The best juicers and blenders for families

There are machines designed to blitz whole pieces of fruit and leafy green veg into a breakfast juice in moments, gadgets that will turn raw veg into hot soup without a stove in sight, and appliances that can effortlessly pulverise nuts to form a spreadable paste. The choices are almost limitless, but if your budget isn’t, don’t worry – there are plenty of decent options for under £100, and even under £60.

Here’s our pick of the best juicers and blenders for families…

1. Ninja Complete Food Processor with Auto-iQ and Nutri Ninja 1500W, £199.99 – best for multiple functions

When your baby wails for purée, your toddler demands his veggies be grated just so and you’re craving a fresh-fruit smoothie, plug in this 3-in-1 appliance and you’ll have it all on the table in no time. In the box is a food processor with 1.8-litre bowl, a 2.1-litre blender pitcher and 2 smaller cups, plus various blades and discs that allow you to precisely grate, slice, purée, mix and blend food – and create super-smooth drinks.

It’s all powered by a high-performance, 1500-watt motor that operates at 8 different speeds and settings, including 5 pre-set programmes made up of pulse, pause and blend patterns tailored to the dish or drink you’re creating.

This system is easy to assemble and simple to use thanks to intuitive controls, and allows you to achieve consistent results at the touch of a button – keeping you and your diners happy.

Available from: Ninja Kitchen EU and Amazon

2. Vitamix Ascent 2300i, £449 – best for a top-of-the-range, self-cleaning machine

There is almost nothing this powerhouse of a blender can’t do – it can even clean itself once you’ve finished using it to whip up your own baby food, nut butters, ice cream and pretty much anything else you care to eat.

Choose from 10 speed settings and a pulse function to effortlessly combine ingredients to produce culinary delights such as hot soups from raw ingredients, plus batters, dressings and sauces. It’s particularly good at tackling tricky recipes such as vegan ‘cheese’ and non-dairy milks.

The ‘smartest’ machine in our selection, this gadget is part of the new Ascent series that boasts built-in wireless connectivity to sense the size of the jug being used and adjust the programme settings and times accordingly, as well as a built-in digital display timer and an impressive 10-year warranty.

MFM tester Charli reckons those benefits go a long way to justify the cost: “It’s pricey but will blend anything, even ice, so it’s great when using frozen fruit.”

Available from: Art of Living Cookshop, John Lewis and Currys

3. NutriBullet, £57.99 – best for blending in a hurry

The original and arguably most popular NutriBullet earns a place in even the tiniest kitchens thanks to its compact size, superbly efficient blending and simplicity of use.

The 600-watt motor isn’t the most powerful in our line-up but, combined with cyclonic technology, it completely breaks down ingredients into a pulp-free consistency, so is ideal for cracking seeds and stems and shredding tough skins.

Sure it’s awesome at creating silky-smooth drinks, but it can do much more, as MFM tester Farzana explains: “I use it for everything – to purée foods, make smoothies and blend sauce bases for pasta or curries.”

Simply choose your cup size (2 are included), load with fruit, veg, nuts and seeds plus liquid or ice, attach to the base, blitz, then click off. Rinse the blades and container in moments (no need for a dishwasher), leaving them ready for the next task.

Available from: John Lewis and Amazon

4. Magimix Le Duo Plus XL Juicer and Citrus Press, £175.99 – best for minimal washing-up

Sleek and compact, this centrifugal juicer has a small footprint thanks to an integrated pulp collector and no collection jug; instead, juice flows directly from the stainless-steel spout to your glass. This also means less washing-up – ideal if you don’t have a dishwasher. Despite its diminutive size, you can still juice 1kg of apples in one go, though you may need to clean out the parts mid-way using the spatula provided as pulp build-up reduces the juice yield.

It’s dearer than the bigger Sage (see below), but has more functions: included is a citrus press attachment that can be configured for two different sizes of fruit, and a smoothie mix attachment, ideal for blending soft or cooked fruits and vegetables.

Available from: Nisbets

5. Stellar Stick Blender, £56 – best for simplicity

Sometimes, less is more and that’s definitely true for this simple stick blender, which comes with no attachments or accessories – ideal if you’re short on storage space or just want a basic blender. The 600-watt motor and stainless-steel blades are powerful enough to tackle hot and cold food, producing soups, smoothies and purées with ease, while the illuminated top dial allows you to adjust the power to achieve the perfect consistency.

MFM tester Rebecca loves the convenience of a hand-held blender: “I had a blender with my food processor and found it rubbish at blending baby food so got a cheap stick blender and it did exactly what I needed it to with baby food. I could control how smooth things were, and found it’s perfect for soup – with far less washing-up and cupboard space used.”

Available from: Amazon, Milly’s Kitchen Store and Harts of Stur

6. Sage the Nutri Juicer Cold Fountain Centrifugal Juicer, £149.95 – best for big families

If your entire family like to start the day with a juice but you don’t fancy waking up at dawn to make it happen (and who could blame you!), this gadget is perfect as it allows you to fill the 2-litre jug fast, thanks to the extra-large chute feed – so you can juice whole fruits and veg, saving you time on chopping and prepping. The jug can then be sealed and stored in your fridge for several days (assuming it’s not drunk sooner).

Although this centrifugal juicer boasts a monster 1200-1300 watt motor, the cold-spin technology ensures juice isn’t heated beyond cool, nutrient-friendly temperatures, and 2 speed settings – low for softer ingredients such as berries and high for harder ingredients like kale – make for precise and efficient extraction.

MFM tester Jenny wouldn’t be without hers: “Our Sage appliance was a gift and we love that it has different settings to choose how smooth things go.”

Available from: John Lewis and Amazon

7. Kenwood BLP400WH Blend-X Fresh, £52.98 – best for a budget buy

This blender proves you don’t have to spend a small fortune to reap big rewards in the kitchen. For just over £50 you get a 650-watt motor that’s powerful enough to blend most ingredients in the large 1.6 litre-capacity jug at three different speeds, so you can choose the best consistency.

There’s also a pulse function and an ice-crushing button, which allows you to make short work of ice cubes and frozen ingredients.

One drawback is the generous jug, which, being plastic, is unsuitable for blending hot soup or sauces. But it’s easy to pour the contents into a pan for heating. And when you consider it comes with a mill grinder for chopping herbs and spices, it’s clear this blender represents excellent value for money.

MFM tester Sarah agrees: “Our Kenwood blender has been going strong for years so if you’re looking for something long-lasting and great value, I’d recommend it.”

Available from: Currys, Amazon and Argos

8. JR Ultra 8000 Whole Slow Juicer, £389.99 – best for the ultimate juicer

This multipurpose dream machine rotates at just 37rpm – that’s less than half the speed of the other masticating juicer in our list and one of the slowest on the market – but has a 240-watt motor, so fruit and veg is gently but effectively squeezed to extract maximum juice with less oxygen.

The extra-wide feed chute makes juicing whole fruits and veg a breeze, while the cap at the end of the spout prevents juice dripping and allows you to wash the system through with water, so you can switch to making say, apple after orange juice without a trace of citrus.

Before you baulk at the price, consider that this innovative juicer has a whopping 2-hour running time (handy for making big batches at the weekend, or ahead of a family party), comes with an impressive 10-year warranty on the motor and includes attachments for making smoothies, sorbets and nut milks.

Available from: Amazon and Juicy Retreats

9. Electriq HSL600 Slow Masticating Cold Press Juicer, £59.98 – best for value for money

This compact machine packs clever design into a neat frame that won’t take up much space on your worktop – or in your cupboard.

The horizontal design ensures froth will be kept to a minimum, even when juicing leafy greens. And although the feeding chute is narrow – meaning all but the smallest fruits, veg and nuts (you can even use it to make your own nut milk) need to be chopped first – the reverse gear helps dislodge anything that gets stuck inside.

With a power of 150 watts and a spin speed of 80rpm, this masticating juicer is slower than centrifugal juicers but generates less friction and heat, so is supposedly better at preserving nutrients. And the unique see-through component means the whole process can be seen from start to finish, keeping kids entertained while they wait for their juice.

Available from: Appliances Direct and Amazon

10. Braun MultiQuick Aperitive Hand Blender, £104.99 – best for space-saving

You can take on any culinary challenge you’d throw at a regular food processor with this magic wand, from baking to grating and whisking and chopping, just by changing the attachments; included are a beaker, chopper, whisk and jug blender, some of which are dishwasher safe.

The hand blender is powered by a 750-watt motor and is stacked with clever features, including innovative one-handed control, which allows you to adjust the speed mid-blend by squeezing a button; splash-control technology to keep mess to a minimum and a patented child-safety lock, so it’s no surprise this gadget has won 2 design awards.

Available from: Currys and John Lewis

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