Kenwood SB055 Smoothie 2GO - Silver

I have had the black version of this smoothie maker for almost 3 years now, and recently purchased the silver one for a friend, which in summary would tell you how I pleased I am with this purchase. However, for those wanting to know more, here is my detailed review.Purpose:I bought this initially to make “smoothies” – without really having any idea of what and how to make. The reviews online looked decent enough, and I decided to take the plunge. Since then there has been no looking back. I have used it to continually make the same milk shake recipe that I like the most, and it always delivers. The recipe is basically some milk, chocolate protein powder, and some cut up frozen bananas. Yes, frozen bananas. And this beast of a machine turns it all into the most delicious milk shake I have ever had.Pros:Performance: The blade is incredibly strong. Despite the horrible sound it makes while slicing through the indestructible frozen bananas, the machine ensures that there are no large chunks left by the time I am done with this. The milk shake comes out nice and thick, exactly the way I want it, with no lumps of bananas in it. It is fast, ruthless, and in less demanding jobs, can get you the final products within 10 seconds or so. I have periodically used it for other blending and smoothie making purposes as well, and needless to say, it’s a walk in the park for this bad boy. 6/5Size: The overall footprint of the machine’s base unit is quite small, with good grip at the bottom to ensure it doesn’t slide or anything of the nature. It means it takes very little counter space and I don’t need to stow it away every time I am done using it. The cups (or containers in which you actually blend items) are on the larger side, which means you can make more of what you want to make, which is an ideal combination for me: less machine, more smoothie. The holders themselves come with separate caps, which you can put on them, and turn them into travel mugs. This can be especially handy for people who like their breakfast smoothie on the go. Just quickly whiz it in the machine, put on the cap, and you are set to go! 5/5Reliability: 3 years of crushing frozen bananas and the blades were still rock solid. However, I did end up breaking the inner mechanism, basically the plastic gears which connect the blade to the motor and hang on for dear life as the blades spin around. It was mainly down to my own rough treatment of the machine, as well as making them blend such solid items which admittedly shouldn’t be blended to begin with. I ended up buying replacement blades which cost me almost 8 quid, but it was a worthwhile replacement. If you are put off by the fact that I eventually broke something, then don’t be. As I said, I gave it a pretty rough treatment for almost 3 years after which it finally gave way. And even then the replacement didn’t cost much, which is an extra bonus. 4/5Operation: Operating the machine is actually quite simple. You basically put all the ingredients in the containers, and you screw on the “cap” with the blade on it. You turn the entire thing upside down (don’t worry, it doesn’t leak at all), connect it properly to the base unit so it locks, and then twist the dial to start blending. Once done, you simply disconnect it, unscrew the cap, and you can drink the smoothie directly from the container. You could also screw on the other cap which turns into a travel mug i.e. it has an opening at the top from which you can drink, and a flap to close the opening so that it doesn’t spill when you aren’t drinking.Cons:None that I can think of. It truly is a very powerful machine, with excellent results, and able to withstand quite a bit of rough treatment for years to come.Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the purchase. When a friend of mine recently asked me to recommend something to him, I immediately bought him this without any hesitation, and now he shares the same belief in this machine as me. For the performance it gives, the price is actually quite reasonable, and I don’t see why I would go for any smoothie maker more expensive than this one.

I've had quite a few blenders and smoothie makers over the years, but once I tried this one, I was hooked!1. Compact design that doesn't take up too much room on worktop.2. Makes great smoothies.3. Soooo easy to clean, and in you know it's clean as there aren't any bits you can't get into, unlike some smoothie machines.4. Handy lids for if you want to transport your drink, and they don't leak!!Not really anything more you could ask for from a smoothie maker.My one has been going strong for the last 4 years, and I bought one for each of my sons to take with them when they went to university.Interestingly, of all the smoothies we've done over the years, hubby and sons all have the same favourite one, and it's probably about the simplest one to do too, although it does need a little bit of forward planning:Whenever you have an over-ripe banana, slice it up and freeze it (with slices in a single layer) in a food bag. (Having the slices in a single layer makes it easier for the blade and motor to deal with). Or, like us, buy a big bunch of bananas, let them go very ripe then slice, put in single layers in food bags and freeze!Put milk (we use skimmed and it's fine) and frozen banana into smoothie maker.Blend.It's as simple as that.If you blend it a little longer than you think you need to, it will thicken up slightly, which seems to add to the texture.One of my sons has likened it to a McD's milkshake!!This smoothie doesn't seem to need any ice added, presumably because the banana is frozen.(It's nowhere near as good if the banana isn't frozen!)This smoothie doesn't keep well, so it's better for immediate consumption rather than to make ahead.Anyway, back to the smoothie maker:Buy it, it's great!