KenwoodSB266 Smoothie Maker

Will always buy these.

Great considering cheap priceUsed it daily since buying and seems to cope with anything I throw at itFit of base/container/tap is a little sloppy but doesn’t impact the functionalityI’d recommend

It's bigger than I expected, but boy does it work! First time buying a smoothie maker and delighted with the results. I buy bags of mixed frozen fruit from our local Dobbies food hall - it's a mix of things like melon, grapes, strawberries, peaches etc and mix it with apple juice. The result is like a slush puppy. The spout is useless for that as I love the smoothie to be really thick and slushy but I just spoon it out of the jug into a mason jar. I might try adding a splash of alcohol to it to see if it comes out a bit like those frozen cocktails you can get.

Arrived a day early and although it said silver colour not available, which I wanted, but wasn't too bothered about, it turned out to be silver. It's identical to the one, same Kenwood, which burnt out the other day after 9 years constant use so I don't think it owed us anything. There are one or two differences on this one, but self-explanatory. The one I purchased from a store, 9 years ago, was more expensive than this one which is a real bargain. Delighted and can highly recommend. Kenwood is a name that we all recognise for being up there at the top.

I've had this about a fortnight now. It is good...in parts.Good points:It makes nice smoothies with soft fruits, a wee bit of kale/spinach and some apple/celery.Bad points:The one time I tried using frozen fruits, it started to smell of burning - I assume the motor was overheating?I don't know (because of this) whether it could cope with ice: I'm a little afraid to try it. When I do, I'll use the pulse blade then the slow then the fast buttons to try not to overload the motor.I've tried adding chocolate to a smoothie and all the chocolate ended up at the bottom of the jug, under the blades.I tried making a kale/parsley smoothie (with a bit of apple, celery, lemon juice and coconut water) following a recipe and it wasn't remotely smooth. In addition to which, the tap got clogged up and took quite a bit of cleaning.I got it for £20. For £20 it's a bargain, but I wouldn't be happy if I'd paid full price.

I think this is a great smoothie maker. People have stated that it's blades are not capable of blending solids. That's not my experience. This machine can easily disintegrate ice, nuts and chocolate. I had no problems in terms of solids but I used it to make smoothies, which was sort of the point of the product! Perhaps if people are trying to blend large foodstuffs it can be difficult. The tap is really useful and the whole jug is very easy to clean. The only difficulty I had was storing the jug in the fridge. But the tap is detachable which is useful.

Bought this late June 2022, used on average 5 times per week, already broke, real shame as Kenwood are usually a good brand. Unable to contact seller to discuss warranty. Disappointed.

I have had various blenders over the years for making smoothies. I have had two Magic Bullets and two Hinari blenders, as well as the Kenwood one that came with my food processor. The first Bullet just packed up after a couple of years and then its replacement failed as the knobs came off the cups so it was unusable. Bought the Hinari and then it got stuck with the liquid in it and had to be returned like that. The replacement was not satisfactory and the cups kept getting stuck.I ordered this one as a last resort but it is brilliant. Doesn't take up much room on the work top and has two speeds which are more than adequate. The tap is great and if it does get a bit stuck, I just pulse it on the slow speed and it empties.Only disappointment is that it has to be handwashed but it is a minor niggle, doesn't take a minute to wash it out if you do it straightaway.Good purchase and I am very pleased with it although I have only had it a few days.