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Last updated: November 24, 2021
Using a blender is the perfect way to get your whole fruits and vegetables in, simply by consuming delicious green smoothies.
I have been making and drinking smoothies consistently for many years now, using various different types of blenders in different price categories.
Are you looking to purchase a new blender but not sure which one to choose? Read on, as I share with you my recommendations for best blenders for green smoothies, based on price/value, durability, performance, and ease-of-use.
The best smoothie blender on the market right now is the Nutri Ninja Blender Duo, which offers the best mix of durability, performance and value for money.
Top 9 Smoothie Blenders:
Best personal blenders for smoothies on the go.
Top 9 Smoothie Blenders
Here are my 9 recommendations for good quality, affordable blenders that can create delicious smoothies without any issues. The pricing varies, from inexpensive and affordable, to mid-range and slightly more expensive.
If you’re looking for a more powerful blender, check out my recommendations for best high-end blenders for some great options.
1. Nutri Ninja Blender Duo with Auto IQ
The higher end Ninja models are quite decent and versatile blenders, often with great sets of features. This particular Nutri Ninja Duo with Auto IQ is one of those blenders that performs incredibly well, but doesn’t come with a massive price tag.
The biggest feature in the Nutri Ninja Duo is the Auto-iQ technology that give you intelligent blending programs that take the guesswork out of blending. It combines timed blending, pulsing and pausing functions without you having to look after it. And the digital countdown timer tells you exactly when your green smoothie is ready.
As with most Ninja models, the Nutri Ninja Duo comes with a whole set of (BPA-free) jars and cups. In addition to the main container with a 72 oz capacity, you will also find three smaller but very useful Ninja cups in the box. They are great for smaller batches on the go. The 75 recipe cookbook is a great bonus gift that will give you lots of inspiration to get serious about blending.
Nutri Ninja Duo with Auto IQ:
- Powerful 1200 watts motor
- Auto-iQ technology with 5 pre-programmed settings
- 72 oz max liquid container
- Three Nutri Ninja cups (18 / 24 / 32 oz)
- 75 recipe cookbook
- Digital timer
2. Breville BBL620 Fresh & Furious Blender
The Breville Fresh & Furious is a great looking blender that is both quiet and efficient. The 1100 watts high torque motor in combination with the blade design delivers quality blending performance, while the stainless steel blades stay sharp for longer.
It comes with 5 different speed settings, for mixing, chopping, blending, pureeing and liquifying, in addition to illuminated smoothie, green smoothie and ice crush pre programmed buttons. This not only allows for making quality smoothies, but also for small food processing tasks.
Please note that the container is a touch smaller than most other models in this list of blenders for smoothies. However, a capacity of 50 oz is still very reasonable.
Breville BBL620 Fresh & Furious Blender:
- Efficient high torque 1100 watts motor
- Stainless steel blades
- 50 oz BPA-free container
- 5 speed settings
- Smoothie / green smoothie / ice crush pre-programmed buttons
3. Ninja Professional Blender 1000
One of the reason this Ninja ranks high in list of blenders for green smoothies, is that it strikes the perfect balance between quality and affordability. And while not crucial, I do also like the looks of this blender.
The Ninja Professional Blender 1000 is equipped with a powerful 1,000 watts motor and Total Crushing blades that easily pulverize and crush ice, fruits and vegetables in a matter of seconds.
The generous size of the 72 oz BPA-free container is ideal for larger batches of green smoothies and other creamy frozen drinks. What’s also important is that, despite the large size of the container, this Ninja model has a rather low profile design, so that it fits under most cabinets on the coutertop.
Ninja Professional Blender 1000:
- Powerful 1000 watts motor
- Total Crushing Technology
- 72 oz container
- Speed settings + pulse
4. Vitamix Ascent A2300
Vitamix is definitely my favorite brand of blenders. You pay a bit more, but they perform amazingly well and last for so many years. I still have my Vitamix 5200 (Total Nutrition Center) that I bought many years ago, and it’s still working as well as it did on its first run.
The Ascent series is a modern range of blenders that Vitamix has been selling since 2017. They definitely look a bit different than than the classic Vitamix machines, and they also come with high-tech features, such as wireless connectivity and built in timers.
The Vitamix Ascent 2300 is the entry level blender in this modern range of blenders, and is the perfect machine to make delicious smoothies, as well as soups, butters and frozen desserts.
The Ascent A2300 offers variable speed control, a super handy feature that allows you to prepare smoothies and other recipes with a greater level of precision. The pulse feature works in combination with the variable speed control concept.
It also has a built-in digital timer, which removes a lot of the guesswork with manual blending. Simply set it to how long you want to blend your ingredients, and the A2300 will take care of it, leaving you with a blend with the desired texture and temperature.
The Vitamix Ascent A2300 is one of the more affordable blenders in the Vitamix range, and if you have that budget available, I would strongly recommend looking into this blender as it can create the best smoothies.
Vitamix Ascent A2300:
- Low-profile 64-ounce container
- Variable Speed Control
- Built-in wireless connectivity
- Digital timer
- 2.2-peak HP motor
- S2 low-profile tamper
- 10-Year warranty
5. Cleanblend High Performance Blender
You will notice the striking resemblance with any Vitamix blender straight away, especially with the tamper that comes with it and the three buttons at the front. But that’s probably exactly what the Cleanblend is meant to be, a more affordable version of a Vitamix blender.
Whether it’s the same value for money, I’m not sure, but the reviews for this model say that it’s a pretty reliable machine. The Cleanblend has a variable speed control button (which I find super useful) and has an easy self-cleaning procedure.
My take on this machine is that it’s a decent substitute for a Vitamix blender but perhaps not with the same longevity. There are no certified refurbished versions available for this model.
Cleanblend High Performance Blender:
- 64 oz BPA-free container
- Variable Speed Control
- Includes tamper
- 5-year warranty
- 3 Horsepower / 1800-Watt motor
6. Ninja Mega Kitchen Blender System
Okay, I’m cheating a bit with this model, because the Ninja Mega Kitchen System is actually a blender and food processor combo.
It works incredible well as both a blender for smoothies and as a food processor for chopped veggies, dips and even dough. It’s great value for money if you’d like to do some food processing as well, in addition to blending.
The Ninja Mega Kitchen System is equipped with the so-called Total Crushing Technology, allowing you to pulverize and crush ice, fruits and vegetables in a matter of seconds.
It includes a 72oz pitcher, an 8 cup processor bowl and a couple of handy 16oz Nutri Ninja Cups with lids. While the pitcher is for your delicious green smoothies, the huge processor is ready for all your chopping and dough making needs.
Ninja Mega Kitchen Blender System:
- 1500 watt motor
- Pro Variable Speed (10 speeds) + pulse setting
- 72 oz blender pitcher
- 8 Cup food processor bowl
- 2 16oz Nutri Ninja Cups
7. Blendtec Designer 625
This list of best blenders for green smoothies wouldn’t be complete without a Blendtec machine. The 625 model is one of their more affordable blenders, with a powerful 3.0 peak horsepower motor.
The Blendtec Designer 625 comes with an illuminated touch interface (not only looks good but is also very practical), 6 incremental speeds (controlled with a slider) and a large WildSide jar.
The 4 pre-programmed settings let you prepare smoothies, ice creams, whole juices and soups with a simple touch of a button.
The Blendtec Designer 625 is an excellent machine for those looking for a modern-looking and easy-to-use blender. The stylish design definitely earns this blender some bonus points.
Blendtec Designer 625:
- 88 oz. BPA-free WildSide jar/container
- Illuminated touch interface
- 6 incremental speeds + pulse setting
- Pre-programmed cycles for smoothies and cleaning
- 3.0 peak horsepower motor
- 8-Year full warranty
8. Hamilton Beach Professional Blender
This model in Hamilton Beach Professional series is the most affordable blender in this list of 10 best blenders for green smoothies, and is an excellent machine for those just starting out with blending. The financial investment is relatively small for this simple yet reliable and powerful blender.
The Hamilton Beach Professional series has three models, two with a 2.4HP / 1800 watt motor and this particular one with a 2HP / 1500 watt motor. The price difference is quite significant and the 1500 watt motor does an excellent enough job.
This model blender is the only blender in this list that has a removable sound enclosure that you can place on top of the container while operating. Pretty cool, and together with the rubber-mounted components, the noise is nicely dampened while blending. The shield can in fact also be used as a extra serving pitcher.
With a simple twist button, you can choose between four pre-programmed settings to eliminate guesswork: smoothie, ice crush, puree and clean. The cleaning option is awesome as it makes cleaning the container a breeze, just like with the Vitamix containers. You can simply let the blender do its job, and it will stop automatically at the end of the program.
The variable speed dial gives you full control during the blending process, and the pulse function can be used to achieve the ideal texture when mixing and chopping.
The main drawback of this blender is the smaller 32oz container. A larger 64oz jar is definitely very useful because it allows you to prepare big batches of green goodness in one go. But at this price setting, a smaller container is perfectly acceptable.
It also includes a handy tamper to push ingredients further down into the jar if things get clogged up, which can happen with any blender.
Hamilton Beach Professional Blender:
- 2 horsepower / 1500-watt motor
- Liquify and pulse setting
- 70 oz blender pitcher
- 20 oz cup on-the-go with lid
- 2 16oz Nutri Ninja Cups
9. BlendWorks All-In-One Blender
Introduced in 2016, the BlendWorks All-In-One Blender is the new kid on the block in the world of blenders. Designed with value and convenience in mind, the purpose this blender set is to improve and simplify the home blending process.
Similar to the Ninja Mega Kitchen System, BlendWorks not only lets you create delicious smoothies without hassle, it can also easily prepare soups, dips and sauces. You can do all this with the very same BPA-free 70oz/2L jar, hence the name “all-in-one”.
The decent 2.0 peak-horsepower motor provides 1500 watts performance at 30,000 RPM, more than good enough to create well-blended, creamy green smoothies.
The key difference between this model and for example the Vitamx and Blendtec models is that the BlendWorks has 6-way stainless steel blades, designed to better pulverize the goodies you put into the jar. The 6 blades look a but weird, almost like it’s a bit of an overkill, but according to its reviews this machine does a fine job at blending. It may also be a bit harder to clean the blades I would imagine.
What’s included in this blender set? It comes with a decent-sized 70oz plastic jug with measurement lines, a 20oz travel cup on-the-go, a tamper to assist with bulky ingredients and a handy silicone spatula to better empty the jug after blending.
It’s a decent blender set at an affordable price, but I would still prefer a (refurbished) Vitamix or Blendtec product. The fact that new models often look very much like the classic Vitamix blender models says a lot about the popularity and quality of Vitamix.
BlendWorks All-In-One Blender:
- 2 horsepower / 1500-watt motor
- Liquify and pulse setting
- 70 oz blender pitcher
- 20 oz cup on-the-go with lid
Smoothie Blender Buying Guide
Are you ready to take the plunge and make green smoothies an important part of your lifestyle like I did a few years ago? The above blenders are certainly not cheap but they are a great investment. They are designed and built to last and are able to prepare the best green smoothies for you and your family.
Blending has changed my life for the better and I can’t imagine going back to where I was before I started making green smoothies. Getting all these nutrients in on a regular basis has worked really well for me. I feel more energized, my skin looks a lot better, and it has also boosted my confidence.
The first question you should ask yourself is whether you are going to need a blender or a juicer.
Blending vs Juicing
While I also have a good juicer in my kitchen that I use quite often, I still prefer to blend my greens, simply because it gives me more value for money. A juicer extracts juice from fruits and vegetables and leaves pulp behind.
A blender on the other hand leaves no pulp behind and basically gives you a complete meal. The pulp includes the skin of fruits and vegetables which is often a great source of fiber and other essential nutrients.
Blending is one of the easiest and quickest ways to get a great variety of nutrients in. Literally within 5 minutes and with very little effort you can prepare yourself a nutritious green smoothie with a great variety of nutrients.
Read more about the differences between blending and juicing, so you can decide for yourself which you prefer.
Pick Your Favorite Blender
If you want to be serious about blending, I would recommend to stay away from blenders under $80, such as the various Nutribullet models.
They work fine for a while but their shortcomings (not much power, not very durable, poor smoothie quality, etc.) will eventually lead to frustration and disappointment. As with anything, you get what you pay for.
Best value blender for making smoothies:
- Auto IQ technology features timed, intelligent blending programs that do the...
- Xl 72 ounce total crushing blender pulverizes ice to snow in seconds for creamy...
- Nutri Ninja Pro extractor blades break down whole fruits, vegetables, ice and...
At the other end of the spectrum, Vitamix and Blendtec blenders are top quality machines, but they are expensive. If you’re looking for an affordable blender that performs well and will last several years, it’s best to look for a blender that sits between a $100 blender and a high-end Vitamix blender.
The above list of best affordable blenders however, does include the Vitamix Ascent A2300. It’s one of the more affordable blenders in the Vitamix range, and a super modern machine.
Further Reading
Keen to try out smoothie recipes?
Check out these delicious breakfast smoothie recipes, or these super nutritious kale smoothies for some inspiration. The fun with blending is that you can keep experimenting with new ingredients and see what works and what doesn’t work for you.
I often add turmeric and chia seeds to my green smoothies, just to name a few extra ingredients. Don’t forget to check out my tips to create that perfect smoothie consistently, so you always get the best results.
Happy blending!
