Best Blender for Smoothies, Need Your Advice

[olivia11]

I have researched about the best blender for smoothies over the past few days because I’m really trying to level up my morning routine and start making nutrient-packed smoothies at home. I checked out reviews on Consumer Reports, Wirecutter, and Good Housekeeping, and they consistently mention these two as top picks:

Ninja BL660 Professional Compact Smoothie & Food Processing Blender
https://www.amazon.com/Ninja-Professional-Countertop-1100-Watt-BL660/dp/B00939FV8K?th=1

nutribullet Full-Size Blender Combo 1200W – NBF50500
https://www.amazon.com/Nutribullet-Watts-Full-Size-Blender-NBF50500/dp/B0BRDJ28B7?th=1

However, I’m having a hard time deciding which one would best suit my needs and would really appreciate some input from smoothie enthusiasts here.
I plan on blending frozen fruits, leafy greens, protein powders, ice, and sometimes nut butters. I also want something durable, easy to clean, and powerful enough to handle daily use.
So which one would you recommend? Or is there another blender you swear by?
Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Not a smoothie expert or connoisseur, but Ninja is my choice...

 

[normanaj]

I have a smoothie every morning as I just can't eat right away.

I don't do ice in mine just fresh/frozen fruit with a little juice for viscosity. This is what I have:

 

[SmokinAl]

I drink 2 smoothies a day & the best blender we have found is the Kitchen aid mod. #KSB2072DG. It has a more powerful motor than the VitaMix does & it blends much better than a VitaMix. We have burned thru 2 Ninja’s & 1 VitaMix already & they don’t blend as well as the KA.
Al

 

[mike243]

My Ninja has been great for over 10 years probably would buy another if this 1 dies

 

[chef k-dude]

I dont do smoothies, I like to chew. But when the rest of my teeth are gone, I may not have much choice

After my research to replace our blender some years ago, I landed on the Blentec Classic. I was tired of messing around. I could probably blend southern clay dirt with the thing the motor and gear are so powerful.

I dont use machines like that much. I adopted the "cheffy" mantra of "knife skills and cutting board" years ago, but when I want to make a few specific things, the blender is crucial.

I was gifted a Magic Bullet for Christmas. I have no idea what I'm going to use it for, but apparently it's big in "smoothieland" especially for single serve stuff. The only thing so far I have seen I might use it for is quicky small batch egg salad.

 

[dls1]

I dont do smoothies, I like to chew. But when the rest of my teeth are gone, I may not have much choice

After my research to replace our blender some years ago, I landed on the Blentec Classic. I was tired of messing around. I could probably blend southern clay dirt with the thing the motor and gear are so powerful.

I dont use machines like that much. I adopted the "cheffy" mantra of "knife skills and cutting board" years ago, but when I want to make a few specific things, the blender is crucial.

I was gifted a Magic Bullet for Christmas. I have no idea what I'm going to use it for, but apparently it's big in "smoothieland" especially for single serve stuff. The only thing so far I have seen I might use it for is quicky small batch egg salad.

I agree with you on the Blentec. We use our unit multiple times daily, and it's a workhorse. I just looked at the unit and it shows the "made on" date of March, 2011, the same month I bought it. Also, the usage meter shows that it's been run through 7,286 cycles. The only issue I've ever had is when the bearing on the 64 oz. WildSide cup crapped out around 5 years ago. I replaced it for $70.

 

[sandyut]

I have this Ninja for smoothies. its great. Nothing slows it down. My wife thinks its too loud...

 

[BigDave11]

i have a vitamix commercial model, the drink machine two-speed. one swtich press and the smoothie is made and turns off on its own. its really ONLY for smoothies and other frozen drinks. it has a 2.3hp motor, which is 1700 peak watts which is the same as the kitchenaid pure power blender. at about 4x the cost im not sure its worth it unless you blend every single day or can find a deal on it. dont get sold on ninja with their multiple sharp blades. the vitamixes and KA pure power use an almost dull blade at insane power and speeds to pulverize everything including seeds. you can make hot soup in it too. you want the blade and power on the bottom, not everywhere like the ninjas. the speed will create a vortex that sucks everything down and blends easily and evenly.

 

[SMOKEOCD]

Blendtec had the YouTube series Will it blend. I remember 2x4s, bricks, cell phones. Fun to watch, but we have a Vitamix. We used to burn through the standard blenders every 2-3 years and they didn’t make margaritas as smooth as the vitamix could. A lot has improved over the last 15-20 years, you don’t need to blow 3-400 on a blender anymore, but I don’t think I’ll need to buy another.

 

[dward51]

We bought a Blendtec Classic about 10 or 12 years ago. Love it. Built like a tank and the commercial design will last longer than either of us will. My daughter bought one and she went with a refurbished one direct from Blendtec. No problems and saved a good bit of money vs new.

I also have one of the Nutri-bullet ones that I use to make sausage spice slurries when I'm mixing up my sausage. I mix the dry spices, cure, and about 1/2 of the water and blend it into a slurry to pour on the meat. I then take a little bit more water (beer, or whatever my liquid is) to slosh around and get every last bit of spices and cure off the sides of the nutri-bullet interior. I picked up that idea from watching some of the "Sausage Sensei" video's on YouTube (Bill Dumas). My batches are smaller than his usually, so the nutri-bullet is the perfect size.