Now that we're working from home more often and trying to fill our days with something to do, we have a lot more time on our hands. That said, we’re still guilty of putting in a frozen pizza or snacking on crisps for lunch.
Our top picks for the best blenders
- Breville Blend Active
- Ninja Blender
- Etrigger Mini Electric Juicer
- KitchenAid Diamond Blender
- Philips Daily Collection Blender
- Homgeek 2000W Blender Smoothie Maker with 2L BPA Free Tritan Container
- Salter EK2827 3-in-1 Chopper Whisk and Blender set
Instead of spending that extra half an hour in bed, use that time to prepare your meals for the day with a blender. This fast and simple-to-use kitchen appliance might just surprise you.
Here are five ways a blender can make food prep easier:
The bigger the better
Compared to the Nutribullet, a blender is usually a lot bigger. This means that you’ll be able to organise food for yourself for the day, as well as share this with your partner or family. Top tip: take it in turns to prepare meals, so that your hunger to keep preparing won’t drop off.
It’ll save you time
Have you ever spent too much time slicing a perfectly shaped strawberry or chopping celery into equal slices? With a blender, it shouldn’t matter about making everything look the same because it’s about to get juiced. If you’re using this appliance to be more adventurous and create a healthy pancake mix, it’ll stir the eggs, milk and flour together quickly. Gone are the days getting arm ache and a lumpy mixture.
Easy way to get your five a day
Finding time to eat a banana, apple, orange, kiwi and a serving of grapes is tough for anyone. With a food processor, you can prepare ahead of time to ensure you get your five a day. A smoothie for breakfast is a brilliant way to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but you can branch out even further by blending vegetables for a soup.
Save money on your shop
Forking out for a good blender can help you save money on your shopping list in the long run. In order to prepare food for the week, you need to make a list for everything you need. Take this list with you when you go shopping and make sure you stick to it. If you’re not distracted by £1 crisps and chocolate deals, then you’ll shave off the pounds. Plus, keeping staple ingredients in your cupboards will mean not forking out for more week-after-week.
Less to clean
For me, cleaning everything after I’ve cooked is the worst part about preparing meals. Creating food for the whole week will make your kitchen look a little worse for wear without a blender. Not only will using this handy tool mean that you won’t have to mix everything by hand, but you’ll also have fewer utensils to wash up. Plus, most of these devices can be deconstructed and put in the dishwasher.
Now that you’ve been introduced to some of the benefits of using this kitchen appliance for organising meal times, here are some incredible blenders that you should invest in to ensure you stick to it.
Blenders for food prep
1 of 6Breville Blend Active
If you're combing your new meal plan with hitting your at-home gym, this is the right blender for you. It comes with two sports bottles, so you can take your smoothies, protein or nutrition drink with you to the other room.
£42.99
2 of 6Ninja Blender
Want a delicious iced coffee or breakfast smoothie? Drink it straight from the Nutri Ninja cup and take it from your kitchen to your office set up. Or, maybe even your garden, if you're lucky enough to have one.
£149.99
3 of 6Etrigger Mini Electric Juicer
Working in your bedroom? You can still enjoy a smoothie for breakfast with this portable blender. Not only will you get juice on the go, but it also means making baby food is a stress-free experience for families. Plus, it can be charged quickly from any USB device including your phone.
4 of 6Salter EK2827 GUNMETAL Cosmos 3–in–1 350W Blender Set
Need a compact blender perfect for everyday cooking and use? This blender is just what you need if you're the cook in your house. With a whisk, blend and chopping feature, you can prep and cook anything from cake mix to a casserole. It has a comfortable grip and even lets you store your leftovers easily with the rack holder.Tried and tested, 2020: "This hand blender couldn't be easier to use and it's small enough to be stored in a drawer in your kitchen. Switching between attachments is simple, it's really powerful and isn't too noisy. The cord length is just right and having multiple attachments means there's no need to have lots of appliances in your kitchen."
£34.99
5 of 6Homgeek 2000W Blender Smoothie Maker with 2L BPA Free Tritan Container
Are you looking for a straightforward device? If you get confused with gadgets that have lots of different features, then choose a Homgeek Blender. You literally just push one button to create a fruity drink. But I know what you're thinking… Adding thicker food like carrots and broccoli is going to break it, right? Wrong. Its eight-piece blade cutter means it'll finely cut through all vegetables.
6 of 6KitchenAid Diamond Blender
Start planning your weekly meals with this incredible food processor. It's been specifically designed for hot liquids and thick sauces, which is amazing for rustling up your favourite soups or stews. It also has fantastic features like the stackable base, jug and lid.
Lily Anderson is a writer at Bauer Media, where she tests products for titles such as Heat, Closer, What’s the Best and Mother&Baby.