Kit test: Which personal smoothie blender to use?

A fruit-filled smoothie is an excellent way to start the day, especially in summer. We've tested some of the market's best

Nutrishot compact personal blender, lakeland.co.uk, £39.99

As the smaller version of the classic nutribullet – which instantly became a household name – this one comes with a small and large cup and takeaway lids so you can take your creation with you. It also works only when the blade has been attached to the cup and placed in the base and twisted into place. As the name suggests, the base is smaller, designed to take up less of your precious kitchen space.

There’s a useful max line, so you don’t overfill either the small or large cup and it uses 600W power to blend. First fill the cup, screw on the blade (choice of two) and then fix into the base and turn to begin the blending. The little feet on the bottom of the base have sticky pads to ensure it doesn’t slip when blending, which is useful too. And at under £40, it’s the cheapest in the nutribullet range, making it a good option for people who want a nutribullet, but not the price tag.

Sage The Boss To Go Blender, sageappliances.co.uk, £129.95

When it says it makes lump free smoothies, it makes lump free smoothies. And quickly too. The base might be rather bulky, but it makes light work of the job and can easily be put away afterwards. The simple slot in and twist method to start the blitzing is easy, and there are no buttons to get it drastically wrong. After taking it off, then twist and remove the blade pieces and pop on a takeaway lid, which screws on and has a plastic ring on the side (perfect for small hands as the cups are rather large) and a lift lid to drink from. It comes with two large tumblers, two blades – one for tougher nuts and seeds and the other to blend softer items, all with 1000W power. It is the priciest – as part of Heston Blumenthal’s range – and chunkiest, but it does the job the best, and quickest.

Breville Blend Active, argos.co.uk, £19

The Breville blend active is an extremely cost effective alternate to the typical high-end smoothie blenders; while giving its competitors a run for their money. The blend active blender has one button that makes for simple food processing at a high and intense speed. The multi-functioning bottles have interchanging parts. Insert your ingredients, screw on the blending cap and blend. After it crushes all your fresh or frozen fruit, vegetables and ice, unscrew the blending cap, screw on the bottle lid and go. The lid does push shut to prevent spillages, although it could be more watertight, the price makes it a worthwhile purchase if morning smoothies are your thing.

Verdict –

Our favourite, for its smoothness and ease in mixing, and useful mugs and lids to drink on the go, is the Sage mixer. But for something cheaper, the Nutribullet is the brand’s best option and is well suited for kitchens with smaller workspaces.