6 of the best blenders to whip up smoothies, protein shakes, and soups

Our top picks of the best blenders you can buy from Ninja, KitchenAid, Smeg, NutriBullet, Zwilling, and Breville

Best blender
Image credit: KitchenAid
(Image credit: KitchenAid)

If you're looking for a way to get your five a day in without having to really go out of your way, then you need to invest in a blender. This way, you can minimise your food waste and upscale your fruit and veg intake pretty much instantly. From Vitamix to Ninja, a good quality blender is worth its weight in gold on your kitchen countertop. A great model can also offer a range of smart presets to bring you crushed ice for cocktail hour or velvety smooth, nutritious soups to thaw you out on a cold day. 

Soup lover? Not all blenders can be used to make this warming meal, but we have been sure to include some heatproof models that will leave you with tasty and healthy homemade lunch in minutes. Constantly on the go? We've featured portable models you can take to the gym or on your Tube commute. From the likes of NutriBullet, Ninja, and Beast Health — all are great for protein shakes and morning smoothies because of their personal-size blending cups. 

What else is a blender good for? We use ours for mixing ingredients — think pancakes or waffles — and blending them into a thick consistency for pouring straight from the pitcher to the pan. Not to be confused with a juicer, by the way, although you can get a two-in-one model if you're tight on countertop space and want the best of both worlds, as our gal Miley Cyrus would say.

The best blender you can buy in 2024

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Real Homes review process — how we test blenders

Beast Health Blender in Future Plc test kitchen

Beast Health Blender in Future Plc test kitchen

(Image credit: Beast)

This isn't about whizzing through appliances and giving them a rating on the day. Nope, we test and review blenders both in our Future Plc test kitchen and in our own homes over a lengthy period of time. Here are some of the things we're scoring points for:

  • Power: Not everyone needs the most powerful blender, but if you want something that can crush ice and blitz out leafy greens, the higher the wattage, the better. We listed the power for all of our best blender picks, so just take a look at our top five entries.
  • Size: When you buy a big blender, make sure you have the space to store it when not in use. Many people like to leave their blender on the kitchen counter, but if you want to store your blender in a cupboard or on a shelf, it's worth checking that it's light enough to be lifted easily and that it's not too tall for your intended storage space.
  • Attachments: Blender food processor combos are perfect for cutting down your appliances by giving you a two-in-one machine. If you already have a food processor, buying a blender food processor could be an unnecessary expense. 

Meet our blender reviewers:

Annie Collyer illustration
Annie Collyer

Annie has the Smeg blender in her kitchen to match her toaster, kettle and fridge from the same brand. She loves its style but most of all she raves about how easy it is to use — and clean. It's quite big so she uses it for serving up smoothies for herself and her husband.

Christina illustration
Christina Chrysostomou

Christina is currently putting the Beast Health Blender through its paces in and outside her home. She loves bringing the chic fluted bottle to the gym as an alternative to the protein shaker that's been by her side every workout. At the moment, this stylish leakproof vessel is getting a lot more use, and *touch wood* there's been no smelly whey-and-water spills in her car.

What to consider when choosing a blender

Want to know everything you need to know about picking a blender in three minutes? Our head of reviews Millie Fender provides the lowdown on what to look out for when buying this appliance. She sieves through everything from blades to jug materials and more so that you can shop for a blitzing machine built for your everyday needs.

For a start, think about the size of your household and how often you’ll be using a blender. Cleaning a blender is a fiddly process, so we recommend looking for one with as many dishwasher-safe parts as possible too. 

We'd also recommend considering the following:

  • How will you be using your blender? If it's for your morning smoothie, it's best to go for a model geared towards that purpose, such as the Nutribullet 600 series. However, if you're looking for a blender to liquidise the ingredients for Yorkshire puddings or to mix a pancake batter, a more powerful model will be more suitable. High-wattage models aren't always better, so it's best to pick a blender based on what it'll be used for.
  • How many speeds does the blender have? Smoothies only? One speed is enough. However, if you'll be using your blender for all sorts of recipes, invest in a model that has a range of different speeds and settings, and look out for those with a pulse setting, an ice-crushing setting, and a hot food mode.
  • What is the size of the blender? Consider this both in relation to how much storage space you have for it and how much food it needs to cope with at a time. Most range from 0.5 litres to 1.5 litres; smaller ones are obviously best for making that single morning smoothie; larger models will be needed for tackling dinner party recipes.
  • Are there any useful additional attachments? These may include extra blades or even extra cups for convenience.
  • Are the blender cups and jugs BPA-free? This is a factor worth considering if you're conscious of your health and the research surrounding BPA plastics. To read all about BPA plastics and why you should avoid them, visit HealthLine.
Christina Chrysostomou
Acting head ecommerce editor

Hi, I'm the acting head ecommerce editor at Real Homes. Prior to working for the Future plc family, I've worked on a number of consumer events including the Ideal Home Show, Grand Designs Live, and Good Homes Magazine. With a first class degree from Keele University, and a plethora of experience in digital marketing, editorial, and social media, I have an eye for what should be in your shopping basket. I'm the in-house appliances expert and have gone through the internal customer advisor accreditation process.

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