What is the best blender for smoothies? I was looking for a blender to make smoothies and I cant find the "right" one...can someone please help me!!! Thanks
647793
I had an Oster blender that lasted a few years (only 2 because it was dropped and broken) but it made smoothies like a dream. Also, blended up flax seeds/dry rice/oats/etc. to make various flours within a minute. I got a Ninja Professional BL500 and was sorely disappointed as, like the other reviewer said, the smoothies were chunky and gross. Also, with the 6-blade thing its hard to fit anything in it to blend! My husband is currently returning it and I am looking for another lower-than-Blendtec or VitaMix-priced blender. Tempted to try Kitchenaid or Oster this time...hmm...
647794
Did any of you see the Popular Mechanix video that tested blenders? Neither the blentec or the vitamix comes out looking very good. I've been using my Kitchenaid 5-speed, which won the competition, everyday for green smoothies and it does a great job at a fraction of the cost.
647795
I own the Oster Fusion blender. Marketed as a blender/food processor due to the reversing blade capability. I have had it for 2 years and it's great! Makes smooth smoothies too! I put carrots and apples cut into quarters and nuts in it on chop first then add other ingredients and ice and put it on the frozen drink setting and it works wonderfully. The jar is glass, which is nice and holds 6 cups. Can only say great things about it...
647796
I bought a Ninja Kitchen System 1200..terrible for green smoothies. After 10 mins on high, there is still large chunks in the liquid. I would not recommend it.
647797
I just got the ninja 700. it has the power to crush the ice very fast but it does NOT make the smoothie smooth. I believe it's the blade design that it does not promote enough circulation inside the blender. Lot of chunky ice in there even a relatively long blend. Absolutely not recommended for smoothies. My cheapy bullet blender make smoother smoothie.
647798
after 4 weeks of making a daily smoothie with my 5 speed kitchenaid, the little nubs on the housing that spin the blade in the carafe melted rigth off the machine - and before it broke, the bottom of the carafe leaked everytime I blended for more than a minute (about 3-5 minutes was necessary in order to get a liquid out of all the fruit and spinach I put in there, even with a few ounces of water) - now I have an expensive paperweight. Will probably be buying a blendtec.
647799
I just buy a cheap osterizer or something when it's on sale for $25. I only make smoothies once a day in the morning. It takes a little longer, maybe 3-5 minutes. But I can buy 10 of them and still not spend as much as one of those expensive blenders.
1849555
Mine couldn't even blend ice cream and milk for a shake, much less crush ice. I ended up buying a Faberware10-speed blender with preprogrammed settings and it's awesome! I've never been able to make such smooth smoothies at home before. No ice chips.
105112
I have been using this Ninja for almost a year and absolutely LOVE it. I had a problem with the small cup where the top would fit. I called Customer Service & they were wonderful. Sent me new parts at no charge to me. I'm on here so I could order one for my best friend because she loves mine so much. Besides smoothies I've made so many other things in it. Last night I made mashed potatoes in it. Baked the potatoes in the microwave, cut them peels and all, butter, sour cream, cheese, milk, and everyone loved them! And the best part is, the peel is the healthiest part for you. I hope this helps. Good Luck & Happy Blending! Michelle
701249
This blender is amazing because not only does it blend anything you can think of , but the amount doesn't matter because as the blending begins it draws down the ingredients, unlike that of a conventional blender this blender sucks everything downwards instead of up and all over the place. I use this to do green smoothies all the time, it's the reason I bought it. It is the best most powerful blender that I know of. watch youtube"will it blend" see the power. and everything is blended so smoothly. Absolutely no chunks. I hope that helps you.
39267
This is a just below average blender, I bought it specifically for making smoothies. I saw it in our local grocery store, so I was able to really look it over before I bought it. However, the "smoothie button" is a load of garbage. I use frozen fruit and frozen veggies, liquid, and yogurt. I always put the liquid and yogurt in first and still I have to use the pulse button to get everything mixed (I have to keep stopping to mix with a utensil) and then I have to leave it on the puree button to really get it to blend smoothly. Considering I use it twice a day everyday it's kind of annoying, but while it's blending I get time to clean up. BOTTOM LINE it's takes too long for making smoothies, it IS very loud, AND worst of all it leaks, there is not a good seal no matter how tight I try to make it. Is it a good value for the money? I would have rather spent the money on the Ninja. Hope this helps!
1081930
i make a smoothie every morning which includes carrots, lemons, beets, kale, ginger, all the "usual suspects"...and it blends them into a perfectly smooth drink! i do cut things up into manageable sizes before putting them into the cannister but this thing is a beast :) my only issue with the blender is the ill-fitting lid and spillage when pouring, but it's nothing egregious.
1278028
this is a juicer, not a blender, but a 2nd disc can be used to make smoothies, but i've never made smoothies before myself. i'm a juicer. this is a VERY powerful machine you can use for a very long time.
1654417
I use full ice cubes when blending smoothies with the Ninja, and I use the system at least 5 times a day (we are bodybuilders and make shakes frequently). It literally demolishes the ice cubes in seconds. I can't give Ninja a higher recommendation---love it.
1177461
I have only used blenders. I believe my wife tried without a blender and it ended up 'gloopy'
1726126
Hi Ken. I've never used it for anything but smoothies so I can't help you there. Perhaps Sun Warrior's web site will have some helpful hints.
1515237
I think that a lot of people think there's a drastic difference between a smoothie and juice in terms of texture. The reason the "juice" is so thin is because it has NO fiber, NO pulp, NO nutritional value. You can put in more water in your smoothie to thin it out. But if you want a juicer, buy a juicer. IMHO, you will waste TONS of money. I had a juicer, not only did I waste money because of all of the pulp and fiber that wasn't in my drink, but I wasted time from the extended clean up.
417394
I make smoothies most every day out of frozen fruit, ice cubes, lettuce, seeds, and other items. Let me tell you that my smoothies are smooth as silk and never lumpy. And I had to send my blender back to Vita-Mix at year 5 because the motors would not speed up and in three day I received a refurbished blender and new container on my porch by air. Best C/S ever!
2238495
You could make a juice and leave all the pulp in, but really not the right machine to make smoothies, like Steve said you really need a blender for that.
484601
Hmmm, I'm new to smoothies, brand new in fact-haven't made one yet, so maybe I should get used to smoothies without oatmeal first. I was only here to donate mine. I bought the giant pack by mistake.
1215271
I threw mine out because it started leaking and sprung for a Vitamix (reburbished--5 year warranty). This blender blended fine while it worked but it does not puree hard vegetables like you describe. Vitamix is the the one you want to smoothies, using whole apples, etc. Whiz kid!
1457090
Thanks Jennifer. I mainly use it for making smoothies, but I tried blending just water and it made that noise. I emailed Breville customer support, and they're going to ship me a new blender pending "inspection" of the old one. I don't know what they could hope to find during the inspection - I just purchased it a month ago!
1922509
How frequently do these people use their blenders? once a day? once a week? once a month? In my case, my work place(a professional kitchen in a 5-star hotel in Waikiki)has a blender like this one, we use it a lot everyday. That's why I bought one myself for home use. Don't get me wrong, Vitamix are good stuff too, we have them in the kitchens too. It's like comparing Toyota and Honda, you know?! One is NOT necessarily better than the other.