Smoothie Makers and Food Blenders – What Are the Differences?

At first glance, there may not seem to be much difference between a smoothie maker and a normal food blender. There are however several subtle differences which make a smoothie maker a better option for those who regularly make smoothies.

Power

A smoothie maker usually offers much more power than a conventional food blender. This is especially important when you think about the fact that so many smoothies contain bananas, which are actually quite hard, and can be tough for low-power blenders to cope with.

The extra power behind the blades in a smoothie maker means that your smoothies will actually come out as a smooth liquid rather than a semi-solid mush.

The Smoothie Spout

Another obvious feature, which makes the smoothie maker different to a traditional blender, is that it has a spout below the jug, which the smoothie flows out from.

Although this may not seem like a feature that is worth paying extra for, it is great if you are making smoothies from ingredients where you do not want the solid parts to go into the glass. The spout can be used to fill your glass as the fruit is still being blended, which means that you can stop after the initial juicy parts of the fruit have been squeezed out.

This compares to a conventional food mixer, where you have to drink whatever is in the jug at the end.

Stir Stick

Another additional feature on a smoothie maker that can be exceedingly useful is the “stir stick”, a long spoon-like device that goes down into the jug and can be used to stir the ingredients around without needing to open the lid and use a spoon.

Measurements

Even though more blenders today seem to have measurements on the side of the jug, not all do. Smoothie makers will generally have a reference on the side of the jug in several different units so that users can easily measure how much of the various ingredients they are putting into the mix.

These features mean that a smoothie maker is much better designed for the task in hand over a conventional food blender, and is definitely a much better choice for those who will regularly use their machine for this purpose.