The best boiling water taps promise a ‘third way’ – delivering boiling or near-boiling hot water for drinks, snacks, cooking and cleaning. A safety lock is there to prevent children from accidentally using them and scalding themselves, so they’re safer than even the best kettle. There’s a built-in water filter too.

The most convenient designs replace your current hot-cold mixer tap and add the extra-hot option, so you don’t need a new hole in your sink or worktop. We’ve focussed on those here but you can also get dedicated boiling water taps that sit alongside your current tap.

Either way, you’ll need to sacrifice some space in the cupboard under your kitchen sink for the boiler – the bigger the boiler tank, the larger the capacity. All of the models here have a larger capacity than a kettle.

Boiling water tap, or hot water tap?

One of the biggest factors when buying is whether to get a tap that delivers true boiling water at 100°C or one that’s a fraction cooler, also known as an ‘instant hot water tap’.

A couple of degrees makes little difference if you’re filling a saucepan to cook pasta or making up a hot water bottle, but true 100°C water is better for everything from making tea straight from the tap to sterilising baby bottles.

Throughout this buyer’s guide, we’ve outlined the water temperatures each tap delivers and called the water from the ones that are lower than 100°C ‘near-boiling’. You could also call it ‘kettle hot’.

Best boiling water tap 2021

1. Grohe Red Duo

Best near-boiling water tap

Delivers: Hot, cold and filtered near-boiling water
Temperature: 99°C
Tank capacity: 3 or 5.5 litres
Design: L, C or U spout; multiple finishes
Reasons to buy:

• Great child lock
• A-rated energy efficiency
• Small boiler footprint

Reasons to avoid:

• Not 100°C

Grohe Red taps are rated A for energy efficiency thanks to a titanium boiler with excellent insulation. It takes very little energy to keep the water at the required temperature. Water is dispensed at 99°C.

What sets Grohe Red apart is its child lock, tested and certified by renowned German Safety Testing body TÜV. You must press two icons to start the near-boiling water: one then the other. And the outside of the spout is safe to touch.

The second you take your finger off the button, the water stops. However there is a pot-filling function that delivers up to 3 litres of near-boiling water in 60 seconds without keeping your finger on the button. Testers have remarked that it runs slower than expected and it’s true that that’s half the speed of your regular hot tap.

Add a mixing valve and you can also mix near-boiling and cold to make warm water. Your kitchen probably has a hot water supply but a clever feature uses a little of the near-boiling water initially to boost its temperature when you run warm water, just until the hot supply is up to temperature. No more wasting water before doing the dishes as you wait for it to warm up.

The M-size boiler (37cm high) has a 3 litre capacity while the L-size (49cm high) boils up to 5.5 litres. Both have a 21cm diameter, so a small footprint.

Water is filtered before it enters the boiler and Grohe has recently launched cartridges that filter out impurities but add essential minerals such as magnesium and zinc.

2. Franke Minerva Electronic 4-in-1

Best space-saving boiling water tap

Delivers: Hot, cold, filtered cold and filtered boiling water
Temperature: 100°C
Tank capacity: 5 litres
Design: L or J spout; multiple finishes
Reasons to buy:

• True 100°C boiling water
• Handy pre-set controls
• Large boiler fits behind plinth

Reasons to avoid

• Quite pricey

The Franke Minerva Electronic 4-in-1 delivers boiling water at 100°C. We especially like the way its large boiler can be hidden behind a plinth. Its pre-set touch controls are especially user-friendly.

The tap automatically switches to child safety mode when not in use. Pressing the electronic dial on one side wakes the tap from its safety standby mode and it glows white. Then twist to select a mode: it glows red for filtered 100°C boiling water and blue for cold filtered water.

Once you’ve picked a mode, two taps of the dial deliver either 30 seconds of filtered 100°C boiling water or 15 seconds of filtered cold water. Three taps of the dial deliver either 60 seconds of filtered 100°C boiling water or 30 seconds of filtered cold water. With these automated settings, you can let go once it’s triggered. Press again if you want to stop early.

Water flow can also be controlled manually by turning and holding the dial to give more or less water than the pre-set options. A separate lever on the other side delivers regular hot and cold water.

The boiler’s capacity is large at 5 litres, but with an innovative boxy design that has a large footprint but is just 15cm high, so it fits behind the plinth of your kitchen cupboard. Everything else under the counter, including the water filter, is in a smaller box. Installation is simple and plug-and-play.

3. Quooker Fusion

Best boiling water tap for add-on features

Delivers: Hot, cold, filtered cold and filtered boiling water
Temperature: 100°C
Tank capacity: 3 or 7 litres
Design: C or U spout; various finishes
Reasons to buy:

• True 100°C boiling water
• Optional huge capacity
• Option to add chilled and carbonated water

Reasons to avoid:

• Add-ons are pricey
• Big boiler option takes up more space

The Dutch-designed Quooker was the first ever boiling water tap. It delivers true 100°C boiling water. If money’s no object, you can double down and add a Quooker Cube, which dispenses sparkling and still chilled water from the same tap too.

The Fusion’s control is an easy-to-grip textured metal ring just above the lever. You push the ring down twice to unlock (that’s the childproofing) then turn it to control. An LED light ring glows red to indicate that you’re on boiling water mode.

Push the ring down once and it lights up blue for filtered cold water. This is also how you dispense chilled and carbonated water if you have the Cube add-on.

Flow of boiling water is similar to the Grohe at around 3 litres a minute, showing that boiling water taps just don’t flow as fast as regular hot water. The boiler capacity is either 3 litres (considerably more than a kettle) or a supersized 7 litres.

The Fusion has a contemporary look but there’s a Fusion Classic with more detailing that’s better suited to traditional kitchens and a Flex that has a handy pull-out hose (used only for regular hot and cold water).

4. Qettle Signature Modern

Best-value boiling water tap

Delivers: Hot, cold, filtered cold and filtered boiling water
Temperature: 100°C
Tank capacity: 2, 4 or 7 litres
Design: J spout; multiple finishes
Reasons to buy:

• Great value
• True 100°C boiling water
• Optional huge capacity

Reasons to avoid:

• Design less fancy than some premium models
• Big boiler option takes up more space

It’s hard to fault the Qettle for one good reason: price. It dispenses true 100°C boiling water plus filtered drinking water, as well as regular hot and cold, yet it costs less than rival taps. Its filter cartridges are more affordable than rivals too.

The design is nice enough too. The spout has a J shape, it comes in a range of metal finishes and you can choose between Modern for a contemporary kitchen or Classic, with its white lever handles and subtly flared base. But it doesn’t have the fancy design details and glowing lights of premium boiling water taps.

The Qettle’s affordability is down to a clever design with four different waterways. That means there’s no electronic components to switch between sources (read: less to go wrong). The boiler comes in three sizes – 2, 4 or 7 litres – and the taps are stainless steel and engineered in the UK.

Safety-wise, you have to depress a button and hold it down to turn the dial to dispense boiling water, to prevent mistakes (rather like the button for turning a shower temperature up high). There’s also an optional safety cover to keep little hands off it altogether. The spout is insulated, so cool to touch.

Qettle offers an optional add-on for dispensing chilled water. Sparkling water is literally in the pipeline: they plan to introduce that option early in 2022.

Buy direct at Qettle.com

5. InSinkErator 4N1 Touch

Best discreet near-boiling water tap

Delivers: Hot, cold, filtered cold and filtered near-boiling water
Temperature: 88-99°C
Tank capacity: 2.5 litres
Design: J, U or L spout; multiple finishes
Reasons to buy:

• Good looking
• Compact boiler
• Option to add chilled water

Reasons to avoid:

• Not 100°C
• Small capacity

InSinkErator boiling water taps are endorsed by multi-award winning interior designer Kelly Hoppen CBE as a “no brainer… perfect for anyone with a busy kitchen and lifestyle”. The Italian-made taps look great but the fact that they don’t dispense at 100°C will put some buyers off.

The boiler features a digital, adjustable thermostat that lets you set the water temperature from 88°C to 99°C. The boiler is compact at 2.5 litres; it’s a shame you can’t pick a larger one.

The easy-to-grip hot water handle has a push-lever safety locking mechanism. This ensures the flow of water stops immediately as soon as the lever is released.

Touch controls mean you can do clever stuff like tap the InSinkErator for 30 seconds of filtered water at ambient temperature, perfect for filling a water bottle. There’s also an optional add-on for filtered, chilled water at 3-10°C.

Our favourite design touch is the fact that it’s so discreet: it looks like a normal, two-lever kitchen tap but there’s a subtle button on the front.

Buy direct at InSinkErator

6. Perrin & Rowe Armstrong 3 in 1

Best traditional near-boiling water tap

Delivers: Hot, cold and filtered near-boiling water
Temperature: 75–98°C
Tank capacity: 2.4 litres
Design: J spout; multiple finishes
Reasons to buy:

• Exquisite build quality
• Compact boiler
• Operates at low water pressures

Reasons to avoid:

• Not 100°C
• Small capacity

This polished brass tap is part of Perrin & Rowe’s award-winning Armstrong range, hand-crafted in the UK. Build quality is exquisite with thicker plating than industry standards and the dual-lever design doesn’t look like a hi-tech tap at all.

It dispenses filtered, near-boiling water as well as regular hot and cold water. Capacity is small at 2.4 litres but at least that means that the boiler under the counter isn’t too bulky. You can set the temperature between 75°C and 98°C.

There is an anti-scald locking mechanism to prevent youngsters using it. The tap operates from as low as 1.5 bar pressure, which stands out as some rivals require a higher mains water pressure.

Buy direct at Perrin & Rowe

What is the running cost of a boiling water tap?

Fortune Brands

Energy consumption is genuinely low. All the brands here that have quoted energy costs put it at 3-10p a day to keep the water in the tank hot, thanks to insulation. Compare this with boiling a kettle, forgetting and reboiling. Or boiling more than you need accidentally. You might even save energy.

Running costs include replacing the filter cartridge every six months. These range in price with the affordable Qettle being the cheapest for cartridges too.

Take a look at more kitchen essentials with the best coffee machines

Are boiling water taps safe?

If you’re considering investing in the best boiling water tap, you’ll want to know if it’s a safe and worthwhile investment. We spoke to Anne Kaarlela, Marketing Communications and Customer Service Manager for InSinkErator to find out if boiling water taps are genuinely safe.

“InSinkErator specialist kitchen taps benefit from a self-closing, easy to grip, steaming hot water handle with push-lever safety locking mechanism. This ensures the flow of water stops immediately as soon as the lever is released, so it is inherently safe as well as eliminating the risk of leaving steaming hot water running. 

Using a steaming hot water tap, or combination tap, is a safe way to heat hot water for use in the kitchen. It makes the kitchen worry free as it eliminates the kettle and its trailing cord, hot cooking zones or naked flames from a gas hob. It also makes everyday tasks much quicker, convenient and efficient, while eliminating the time and energy lost waiting for the kettle to boil and saving precious worktop space.”

Take a look at the best slow cookers for more top picks

How do boiling water taps work?

Boiling water taps vary in how they work, but for most, they will connect to the plumbing of your kitchen taps to fit a miniature boiler underneath the sink. This will create a constant supply of hot water, on-tap.

“InSinkErator taps fit easily under all sinks and simply need an electrical connection. They require space under the sink in order to mount the tank, along with a small filtration unit. However, minimal space is needed under the sink.”

A boiling water tank will pass regular cold water through a filter before heating it to the desired temperature. “To dispense the steaming hot water, users must push the safety lever down and pull the handle towards themselves. Once the handle is released, the flow of steaming hot water stops.”

The post Best boiling water taps 2021: our top six for hot water in an instant appeared first on Ideal Home.

Attention, rattan lovers! Primark is dropping its first full furniture collection, and everything, we mean everything, is under £100.

The new range of furniture and on-trend decor pieces is set to launch in October in selected stores. Primark’s new offering is, quite frankly, perfect if you’re on the lookout for some smart living room ideas that don’t break the bank.

Image credit: Primark

Primark started teasing us with furniture pieces when it launched its bar cart and bedside tables last year. This latest offering complete with a rattan side table, shelving units, accent chairs and à la mode accessories has us over the moon.

As well as the furniture pieces, you can shop mirrors, rugs, wall art, lights and shades – all at Primark prices.

There’s a shift towards larger homeware pieces happening at Primark right now, as trading director Paul Baldwin explains. ‘Delivering extended ranges in newly created spaces within selected stores will help establish Primark as a growing destination not only for great home and lifestyle accessories at amazing prices but also for larger statement and functional pieces to complete a room,’ he says.

We’ve rounded up some of our favourite pieces below.

Primark natural rattan sideboard

Rattan, warm wood tones, and a storage solution for small spaces, that isn’t an ugly plastic box. This rattan sideboard is priced at an incredible £60.

We imagine this working best in a hallway or living room for keeping things neat. Pop a candle and a couple of succulents on the top and you’re good to go.

Image credit: Primark

Beige natural rattan glass topped side table

We’re a little bit obsessed with this circular side table, which is £90. It’s always a brilliant idea to introduce circles into your living room to offset all the other harsh angles and edges.

This side table fits the bill perfectly, and it’s two-tiered meaning more storage space. Plus, the glass top gives the illusion of more space.

Much better than blocky wooden furniture if you’re brainstorming small living room ideas.

Image credit: Primark

Beige natural rattan lounge chair

Slouchy and sophisticated, this chair looks like something out of Dream Home Makeover on Netflix. But, it’s also just £90, we’re still pinching ourselves at the price.

Image credit: Primark

A fab addition to prevent your living space from getting to matchy-matchy. This one also comes in black for a more contemporary look.

We’re also loving the tall standing shelves and nesting tables in the collection. Keep an eye out in-store as Primark Home is certainly no longer just a place for stocking up on autumnal candles.

Where to buy Primark furniture

The Primark rattan furniture will be arriving in these shopping locations:

Merryhill, Hanley, Cardiff, Manchester, Leeds Trinity, Newcastle, Coventry, Bristol, Bromley, Aberdeen, London OSE, Hull, Birmingham, Kingston, Milton Keynes, York Monks, Cross, Glasgow, Hammersmith, Lakeside, Meadowhall, Reading, Westfield, Braehead, Banbury, Doncaster.

Keep your eyes peeled and get ready to shop. We don’t think these pieces will be around for long.

The post Primark is launching a brand new rattan furniture collection – and it’s all under £100 appeared first on Ideal Home.

A smart DIY fan transformed her old uninviting patio into a stunning alfresco space on a shoe-string budget.

If you’re after some inspiration for an unattractive patio or garden ideas, then look no further than this dramatic makeover. Laura Higham from East Sussex turned her overgrown patio into a show-stopping outdoor space, with hardly any outside help.

Keen to take on the transformation without enlisting a landscape gardener, Laura began by thinking about what it was she wanted from the space. ‘It’s really important to consider what you want to achieve, how you want the space to work for you and what you’re going to use it for,’ she says.

Image credit: Laura Higham

Budget was also a key factor, with the family keeping costs down by doing a lot of the work themselves. ‘From cutting down small trees to taking up the old patio and digging out the beds surrounding it, we did it all,’ Laura continues.

‘This allowed us to invest our money in items that we knew would be essential for our social space.’

Rattan patio makeover

Before

The patio was a little lacklustre, with unmatched paving and bland grey fencing – it was definitely in need of an overhaul!

‘I started by getting some inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram,’ says Laura, ‘and we even visited National Trust gardens to help us build a solid framework of our concept.’

Image credit: Laura Higham

‘It’s also important to think about the overall space, as well as elements such as how the sun hits your garden,’ Laura continues.

‘For instance, would you want your seating area to be in the sun for evening dining or prefer a shaded option? It’s crucial you consider these points before you begin the work so you don’t encounter any costly changes.’

With the planning and manual labour done, it was time to start buying furniture and accessories.

After

The previously unloved space has now been transformed into a spot that’s ideal for family lunches and cosy autumn evenings spent outside. The space is filled with smart patio ideas that are laidback and inviting.

Image credit: Laura Higham

‘I wanted the garden to reflect the same style as we have in the home so that everything flowed well and felt connected,’ said Laura.

‘I love bringing the outside indoors with natural, rustic elements and textures, lots of wood, neutral colour palettes and textiles. Therefore, I wanted to take that back out into the garden. We’ve added lots of garden planters and flowers to soften the space, and then pattern and texture within the seating space.

The garden furniture was given a serious overhaul, now everyone has a space to sit. All the furniture came from Luxury Rattan.

With the furniture her main investment, Laura was keen to save pennies where she could and so chose secondhand accessories to ensure her garden has a unique look.

Image credit: Laura Higham

‘As we wanted our space to feel relaxed and laidback, we opted for vintage additions in the form of planters and pots to create a rustic and informal feel,’ she says.

‘Antique stores and eBay are ideal for these, while vintage furniture sellers on Instagram (such as @shop_wallis) take the hassle out of sourcing antique finds.’

The new space couldn’t be more different and has been enjoyed by the family throughout the summer. It just goes to show what can be achieved with some good planning, smart buys and hard work, you’ll have extra pennies to invest in your dream furniture set!

The post This tired patio was transformed into a dreamy al fresco spot with second hand buys appeared first on Ideal Home.

Buying the best blender of 2021 will prepare you for a season of spiced soups and hearty pasta sauces. We’ve been busy reviewing all of the best blenders you can buy from Ninja, NutriBullet, Magimix, Magic Bullet, Smeg, Vitamix, and much much more. In fact, all of our top picks have been tried by the Ideal Home team hands-on, so whether you want a budget-friendly bullet blender or a mighty multi-serve, our reviews come complete with pros, cons, and that all-important rating out of five.

Some of the best blenders in our guide can be combined with the best food processors to chop and pulse as well as making easy cocktails and other drinks.

If you do want a blender to make soup and other hot sauces, you need to be sure that it will take hot ingredients as well as cold. Some materials are designed to turn steaming veggies and stock into piping hot soups that you can pour right out of the pitcher and into the bowl. Others are less hardy, so you will need to let your soup ingredients cool before blending.

Other things we took into account when picking the best blenders were the ease of cleaning (especially whether it can go through the dishwasher) and the capacity. While the classic NutriBullet-style bullet blenders are perfect for single-serve smoothies, if you want to serve up drinks or sauces for the whole family, there are also multi-serve blender options available.

How much does the best blender cost?

Our best blender guide features blenders under £50, as well as some premium models that come in at well over £100, which you’ll even find in professional kitchens.

Spend more than £100 and you’ll get a better choice of attachments and extra blades, usually a glass jug or a thermally resistant plastic one, and more choice of speeds and programmes. At the other end of the scale are premium blenders that have evolved from those found in professional kitchens.

These blenders will be far more powerful, sometimes enough to gently heat the contents. These blenders frequently come with a price tag upwards of £500.

Best blenders 2021

1. Ninja 2-in-1 Blender with Auto-IQ BN750UK

Best blender overall

Type: Plastic
Dimensions: 435 x 170 x 210 mm
Power: 1100 watts
Reasons to buy: Vacuum cup reduces foam, sleek design
Reasons to avoid: Hard to wash

Powerful blenders can turn tough fruit and veg into yummy smoothies but all that whizzing makes for a foamy drink. Enter the vacuum pump – designed to suck the air out of the jug or cups before the high-speed action begins. This incorporates fewer bubbles in the process, so you can pour out a silky-smooth beverage.

The other benefit of using a vacuum is better colour retention (so the green doesn’t turn to sludge brown as quickly). And, unlike some vacuum-compatible blenders, Ninja’s Smart Screen Blender comes with the pump and enough batteries to run it.

It’s not just the vacuum pump that makes this a good buy for smoothie fans either. Concealed within the base unit is an 1100W motor, which gives the stacked six-blade assembly of the jug enough power for its smoothie, purée, frozen drink or ice cream programmes.

You can also blend smoothies directly in a pair of on-the-go cups using a screw-in blade tool, and there are high, low and pulse speed options. What we especially liked about the Smart Screen Blender was its sleek buttonless control panel: it was easy to wipe it clean, with nowhere for mess to hide, and when the machine was off, it was completely blank.

Its performance was also good – our smoothies only had small flecks of spinach and berries remaining and had a bright, vivid colour. Blending them was very loud but only took just over a minute. However, the vacuum process adds on about another 20 seconds for the cups and a minute for the jug, so may not be suitable for busy mornings.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

2. NutriBullet Pro 900 Series Blender Set

Best blender for single servings

Type: Bullet blender
Dimensions:25.7 x 14.6 x 36 centimetres
Power: 900 watts
Reasons to buy: Immense power, couldn’t be easier to use, very smooth results
Reasons to avoid: Only one setting

If you love a morning smoothie or want to blend up smaller portions in one go, the NutriBullet Pro 900 Series Blender Set has everything you need. It has two sizes of blending cups, 909ml or 680ml, and a to-go lid for drinking on your commute or simply storing in your fridge. Other screw-on attachments include a handle and of course, the blending lid.

The cups are dishwasher-safe and also very easy to clean by hand. Although they’re made of (BPA-free) plastic, they are incredibly durable and won’t be breaking any time soon. Most impressive with the NutriBullet Pro 900 Series Blender Set is just how powerful it is. The 900-watt motor reaches 25,000 RPM as soon as you lock the blending cup into place and as soon as you want to switch it off you can just unscrew to stop the blending.

If you want a blender to make smoothies or soups out of ingredients with skins, seeds, and tough stems or leaves, the NutriBullet Pro 900 really is the perfect choice. It turns even tricky ingredients such as kale and frozen berries into deliciously smooth drinks or sauces.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

3. Magimix Power Blender

Best blender for soups

Type: Glass
Dimensions: 26.8 x 20.8 x 46 cm
Power: 1300 watts
Reasons to buy: Maximum power, small design
Reasons to avoid: An expensive option

How much blending is too much? If you’re the sort of person who feels like you’re always second-guessing your appliance or over-processing, meet the Power Blender. It comes with five auto programmes (one of which is a time-saving self-cleaning setting) that help take the effort out of blitzing ice, smoothies, desserts and soups, alongside four speeds plus pulse for when you want more control.

On the design front, it’s everything you’d expect from Magimix – clearly labelled buttons and a dial, a choice of three classic finishes, easy drop-on jug, and a good balance between sturdy and stylish. However, there are some quirks to be aware of, such as 1.8-litre glass jug. It’s heavy even without anything in it, so pouring out accurately can be tricky.

The push-on, pull-off lid can also be stubborn at first, and there’s a max run time of a minute. Beyond this, there’s a lot to love – the jug splits apart for cleaning, it’s all dishwasher-safe and you can blend soup that’s still relatively hot (up to 60 degrees C) so you don’t have to wait long after cooking.

Its smoothie programme, which was a gradual ramping up of speed, followed by low then high, took about 30 seconds to whiz through a fruit and veg smoothie. There was no trace of leafy greens left and the blend was beautifully consistent.

Its cleaning programme using warm water and washing-up liquid left the jug spotless with some residue remaining around the lid. It also crushed ice into snow in seconds while its auto programme turned hot chunky vegetable broth into silky smooth soup in just over a minute.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

4. Sage Super Q

Best quiet blender

Type: Plastic carafe and cup
Dimensions: 21 x 46 x 27cm
Power: 2400 watts
Reasons to buy: Powerful motor, quieter average noise, simple controls
Reasons to avoid: Big price tag

Putting off making your morning smoothie for fear of waking the whole household, or even the neighbours? The Super Q is here to save the day. While blending is never going to be a quiet activity, this speedy, commercial-grade machine does its best to dampen the usual racket, and, importantly, the sound it does make is less of a jarring whine – because it’s often the pitch that’s a blender bugbear as much as the volume.

However, it’s not just noise suppression that makes this blender an asset – it’s also the breadth of programmes, versatility and efficiency. In the box you’ll find a good-sized two-litre jug with a lid that clips firmly into place, a 700ml cup with removable blades and a lid that you can use to blend shakes or smoothies, tamper, spatula, and a sleek silver base unit.

The controls are devilishly simple to get the hang of – there are five programmes at the push of a button, such as green smoothie, frozen dessert or soup (designed to heat up ingredients rather than blend already hot soup), plus a manual dial for ramping up through 12 speed settings and an LCD screen showing count up or count down times.

What’s especially clever though, is that the jug is compatible with the separate Vac Q pump, which enables you to suck the air out before blending. In our tests, this resulted in far less froth in a fruit and veg smoothie and noticeably velvety butternut squash soup, heated in less than six minutes (although this was noisy).

A final reason to love it is its frozen food and ice-crushing abilities – it transformed cubes into snow in about 30 seconds (the programme lasts a minute), which was easily scraped out. The only downside is the price – but if other blenders are leaving you disappointed or deafened, the Super Q is a superhero solution.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5.  NutriBullet Rx

Best blender for smoothies

Type: Plastic carafe/cups
Dimensions: 36.2 x 21.8 x 46 cm
Power: 1700 watts
Reasons to buy: Great value, lots of accessories, make soup quickly
Reasons to avoid: Blades aren’t dishwasher safe

Fans of the original Nutribullet looking to upgrade to something with more oomph will love the Rx. While some bullet blenders can leave behind flecks (of leafy greens, for example) the Rx uses its 2.3hp/1700W motor to create a flawlessly smooth consistency. Inside its blade unit, you’ll find four angled blades that screw into an oversized or short cup for smoothies or its Souperblast pitcher.

This comes with a vented lid, so you can use a special programme to blitz veggies into hot soup in only seven minutes. There’s no on or off button or speed settings. The Rx adjusts automatically to the contents and for the right amount of time – just drop the cup onto the base. In tests, it effortlessly blitzed smoothies using seeds and nuts. It easily tackled black treacle and broccoli too, all of which were thoroughly blended.

This super blender then made piping hot soup from vegetables and pre-made stock. It’s worth noting that it won’t brown ingredients, so some may need cooking beforehand. It was also used to blend creamy nut butter from almonds and oil.

One downside is that the blades aren’t dishwasher-safe, so you’ll need to clean out any residue by hand. Also, the cups are bulky to drink from directly and the kit it comes with doesn’t have an obvious way to stack it for storage.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

6. Vitamix A2300i blender

Best blender for sheer power

Type: Plastic
Dimensions: 43.2 x 20.3 x 27.9cm
Power: 1440 watts
Reasons to buy: Incredibly versatile, large 2L jug, smooth results
Reasons to avoid: With a hefty price tag, you may want a cheaper alternative

The Ascent 2300i  can be used to make your own butter (no churning by hand, yet all of the wow factor at your next dinner party), dips, nut butters, mayonnaise, non-dairy milks, hot soup from scratch without a pan in sight, bread and pasta dough, wholegrain flours, baby food and frozen desserts – essentially, almost anything you could make in a food processor.

To which end, it’s built with a more durable construction than you’d expect your average blender to have. There’s a large base to find space for in your kitchen, plus a two-litre plastic jug with a wide spout that manages to be both lightweight yet sturdy and a secure push-on lid that prevents leaks.

And while there aren’t any programmes, the Ascent 2300i doesn’t lack options – 10 speeds plus a pulse button mean you can scroll between gentle liquefying and pulverisation.

Other points of difference are a comprehensive recipe book, a tamper to nudge frozen ingredients towards its blades and an on-off switch so it’s not accidentally flicked into life. In testing, it made a smoothie that was completely lump and fleck-free in about a minute, staying steady on the worktop even at the highest speed. Its count-up timer on the front came in especially handy for keeping an eye on blending times.

Similarly, it took a minute to blend cooked ingredients into smooth soup and 6 mins 30 to blend and heat using the friction of its blades. A few pulses were all that was required to crush ice, and it cleaned easily after messy jobs by using water and washing-up liquid, with the mixture even reaching the lid for a thorough clean.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

7. Smeg BLF01 50s blender

Best looking blender with smart features

Type: Aluminium
Dimensions: 20 x 16.5 x 40cm
Power: 800 watts
Reasons to buy: Awesome 50’s retro style, incredibly sleek and easy to use
Reasons to avoid: Only one pitcher, can’t handle soup

With a die-cast aluminium body and six lovely colours to choose from, you won’t want to remove the Smeg BLF01 50s blender from your kitchen counter. We were impressed with just how smooth it left our drinks, even when they had ice and frozen blocks of spinach; a notoriously tricky ingredient. The soup had an almost whipped consistency because of how well the blender broke through tomato skins and peppers to incorporate, but Smeg does recommend waiting until your soup has cooled before blending, which is a shame.

The jug doesn’t need to be screwed in: just slot it into the base and select your setting. The Smeg BLF01 50s blender may have a retro style but the build is all modern. It features a pulse setting and numerous preset modes, including a button for blitzing ice.

You only get the 1.5 litre tritan jug with this one, so it’s not the most versatile. For pairing with a toaster or kettle though, the look really does impress. It also felt incredibly powerful and not too loud, which given the 800 watt motor was a surprise.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

8. Philips HR3652

Best blender for crushing ice

Type: Glass
Dimensions: 21.6 x 43 x 31.6 cm
Power: 1400 watts
Reasons to buy: Fine blending, dishwasher-safe
Reasons to avoid: Speed settings are unnumbered

Most of us could probably do with eating more fruit and veg. Proven to motivate you into upping your five-a-day is the 1,400W Avance blender, which will turn unpalatable vegetables into smoothies and soups with ease. Its makers claim it produces 50% finer blending than a previous model – which is great news for the fruit and veg-phobic. For its price, it brings a lot to the table.

This blender has a two-litre glass jar with 1.5-litre working capacity, 13 speeds plus pulse, two one-minute programmes for smoothies and ice crushing. It has cable storage and a spatula that inserts through the lid to move contents around.

The manual speeds are only marked min to max without numbers between, so it’s more difficult to reproduce a recipe if you’ve already found the perfect setting. It also can’t be used for more than three minutes at a time. In tests, it turned a couple of handfuls of ice cubes into snow and made a fruit and veg smoothie, both using the dedicated programmes.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

9. Ninja Blender with Auto-IQ BN495UK

Best personal blender

Type: Personal
Dimensions: 17 cm x 15.9 cm x 38.7 cm
Power: 1000 watts
Reasons to buy: Smart Auto-IQ settings, easy to use and clean
Reasons to avoid: A little noisy, not for larger drinks

If you’re looking for the best blender for smoothies, it’s a good idea to consider a personal blender. Personal blenders are designed for taking drinks on the go, and can blitz up ice, frozen fruit and protein powder into smooth and creamy drinks. The Ninja Blender with Auto-IQ BN495UK is a smart choice. It has two smart settings that use Auto-IQ to tackle even the toughest ingredients, it can chop through chunks of frozen spinach, banana, and ice to make thick milkshakes and creamy smoothies.

Personal blenders are far from versatile. This option comes with two 700ml cups that have lids for taking on the go, but nothing larger for blending family-sized dishes. What they do offer though is some seriously high powered blending power and a smaller footprint for your kitchen counter. We loved this model when we put it to the test, so if you’re after a personal blender, take a look.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Read our full Ninja Blender with Auto-IQ BN495UK review

10. Magic Bullet Kitchen Express

Best blender food processor combo

Type: Plastic
Dimensions:30.8 x 29.2 x 19.2 cm
Power: 250 watts
Reasons to buy: Get a blender and food processor in one
Reasons to avoid: Single serve only

Affordably priced and multi-functional, the Magic Bullet Kitchen Express is the perfect choice for students or small households who want something that can blend as well as chop and slice. It has two drink pitchers, one of who has a to-go lid that stays very securely in place, and despite only being 250 watts this blender is very powerful. It was particularly effective at making smoothie bowls out of frozen bananas and berries, with little intervention.

While it’s not large enough to blend things like soups, the Magic Bullet Kitchen Express is perfect for smoothies and shakes, and it makes a top iced drink. The controls are simple, with an On, Off, and Pulse, but it’s by no means as multi-faceted as some of the options from Ninja and Vitamix, which offer a variety of blending modes for different drinks.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Read our full Magic Bullet Kitchen Express review

11. KitchenAid Artisan Power Plus Blender 5KSB8270

Best blender for power

Type: Plastic
Dimensions: 44.9 x 26.7 x 23.1cm
Power: 1800 watts
Reasons to buy: Excellent design, produces great smoothies
Reasons to avoid: Very noisy

If the smoothest of smoothies is a priority, the KitchenAid Artisan Power Plus Blender 5KSB8270 will deliver. Equipped with a peak 3.5hp motor and billed as the most powerful blender available, it liquefies everything from frozen fruit to nuts and grains.

There’s a choice of 11 speeds plus high or low pulse and three programmes for juice, smoothies and soups, plus a self-cleaning option. Its 2.6-litre blender jug is superbly designed – made from BPA-free dishwasher-safe plastic, it has a dual-wall construction so the exterior doesn’t become hot even when it’s heating soup. Inside the blender are four heavy duty 3mm-thick angled blades.

On top, a vented lid lets out steam, while a tamper comes in handy for solid food. The blender power cable also detaches for storage. Available in three glossy shades, the Artisan Power Plus blender is beautifully designed and rightly so – at 9.4kg, lifting it in and out of a cupboard would be a chore.

It’s more of an investment than your average blender, so you’d need to get lots of use out of it to justify the cost. It’s also an exceptionally noisy blender – anything over speed 7 may have you fleeing the kitchen. However, in tests, it gave a peerless performance with smoothies, soup and ice, and it will fit perfectly next to the best stand mixers.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

How to buy the right blender for you

Image credit: Vitamix

1. Check how powerful your blender is

The wattage can work as a guide but higher doesn’t always mean a better blender. Take into account additional features that it uses to process food thoroughly, such as jug and blade design. A blender’s power can sometimes be displayed in horsepower (746W = 1hp) instead of watts. While basic liquidisers sufficed with two blades, most modern jug blenders will have at least four, sometimes with mini blades nestled around the stack. They’re usually angled, which helps them to whisk up pieces from the bottom of the jug and create a vortex to drag blender contents down from the top.

Take a look at the best juicers

2. Check blender settings and speeds

Basic models tend to have just a few speeds while more feature-packed models will have several. Both will usually feature a pulse option for quick bursts of speed. You can also find blenders with programmes for blitzing specific foods, such as soup, ice crushing, smoothie, pureé and frozen desserts. A cleaning programme is another handy option, allowing you to clean the jug in-situ by running it filled with water and washing-up liquid.

3. Check blender materials

The blender jug itself will be made from either glass or plastic. Glass tends to be sturdier and less likely to become scratched but a good quality BPA-free plastic, such as Tritan, is a smart choice. This is because it’s strong yet lighter than glass, which can make all the difference if you’re lifting a heavy jug of soup. Jugs vary in total capacity and working capacity (ie how much they can safely blend without the contents trying to escape). This is usually lower for hot liquids. A 1.6-litre jug should cover most everyday blending but to be able to get the most of out of your blender, look for around two litres.

4. Check blender practicality

Look for blender jugs that have two-part lids, too, so you can add food or liquid as it blends. This is ideal for making sauces that can easily split, such as mayonnaise, or when processing hot food, so steam can be released.

5. Check for extras

The lids may include small measuring cups. Some blenders have additional milling and grinding blades (which can be used for seeds, nuts and sometimes coffee beans), mini containers for mincing smaller amounts of food, personal blender cups and even food processor bowls. Another useful blender accessory is a tamper. This fits through the lid of the blender so you can move solid chunks of food, such as frozen fruit, towards the blades.

What other key questions do I need to ask about blenders?

Are blenders easy to clean?

You’ll get more use out of a blender that’s easy to clean, so look for those where all the removable parts are dishwasher safe. Some blender jugs will split apart so that the blades can be safely cleaned separately and more thoroughly. If the jug has fixed blades, it can be difficult to clean around them by hand, so always use a brush. Our how to clean a blender guide has more tips.

Are blender noisy?

All blenders will be noisy, though some more than most. The pitch can differ from blender to blender, too, meaning that some noises, while not louder, are more annoying than others. If possible, try before you buy.

Will my small kitchen accommodate a blender?

Blender cables can be substantial, so look for machines with built-in storage to prevent the flex getting out of hand. Unless you’re buying a machine that you’re happy to have on display on the worktop, your blender will probably live in a cupboard. If so, choose one that can be easily dismantled, is light enough for you to lift in and out and won’t take up too much storage room.

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