Best Blenders for Making Smoothies
These six blenders do a solid job of crushing up ice and delivering smooth drinks, according to our testers
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Making your own smoothies is an easy way to front-load your day with fruits and vegetables. But with a blender that’s not up to the task, you might be left with chunks of frozen strawberries or stringy kale leaves in your drink—or, worse yet, in your teeth. That’s why we set out to find the best full-sized blenders for making smoothies. (Smoothies aside, here are our picks for the best blenders overall.)
In CR’s lab, we put blenders through a battery of tests, including two that evaluate a blender’s ability to make smooth smoothies. In our icy-drinks tests, we make batches of nonalcoholic piña coladas and use sieves of various mesh sizes to evaluate smoothness and thickness. “If a blender rates excellent in this test, you can expect a smooth, consistent texture, especially when blending strawberries, bananas, and other soft ingredients,” says Ginny Lui, CR’s chief blender tester. A very good rating means there are tiny bits in the mix.
If you plan to blend apples, carrots, and other hard foods, or add greens to your smoothies, check the results of our puréeing test. “An excellent rating there indicates the blender serves up smooth smoothies and soups, with no stringy greens,” Lui says.
The Overall Score for each model in our blender ratings combines results from these and other lab tests with data from our latest surveys of CR members about their experiences using more than 33,000 full-sized blenders. Our survey results show that Vitamix, and Calphalon are the most reliable brands, with Vitamix achieving our highest ratings for owner satisfaction, too.
Below, we present 6 full-sized blenders (listed in alphabetical order) that serve up terrific smoothies. They all ace our icy-drinks test, and some even earn a top-notch rating for puréeing—a rare achievement among the models we’ve tested.
You can also see our guide to the best blenders for frozen drinks—if your appetite calls for something other than a smoothie—as well as the most reliable blender brands and our guide to the best blenders for $100 or less. CR members can delve more deeply into our complete blender ratings for all the details. Be sure to consult our blender buying guide as you shop, too.
The Cuisinart Hurricane Pro CBT-2000 earns an excellent rating in our icy-drinks test and a strong rating in our ice-crushing test, turning out ice similar in texture to a snow cone. It holds 8 cups and is a whiz at puréeing. The container is plastic, as is the case with all the blenders featured here. Plastic can absorb stains and odors, so it’s best to clean it right after use. All blenders are loud, but this one is a little noisier than others on this list. Cuisinart full-sized blenders receive a very good score for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction, meaning CR members would recommend the brand’s blenders to friends and family
The 9-cup Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System BN801 doesn’t just make great smoothies—it’s also a top performer all-around. Not to mention, when compared with the top-rated, but pricier Vitamix competitors, this Ninja model is preferred by CR’s testers. In addition to hitting our icy-drinks test out of the park, this blender is excellent at puréeing. It’s also budget-friendly and has a pulse function so you can whip up creamy mayonnaise or pancake mix with ease. As a brand, Ninja full-sized blenders receive favorable scores for reliability and owner satisfaction in CR’s latest members survey.
At just over $100, the NutriBullet Smart Touch NBF50420 is a great option for budget shoppers. This 8-cup machine garners the highest rating in CR’s icy-drinks test and also aced our puréeing, durability, and convenience trials. It comes with a recipe book and a tamper and features easy-to-clean touchscreen controls.
The 6-cup Oster 2143023 800-Watt Power Blender is also a great option for those on a budget. At just under $80, this blender is a powerhouse when it comes to whipping up smoothies, earning a top-notch rating in CR’s icy-drinks test. It also does a very good job of puréeing raw ingredients. This model features five speeds, touchscreen controls, and a pulse function so you can easily churn through egg whites, creamy mayonnaise, or pancake mix. As a brand, Oster full-sized blenders garner a strong reliability rating and a midlevel owner satisfaction rating in CR’s member surveys.
You’ll see 10 full-sized Vitamix blenders in CR’s ratings; all of them are top-rated for reliability and owner satisfaction. This one is a steal, too, considering it’s equipped with the brand’s advanced features for a fraction of the price of other Vitamix models. The Vitamix 5200 has an 8-cup capacity and a generous seven-year warranty. And it’s skilled at more than smoothies—due to the friction created by the fast-whirling blades, it can actually make hot soup in 5 minutes. At 20 inches, this model is on the tall side and may not fit in all kitchen cabinets.
The Vitamix Professional Series 750 easily serves up fine smoothies with ice the texture of snow. Though this model is pricey, it’s among the most powerful blenders made (1,656 watts is well beyond the typical 500- to 800-watt middle ground). It holds 8 cups and is a master at puréeing and crushing ice.
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