Guest Review: Smoothie Makers

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Sheenie Shaikh tests some high street smoothie makers to see which ones make the mix without breaking the bank.
Russell Hobbs Mix & Go (£24.99) uk.russellhobbs.com
Capacity: 600ml

300W
Good for smoothies, protein shakes & fruit cocktails
Quick and easy to clean
No mess
Budget-friendly
Takes up little space
Bottle and blades are dishwasher safe
A tidy little thing that sits discreetly on your worktop, Russell Hobbs’ Mix & Go is a compact personal blender and portable bottle in one for making smoothies and protein shakes. Time is of the essence during Suhoor, which is why the Mix & Go is wonderfully quick and convenient for blending a smoothie, packed with essential nutrients to keep you going until Iftar. It also crushes ice and frozen fruit.
For a thicker consistency, a dollop of yoghurt will give the immune system an extra boost particularly as it’s a great source for keeping thirstiness at bay. Low maintenance, quick and a pocket-friendly investment, it takes just a few seconds to whizz a delicious smoothie or fruity concoction that guarantees you get your 5-a-day.
Philips Viva Collection Juicer HR1832/01 (£70) www.philips.co.uk
Capacity: 1.5L
500 W
Good for juicing
All removable parts are dishwasher safe

Not to be categorised in the same category as blenders and food extractors, Philips’ Viva Collection Juicer is simply that: a juicer. At half the size of most juicers, it packs twice as much punch as the big boys, ex- tracts juice from fruit and vegetables at a rapid rate and pouring out of the spout. I’ve used juicers where half the fruity fibre ended up stuck to the lid, which gave me a headache with washing but this one collects the waste in one container so it’s easy to dispose of. The juicer will pretty much handle anything including carrots and pineapples, separating pips and skins, except bananas.
The downside is the cleaning, which requires a little more effort than just a quick rinse, but parts are dish-washer safe. Larger fruit and vegetables have to be cut to fit through the feeder and citrus fruits must be peeled first. That said a freshly squeezed juice at Iftar is the ideal way to open your fast – pure, organic and healthy.
Nutribullet (£99.99) www.buynutribullet.co.uk
Capacity: tall cup 680 ml, small cup: 380ml 600W
Good for extracting and blending
Quick and easy to clean
No mess
Only cups are dishwasher safe, blades to be hand washed
Nutribullet is a beast of a blender but to give its correct description, it’s actually a super-food extractor. Its sharp blades pulverise fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and ice in less than ten seconds. Just add a splash of water or milk (almond, coconut or semi-skimmed if you’re healthy) to create a cocktail of goodness.
The cup and blades just need to be soaped up and rinsed under the tap. With such a powerful motor, the NutriBullet sits at the high end of gadgets but it’s one you will get many uses out of even after Ramadan. It hardly takes up much space in the kitchen either.
          
About Gem Hunter Sheenie

Sheenie Shaikh is a writer, blogger and photographer, and has contributed to an eclectic mix of titles. She also writes a beauty blog called Just Nice Things and is a crazy cat lady.
Read more about Sheenie here