Blender opinions

Allycat1134
Allycat1134 Posts: 10 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've recently entered the world of healthy eating & have been trying to make some big changes, although it's tough because there's many fruits & veggies I won't eat. But I've been doing a lot of experimenting & finding things I actually do like! One new addiction is Smoothies! I make them everyday for my daughter & I, but my old blender just isn't cutting it. Things like Kale, Watercress, Chia/flax seeds, Ect, are not totally blending all the way & it bugs me with every sip I take.
Can anyone recommend some good blenders that won't break the wallet? Also, if you'd like to share some of your favorite Smoothie recipes, that would be great! :smile:

Replies

  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    http://www.target.com/p/magic-bullet-blender-17-pc/-/A-10029875?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=10029875&CPNG=Appliances&kpid=10029875&LID=3pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=10029875&gclid=CKvf1_LJt78CFRWVfgodrLkAXA
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    http://www.target.com/p/magic-bullet-blender-17-pc/-/A-10029875?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=10029875&CPNG=Appliances&kpid=10029875&LID=3pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=10029875&gclid=CKvf1_LJt78CFRWVfgodrLkAXA

    I love my bullet! I use it at least once a day, sometimes twice. It's just so quick and convenient that the end results just seem effortless. Sometimes my wife joins in and we use our bullet together. She loves the great results we get with it. 4 stars.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    Ninja, I love my Ninja. I tried the bullet but like the Ninja better. I actually am a fan of a lot of Ninja's products. I have their professional blender, and their slow cooker, and I'm looking at the vacuum and the deep fryer, YEP I'm loving their products.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I love my nutribullet! Blends everything nice and smooth.
  • tkillion810
    tkillion810 Posts: 591 Member
    It's an investment, but I seriously love my vitamix. Best money I've ever spent for an appliance or gadget for my kitchen. I make all sorts of stuff in it, too. Think beyond the smoothie! Nut butter, hummus, soup, smoothies, ice cream (using bananas) and oat/nut flours. I have a bullet as well and it just isn't the same. I also like that I can make up a single serving, or a batch of something. I often make a batch of green smoothies - they keep for several days in the fridge.

    My favorite green smoothie right now - makes 2:
    1 1/3 c water
    2 stalks celery
    3-4 big handfuls of spinach
    2 handfuls of romaine or kale
    juice of a lemon
    banana
    1 cup frozen pineapple
    1/2 c frozen mango

    Super yummy!
  • Allycat1134
    Allycat1134 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks for the responses! I've looked into the Nutribullet, but I read a few people saying it's not good for using ice in them, & I love my Smoothies cold! So I wasn't sure if that was going to be a good blender for me. And the Vitamix? Yeah, I know those are amazing & well worth it, but way out of my league money wise. Lol I've read the Oster ones are good, but I want to make sure they pulverize everything!
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
    Ninja, I'm telling you and I make everything in it that she does the vitamix and waaaay less money.
  • lalee93
    lalee93 Posts: 52 Member
    I own a NutriBullet and I have never had any serious problems blending anything, ice included. The only issue I ever have is if I don't add enough liquid, and that is only because I would rather struggle a little to get it blended and have a super thick smoothie than add the appropriate amount of liquid and have one that is thin for my taste (I'm just stubborn like that). I have made smoothies, put onion in it (it came out pretty much pureed, but it worked), milled flax seed, and made frozen strawberry lemonade. It was an awesome investment for me.

    Also, I just saw in a Bed, Bath, and Beyond sale email (I'm 99% sure) that they have them on sale for 20% off right now. Definitely check into deals! I bought mine at walmart a few months ago, and at the time they had it $10 cheaper than everywhere else.

    Good luck finding the right product for you!
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    I love my Ninja :-) It's a beast! But I haven't tried any of the ones other people mention, so I can't compare. I'm thrilled with what I selected, I also needed a food processor so it's great for that also.
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
    Interesting thread...

    I get to where I use my blender so many times in a day that I've sincerely considered buying 2-3 matching ones so I don't have to re-wash the parts between uses.

    So I've been considering the Magic Bullet.

    Hmmm...
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    It's an investment, but I seriously love my vitamix. Best money I've ever spent for an appliance or gadget for my kitchen. I make all sorts of stuff in it, too. Think beyond the smoothie! Nut butter, hummus, soup, smoothies, ice cream (using bananas) and oat/nut flours. I have a bullet as well and it just isn't the same. I also like that I can make up a single serving, or a batch of something. I often make a batch of green smoothies - they keep for several days in the fridge.

    My favorite green smoothie right now - makes 2:
    1 1/3 c water
    2 stalks celery
    3-4 big handfuls of spinach
    2 handfuls of romaine or kale
    juice of a lemon
    banana
    1 cup frozen pineapple
    1/2 c frozen mango

    Super yummy!

    I second the Vitamix. I spent a pretty penny on the big fancy one, but that's because we're hard on blenders (they don't tend to last more than a couple of years in our house), and so far it's worth every penny.

    In fact, I'm drinking a green smoothie now that consists of avocado, bok choy (stalks and all), kale, and strawberries, and you wouldn't know it from the texture (well, except the smooth creaminess from the avocado).

    And yeah, a Vitamix goes way beyond smoothies and into soups, slushies (seriously, ice? It laughs at it), nut butters, and pretty much anything else you can imagine (and probably some things you can't).
    Thanks for the responses! I've looked into the Nutribullet, but I read a few people saying it's not good for using ice in them, & I love my Smoothies cold! So I wasn't sure if that was going to be a good blender for me. And the Vitamix? Yeah, I know those are amazing & well worth it, but way out of my league money wise. Lol I've read the Oster ones are good, but I want to make sure they pulverize everything!

    Seriously, save up for a little Vitamix, then. My last blender was an Oster and it did okay, but it took a while to break up more heavy-duty things, and it died after about two years. I'd personally rather pay more up front for an appliance that can stand up to our usage and work well for more than a year or two, than to pay to buy a cheap one every year or two and have it good enough.

    Oh, and two words -- self cleaning.
  • mickiebabs
    mickiebabs Posts: 183 Member
    Ninja, I'm telling you and I make everything in it that she does the vitamix and waaaay less money.

    LOVE my Ninja. Best money I ever spent on a kitchen appliance. I've had a few different blenders over the years but none of them handled ice like this thing does.
  • hope516
    hope516 Posts: 1,133 Member
    Thanks for the responses! I've looked into the Nutribullet, but I read a few people saying it's not good for using ice in them, & I love my Smoothies cold! So I wasn't sure if that was going to be a good blender for me. And the Vitamix? Yeah, I know those are amazing & well worth it, but way out of my league money wise. Lol I've read the Oster ones are good, but I want to make sure they pulverize everything!


    We have the ninja in my office and use it everyday! It literally turns ice into "snow" The vitamix does a few more things, but about 5x the cost.

    And just a tip for your smoothies. If I add ice to them I notice it cuts the flavor of my smoothie, however if you actually freeze the items you put in the smoothie, it makes it cold but FULL of flavor. I freeze everything. The fruit and veggies keep longer, so you aren't running to the grocery store every other day for fresh fruit/veggies, and it makes it cold :flowerforyou:
  • hope516
    hope516 Posts: 1,133 Member
    And as for cleaning the ninja...if you just fill it with water and a little soap and put it back on the blender at high speed for like 15 seconds and rinse...you are ready for a new smoothie :wink:
  • Runningmischka
    Runningmischka Posts: 386 Member
    +1 Vitamix
  • Quieau
    Quieau Posts: 428 Member
    THREAD too long to read the whole thing, so if someone already suggested, sorry for redundancy ...

    Instead of ice cubes, try freezing your fruit! Easier on the machine, thicker consistency and if you use a frozen banana, it turns to soft-serve ice cream consistency ... good luck!
  • Terrytriesharder
    Terrytriesharder Posts: 50 Member
    Vitamix all the way.
  • angieroo2
    angieroo2 Posts: 970 Member
    My magic bullet couldn't handle ice. I just have a regular oster blender now.

    I second freezing the fruit idea.
  • PinkToes71
    PinkToes71 Posts: 4 Member
    We invested in a Vitamix a few years ago and I love it. You can't even tell that flax seed is in the smoothie if I add it. I also don't miss ice cream as much, because like others have mentioned, if you freeze fruit to start with, it will blend it all together until it's like soft serve.

    I bought a reconditioned one for slightly cheaper. No problems with it (directly from the Vitamix site).

    I can understand it still being a little too expensive though, so my advice would be to make sure whatever blender you get has metal "teeth" (the things that catch on the motor part and make it spin) on the bottom of the canister. The problem I kept running into with previous blenders was the plastic teeth would break one at a time until it would no longer spin. If you only make thinner consistency things it might not be an issue, but if you like ice to the point that it is a thick drink then you might have problems. Maybe the Ninja brand has metal? If they do, then it sounds like a more affordable option...
  • Firekeeper66
    Firekeeper66 Posts: 116 Member
    I'm a Ninja girl too. Affordable (and lifetime guarantee if you buy it at Bed, Bath & Beyond - I assume the US guarantee is the same as Canada?). I compared reviews of a kazillion blenders before I settled on the Ninja. Crushes ice like nothing. BLADES ARE SHARP (most reviews reference cuts but I'm super clumsy and haven't cut myself - yet).
  • orlandogirl97
    orlandogirl97 Posts: 30 Member
    I was going through a new blender every 8 months or so......I had wanted a Vitamix for so long.....I bought one last May! It still works like new. I love it. I'm not a QVC fan but I bought one on their "easy pay" option....this allowed me to pay for it over 6 months....while I was using it.
  • ArtGeek22
    ArtGeek22 Posts: 1,429 Member
    I LOVE my Vitamix and my friend really loves her Ninja :smile:
  • Shalaurise
    Shalaurise Posts: 707 Member
    http://www.target.com/p/magic-bullet-blender-17-pc/-/A-10029875?ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001&AFID=google_pla_df&LNM=10029875&CPNG=Appliances&kpid=10029875&LID=3pgs&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=10029875&gclid=CKvf1_LJt78CFRWVfgodrLkAXA

    I love my bullet! I use it at least once a day, sometimes twice. It's just so quick and convenient that the end results just seem effortless. Sometimes my wife joins in and we use our bullet together. She loves the great results we get with it. 4 stars.

    *giggles* I have the maturity level of a teenage boy... *giggles* I am glad you and your wife use it together.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
    I also love my ninja. I don't which one I have, but I could figure it out if you need me to.
  • lingo10
    lingo10 Posts: 305 Member
    I got 5 Blenders. :)
    Lord help.

    Umm, I have the Ninja system ($120 but bought an shopping network on 6 flex pays) , b1g1 Nutribullet (so 2 of them) ($120), a classic oster one ($35), and a magic bullet (got it for $50).


    The Nutribullet is very powerful and the ninja is too. practically liquifies everything. but its so smooth it goes right down :) On the nutribullet make sure to hit that max line or add some water to that ice to really make it liquify and not come out like a frozen treat.
  • Allycat1134
    Allycat1134 Posts: 10 Member
    Wow! Thanks for all the responses! Definitely helped narrow it down to a select few... Now to start searching for some deals! And I really liked the idea of freezing everything & using less ice! I feel kinda silly for not thinking of that before, but I'll wait to try it when I get the new blender lol

    My Smoothie today, I used frozen strawberries & there were still chunks in it when I was drinking it. :angry: it's pretty annoying, so I'm hoping to get something SOON!

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