What would be the best blender to make shakes and smoothies?

Anything but Hamilton Beach. Worst blender EVER.

One of these

Don’t forget to add Matled Milk Powder to thicken it.

My mom bought a Magic Bullet a few months ago, and we love it! The four plastic teeth on the bottom of the blade piece that interlock with the motor are getting slightly worn away, though, and this makes me think it won’t last a super long time. My grandpa has the more expensive version, called NutriBullet, which is basically the same thing, only sturdier and a bit more powerful. The Magic Bullet has to have a decent amount of liquid in it to circulate and blend/mix in everything from the top (in other words, you can’t just make a smoothie out of yogurt and fruit – you have to add some milk). The NutriBullet can handle a bit more.

All in all, I’d say definitely go with a Bullet of some sort because it’s so convenient! But you get what you pay for – pay a bit more up front and have it last longer and do more.

We have the Ninja, but haven’t jumped on the juice/smoothie bandwagon just yet – though we’re planning to, because it is convenient for a commuter’s breakfast or pre/post-workout snack. I’ve used it for sauces, dips, soups, and fruit and yogurt smoothies and it works very well. I’m just not sure how well it would handle kale or spinach, but with multiple blades, I think it would be fine. An acquaintance of mine just posted on his page that the Vitamix they bought is very powerful. We just don’t have counter space for that type of blender.

I have the NutriBullet. I’m pretty happy with it super convenient and easy to use/clean in a rush. I have a smoothie most mornings before class.

I had the magic bullet I got rid of it because storage was a pain. Too many pieces and parts.

I have a friend whe co own a vita mix. We have smoothie making parties about once a week. It is a marvelous piece of equipment.

Hands down, the Vitamix is absolutely the best and lasts lifetime or two. There are people who’ve passed on their old ones to grown kids or other family members and they’re still going strong. Theyre American made and the company really stands behind their product.

If you read user reviews on the magic bullet you’ll see that they break down; some much sooner than others.

If you just want to see if daily smoothies is something you’d be doing then NB is a good starter system as long as your exexpectations are realistic it’s rare that they’re still working in a years time and they really can’t handle healthy ingredients like Kale, pineapple, or other fibrous veggies.

If you just want to do simple milkshakes and stuff then they’re fine.

But if byou want an amazing machine that will do everything short of tying your shoes, then a Vitamix is worth it. It can grind whole grains, coffee, make hot soup, knead bread and pulverized anything with no chunks left over.

I just recently got the two speed model with the extra dry grind container on special at QVC and they still have that package available.

I have yet to see any negative comments about them (other than price) and ive been researching them for about a year so this wasnt an impulse buy for me. I knew that I wanted to rock whole grain grinding so when this one came up at a good price I pulled the trigger. And I’m really glad I did.

www.vitamix.com

@Buttonstc I heard the blades go faster with regular grain grinding. But Chia and flax always make into my smoothies.

Carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, raspberries and blackberries what have you they all end up eviscerated and smooth as sorbet.

You will love it.

Do you have the variable speed model or the one with two (low and high)?

We have been using a Cuisinart blender to make fruit/veggie smoothies in the morning. It has been getting very regular use. Berries, grapes, banana, açaí juice, pineapple juice, flaxseed oil, Green Vibrance powder, swiss chard, spinach, parsley, and kale. Took some practice to get the balance of ingredients right, but everyone loves this massive boost of nutrition every morning.

Point is, my ex has a Vitamix, but the kids are saying her smoothies aren’t quite right, and my suspicion is the Vitamix is easy to “overblend”. I run the Cuisinart on low to mix everything in, then on high just long enough to break the greens into very small (but still visible) pieces. Perhaps the Cuisinart will not last as long as the Vitamix, but it certainly does the job for a lot less money. The Amazon reviews are not kind, but we are beating the hell out of this thing and it just keeps working.

^I guess it depends what your preference is and how quickly you turn off the machine.

@Buttonstc it has a low and high and then a dial goes to ten.

Tip I picked up the flavor melds better after sitting overnight in the fridge.

I would have to second the Vitamix blenders. We had one growing up and it was amazing. Check out The Wirecutter for good reviews of the best blenders.

@Aqua

I just got back from the Wirecutter. What a terrific site; I can’t believe I’ve never encountered it before.

Thanks for posting that.

For anybody interested in getting a Vitamix: you don’t need to spend $530. There are a couple of $400 options both on their site and on QVC.

That’s what I got mine for AND it ijcludednthe extra container and blade for dry grinding graihs and making peanut butter, etc. which separately costs around another $150. They still have it on the QVC site uninterested.

Thanks guys. Today I went ahead and purchased a Ninja Professional Blender, for less than a hudred dollars at Super Walmart. I’ve used it a few times already and it works great for me.