For on-the-go nutrition, post-workout power-ups, proper meals or margaritas, a good blender can make all the difference to your nutrition…
Contrary to popular opinion, it’s the kitchen – not the gym – where you lay your fitness foundations. Arm yourself with one of the best blenders and you’ll be able to blitz up protein powders and pre-workout shakes in seconds, and elevate your smoothie game by crushing, grinding, pureeing and chopping the freshest, healthiest ingredients.
From portable smoothie makers to culinary power-houses and versatile soup makers, our tester Chris Haslam has put each blender through its paces, seeing how they cope with blitzing everything from simple protein shakes and fruit smoothies to fibrous greens and frozen margaritas. He’s tested the latest designs for every budget, to help you boost your nutrition and rejuvenate your diet, whatever your fitness goals.
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Our pick of the best blenders
(Read on for full reviews…)
- Best overall blender – Sage The Super Q ($549 / £599), amazon.co.uk
- Best blender for smoothies – Nutribullet 900 ($79 / £119), amazon.co.uk
- Best blender for protein shakes – BlendJet 2 ($49 / £49), blendjet.com
- Best multi-functional blender – Ninja 3-in-1 ($168 / £199), amazon.co.uk
- Best blender for aesthetic design – Smeg Personal Blender ($169 / £109), amazon.co.uk
- Best blender for power – Vitamix E310 ($349 / £429), amazon.co.uk
Sage The Super Q
Best blender
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| Power: | 2,400W |
| Capacity: | 67.6oz / 2 litres |
| Size: | 18.1 x 8.3 x 10.6in / 46 x 21 x 27cm |
| Attachments: | 23.6oz / 700ml personal cup, spatula |
| Extras: | Tamper, digital recipe book |
Power: 5/5
Blending: 4.5/5
Crushing: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
If you want a quality blender that can turn its blades to ice creams and cocktails as well as soups, sauces and smoothies, check out the Super Q. At 2,400W, this beast from Sage (or Breville in the US) is the most powerful in our roundup of the best blenders.
Ingeniously shaped blades rotate at up to 300km/h, pulverising any ingredient in seconds. I found it was big enough to knock out recipes for the whole family and it even has a useful 23.6oz / 700ml cup, which meant I could enjoy my creations on the go.
- Read our full Sage The Super Q review
Nutribullet 900
Best for smoothies
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| Power: | 900W |
| Capacity: | 30.7oz / 909ml |
| Size: | 14.6 x 5.5 x 6.7in / 37 x 14 x 17cm |
| Attachments: | 23oz / 680ml cup with sip lid, 30.7oz / 909ml cup with fridge lid |
Power: 4.5/5
Blending: 4.5/5
Crushing: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
You don’t need a big budget to invest in one of the biggest and best names in blenders. Nutribullet’s mid-range 900 blender will set you back less than $150 / £100, giving you a 900W machine that will pulverise almost anything.
Its unique blade design is made to extract more nutrients from fresh fruit and veg and it’ll make mincemeat of fibrous greens. Also, if you’re into cocktails, I found the Nutribullet to be one of the best blenders for crushing ice too. I also like that it comes with an oversized cup and a takeaway cup with a sip lid.
- Read our full Nutribullet 900 review
BlendJet 2
Best for protein shakes
| Power: | 5V |
| Capacity: | 15.4oz / 454ml |
| Size: | 9.1in x 3in / 23 x 7.6cm diameter |
| Extras: | USB-C charging cable |
Power: 3/5
Blending: 4/5
Crushing: 3/5
OVERALL: 4/5
At the other end of the scale from the Sage lies the handy BlendJet 2. Currently on offer at a tenth of the Super Q’s price, it’s a great value portable blender that can make up to 15 shakes on a single charge.
Unsurprisingly it’s best suited to soft fruit smoothies and shakes, but I found it was also able to break down frozen fruit and rolled oats with a bit of effort. With 38 colours to choose from, these blenders are a gym bag staple that can really make a statement.
- Read out full BlendJet 2 review
Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto-IQ
Best multi-functional blender
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| Power: | 1,200W |
| Capacity: | 71oz / 2.1-litre |
| Size: | 18.9 x 10 x 7.5in / 48 x 25.5 x 19cm |
| Attachments: | 23.6oz / 700ml cup, 60.9oz / 1.8-litre food processor, grating blade |
Power: 3.5/5
Blending: 4/5
Crushing: 3.5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
The Ninja 3-in-1 is a multi-functional blender that’ll take your recipes to the next level. It’s a versatile machine that can chop, slice, blend, puree, grate, mix and even make cakes or pizza dough.
You’ll be spoilt for choice with its jug, bowl and cup attachments while a four-speed motor allows you to refine your blending. The base auto detects what attachment you’ve selected, illuminating just the buttons you’ll need – which I thought was a nice touch.
- Read our full Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor review
Smeg PBF01 Personal Blender
Best for aesthetic design
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| Power: | 300W |
| Capacity: | 20.3oz / 600ml |
| Size: | 12.8 x 5.5 x 5.5in / 32.5 x 14 x 14cm |
| Attachments: | 2x 20.3oz / 600ml bottles with lids |
Power: 3.5/5
Blending: 4/5
Crushing: 3/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Smeg is undoubtedly the king of classic kitchen appliance design and its PBF01 Personal Blender is another triumph. If you value your kitchen real estate then this blender will fit right in, with its compact footprint and robust design.
Two 20oz / 600ml bottles with sip lips means it’s easy to grab a shake and go when you’re rushing out the door. At only 300W, these blenders may struggle with nuts and ice but in my opinion, that’s a price worth paying for their convenience and good looks.
- Read our full Smeg PBF01 Personal Blender review
Vitamix E310 Explorian
Best for power
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| Power: | 1,400W |
| Capacity: | 51oz / 1.5 litres |
| Size: | 18.1 x 7.9 x 11in / 46 x 20 x 28cm |
| Extras: | Mini tamper, recipe book |
Power: 4/5
Blending: 4/5
Crushing: 4/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Don’t be fooled into thinking that, because this is Vitamix’s most affordable model, there’s anything basic about it. I found the whopping 1,400W of power could whip anything into the smoothest of shakes, smoothies or soups.
Although $349 / £429 doesn’t exactly scream ‘affordable’, the Vitamix’s premium construction will last you for years. And those of you with any culinary aspirations will appreciate the full manual control these blenders give you.
- Read our full Vitamix E310 review
What to look for in the best blenders
Your ideal blender will depend on a number of factors including the size of your kitchen worktop and whether you want to do more than just blitz up a protein powder shake. If you’re into making soups and want to be more adventurous in the kitchen, a larger jug blender is ideal, offering various power modes and plenty of useful attachments. Though that will take up more worktop space.
Smoothie makers, on the other hand, tend to be compact and come with twist-on lids that allow you to have your pre-workout shake on the go. They typically make one serving at a time and lack the power of bigger blenders, although some can still blitz nuts, breadcrumbs and even ice. Some will free you from the worktop altogether, with USB charging for smoothies on the go.
Blenders offer a greater level of control when chopping, grinding and pureeing. As you’ll see from our selection of the best blenders, some brands such as Vitamix also come with a single-serve smoothie cup attachment, giving you the best of both worlds.
What makes a good blender?
Speed and power
Ask a chef and they’ll say control and power are the most important factors when choosing a blender. Smoothie makers often have just one or two speeds, but those with multiple speed settings enable the user to puree nuts in seconds, liquify ingredients and handle hard-to-blend leafy ingredients. Power is also key when looking to blitz frozen fruit and ice, and anything over 1,000W should be enough for most tasks, while some, such as our Editor’s Pick, the Sage The Super Q, have over 2,000W.
Programs
Not a feature often found on simple smoothie makers, but more advanced blenders often have a range of automatic programs to take the guesswork out of your recipe making. These can include settings for ice crushing, fruit and green smoothies, nuts and even soup.
Accessories
Some smoothie makers come with two jugs while other blenders have large pouring jugs for batch cooking and smaller cups for chopping nuts, or single-serve drinks. Look out for designs with interchangeable multi-functional blades to tackle the widest choice of wet and dry ingredients. Some can even knock up pizza dough or sponge cake batter.
Cleaning
Many of the best blenders are advertised as ‘easy clean’ and while some are easier to rinse than others, they’re all a bit of a faff, especially if you’re using powders and greens. Look for dishwasher-safe parts to save you extra effort. Some have self-cleaning programs, which can help get powder residue out of the corners.
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