How to Make a Smoothie: The Ultimate Guide

4. Blend properly. Add your ingredients in the order of liquid, soft and firm/frozen, and start off on the lowest speed until all ingredients are being mixed up, then gradually increase the speed. The amount of time you’ll need to spend blending will depend on your actual blender and your ingredients, but you’ll want to let it run on a high speed long enough to get most (if not all) of the frozen chunks broken down.
If your concoction seems to be jammed up, you can add a bit more liquid. If it all blends up into a thin liquid immediately and you wanted it thicker, try adding some ice (and using a little less liquid next time). A smoothie with fruits with lots of water (like apples and watermelon) won’t need as much liquid added as one made with a banana and peanut butter.
5. Play with texture. Maybe you normally like to drink it like juice, but try eating a thicker smoothie with a spoon and take note of whether that changes how you feel. Another fun trick to try is tossing some raw almonds in near the end of your blending cycle — it adds a some fun texture and crunch to the standard smoothie. (Did you ever get the chocolate chip milkshake at Rax as a kid? Yep, just like that, but good for you!)
6. Get a blender with a warranty. I’m not saying you need to go out of the gate with a $500 blender — not at all. But, if you are going to buy a blender and plan to use it daily, know two things: First, you do get what you pay for, and second, even with a pricy blender, it’s likely you’ll burn out the motor within a couple of years, so it’s worth checking the warranty on whatever you buy.
7. Make double batches. If you’ve got a recipe you love, there’s nothing wrong with making extra and saving the second half, either for lunch or the next day. You might find that the ingredients separate by the time you go for Round 2, but that’s not a big deal — either stir it up with a spoon or toss it back in the blender (maybe with some ice) to get it back to ready-to-sip shape. If you tend to include a lot of different veggies or fruits, this could be a huge time-saver for you!