Blender debate!

APBTChampion

Hey all - So I've been getting back into the changing eating habits thing, and one thing that has always worked for me is smoothies. They're delicious, nutritious, and generally pretty simple. The problem I have is that my blender (Ninja) sucks when it comes to making smoothies. It leaves chunks, or can't power through partially frozen fruit (nothing says yuck like a warm fruit smoothie).

I had a Magic Bullet - also couldn't do the job.

So my question is this ... what sort of blender would you recommend for seriously smooth (har) smoothies? I might like to puree up some soups as I move along, too.

Any help would be great (recipes too)!

cathipa

Vitamix.

marm1962

I have a Ninja and it works just fine

dbkyser

I have a newer Ninja IQ and it does great. Can use as a blender or smoothie.

modelamode

I would let the frozen fruits thaw 15 minutes before blending them. I blend every morning organic frozen blueberries with greek yoghurt. I let the blueberries thaw for 15 mins. Magic Bullet works incredibly for me. My smoothie is cold after blended!

AdamAthletic

I have a blendtec now and which powers through pretty much anything with little effort.
That said, I also have a Ninja (the 1200 series) and that does a pretty alright job too - not nearly as powerful but a lot cheaper and definitely does the job!

VeganRaptor

I find my NutriBullet works fine
Although it might not be up to your smoothie standards if the Magic Bullet isn't good enough. I'm not sure what the power/efficiency difference between the two is!

canadianlbs

i had the smaller bullet blender and had to game it a bit to get it to deal with my yogurt ice-cubes and frozen berries. when it died i put in a fair bit of time with an immersion stick instead, which was more effective but also more tedious since you can't flip the switch and go off to pour coffee. plus, i was always kind of playing splashback roulette with that one.

i have a jug blender now that someone gave me and i still have to game it to keep the cubes from all jamming together just out of reach of the blades. basically, i haven't found anything yet that can deal with rock-solid frozen stuff well enough to please me. the 15-min thaw is my best workaround too.

CSARdiver

Any higher end blender will do the trick. My wife recently picked up a Ninja IQ and that does wonders. Many of these have an automatic setting that will auto pulse until finished.

cwolfman13

Good old fashioned Oster....

sahdlosingit

My old Ninja couldn't handle it, but I got the newer (IQ) one that comes with the large pitcher and the 2 smoothie cups, and it handles it beautifully.

atjays

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Good old fashioned Oster....

Me too! Only downside is that I've fried two this past year just simply making protein shakes with some ice cubes in it I still refuse to dish out $100 bucks or so for a blender lol

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken

I have an Oster that works great.

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken

atjays wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Good old fashioned Oster....

Me too! Only downside is that I've fried two this past year just simply making protein shakes with some ice cubes in it I still refuse to dish out $100 bucks or so for a blender lol

If something like that fails before the manufacturers warranty expires call them and they usually replace the thing at no cost to you.

tracy898

Vitamix.

stephanne13

I bought a refurbished Vitamix a couple of years ago on Amazon. It had a 5 year warranty, & does an excellent job. It was still expensive...but completely worth it.

kasaz

I just purchased the Vitamix at Costco a couple of weeks ago. The one I purchased is the 5300, not the high priced 7500. It was pricey but my cousin says she has had hers for 15 years and it's still going strong. I had one smoothie with my old blender which was not smooth. Now I put in frozen berries, frozen banana and a little ice, spinach, whatever and it is smooth and tasty.

ibboykin

I have a ninja and it never ceases to amaze me at its ability. I use it for smoothies all the time using frozen fruit. I also have a Nutei-Bullet and for a single smoothie at a time, it works great

PattiLink

Vitamix.

sgt1372

Oster. Been using the same one for over 30 yrs. No problems. Does everything I need it to do. If not, I've also got a similar vintage Cuisinart and a newer Braun stick blender.

You can still buy an Oster blender like mine w/a real glass beaker for just $20. LOL!

nickman89

A decent stick blender

magicherry

Old school 12 speed Hamilton-Beach with a glass jar. I started daily smoothies about 6 weeks ago. I figured I'd use that thing sitting in the back of the bottom cabinet instead of buying a bullett or ninja in case the smoothie party didnt last. But now I am hooked on smoothies and wouldnt trade my blender for anything else.

Standard recipe includes 1-11/2 cup frozen fruit (Welch's or Wyman's), a cup of V8 Energy Lite juice, and a scoop of Quest protien powder. I add a splash of water toward the end to get a sipable consistency. First I chop the fruit (a low setting) until it starts to smoothen, then I increase speed (liquify) to finish it off.

Ask around if anyine has an old blender they are not using, or find one (with a glass har and with good blades) at a flea market. Dont spend $100 on a fancy new thing if you dont have to!