et’s be honest: when you make a smoothie, do you dump everything into your full-sized blender or personal blender and hope for the best? You’re not alone—I did the same in my early smoothie-blending days: a little of this, a lot of that, then more liquid or more blending, and sometimes a chunky compromise. Those days are over for both of us.

As a reviews analyst in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, I’ve tested more than 100 blender models and counting (making at least one smoothie in each). In the past decade, I also trained in health‑supportive culinary arts and developed recipes for a New York City smoothie shop. I’ve blended more smoothies than I can count—professionally and in my home kitchen—and the biggest and most surprising game‑changer was how I layered the ingredients. Read on for my team’s top‑tested techniques that turn guesswork into a smooth, reliable blend.