The Lemon Fool

I'm looking to get a blender so I can make smoothies for my healthy meal plan.

Does it matter what brand/how much a blender is for it to be effective? If so, what do you recommend?

Buy a cheap and cheerful one, see how it works and then upgrade to whatever you need/want when you get a better idea of wjat your looking for. You can buy for about £25 as a starter

The el cheapo can then be used as a backup or travel unit

After going through a large number of different blenders the one we are most satisfied with is the Ninja Auto IQ blender. This copes with frozen berries and makes very good smoothies quickly.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Ninja-1500W-Processor-Nutri-Auto-iQ/dp/B01M74JVHE/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?keywords=nutra+ninja+auto+iq+blenders&qid=1559812246&s=gateway&sr=8-2-fkmr0
Cheers
krona

I would recommend the Nutribullet but I would just get the basic one. We have had one for a few years, it gets used at least once a day and has been brilliant.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Jug-Blenders ... B01N27W15O

John

Here is a recent set of reviews

https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/house-garden/kitchen-appliances/best-bullet-blender-smoothies-juicer-nutribullet-ninja-a8927366.html

Conclusion

The Salter nutripro is our best buy as it’s reasonably priced with a strong motor and excellent blending.If you like to count your calories and power up on protein, splash out on the tech-savvy Nutribullet, or for ultimate smoothness and nutritional retention, get a Nutri Ninja.

genuine question - what's the real difference between a £25 blender and a tesco's hand stick blender for a fiver? (apart from £20!)

didds

didds wrote:genuine question - what's the real difference between a £25 blender and a tesco's hand stick blender for a fiver? (apart from £20!)

didds

Genuine answer - don't know. But some points to look out for:

- The power of the motor might make a difference to what it can deal with. I was advised to pay a few quid more for something more than the cheapest motor.
- Does it have more than one setting? Does that include a "shake it up as you liquidise" setting - seems to be good for drawing stuff in so you don't have to do all the work of chasing lumps.
- The business end - is the blade simply straight-across or anything more (mine's a 3-point star, works well).
- Some have extras, like a bowl, or a whisk attachment. Is that worth anything to you?
- I have one with plastic end, so I can use it in a non-stick saucepan without exposing the pan to metal contact.

Whoops! I thought this was the food processor thread.

I do have a fruit juicer which makes a nice smoothie. But I wasn't going to post here, because it's not something I can really recommend: the downsides (lots of faff, lots of space) being quite considerable.

didds wrote:genuine question - what's the real difference between a £25 blender and a tesco's hand stick blender for a fiver? (apart from £20!)

didds

Did you try chopping ice cubes, or making ginger/garlic paste with a stick blender? As for soups and sauces,if I want a really smooth result then I use a blender, otherwise I use a stick blender.

John

Nope.