nutritionist, content creator and strategist, and avid mental health advocate. She is co-host and co-creator of the Happy Eating Podcast, a podcast that breaks down the connection between food and mental wellness. Brierley previously served as Food & Nutrition Director for Cooking Light magazine and the Nutrition Editor at EatingWell magazine. She holds a master's degree in Nutrition Communications from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Her work has appeared in Better Homes & Gardens, Southern Living, Real Simple, Livestrong.com, TheKitchn and more.

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A breakfast smoothie is one of the easiest ways to start your day whenever you want to stock up on fresh produce but don't have time to chop and cook. They're a more filling option than grabbing a juice because they include fiber, and the options for healthy ingredients you can use are truly endless.

"An 8- to 12-ounce smoothie with fruits and vegetables can fit in virtually anyone's eating plan—and can go a long way toward upping the vegetable and fruits in the diet," says Wendy Bazilian, Dr.P.H., RDN, doctor of public health, dietitian nutritionist and owner of Bazilian's Health.

As a special diet private chef and nutrition enthusiast myself, I rely on smoothies to pack in the nutrients I need in the most delicious way possible. When choosing a blender for making smoothies, you'll want to factor in speed, cost, ease of use and cleanup time. We tested dozens of models, from personal to full-sized. Read on to see which fared best, from our choice for a grab-and-go machine to the best investment piece.

What we like: It's even more powerful than a Vitamix, and it blends faster, too.

What to know: It's about as loud as a blender could possibly be.

BlendTec refers to itself as "the last blender you will ever own," and while that might sound haughty, this writer has personally found it to be true. A past owner of Vitamixes (and a devotee to the brand), I had no interest in a BlendTec when one was gifted to me. Having now owned a Total Classic for four years, I can say with confidence I'll never buy a different brand. As for its design brilliance, the blades are dull, powered by a motor that operates at a stunningly fast RPM to pulverize even the toughest ingredients in mere seconds.

There is a smoothie setting if you'd like to let the machine run itself, or you can use the manual up and down buttons. This blender will make a creamy smoothie in about half the time of a Vitamix, and you can't hurt yourself cleaning it.

Price at time of publishing: $380

Power: 1560 watts | Capacity: 75 ounces | Dimensions: 7(D) x 8(W) x 15.5(H) inches

What we like: It's high-powered for its size, easy to use and quick to clean.

What to know: It's not 100% leakproof.

More powerful than both the Magic Bullet and the original NutriBullet, the NutriBullet Pro 900 offers strong smoothie blending power in a convenient package. In our tests, there were no chunky bits left behind in smoothies, and we found it moderately quiet to use (it earned a perfect score of 5 out of 5 for all tests). It comes in a dozen vibrant colors, making it an attractive addition to any countertop. With this design, you blend your smoothie directly in the cup; sippable, tight-sealing lids are included so you can be out the door moments after blending. There are no speed options for this machine: To turn it on, you simply push and twist it into place. Our smoothies were fully blended within 60 seconds.

Price at time of publishing: $97

Power: 900 watts | Capacity: 24 ounces | Dimensions: 12.01 x 7.72 x 15.94 inches

What we like: It's a less expensive option for a large blender and has higher-than-average power.

What to know: Far from quiet, it also requires a generous helping of liquid for solids to blend.

Straightforward and simple to use, this Ninja can power through copious amounts of frozen fruit–provided you add a solid amount of liquid to the container along with them. We appreciate how well it purees ingredients and how easy it is to clean. With three speeds and a pulse option, this blender offers higher power than conventional blenders, but at an entry-level price. It's also great for frozen drinks and crushed ice, both of which it can create quickly. We did find it to be significantly noisy, so it's not recommended for use while anyone is sleeping.

Price at time of publishing: $77

Power: 1000 watts | Capacity: 72 ounces | Dimensions: 9.48 (D) x 7.51 (W) x 17 (H) inches

What we like: The wide-mouthed container makes it counter-friendly, and the warranty is a full 10 years.

What to know: It lacks the program settings of other Vitamix models.

Considered the gold standard of high-powered blenders by chefs and health foodies, the Vitamix brand is synonymous with quality. The A2500 model triumphs over some other Vitamixes because its container is shorter and squatter than other models, which don't easily fit on counters. Our editors love how minimal cleanup is, requiring you only to hand wash the container and lid, as well as the built-in timer for recipes that require precision. This blender is powerful enough that you won't have to worry when your fruits or vegetables have frozen together into clusters–though you will want to make sure you don't blend for longer than necessary, as its powerful motor will slowly heat whatever is in the pitcher.

Price at time of publishing: $550

Power: 1440 watts | Capacity: 64 ounces | Dimensions: 11(D) x 8(W) x 17(H) inches

What we like: Lightweight and modern in style, it charges via USB for on-the-go convenience.

What to know: It only runs in 20-second intervals.

You can't get any more portable than the super-compact BlendJet2, which is powered by a rechargeable battery and topped with a carrier handle. The BlendJet isn't going to be as powerful as plug-in models (in our tests, it took half a dozen pushes of the 20-second on switch for a smoothie to be fully blended), but it makes up for it in convenience and quiet operation. It fared perfectly in our spill test, not even leaking a drop. All these features make it a favorite for those on the go (particularly busy parents who use it to blend baby food).

In addition to classic colorways including mint, black, white, and marble, this blender comes in designs such as LisaFrank and Pixar Aliens, which could convince even the pickiest kid to pick up their smoothie. (That said, the blades are sharp, so of course children should not be allowed to use it alone.)

Price at time of publishing: $120

Power: 5V Electric Motor Spins 275 Times Per Second | Capacity: 16 ounces | Dimensions: 9 x 3 inches

I love my BlendTec Total Classic so much, I'll never own anything else. It's extremely powerful and fast, no matter what smoothie I make, and it's incredibly easy to use and clean. For a more compact option, the NutriBullet Pro 900 has strong wattage power for a personal blender and is stronger than other similar blenders.

Blenders range in power from 500 watts to over 1500, and the higher the wattage, the better it will be at grinding tough produce. "Power and a good motor help crush ice or frozen fruits better and puree or blend things like seeds and nuts," says Bazilian. "They may also be able to handle some raw or lightly blanched vegetables or just yield a smoother end result." To be sure your smoothies will be, well, smooth, opt for a minimum wattage of 700 to 800; those were the models that performed the best in our tests.

Intuitive design is the goal for any home appliance. "I think the design for functionality is most important," Bazilian tells us. "If it's hard to get the lid off, or hard to clean or scrape down the edges with a spatula, then that's not a great design to me." Additionally, if you know that features such as a to-go blender cup will make you more likely to use the machine, opt for that style.

From full-sized to personal-sized, we have tested and rated dozens of blenders on design, convenience (in use and in cleaning) and, most importantly, power and performance (in other words, the ability to fully blend ingredients without bits left behind). Blenders for smoothies are expected to handle frozen fruit as well as greens with no chunks remaining. For personal blenders, tight-fitting lids are vital; we also assessed the seal of travel containers by knocking them over while full. We also looked at design elements and found that blade placement is vital for proper ingredient flow.

Tribest PB 350 Personal Blender ($90 at Amazon): Ideal for travel, this blender can make small smoothies yielding just over a cup. We like that it's light and easy to use, but it took considerable time to blend thoroughly.

Power: 200 watts | Capacity: 10 ounces | Dimensions: 13.2 x 11 x 5.5 inches

Oster Blend Active Portable Blender ($21 at Amazon): At just 50 watts, this was the lowest wattage blender tested, and while it did manage to make a smoothie, some bits remained.

Power: 50 watts | Capacity: 10 ounces | Dimensions: 10.43 x 4.65 x 4.61 inches

Magic Bullet Blender ($39 at Amazon): A lower-cost option than a NutriBullet, it's less powerful than one despite a similar design. We liked the included parts, but not the smoothie results.

Power: 250 watts | Capacity:19 ounces | Dimensions: 6.93(D) x 13.19(W) x 10.63(H) inches

Fruit smoothies are good for you because they're a quick way to add vitamins and antioxidants to your day. Thanks to their main ingredient—fresh or frozen fruit—they're naturally sweet and don't often require additional sweetness, in the form of added sugar, to taste delicious. Bazilian suggests spices such as ginger or cinnamon, leafy greens and fresh herbs for even more flavor and nutrition.

To create both Bazilian's and my ideal version of a smoothie, you'll want a mixture of fresh or frozen fruit, leafy greens, some healthy fat such as nut butter, a hearty scoop of protein powder (if desired) and unsweetened milk. If you're unsure how to begin creating a smoothie you'll enjoy, start simple with ingredients you know you already love. Then, once comfortable, add one ingredient at a time.

Ariane Resnick is a nutrition-enthusiast, special diet private chef and bestselling author of five health-oriented books. For this article, she interpreted the results of many tested blenders, utilized her own experience and expertise in the kitchen and consulted with Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RDN, doctor of public health, registered dietitian and owner of Bazilian's Health. This article was reviewed by Brierley Horton, M.S., R.D., Senior Commerce Editor, who has 15 years of experience reporting, writing, and editing nutrition and health content.