In just a few weeks I am releasing my brand new eBook – The Zoosh Book. It has been a labour of love for over 2 years and I am so excited to finally share it with the world! While we all wait for the 1st of September to arrive; here is my tips for choosing the best blender/processor/smoothie-maker (aka Zoosher) for your needs.
My NUMBER ONE PICK:
is…drumroll… Whatever Zoosher you already own!!
I am a huge believe in K-I-S-S (Keeping it SUPER Simple) and as a minimalist, my first pick is to use whatever you already own. There are of course some limitations to certain types of zooshers, but generally speaking if you have a reasonably high-powered device you can create absolutely anything.
In my coaching practice I often hear ‘I can’t make that because I don’t own a [fill in blank].’ If you have ever had this thought, I’m calling you out on it.
You don’t need a $2000 kitchen whizz to make delicious food quickly. In fact I can think of quite a few reasons why a smaller, less expensive zoosher is better!
So, if you own any of the following devices, stop reading right here. You don’t need another one! Just go and order The Zoosh Book and make some good food already!
- NutriBullet (basic model, 600W), may struggle with tougher consistencies but OK for most basic needs)
- NutriBullet PRO (mid-range, 900W), this is what I currently own. Have not found anything I cannot make yet
- NutriBullet Rx (top of range, 1700W) powerful motor, would blitz through most things no problems.
- Vitamix
- Breville/Kenwood/Sunbeam or other mid-high level blender
- A food processor – any brand
- Thermomix
- Ninja Professional
- KitchenAid
- BlendTech
- Nutra Ninja
- Cuisine Art Hurricane
- Omni Blend
- Pretty much any product with a quality 600W or higher motor, BPA-free cup/jug.
If you have a stick blender or cheaper smoothie-maker, you will not be able to effectively zoosh dry ingredients. Check your product has the capacity to blend ice or almonds.
Match a Zoosher to your needs…
When choosing your zoosher, consider what types of foods you enjoy frequently, your budget and of course, the time factor. How important is it to you, that your device is easily cleaned? Will you make soups or smoothies more often? Do you need single-serves, or are you preparing food for a family?
Below you’ll see my pointers on the major types of zooshers to help you decide which style will work best for you.
1. The Smoothie Maker (enclosed cup, like the NutriBullet)
Starting with my personal choice; The Smoothie Maker, aka ‘nutrient extraction system.’ As the name implies, the smoothie maker is primarily designed to make zooshing up your morning smoothie quick and easy. It pulverises anything that goes in the cup at high speed. A smoothie maker usually involves blades that screw onto a cup, then tip upside down on a motor base to zoosh.
Choose a smoothie maker if:
- You will make smoothies frequently ie, every day or multiple/different smoothies for different people
- Limited bench space
- You will meal-prep many things at once and therefore require multiple cups/blades
- You want something easy to clean, with fewer parts
- Your budget range is $100-300.
Top choice ‘Smoothie Maker’ = NutriBullet Rx
2. The ‘Blender’ (includes Vitamix, Omni Blend, Ninja…)
The Blender is the ‘old-school’ zoosher. Blenders tend to have a larger cup/jug than a smoothie maker, but also often have more parts (more to clean!). They vary widely in price, anything from $50-700. I have a Breville 900W (glass) blender with removable blades which makes cleaning less challenging. I don’t use it ever – my NutriBullet does everything!
Choose a blender if:
- You will make smoothies sometimes and chunky style pestos (making use of the Pulse settings)
- You have more bench top space
- If you make soups often (and may zoosh things warm)
- Your budget range is $200-1000
Top choice ‘Blender’ = OmniBlend
The OmniBlend brand is my choice for personal blenders. They are Australian owned and a really high-quality product, but also high value-for money at less than half the cost of other popular bench top blenders.
See a video comparison of the OmniBlend vs other brands here.
3. The ‘Processor’ (includes KitchenAid, Breville Kitchen Whizz)
The processor is the biggest badass on the block. Biggest, but not necessarily the best. Everything you can do with a processor, you can create easily with a blender or a smoothie maker. So if you’re thinking oh, I’m cooking for a family of 4 so I need a processor; think again. I have a family of 4, and we do just perfectly fine with our NutriBullet!
BUT, if you’re an avid baker and love cooking/preparing healthy snacks then a processor might be your best friend. They take up the most space and have the most moving parts (to clean!) but they are designed to take a hit.
Choose a processor if:
- You won’t make smoothies often, if ever
- You’re making larger batches of recipes
- Your kitchen has plenty of bench space available
- You need several functions/speed settings, including pulse, chop/dice, slice etc
- You are primarily making thicker consistency foods; like healthy baked goodies (blissballs, muffins, biscuits, cakes etc)
- Your budget is $400-1000+
Top choice Personal ‘processor’ = Breville KitchenWhizz 15 PRO
The Breville KitchenWhizz 15 PRO is the perfect choice for big-batch zooshing. Any processor boasts a much larger bowl than the cup/jug of a smoothie maker or blender, but not all have a powerful motor to handle larger volumes of thicker consistency mixes. The KitchenWhizz series has several versions starting from $249 and is backed by a 2 year product repair/replacement and 25 year motor warranty.
Whatever you decide on, all of these devices will happily make everything from nut butters to smoothies, soups, sauces, dips, spreads, pestos and more. Give your liver a break from processing through preservatives, additives and other junk by making your own delicious, nourishing food. For a complete guide and creative ideas to get started, check out The Zoosh Book!
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