The best smoothie makers for blending drinks and more

Although we can’t pretend these small blenders would take the place of a traditional countertop machine, they’re great for soft fruits, purées, salad dressings and individual soup portions.

We looked for quality of components, blend-ability and ease of charging. Here’s our selection of the smoothest operators on the market.

For more unbiased expert buyers' guides, visit our reviews hub to find 600+ round-ups, including the best food processors, best blenders and best soup makers.

Jump to section:

• Best smoothie makers 2024
• What to look for in a smoothie maker
• How we tested smoothie makers

Best smoothie makers at a glance

• Best mid-priced smoothie maker: Ninja Foodi Power Nutri Blender 2-in-1, £79.99
• Best smoothie maker for healthy smoothies: Salter Kuro Actifusion Blender and Sports Bottle Set, £29.99
• Best portable smoothie maker: Ninja Blast, £49.99
• Best smoothie maker for students: Sensio Home Personal Blender smoothie maker, £29.99
• Best personal blender for extras: Salter Nutripro blender, £64.99
• Best dual-purpose smoothie maker: Sage The 3X Bluicer Pro, £389.95
• Best for finished results: Bosch VitaMaxx vacuum blender, £298
• Best smoothie maker for smoothies on the move: Nutribullet Portable Blender, £39.99
• Best priced smoothie maker: Nutribullet Magic Bullet Deluxe, £49.99
• Best smoothie maker for a large family: Zwilling Enfinigy table blender, £199
• Best affordable smoothie maker: Breville Blend Active blender, £23
• Best smoothie maker for small kitchens: MOI SLIM personal blender, £49.95
• Best value smoothie maker for extras: VonShef UltraBlend smoothie-maker, £49.49

Best smoothie makers 2024

Ninja Blast

Best portable smoothie maker

Pros:

• Attractive
• Compact
• Cordless
• Quiet
• Produces smooth, consistent results

Cons:

• Comes without a plug
• Short charging cable

Star rating: 5/5

Wattage: 14.4W

For smoothie-making on the go, this powerful blender is one of Ninja's newest innovations – and we found it a joy to use. It's cordless, so you can charge up the motor base and take it with you wherever you like (on a camping trip, for instance). If you want to transport pre-made smoothies to the gym or work, simply rotate the Blast, unscrew the motor base and replace it with the cup cover. A sip lid with a handle is also included.

We love the look of the gadget: it's sleek, robust and compact, and the controls are easy to use. Limited set-up is required, though you'll need to charge the blender for at least 2 hrs before first use. There's also an LED light around the start/stop button that flashes different colours, so it's worth holding onto the manual to remind yourself what each colour means (a flashing white light, for instance, means the vessel and motor base aren't aligned properly).

A solid purple light appears once the blender is ready – after which you can hit 'start' to begin the 30-second cycle. The Ninja Blast gave us consistent, smooth results, and because most parts can go in the dishwasher, we found it easy to clean as well.

Salter Kuro Actifusion Blender and Sports Bottle Set

Available from Amazon (£29.99), Next (£32), Tesco (£32)

Best smoothie maker for healthy smoothies

Star rating: 4.5/5

Wattage: 350W

Pros

• Powerful for its size
• Extra bottles included

Cons

• Plug-in, so not as portable as some

This is a great value smoothie making set as it also comes with two 600ml and two 400ml sports bottles, complete with leak-proof lids.

We appreciated the extra-powerful 350W motor that can pack a punch for a mini blender. Want kale in that smoothie? This way, healthy types, the Kuro Actifusion is the choice for you.

Saying that, you may find you have to make more fibrous smoothies in stages, as there’s a 30-second cut off on this model, to prevent overheating. We found that most berry and soft fruit ingredients were smooth and ready to drink within that time, however, especially if fresh rather than frozen.

This is a great value choice, considering it’s more powerful than some comparable models, looks great and comes with four smoothie containers in total. Although it’s a plug-in model, the cord stores neatly in its base, so it's worth having in the kitchen cupboard for your next health kick.

Sensio Home Personal Blender Smoothie Maker

Best smoothie maker for students

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Great price
• Versatile – there’s even a separate grinding mill for coffee

Cons:

• Too much packaging
• No hands-free operation

Star rating: 4.5/5

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use-out-of-the-box smoothie maker that won’t break the bank, this is one for you. We thought it would make an ideal gift for a student if you’re determined to ensure they get their vitamin C fix. It has a small footprint, a powerful motor, good extra features and lots of bits and pieces.

Instructions are decent – we gave them a thorough read for the purposes of this test, though you could almost certainly manage without them as the blender is pretty intuitive to use. As ever, we’d have loved some recipes. The main blade, as well as the lids and bottles/jars can go in the dishwasher and you can self-clean it by adding water and detergent and then whizzing it all up.

This was a great little machine for our fibrous smoothie, blitzing through it in seconds. It found the yogurt smoothie a bit trickier and struggled with the larger strawberries – you’d ideally need to use smaller ingredients in here.

Salter Nutripro blender

Best smoothie-maker for blending power

Pros:

• Powerful
• Produces silky-smooth smoothies
• Simple to clean

Cons:

• A bit noisy
• Accessories need storage space

Star rating: 4.5/5

A powerhouse of an appliance with lots of practical elements, the Nutripro whizzed up some of the best smoothie results on test. The silky finish is achieved thanks to the 1200W motor, which is as powerful as it sounds (although it does make a fair bit of noise as a result).

We particularly rate the robust storage cups and the smooth body of the machine which is easy to wipe clean. You'll need plenty of space to store it all, though. Read our full review of the Salter Nutripro blender.

Sage 3X Bluicer Pro

Best dual-purpose smoothie-maker

Pros:

• Top quality components
• Versatile function options

Cons:

• Expensive

Star rating: 4.5/5

Build quality and finished results aside, the genius thing about the Bluicer is that is makes both juices and smoothies (and is in fact included in our review of the best juicers). This dual functionality means the resulting smoothies can have a juiced element, making them extra vibrant and flavoursome. It's a handsome machine, which is fortunate as it's large so will probably work best being left out on a countertop. Read our full review of Sage The Bluicer Pro.

Bosch VitaMaxx vacuum blender

Best smoothie-maker for finished results

Pros:

• Produces fantastically smooth drinks
• Effective vacuum setting
• Premium build quality

Cons:

• Noisy
• Pulse mode could be better implemented

Star rating: 4.5/5

This is one of the best smoothie-makers on the market, with excellent blending power and high-quality components. It has a deoxygenation function – a vacuum that removes oxygen to give the most vibrant finished smoothie – plus a range of useful accessories like storage bowls.

We found it blended even pesky small ingredients like raspberry seeds, a rarity in the smoothie blender world. You will need a decent amount of space to store it though, plus it's not cheap. Read our full review of the Bosch VitaMaxx blender.

Nutribullet Portable Blender

Available from Nutribullet (£39.99), Amazon (£39.99)

Best smoothie maker for smoothies on the move

Star rating: 4/5

Wattage: 100W

Pros

• Great design
• Powered via USB cable

Cons

• Underpowered for fibrous smoothies

Powered via a USB cable, this personal blender is just the ticket for busy mornings when you just want to make a smoothie to go.

And if you don’t even have time for that, just grab the blender for later – it’s perfect for stashing in your handbag and using after the gym, on lunch breaks or on the move.

The portable blender is simple to set up – charge via your laptop or a USB plug (not supplied) and the base unit is ready to whizz ingredients once you’ve screwed the 385ml-capacity container on top.

Even with one speed setting, we found it worked well on the frozen berry mixture and softer food and liquids but we didn’t have as much success with more fibrous ingredients. With only a 100W engine, that’s understandable.

There’s a whole range of funky colours to choose from with this model, from sleek black to light blue, magenta, navy, purple and white.

We think the Nutribullet Personal Blender could also be a great ‘stay at home’ option for those who want to whizz up small batches of sauce or purées – it would be a really useful addition to the kitchen cupboard if you’re weaning a baby, for example. No need to haul your giant blender onto the worktop, put this mini wonder to work instead.

Nutribullet Magic Bullet Deluxe

Best mid-priced smoothie maker

Pros:

• Very effective
• Several receptacles
• Most parts can go in the dishwasher

Cons:

• Slightly awkward to use at first
• Too much packaging

Star rating: 4/5

This blender won’t take up much space on your worktop – it’s smaller than a kettle – which means that you can leave it out if you plan to use it frequently. It also won’t take up much cupboard space if you want to keep it out of sight. The Magic Bullet comes with all sorts of bits and pieces to make life easier.

As well as the main cup, there’s a smaller one and a smoothie mug with a handle, complete with lids, so you can make and store everything without pouring it into a different container. Anything that saves on the washing up gets the thumbs up from us.

We found it took a bit of time to get used to it, as you need to line the cup tabs up with the blender, but once you get it, it’s pretty straightforward. It’s quick, powerful and versatile, and easy to clean as the different parts (apart from the motor base, obviously) go in the dishwasher.

Zwilling Enfinigy table blender

Best smoothie maker for a large family

Pros:

• Large capacity
• Very effective

Cons:

• Expensive
• Very noisy

Star rating: 4/5

A very powerful machine, this has plenty of functions to justify its price tag. It comes with quite a lot of single use packaging. It isn’t as intuitive as some of the others we tested – you do need to read the instruction booklet.

At first glance, you wonder where all the functions are as there simply seems to be a dial but all is revealed once it is properly set up and plugged in, as the functions light up. The overall effect is that it is very neat and streamlined.

The blender is family sized, with a capacity of 1.4 litres. It is very effective, working through our fibrous smoothie ingredients in half a minute. There is a scarily effective ice crusher function - it took 18 seconds to reduce our ice cubes to rubble.

In terms of safety, this doesn’t have a separate blade like most of the others – the blade is actually part of the jug. As there is a self-cleaning function, you don’t need to put your hand in to wash it. We used this and then just rinsed out the soap residue. The one downside is it is very noisy – you won’t be popular if you use this first thing in the morning when the rest of the family is asleep.

Read our full Zwilling Enfinigy table blender review.

Breville Blend Active blender

Best affordable smoothie maker

Pros:

• Simple set-up
• Colourful cups are ideal for kids
• Easy to clean

Cons:

• Four cups require storage space

Star rating: 4/5

This affordable smoothie-maker is one of the most approachable and user-friendly we've come across. We particularly liked the fact the motor was operated by a button rather than automatically starting when the cup is locked in place.

The four cup accessories are useful and good-quality, although you will need the space to store them. Read our full review of the Breville Blend Active blender.

MOI SLIM personal blender

• Available from Create (£49.95)

Best smoothie-maker for small kitchens

Pros:

• Easy to use
• G00d-looking design

Cons:

• Low maximum capacity
• Not powerful enough for some users

Star rating: 4/5

For simplicity and style, this IKOHS really impressed. It has a tiny footprint (10cm) making it ideal for smaller worktops. It couldn't be easier to use thanks to its pleasingly minimalist design, plus it's an affordable buy. It's worth noting that the cup capacity is limited – at 400ml this may even be too small for people who like to drink large smoothies. Read our full review of the IKOHS MOI SLIM blender.

Available from:

• Create (£49.95)

VonShef UltraBlend smoothie maker

Best value smoothie-maker

Pros:

• Simple and effective design
• Quite quiet
• Powerful blending

Cons:

• Some may prefer a blender with more features

Star rating: 4/5

VonShef often impress with their affordable appliances and kitchen gadgets – their smoothie-maker is no different. It also happens to look very smart around the kitchen. The functionality is straightforward, intuitive and powerful, producing impressive results, even working through tougher ingredients like fibrous ginger. Another characteristic that's appealing is how easy it is to clean. Read our full VonShef UltraBlend smoothie-maker review.

What to look for in a smoothie maker

When researching which smoothie maker to buy, bear in mind the frequency with which you’ll make smoothies. If it’ll be a daily thing, choose a machine that can be left out on your surface. So, you will need to take into account how much space it will take up – and also whether you like the look of it.

Also ask yourself whether you will be requiring it to do other jobs too, such as blend sauces and crush ice. Some smoothie makers have preset functions including juicing, blending and ice crushing, while others just have one setting – go! Some are more powerful than others but be warned, we did find that with more power came greater noise.

This means you also need to think about when you will be using it. If you’re keen to make a smoothie for breakfast while other members of the household are asleep, you may want a less powerful one with a quieter motor.

Those who like their smoothies really smooth are more likely to require an expensive machine with a powerful motor, while those who don’t mind taking a bit of rough with the smoothie may be just as well served with a budget offering.

Some of our blenders came with extras such as a sports bottle, which can be useful if you are planning to make more than one type at once. Fruit pulp can be a killer to wash up, so if you have a dishwasher, it’s worth buying a blender with cups that are suitable.

Fervent fans would be wise to consider investing in something over £100 that comes with a warranty, as regular use does put the blades and motor through considerable strain, especially if using things like beetroot or veg with hard stalks.

How we tested smoothie makers

We reviewed a representative sample of smoothie-makers and scored them against the following criteria.

The Good Food lump test: we put several tough ingredients (half an apple, a banana, 20g ginger, 25g kale, 3 ice cubes, a tablespoon of oats and 2 pieces of frozen fruit, plus 400ml of water) in each blender for 1 minute. We then attempted to suck the smoothie through a straw. Anything that got stuck was marked down – the optimum result was a silky smooth mix with ease of flow.

Ease of use: lots of people will move bullet blenders in and out of cupboards – we wanted machines that were intuitive and easy to set up.

Noise: we love smoothies in the morning, but our neighbours don’t tend to like being woken up by industrial-grade mechanical noise. While all smoothie bullets make some noise, machines that spluttered, made notably loud sounds or noises similar to a clapped out car were judged unfavourably.

Extra features: machines with different cup options, additional blades and smart blending functions were marked up.

Cup quality: say no to leaky cups! We gave carry cups a vigorous shake to ensure no liquid would escape and ruin the inside of your bag.

Packaging: we marked down products that came in excessive non-recyclable packaging.

Instruction manual: a good manual can really amplify your experience of smoothie-making since they often include smoothie recipes and tips.

Ease of storage: if you have minimal counter space, a smoothie-maker that can be easily packed away is an essential.

Extra features: we tested all additional features on products, including juicing functions.

Ease of cleaning: smoothies are traditionally tricky to clean up. We tested how well cups and jugs washed and considered whether they were dishwasher-friendly.

Kitchen footprint and overall aesthetic: some of us choose to have juicers and blenders on display – we looked for appliances that don't take up too much counter space and that we'd be proud to have out in our kitchens.

Other smoothie makers tested and rated:

• PROMiXX MiiXR X7 performance nutrition blender, £99.99
• Nutri Ninja personal blender, £79.99

Recipes and tips

Smoothie recipes
How to make the perfect smoothie
Healthy smoothie recipes
Best smoothie bowl recipes
How to choose the best smoothie ingredients
Smoothie recipes
8 new ways to use a blender
Super berry smoothie
Mango and passion fruit smoothie
Spiced carrot and lentil soup
Three-minute blender banana pancake

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If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.