Honestly, I'm still a college kid in my head, so I never imagined myself owning a Smeg blender. I mean the Italian brand is reserved for rich kids or those mom-and-dad Insta/nepo types who got lucky with life, right? Well, apparently not. Their latest release, the Smeg PBF01 personal blender, brings a little hope to all of us who are in search of the best blender but are on a budget (and who are working with a minimal amount of countertop space).
Unlike a conventional review where I'd simply call in a sample, Smeg's PR team hit me up over email asking if I'd like to join them for a workout in a boutique gym (hosted by Lianna Swan, olympian and Shreddy's PT and Community Manager. But first, I joined them for breakfast with a vegan pre-workout shake.
In the name of testing this small kitchen appliance, I squatted, planked, and did some push-ups in 86°F heat. I also spoke to Anna Batten, product manager at Smeg who gave her expert insight into the development of the product too.
Quick list
1. TLDR
2. Testing
3. Specs
4. Unboxing
5. Making a smoothie
6. Other uses
7. Cleaning
8. Is it right for you?
9. Where to buy
10. How we test
With its 50s-style aesthetic, it's totally serving Barbiecore trend in a dinky dreamhouse. Want to see what else I thought of the PBF01 personal blender? Imma make you work for it. Use those thumb gains you've got from scrolling on Instagram and TikTok, and scroll down for more...
TLDR: What I thought of the Smeg PBF01 personal blender
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Just as I'd expected Smeg brought out its blenders in the seven iconic colorways it's known for. With this in mind, you could either add to your existing collection of Smeg inventory (in the same shade) or zhuzh up a cold-looking cook space with one of these Italian bad boys.
As always, it's not just the brand name that I'm looking at. I'll always try and advocate for something that's eco-friendly too (even if it is more expensive). With that said, both bottles that come included are made with recycled plastic. Being a li'l bit of a klutz, I accidentally dropped one of the bottles and it didn't shatter.
As Anna from Smeg better explains: "Included you get two 600ml Triton renew bottles. So the Triton renew means that it contains 50% recycled materials. You get the double blade attachment, and two caps that come with the bottle."
On the downside, it is a little noisy IMO and you have to push it down with pressure to lock it into a "constant" blending mode. In comparison, I do find the *cough* Nutribullet a little easier when I want to whizz something for a prolonged period of time.
Saying that the Smeg PB01 blender does have two different speed functions on the side with a retro control nob, and you can pulse as well as pulverize.
Anna adds: "You've also got four non-slip feet too, so it won't go dancing all over your worktop, which none of us actually want, and it'll stay where you want it."
Testing the Smeg PBF01 personal blender
Hey, I'm Christina and I look after the small kitchen appliance content you'll see on Real Homes. I've personally reviewed several of the blenders you'll see on site, including the Nutribullet and Beast Blender, so you could say, I'm a bit of a "whizz" when it comes to smoothies, soups, and dips. Sorry, not sorry!
Normally, I would liaise with my public relations colleagues and request a sample (to be sent to my home or our testing facility). But as I mentioned, I went to Frame London for the launch of this Smeg blender. The 90-minute event was split into three half-hour sessions. Sipping on pre-workout smoothies, surviving a strength and conditioning class, and a small demo to show us how the product worked.
I then took it home (and to our test kitchen) to give it a try in both a residential and professional setting. We were given this product free of charge, and (as with all our product round-ups and reviews) no money was exchanged to write this article.
The techy bits
- Dimensions (in.): H13.19 x W5.59 x D5.35
- Weight: 3.97lbs
- Materials: Stainless steel (body), Plastic (collar)
- Motor power: 300W
- Minimum spin: 20000 giri/min
- Maximum spin: 22000 giri/min
- Voltage: 220-240 V
- Frequency: 50/60 Hz
- Cable length: 1m
Unboxing the Smeg PBF01 personal blender
As part of the press event, I was able to take home the Smeg PBF01 personal blender in a cute canvas tote bag. Seeing as the event started at 08:45 am (with work straight afterward), I found the box it came it super lightweight and easy to take on the subway with me for the 20-minute commute into the office.
Upon unboxing, I found that the blender was packed well, but with minimal plastic wrapping. On the contrary, each component was wrapped in Smeg-branded, possibly unbleached paper bags.
As I mentioned in the TLDR section, I was quite impressed by the sturdiness of the bottles. They looked "new" enough to look like virgin plastic if I hadn't known otherwise.
I got some interview time with Anna from Smeg, so I asked her a li'l more about the process. She said: "The Tritan Renew is obtained through an innovative molecular recycling process that eliminates single-use plastic waste while keeping high-durability, clarity, and safety standards,"
I know it's showing off a li'l, but I love the embossed logo detailing in the plastic bottle. It just makes that banana-oat-strawberry breakfast blend look more bougie.
Making a smoothie with the Smeg PBF01 personal blender
Not everyone has the luxury to a) make a breakfast b) chow it down slowly enough not to get indigestion. So one of the time-efficient ways to do this is to make a liquid breakie. Enter the smoothie. Because my apartment fridge isn't huge (and we have limited refrigerator space in our test kitchen), I used a mix of frozen fruit (my hack for not needing ice or finding affordable fruit that's in season), whey protein, granola, and enough water to blend.
You don't have to tell me that the finished article looks a little gross, but I can assure you that the first-meal-of-the-day-results were delicious (and nutritious). My whey protein did stick a little to the side of the bottle, but I gave the bottle a little bit of a shake mid-process before returning it to the base to do its thing.
I'll be honest, at first I didn't realize that you can "let go" of the machine (so it runs autonomously instead of in pulse mode), so it should probably be made clearer TBH.
Other ways to use the Smeg PBF01 blender
Making hummus
Have I told you I'm half Greek? It's a running joke that Greek Cypriots are almost a li'l *too* proud of their heritage. But if you've got halloumi, kebabs, and hummus on the menu — I'd bet you'd brag too. Anyway...
My experience of making hummus in a Smeg PBF01 blender wasn't perfect (if I'm honest). But if you prefer your sesame seed appetizer on the "thicc" side, then you'll be fine. I'm team #velvethummus, so when things got a li'l sticky, I had to keep pushing down the ingredients and adding a bit more water/olive oil/tahini to get it just the way I like. Still, I persevered and the results were edible. Was it quicker/smoother in a Nutribullet? I'm afraid so!
Nonetheless, my colleagues on our sister publications (Homes and Gardens / Ideal Home said it tasted authentic, so if you can get past the textural and technical difficulties (and be a bit more patient), you might be onto something).
Protein shakes
Working together, Shreddy and Smeg put together three delicious recipes for us to try at the event. All of them used a scoop (30g) of Shreddy's French vanilla protein powder which considering it's made from peas, didn't taste like I was made to swig my petit pois before lunchtime.
Cleaning the Smeg PBF01 blender
Whether I'm at home or in the test kitchen, I've got the option to handwash the bottle or stick it in the dishwasher after use. I was initially scared that dishwashing would warp the plastic, but speaking to Anna, she confirmed it was OK once I was RTG.
I hand-washed the bottle and blade after making the smoothie as I didn't have a full load of dishes to warrant machine-washing a few bits of cutlery and crockery I'd used to make my beverage. While the plastic bottle is fairly easy to clean with a Dishmatic washing-up brush (y'know the ones on Amazon), I felt the blade attachment could be better designed to get into all the nooks and crannies to thoroughly get rid of food debris (especially if it's had time to dry on). My advice? Get yourself a bottle brush set (again, from Amazon) and use it to "floss" the underside of the blade. It might sound a little OTT, but cleaning a blender properly is important to ensure you maintain your machine ('cause no one ones a moldy iced macchiato)
Is the Smeg PBF01 blender right for you?
If you're after smoothies, shakes, and "soft dips" (think salsa, guac, pico de gallo, etc.), then yes. But JYSK, I've been a li'l shook to try crushing ice or grinding coffee beans (which I know I can do with my Beast Health B10 Blender (available from Crate and Barrel with no trouble).
I don't mean to be harsh — owning this blender is undeniably a real style statement. But at just shy of $170, I think you'll need to come back in a bit once I've had a bit more hands-on experience if I'm going to give it a solid five-star rating.
Where to buy a Smeg PBF01 blender
As well as buying the PBF01 blender direct from Smeg, it's also available in the following stores:
- Buy Smeg PBF01 blender at Amazon
- Buy Smeg PBF01 blender at Best Buy
- Buy Smeg PBF01 blender at Crate & Barrel
- Buy Smeg PBF01 blender at William Sonoma
- Buy Smeg PBF01 blender from QVC
You can also grab an extra Bottle To Go on Amazon if you find your roomies are stealing yours in lieu of their crusty AF drinking accessory.
How we test blenders
Testing blenders aren't just about chucking in some ingredients and hoping for the best. When reviewing this macerating machine, we'll do our research and look at the most popular food/drinks made and how well it does to prepare these. Here are a few things we consider when rating blenders:
Time/performance: How long does it take to blitz certain ingredients? When you've just got back to the gym, you'll probably want to chug that protein shake ASAP, right? Otherwise, you'll be better off adding a scoop to a shaker and mixing DIY, without any electronic devices. Also, we don't like half-assed jobs, so we're super strict on assessing the performance, ensuring there are no large chunks once the job is done. Strawberry seeds and fine oatmeal is fine (we're not *that* strict)
Motor: What's the voltage like and how powerful is the blender? If you're going to whizz up soft fruits like bananas and strawberries, you might not need something that goes "ham", but if you're looking to grind coffee beans, crush ice, and create seasoning blends from hard spices — a weak machine with little torque could result in it overheating, potentially smoking, and creating an electrical fire risk in your kitchen.
Clean-up: How easy is it to wipe down the base and clean the inside of the bottle or jug? Can you taste yesterday's tomato soup in today's PB/chocolate shake? These are all the questions you want to know, so we'll take the time to handwash and dishwash the product and inspect it for food debris, residue, and odor.