Which smoothie maker

A powerhouse of an appliance with lots of practical elements, the Nutripro whizzed up some of the best smoothie results on test. The silky finish is achieved thanks to the W motor, which is as powerful as it sounds although it does make a fair bit of noise as a result.

We particularly rate the robust storage cups and the smooth body of the machine which is easy to wipe clean. Read our full review of the Salter Nutripro blender. Build quality and finished results aside, the genius thing about the Bluicer is that is makes both juices and smoothies and is in fact included in our review of the best juicers. This dual functionality means the resulting smoothies can have a juiced element, making them extra vibrant and flavoursome.

Read our full review of Sage The Bluicer Pro. VonShef often impress with their affordable appliances and kitchen gadgets — their smoothie-maker is no different. It also happens to look very smart around the kitchen.

The functionality is straightforward, intuitive and powerful, producing impressive results, even working through tougher ingredients like fibrous ginger. Read our full review of the VonShef UltraBlend smoothie-maker.

This cheap smoothie-maker gives good results but its power and build matches its low price point. Read our full review of the Tower table blender. Related reviews: Best blenders Best hand blenders Best stand mixers Best spiralizers Best food processors Best health gadgets. We reviewed a representative sample of smoothie-makers and scored them against the following criteria.

The Good Food lump test: we put several tough ingredients half an apple, a banana, 20g ginger, 25g kale, 3 ice cubes, a tablespoon of oats and 2 pieces of frozen fruit, plus ml of water in each blender for 1 minute.

We then attempted to suck the smoothie through a straw. Anything that got stuck was marked down — the optimum result was a silky smooth mix with ease of flow. Ease of use: lots of people will move bullet blenders in and out of cupboards — we wanted machines that were intuitive and easy to set up.

While all smoothie bullets make some noise, machines that spluttered, made notably loud sounds or noises similar to a clapped out car were judged unfavourably. Extra features: machines with different cup options, additional blades and smart blending functions were marked up.

Cup quality: say no to leaky cups! We gave carry cups a vigorous shake to ensure no liquid would escape and ruin the inside of your bag. Packaging: we marked down products that came in excessive non-recyclable packaging. Instruction manual: a good manual can really amplify your experience of smoothie-making since they often include smoothie recipes and tips.

While you can crush small amounts of ice in this version, we'd suggest opting for a higher-powered model — such as the series — if you're planning on regularly using it for super-tough jobs. Read our full best Nutribullet roundup. Cordless kitchen appliances have been popping up all over the place recently and one of our favourites is this compact blender from Cuisinart.

Despite its small motor, we were still able to blitz whole almonds and pine nuts into a delicious paste during testing. Buy now from Argos. If you really love your smoothies, you owe it to yourself to save up for the Boss To Go. In keeping with the rest of Sage's Heston Blumenthal-endorsed range of kitchen appliances, this fancy-looking blender is a cut above the average — and so is its price. For your money, however, you get a very sleek, well-built blender.

The brushed aluminium looks smart and snazzy, and the two thick plastic blending cups feel as tough and sturdy as you could possibly ask for.

Fire up the Boss to Go's 1,W motor, however, and it scythes through fruit and vegetables alike to create smooth, delicious smoothies in a matter of seconds — this is a seriously quick blender. There are much cheaper blenders here, but if you want the best then it's definitely worth splashing out. It feels expensive, too, with a large, heavy base that houses the super-powered 1,W motor.

You also get three blending cups: two chunky ml cups and a third, taller one-litre cup for when you really want to go on a fruit smoothie frenzy. The blending performance puts the Nutri Pro not far off the best we've tested. It struggles a little with tricky leaves such as kale, and requires a little longer than some to create a perfect texture if you use the larger one-litre cup, but give it an extra whizz and the results are worth waiting for.

The only downside? This is a noisy blender. Read our full Salter NutriPro review. The Philips Daily Collection Mini Blender is powerful enough to blend fruit, vegetables, nuts, coffee and even meat with ease, and thanks to its small footprint it won't take up that much room on your worktop either.

Naturally, that compact design means the working liquid capacity is slightly on the small side at just ml in the ml jug. The on-the-go tumbler, which you can blend into directly, has the same working capacity so it's a puzzle why the jug isn't a little more generous. But first, take our quick quiz below to find out if a juicer or blender suits you best.

Our quick quiz will help you to discover whether a blender or a juicer is better suited to your needs. Blenders are versatile, allowing you to use a mix of fresh and frozen fruit and veg to make your drink.

You can add in extras such as nuts, yoghurt and ice to make creamier drinks, and even make your own sauces and dips. If you want to make quick smoothies to take with you on-the-go, it's worth considering a personal mini blender, which has a small blending cup that transforms into a drinking mug, and is designed to make one or two portions at a time. If you want to up your intake of fruit and veg, without making bulky drinks, a juicer is a good choice.

Juicers can handle harder fruit and vegetables like apples, beetroot, ginger and carrots, transforming them into tasty juice. They are also good if you like a freshly made glass of OJ in the mornings; unlike blenders, juicers they are able to squeeze the juice from citrus fruits whilst removing all the stringy pulp.

There are different types available, so use our juicer buying guide to narrow down the right option for you. Some are better for juicing different types of fruit than others so it's important to get the right one. Know what you need? Head straight to our blender reviews or juicer reviews to find the best product for your budget. They can whip up smoothies and shakes in seconds, and can be used for a variety of things from soups and sauces to homemade mayo.

A good one will also be able to crush ice and blend together tough ingredients such as nuts, seeds and leafy greens. For more on jug blenders, including what features to look for and how much to spend, read our expert blender buying guide. Juicing can be a simple way to include more varied fruit and veg in your diet. A good juicer will speedily extract all the juice from your fruit and veg, making a delicious fresh drink, and be easy to clean up afterwards.

Discover the difference between centrifugal and masticating juicers, and everything else you need to know before buying, with our juicer buying guide. Smoothie makers are essentially jug blenders with taps that you can dispense your blended drinks from, so you can in theory blend your drink and dispense it straight into your glass. If you want a speedy and convenient smoothie-making experience, a personal or mini blender is a better option.

To find out more, read on for a summary of the pros and cons of this type of blender, or skip straight to our personal blender buying guide. Nutribullet blenders claim to offer the best of both worlds — not just juicing or blending, but instead 'extracting' the nutrients from food. Don't believe the marketing hype though - Nutribullets work just like standard blenders, blitzing food into a smooth liquid blend. Their design, in which you blend using a smaller cup that converts into a travel mug for your smoothie, is clever and convenient and has become very popular.