Green leafy vegetables are the healthiest foods on the planet. Green smoothies have become increasingly popular as an easy and convenient way for people to help boost their daily intake of leafy greens. 
Along with this growth in smoothie popularity, the variety of options and range of prices of smoothie blenders has grown dramatically.
There are many factors to consider when determining which is the best blender for green smoothies to suit your needs. The most important question is whether it’s going to be for just one or two people, or for groups such as families. Smoothie blenders generally fall into two categories, personal size blenders and countertop blenders.
Let’s get personal
If you’re primarily making smoothies for one person, or if different people want to make different recipes, then a personal size blender is the way to go. They typically make smoothies up to around 20 ounces.
Personal blenders are all about convenience. They’re designed to make the process quick and easy. To keep things simple they are often “bullet” style, with only one speed or mode. You fill the container with your ingredients and screw on the blade like a cap. Flip it over and pop it into the base to blend, then flip it back upright when done. Unscrew the blade and you’re done. You can even drink your smoothie directly out of the container!
Here are a few examples of our favorite personal blenders:
| Model | Watts | Price | Material, Capacity | # of speeds | Accessories | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NutriBullet Pro 900 | 900 watts | $128.99 | Plastic, 32 oz. | 1 | 32 oz. cup, two 24 oz. cups, 18 oz. cup, flat blade, emulsifying blade | 4.2 |
Oster My Blend | 250 watts | $19.00 | Plastic, 20 oz. | 1 | 20 oz. sports bottle | 4.1 |
Magic Bullet Blender | 250 watts | $39.00 | Plastic, 19 oz. | 1 | 19 oz. cup, two 18 oz. mugs, cross blade | 4.2 |
Hamilton Beach | 175 watts | $14.96 | Plastic, 14 oz. | 1 | 14 oz. blending jar | 3.7 |
Personal size blenders often come with various extra accessories such as extra blender cups, or cups of different sizes. Some have extra blades for milling, which is useful for grinding seeds, nuts and grains.
Some personal size smoothie blenders are also pretty portable. This can be useful if you plan to bring the blender with you when you travel or to work since they are generally smaller and more lightweight.
A counter argument
Countertop blenders are great for making big batches. They make smoothies up to 72 ounces. This can be very convenient when there are many mouths to feed, or if you’d like to have extra servings for later in the day. Some countertop models are also capable of other applications, such as chopping and dough making.
Countertop units generally have a wide variety of options regarding power (measured in watts), as well as the number of speeds. There are also many models that feature glass pitchers, which some people prefer.
Here are a few examples of our favorite countertop blenders:
| Model | Watts | Price | Material, Capacity | # of speeds | Accessories | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ninja Pro Blender | 1000 watts | $107.98 | Plastic, 72 oz. | 3 & pulse | 72 oz. pitcher, lid, blades | 4.4 |
Hamilton Beach Blender | 700 watts | $26.85 | Glass, 40 oz. | 12 | 40 oz. jar, cover with pouring spout with hinged cap | 3.9 |
Ninja Master Prep | 400 watts | $29.99 | Plastic, 48 oz. | Pulse | 48 oz. pitcher, 16 oz. chopper bowl, 4-blade, 6-blade | 4.5 |
Oster Counterforms 7-Speed Blender | 600 watts | $59.99 | Glass, 48 oz. | 7 including pulse | 48 oz. bowl, blade, lid | 4.2 |
Keep in mind that actual serving sizes are not the same as the actual container sizes. The smoothie needs space above it when blending, so the serving size is always smaller than the container size. For example, the Nutribullet’s large container is 24 ounces, but the serving is only 20 ounces.
It’s all about health
Green smoothies are even better for you than just eating greens. By pureeing the smoothie ingredients so finely, you’re increasing the surface area. More surface area makes nutrients more bio-available, so your body absorbs a higher percentage of the nutrients in the food. This is exactly what chewing does, but you could never chew as well as a blender can!
Some of the most important nutrients in smoothies are anti-oxidants. Check out this eye opening video on smoothie anti-oxidant content:
The easiest way to eat your greens
Fresh greens like spinach, kale and collards are fantastic to mix into your smoothies because they are so nutrient dense. Once blended in with your favorite fruits you can’t even taste the greens!
But using frozen greens can be even better. They are just as nutrient dense and are extremely convenient since they are already chopped and washed, can store easily and more compactly in your freezer, and the fact that they are already frozen helps to give your smoothie more of a “soft-serve” ice cream type of texture.
By the way, if you want an even more soft-serve texture, try adding some frozen banana to your smoothies. When we have ripe or even over-ripe bananas, we peel, chop, and store them in the freezer right next to our frozen greens.
So what is the best blender for green smoothies?
There is an enormous range of options and prices of smoothie makers available on the market today. This wide variety makes it easy to find one that fits your needs. Identify which features are important to you, and they will lead you to the best blender for green smoothies for your lifestyle.
Green smoothies are arguably the healthiest thing you can add to your diet. Improving your diet is the number one thing you can do to promote good health!