Smoothie Maker -- What To Look For In A Blender For Smoothies

Smoothies are one of the most popular recent health trends, but when you buy your smoothie out and about, it could be a bigger calorie bomb than you realize. Restaurants often add sugary ingredients to smoothies, which takes away from the health benefits. Making your own smoothies at home is far superior to buying them on the go.

To do this, though, you need some type of blender that you can use to mix things up. Choosing the right blender for you depends on your needs, how frequently you'll make smoothies and whether you need the tool for anything other than making smoothies.

If you're just going to be making smoothies for yourself and are looking for a great way to make them at home and take them on the go, consider a personal smoothie maker.

These are small blenders that make a single smoothie at a time. The cup that you pour the ingredients into is actually the cup that you drink the smoothie from. You simply replace the blade with a top that prevents spilling. A personal smoothie maker is easy to clean and small, which makes for easy storage. Some versions also come with additional attachments that you can use to chop vegetables.

Another option if you want to make single-serving smoothies is an immersion blender. The one that I have comes with a cup that you can use for your smoothie. The downside to this is that it doesn't get your smoothie quite as thick and frothy as a bigger blender.

If you're serious about making smoothies, then you should consider a high-end smoothie maker.The Vitamix and Blendtec are two of the most popular models. But are these blenders worth the high price tag? Here are some of the advantages:

• Smooth pureeing. A high end smoothie maker will make the smoothest smoothie of all. This may not be as important to you if you're just blending a few fruits along with some juice, but it also allows you to "hide" vegetables into your smoothies, masking the taste with the fruits.
• Multi-Purpose. You can do a lot more with a high-end blender than simply make smoothies. You can also make dips like hummus or nut butters from nuts. These blenders are also able to hold hot liquids, which is ideal for making soups.
• Warranty. With heavy use, a smoothie maker may start to wear down or break. High end manufacturers are famous for being very proactive about replacing any broken equipment. The warranty on these machines is typically at least five years.

Of course, you don't have to spend a lot of money on a smoothie maker, but many find that it is indeed worth it.

You don't have to spend a fortune in order to get healthy. There are plenty of blenders that cost under $100 (some less than $50) that certainly get the job done.

In order to get these to work, you may need to add a bit of extra liquid to "grease the wheels", and keep the blender running a bit longer, but for most people, this is not a big deal.

Look for a blender that has multiple speeds so that you can control how smooth your smoothie gets. You should also pay attention to the size of the jug--if you'll be making smoothies for the entire family, you may need a very large container.