Acai bowls are a healthy, flavorful and refreshing snack. And to be honest, they taste even better when you make them at home! But, you can't do this without having a quality blender in your kitchen.
In this Appliance Accreditor review, I'll tell you why the Breville Fresh & Furious blender earned our accreditation for the best blender for acai bowls. I'll also recommend some alternative blenders and give you some helpful tips for successfully making delicious acai bowls!
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Amazing Acai: Breville Fresh & Furious
The Breville Fresh & Furious blender is, in my opinion, the best blender for an acai bowl. It offers the best quality without a high price tag.
The quality of the Breville blender lies in its specially-designed blades. These heavy duty and versatile blades churn through frozen acai puree and fruits effortlessly. The result is a smooth, thick consistency that is evenly blended throughout.
Another one of my favorite qualities of the Breville Fresh & Furious blender is the low-volume operation. Most blenders cause a huge ruckus, making it difficult to focus on anything else when you're within earshot. The Breville blender operates at a lower volume, without sacrificing efficiency. You can count on this blender delivering consistent blends without disrupting others in your household.
The Breville blender also comes packed with pre-programmed settings and different blend speed options. The pre-programmed settings have unique blend speeds that operate for a set period of time. This means that you don't have to monitor your recipe as it's blending – just hit your pre-programmed option and enjoy it when it's done. The Breville has pre-programmed options exclusively for smoothies, which I found worked great for my acai bowls.
Finally, I have to imagine the assist lid. If you've ever used a blender without a lid, you know how important they can be. It doesn't take much for ingredients to get splashed all over your kitchen. But, some lids get trapped in the blender, and require some serious elbow grease to remove. For me, this means wrestling with my blender until the lid pops off, probably spilling some of my recipe in the process. The Breville comes with an assist lid that stays secure while blending, but removes easily. This has saved me from so much of the clean-up that I used to endure from other blenders!
PROS
- High-quality, well-designed blades
- Low-noise operation
- Assist lid for easy removal
- Pre-programmed options
- Great for blending, chopping, pureeing and more
CONS
- Not as versatile as more premium blenders
Click here to get your Breville Fast & Furious Blender on Amazon today!
Runner-Up: SharkNinja BL687C0 Ninja Auto-iQ Blender
Ninja blenders have a great reputation, so it's no mystery why the SharkNinja BL687C0 Ninja Auto-iQ Blender earned a spot on this list.
Like the Breville blender, this Ninja Auto-iQ blender has a range of pre-programmed options to take the guesswork out of your blending. These features will automatically adjust blending speeds and pulsing increments to deliver the perfect consistency for whatever you are blending.
The standout feature of this blender is the Total Crushing Technology and unique blade design. Unlike most blenders, the Ninja Auto-iQ has multiple blades throughout the pitcher. This ensures that no ingredients are left untouched. Everything you put in your blender will be worked into the mix, producing a well-blended and even consistency. This is a must for acai bowls and many other recipes, so it's a quality that you'll definitely notice.
I also love that the machine comes with different attachments and cups. If you're planning on taking your acai bowls, smoothies or other creations on the go, the Ninja Auto-iQ comes with everything you'll need. This includes travel cups, lids and special blending attachments for each. The Ninja Auto-iQ does it all so you won't need to buy any other blending appliances.
PROS
- Pre-programmed options
- Auto-iQ technology
- Powerful total crushing blades
- Multiple attachments
CONS
- Pretty loud
Click here to get your SharkNinja BL687C0 Ninja Auto-iQ Blender on Amazon today!
Premium Option: Vitamix 5200
Vitamix is one of the biggest names in blenders. While I don't think they're the only blenders you can make acai bowls with, it's certainly one of the best ones. The best Vitamix blender for acai bowls is the Vitamix 5200.
What first interested me about the Vitamix 5200 is the self-cleaning capabilities. Blenders have so many parts to them that cleaning them is always a hassle. You have to take them apart, not all pieces are dishwasher safe, etc. With the Vitamix 5200, all you have to do is add soap and warm water and turn the blender on high. In just one minute, the blender will be spotless! This is a huge help since cleaning up after an acai bowl can be messy.
Of course, the Vitamix brand is all about the quality of the blend. That quality can be seen (and tasted) with the Vitamix 5200! This blender produced some of the smoothest acai bowls I have ever had. Plus, with the variable speed setting, I was able to fine-tune the blending process until I got the perfect consistency.
Finally, it's worth noting the build quality of the Vitamix 5200. It feels like a premium blender, so I'm sure they last as long as other users say. Plus, even if you should run into any issues, Vitamix offers a generous 7-year full warranty that should cover anything that might happen to your blender.
PROS
- Incredibly smooth and consistent blending
- Self-cleaning feature
- Generous warranty
CONS
- Difficult to get beneath the blades
- Fairly noisy
Click here to get your Vitamix 5200 Blender on Amazon today!
Budget Option: Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
For a budget-friendly blender that can still produce great acai bowls, look no further than the Ninja Professional BL610 Blender.
This Ninja blender has everything you've come to expect from the Ninja brand – mostly thanks to their Total Crushing Technology. This blender reliably crushes ice and other objects without any trouble. You can count on a consistent, smooth blend when you make acai bowls with the Ninja Professional Blender.
However, with lower power than its competitors, this blender may not be suitable for more demanding blending tasks. But for smoothies, acai bowls and similar recipes, the Ninja Professional Blender should do the trick.
One dividing feature about this blender is that the pitcher is made of plastic. I personally prefer glass pitchers because they feel more high-quality, but many others like plastic pitchers because they are less fragile. This feature mainly comes down to personal preference. But, I will say that the plastic pitcher feels very durable, so it should withstand drops and blends without an issue.
PROS
- Lower price point
- Ninja's Total Crushing Technology
CONS
- Limited blend options
- Weaker motor than other blenders
Click here to get your Ninja Professional BL610 Blender on Amazon today!
Tips for Making the Best Acai Bowls
In order to really enjoy the freedom of being able to make acai bowls from home, you need to be able to make them well. Getting the best blender for the job is only the first step! Here are some tips for churning out delicious acai bowls with your new blender.
How to Make Your Own Acai Bowl
If you're going to make an acai bowl, you need to start with the main ingredient: acai!
You can find frozen acai puree in many grocery stores and supermarkets. This will be the base for your acai bowl. Track down the unsweetened puree – you'll have plenty of sweetness in the other fruits you add to the recipe. Make sure to keep your puree frozen until you put it in the blender – this will ensure the smoothest, coolest acai bowl possible.
You'll want to add more ingredients than just acai puree to make your acai bowl flavorful. Traditionally, acai bowls are blended together with bananas, various berries and some sort of juice. If you're going to add bananas or other fruits into your acai bowl blend, make sure to freeze them ahead of time. They should be completely frozen by the time you put them in the blender.
Most people use apple juice for their acai bowls, but you can experiment with other fruit juices or liquids. In fact, adding milk or plain yogurt into the mix can help make your acai bowl extra creamy!
To get started, add your frozen acai puree, frozen fruits and juice or other liquid of choice into your blender. Start blending at a low speed. If you blend at a higher speed, you might blend everything too much, resulting in a runny acai bowl. If your acai bowl is not smooth enough, gradually add more juice or liquid until you get your desired consistency.
After your acai bowl has been blended, pour it into a cup or a bowl and top it with ingredients like granola, fresh fruit, honey and more. Be sure to eat it quickly, or the frozen fruit and acai will melt!
Ingredients needed for an acai bowl:
- Frozen acai puree
- Frozen and fresh bananas
- Frozen and fresh blueberries or strawberries (optional)
- Granola
- Honey
- Fruit juice
- Milk or yogurt (optional)
How to Make an Acai Bowl Thicker
It'd difficult to perfect your acai bowl immediately. As you make more of them, you'll learn the consistency that you enjoy and how to make it consistently. If you're struggling to get a thick creaminess to your acai bowl, here are some tips:
- Add milk or plain yogurt to your recipe
- Use less juice
- Blend at a lower speed
- Make sure your ingredients are completely frozen before blending
How Many Calories are in an Acai Bowl?
Much of the appeal of the acai bowl is the fact that it is a healthy snack or meal option. Of course, the calories in your acai bowl will depend on your ingredients, your toppings and how much you eat.
That said, a typical acai bowl comes in around 250 calories without any toppings. Toppings will bring the calorie count up, but you can count these ahead of time by looking at the nutrition labels of your granola, honey and other ingredients. The same goes for ingredients like yogurt and milk – be sure to consider these calories when customizing your acai bowl recipe.
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