Blender debate!

APBTChampion
APBTChampion Posts: 93 Member
edited November 13 in Recipes
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)!

Replies

  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    Vitamix.
  • marm1962
    marm1962 Posts: 950 Member
    I have a Ninja and it works just fine
  • dbkyser
    dbkyser Posts: 612 Member
    I have a newer Ninja IQ and it does great. Can use as a blender or smoothie.
  • modelamode
    modelamode Posts: 1 Member
    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
    AdamAthletic Posts: 2,985 Member
    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
    VeganRaptor Posts: 164 Member
    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
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    edited November 2016
    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
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    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
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Good old fashioned Oster....
  • sahdlosingit
    sahdlosingit Posts: 8 Member
    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
    atjays Posts: 797 Member
    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
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    I have an Oster that works great.
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    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
    tracy898 Posts: 1 Member
    Vitamix.
  • stephanne13
    stephanne13 Posts: 212 Member
    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
    kasaz Posts: 274 Member
    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
    ibboykin Posts: 97 Member
    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
    PattiLink Posts: 1 Member
    Vitamix.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    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
    nickman89 Posts: 1 Member
    A decent stick blender
  • magicherry
    magicherry Posts: 81 Member
    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!
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