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8 Best Smoothie Makers To Kickstart Your Day
Blend, grab and go with these faff-free kitchen buddies
By
Jess Denham and Frances Salvoni, products tested by the Hearst Institute
Ezra BaileyGetty Images
Packing in your five-a-day needn't be a chore. Smoothie makers help kickstart your morning by whipping up a fruity drink that's far healthier than the sugar-filled, shop-bought alternatives.
Smoothie makers, also known as bullet blenders, make one drink at a time for grab-and-go convenience. The compact blending jug turns into a cup; you pop on the lid and you're off. Families and anyone who prefers to batch make drinks could consider using a food blender.
It's also a sure-fire way to get some much needed muscle-building protein into your diet. Chuck in the fruit, your spinach, your oats and a couple of scoops of protein powder and you're ready to tackle the morning.
Firstly, consider size. Will a small drink suffice, or do you to need enough to enjoy after your evening workout, too? Blenders range from 470ml to 930ml.
If you have a decent budget, look for vacuum blending technology. Essentially, what this does is seal all the nutrients inside your ingredients, making for a healthier smoothie with a longer shelf life. Smoothies made this way tend to be brighter in colour and lighter in texture, even hours later.
Most smoothie makers have one speed setting but some offer a pulse mode for greater control over blending.
How we test
We make a ton of smoothies to see how each blender copes with berries, seeds and fibrous veg. We try crushing ice, unless the brand advises against it, and assess ease of use, leakproofness and overall performance.
With three power settings and a handy pulse button, this speedy smoothie maker successfully crushed all the tough ingredients we chucked in. It’s a solid machine with a big LED countdown timer and was straightforward to use. And if you’ve got into a bit of a protein shake rut, it comes with a recipe book for fresh combos.
If you're serious about health and nutrition, this blender will be your new best mate. Not only does it blend consistently, but it also comes with an app that helps you weigh out ingredients and measure the nutritional value of your smoothie. There are hundreds of recipes to browse, too. The two big cups come with useful sports caps but may be too bulky for some.
This smoothie maker's small size and affordable price tag belies its power. It quickly blitzes ice, oats and tougher-skinned fruits, but it struggles with seeds, leaving a bit of crunch. Still, it's simple to use, easy to store and great value, especially given that you also get two medium-sized bottles. It's got a pulse button, too.
This slick bullet blender whizzes up a tasty smoothie in 30 seconds. It blasts ice and pulverises fruit seeds for a silky texture. Simply blend your ingredients into one of the two differently sized cups, which both come with leakproof lids. The non-slip feet keep it stable during use. It's compact, contemporary and offers great value for money.
Key specs Capacity: 500ml, 800ml Power levels: 1 Pulse mode: No Dishwasher-safe: Yes
Before you baulk at the price, rest assured, this machine delivers an impressive performance. Sludge-coloured smoothies are no more with this clever vacuum blending tech, which locks in nutrients for brighter, silkier drinks. It also prevents ingredients from separating, even hours after you make it — ideal for anyone who likes to prep the night before.
Stuck in a smoothie rut? The original NutriBullet comes with a recipe book and nutrition guide to inspire some new concoctions. It breaks down all ingredients easily, bar leaving some seedy bits behind, and turns off automatically if it overheats. It's fairly compact and comes with two different-sized cups, including one that's shaped like a mug.
Designed with sports in mind, this budget-friendly machine comes with grippy non-spill cups that are ideal for throwing on the sidelines. It’s pretty compact if you’re short on space and although it struggled a bit with ice, the pulse function helped with stubborn chunks.
It might only have one power mode but on test we found this straight-forward machine blended just as well as pricier gadgets, churning out silky smoothies in seconds. The only drawback? The cups aren’t dishwasher safe, so you’ll have to wash up by hand. If you can overlook this though, you’ll bag yourself a decent saving.
Key specs Capacity: 800ml Power levels: 1 Pulse mode: No Dishwasher-safe: No
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