Blenders are great for making smoothies, protein shakes and soups, but the best blenders are incredibly versatile devices. If you want to perform all sorts of high-powered kitchen activities, from crushing ice to making your own non-dairy milks, a blender can render your culinary ambitions a reality in a few noisy moments.

The key is choosing the right type of gadget for your needs: a bulky jug blender can whizz up big batches of soup; while smaller blenders come with transportable cups for your breakfast smoothie. Daintier options, which include Nutribullet and Ninja’s Nutri Slim, can be used for whipping up sauces and marinades, too.

I’ve tried all the latest models from the likes of Ninja, Vitamix and Nutribullet, across a range of budgets. You can find the full reviews and answers to your frequently asked questions below, but if you’re in a rush, here’s a quick look at my top five:

The best blenders: At a glance

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How to choose the best blender

If you’ll be making lots of big soups for a large family, a jug blender is ideal. These can be bulky and may take up significant counter space, so choose one which suits your kitchen aesthetic. With plenty of settings and high power, they can be expensive. A KitchenAid or Vitamix should be viewed as a lifetime investment, especially if you’re a keen cook.

Dedicated smoothie makers, such as a Nutribullet, are smaller and usually come with a screw-on lid, allowing you to blend and go. Smoothie makers can also be used to make hummus, pesto, breadcrumbs and curry pastes or for blitzing up a tin of chopped tomatoes. They’re easier to clean than jug blenders.

“My husband frequently uses [a Nutribullet] for smoothies, chucking in rock-hard frozen fruit straight from the freezer,” says Silvana Franco, a food writer and stylist. “My teenage son whizzes up his protein shakes in it and I love it for a weekend frozen margarita when it effortlessly smashes ice cubes into an even snow.”

Hand blenders, sometimes called stick or immersion blenders, are handheld devices you insert into a saucepan or container if you’re, for example, making soup. These can be found for as little as £15, so are the best blenders for those on a budget. More expensive options may come with several attachments, so you can purée, whisk, chop, mash and so on.

“My stick blender is one of my most used appliances,” says Franco. “I find a quick blitz speedily solves the problem of a lumpy white or cheese sauce. It takes seconds to wash up after, too.”

How we test blenders

Manchester City were well beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night, and their response will define the campaign

Pep Guardiola admitted before this game that Real Madrid has had a huge influence on his career, the Spanish heavyweights will now significantly shape his season.

The Manchester City boss has come up against Los Blancos 50 times now as a player and manager, the latest meeting will likely be the most difficult to stomach.

An inspired Madrid romped into a 3-0 interval lead thanks to a Fedi Valverde hat-trick as a defensively suspect City were left stunned.

It was a mountain to climb and City couldn’t lay a glove. The Champions League bid is in tatters on a night to forget. The reaction will now tell us everything.

Were this City vintage good enough to go all the way in Europe? Possibly not given where this team is at and the calibre of opponents in their half of the draw. Can they recover from such a chastening evening to keep their trophy hopes alive in domestic competitions? Time will tell.

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West Ham away is next, with the Hammers improved in recent weeks as they chase Premier League survival.

For a City side desperate to keep pace with Arsenal at the top it is a must-win. Particularly as they don’t play another top flight fixture for nearly a month.

The Carabao Cup final is only 10 days away, an FA Cup quarter-final with Liverpool looms over Easter weekend. The next three weeks is City’s season.

City’s ability to recover from setbacks has been evident already this season. Successive defeats to Newcastle and Leverkusen in November, the defeat to Bodo/Glimt was followed by an 11 game unbeaten run ended in Madrid.

The Blues must now do it again under the pressure of an imposing fixture list that could make or break the campaign.

Beat West Ham and then Arsenal at Wembley and the international break takes on an entirely different narrative.

Guardiola has been here before, this squad hasn’t. Not in a run-in when suddenly every match is magnified, every fixture could be fatal.

It’s a test of mentality and mindset now for this City side.

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Kristina Graham, who opened Kristina’s 11 years ago in the North Yorkshire market town, believes that the move further down Kirkgate might help to improve footfall.

The shop, which sells eco products, including liquid refills, gifts, clothes and food refills, started las a small store in Thirsk, but has gradually grown over time.

The shop has moved in Thirsk (Image: Kristina’s)

Kristina moved into the larger premises on Kirkgate at the start of the year, meaning there’s more space for customers.

Kristina Graham (Image: Kristina’s)

The business owner also hopes to offer a little café space for shoppers later this year, which will include a seating area.

“The shop is quite a unique one, selling UK-made, fairly traded, and eco-friendly products – the message is that we want people to buy locally and ethically,” said Kristina.

“It’s a big risk moving into a bigger shop with more rent, but we needed to take a gamble to try and get more people into the shop.

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“We had to reinvent ourselves from where we were before.

“I hope that this move means that I can start to draw a wage for myself.

“Other business owners here have been good and supportive, and I look forward to welcoming as many customers as possible to the new shop.”

The Alliance to Liberate Scotland – whose sole issue is to fight for independence – have selected Tommy as lead candidate in Glasgow, with wife Gail also joining the list for the city.

Tommy and Gail Sheridan are set to stand for another political party after the demise of Alba.

The Alliance to Liberate Scotland – whose sole issue is to fight for independence – have selected former Socialist MSP Tommy as lead candidate in Glasgow, with wife Gail also joining the list for the city.

The move comes just days after it was announced the late Alex Salmond’s Alba is to wind up and deregister after being left financially unviable amid a police probe into alleged financial “irregularities”.

Sheridan – who was jailed for perjury in 2010 after claims he attended swinging parties – had been part of a group bidding to take over leadership and save Alba.

But now he has now accepted Alba is no longer an option.

He told the Record: “The Alliance to Liberate Scotland is a single issue party and that issue is Scottish independence. After the sad demise of the Alba party the Alliance asked me to lead their challenge in the Glasgow Region. I am proud to do so.

“A vote for the Alliance party is a vote for prioritising Scottish independence. Of course I have my own opinions on the other important issues in Scotland but without our independence we can’t tackle poverty, homelessness and the chronic underfunding of our essential public services like our NHS and local councils.

“More and more independence supporters recognise the futility of giving List votes to the SNP because they simply don’t count under the voting system. Now they have a serious independence option not just in Glasgow but across Scotland”.

Former British ambassador turned indy campaigner Craig Murray has been selected to lead the Alliance’s List in the Lothians.

Murray was jailed for eight months after he posted a series of articles online about the former First Minister Alex Salmond’s high court case in 2020.

He served four months in prison before being granted parole.

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Weight loss injections like Wegovy can result in “very common” side effects

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People using weight loss injections could experience a range of side effects that affect roughly “one in 10”. Medical professionals have highlighted these concerns as being “very common” among those receiving treatment.

Weight loss medications, also known as GLP-1 inhibitors, function by replicating GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), a hormone naturally produced in the gut that is crucial for regulating blood sugar levels and reducing appetite.

GLP-1 inhibitors have witnessed a surge in popularity recently, primarily because of their demonstrated effectiveness in controlling blood sugar in people with diabetes and supporting weight reduction. Administered via injection, certain formulations of these medications can be prescribed through the NHS to qualifying individuals.

However, like any prescribed medication, it’s crucial to understand the possible side effects linked to these injections. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) website points out that “not everyone” will inevitably experience side effects from the treatment.

Less serious side effects

Even so, it is “very common” for people to experience digestive issues, such as nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, and abdominal discomfort. The BHF explained: “These side effects affect one in 10 people, according to the patient leaflets that come with Mounjaro and Wegovy. The injections can also cause tiredness or dizziness, hair loss, low blood sugar and a fast heart rate in some people.

“Speak to your doctor if you’re experiencing any side effects, as you may need to take a lower dose or stop taking them.”

Acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a rare but potential risk, with the possibility of developing an inflamed pancreas. Patient data suggests that as many as one in 100 individuals using these injections could encounter this condition.

“Speak to a GP or call 111 if you notice any symptoms, such as a sudden severe pain in the middle of your abdomen,” advised the BHF.

Vision

Vision loss is another concern. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has warned that “very rarely” individuals using semaglutide (the generic name for Wegovy) may experience a “sudden deterioration” in their eyesight, leading to total or partial vision loss, typically affecting one eye at a time.

The BHF stated: “If you experience this issue you need to seek urgent medical care and be referred to a specialist eye doctor.”

Poor nutrition

Poor nutrition is another potential downside due to the way these medications work, likely causing you to eat less. The BHF cautioned that this could result in nutritional deficiencies.

The charity added: “And rapid weight loss may lead to reduced muscle and bone mass too. That’s why eating a healthy balanced diet is still important.

“Small, regular meals containing enough lean protein, calcium and vitamin D, and regular exercise can help to protect your muscle and bone health.”

Contraceptive pill

The BHF also highlighted that the MHRA warned Mounjaro might reduce the efficacy of the contraceptive pill. It continued: “It recommends using another non-oral form of contraception, like a condom, instead.

“And the MHRA also says you should not use weight-loss injections if you are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding.”

If you experience any negative side effects from your medication, it’s recommended to contact your GP straight away.

When someone speaks in a language we do not understand, we do not assume their words are meaningless. We assume we are the ones who cannot yet understand them.

You might try gestures, sign language or the few words you recognise to grasp what they are saying. The assumption is always the same: meaning is there. The challenge is translation.

Listening to people living with dementia can sometimes feel similar.

Communication may become slower, fragmented or difficult to follow. It can be tempting to assume that meaning has disappeared. But often the problem is not the absence of meaning. It is that we are struggling to recognise how that meaning is being expressed.

People living with dementia are often trying, sometimes with remarkable persistence, to show us what they mean. Our role becomes something like that of a translator. As with any translation, something may be lost in the exchange, but the essence of meaning remains.

Sometimes that meaning appears in small, unexpected ways. A person who repeatedly asks to “go home”, for example, may not literally mean a building. They may be expressing a need for safety, familiarity or comfort. When we listen carefully, the emotion behind the words often becomes clearer.

Every person carries a lifetime of stories. Dementia may change how those stories are expressed, but it does not erase them.

Humans are natural storytellers. Research in psychology shows that we build our sense of self through the stories we tell about our lives: where we have been, what has happened to us and what we believe. Psychologists refer to this as “narrative identity”. It is the process through which people connect memories of the past with their sense of who they are in the present.

For people living with dementia, maintaining that sense of self remains deeply important. As research on narrative identity shows, the stories people tell about their lives help them hold together a sense of continuity and meaning, even when memory or language become more difficult.

Social withdrawal, however, is both a risk factor for and a common symptom of advancing dementia. When people withdraw socially, their opportunities to make sense of changing circumstances, relationships and identity diminish. Over time, this can erode self-worth.

The Keepsake Chronicles are storytelling groups for people living with dementia in the community. Participants are invited to bring an object that is meaningful to them, something they have owned for a long time. Objects are tangible. For people living with dementia, physical objects can cue sensory and autobiographical memory in ways that abstract questions often cannot. They can anchor memory and provide a scaffold for storytelling.

Keepsake Chronicles is a collaboration between a nurse, a creative writer and a photographer. As participants tell their stories, we record their words and photograph them in the act of telling. This captures expressions rich with emotion that are inseparable from the stories themselves.

We also photograph the object and then imagine the sense of place embedded in the story, finding ways to recreate it. Sometimes we capture a place as it exists. Sometimes it no longer does, and we respond creatively.

The recorded stories are transcribed and shaped into micro-narratives or poems using only the words and phrases spoken by the person living with dementia. This approach is often described as found poetry, a literary equivalent of collage. Because it preserves a speaker’s own words and rhythms, it allows meaning and emotion to emerge even when speech is fragmented or non-linear.

These stories are deeply embedded in geography. Seamus brought a large salmon that had been stuffed by a taxidermist and spoke of his life as a keen fisherman in Mayo.

It was there all our lives

If you look to the river Moy
today the salmon
have nearly gone extinct
it’s so sad
there’s very little there now,
and if you catch one
you throw it back,
but it’s so sad
No grouse in the bogs,
no bird like you always saw –
the lark, it’s gone now, the curlew,
it’s so sad
It’s so sad when I look at all that;
you take Lough Mask, the Corrib,
the river Moy,
it’s so sad to see them dying.
Now the hatches aren’t in it,
now the birds are gone,
it was there all our lives,
it’s so sad
to see the thing
dying in front of us now.

Sheila told us about moving to America and how her future husband came to bring her back to Ireland. Personal histories are woven into landscapes, rivers and journeys.

Some questions – and answers – about America and Apple Pie

Ten years in America.
I have it all behind me.
Did you eat hot dogs
I did not
Are you a good cook
Reasonably good
I guess
I didn’t poison anyone.
Roast beef on Sunday,
Apple Pie.
Is there are secret to apple pie?
There isn’t really.
How do you do it?
I roll out the pastry.
What kind of apples?
Green apples.
Did they have apple pie in Boston?
They did when I was there…

Stories, meaning and history

Sometimes stories tumble out. Sometimes there is silence. It takes discipline to resist filling that silence. A person living with dementia may need up to 90 seconds to process a question. If we interrupt, we reset that process. This can be deeply frustrating for them. For the listener, the silence can feel endless.

Holding space while someone gathers their thoughts is often what allows stories to emerge. Families frequently tell us they are surprised by what their relatives share, saying they did not realise they still had it in them to tell their story.

The stories and photographs are brought together in a book and returned to each participant. We could talk about reducing stigma around dementia, but the Keepsake Chronicles demonstrate this quietly and powerfully. When someone makes a room laugh, cry or sit in awe, it becomes impossible to deny their meaning and history.

People living with dementia may struggle with word-finding and memory, but they still have something to say. If we listen carefully enough, we can hear the essence of it.

Havertz’ late penalty against his former club put a different perspective on what was a disappointing performance from the one Arsenal would have hoped for.

Arteta felt the game had “different phases” and his side were “very dominant” in the first half, but did not take the early chance they had when Gabriel Martinelli’s powerful shot hit the crossbar.

He also unusually took off key player and captain Bukayo Saka after a below-par display, but his replacement Noni Madueke won the penalty that saw Arsenal avoid defeat in the competition for the first time this season.

Leverkusen were not happy with the penalty award as Malik Tillman’s torso seemed to make contact with Madueke’s foot as he dribbled into the box.

But Havertz kept his cool to ensure Arsenal remain favourites in next Tuesday’s return at Emirates Stadium.

“We are confident we will get the job done in London. The manager said just go on and try and change the game,” said Madueke.

“I don’t really know what happened [for the penalty] I just know I felt contact, went down and penalty.

“Kai Havertz has been scoring high-pressure penalties all his career, top composure to step up. Really pleased, not just for him but the team as well.

“When you come on and your team is losing it gives you that extra impetuous to try and change it.”

Arteta was “not surprised” with Madueke’s impact as it was his “biggest quality.”

“He’s very brave at doing that and Noni is a real threat. To have a player with that ability when you need him and to step in in the manner that he did, big credit to him,” added the Spaniard.

Arsenal have avoided defeat in the first leg in four of their last five knockout games in the Champions League (W2 D2 L1), going on to progress in two of the previous three ties.

But in their previous 16 matches at this stage of the competition, they have lost nine and progressed seven times.

Arsenal are still competing for trophies in four competitions and aiming to claim their first silverware since an FA Cup triumph in 2020.

Arteta was pleased his side remained composed when going behind to leave Leverkusen with a draw.

“Yes, that’s why I said emotionally it becomes a very different game because that is a team that is very, very good in transition, and you have more hurry and more rush to create danger and to go and draw the game, and you can get caught while doing that,” he said.

“I liked that emotionally, we understood what we had to do.

“The level of execution obviously has to be better and it will be better in the second leg. We’ll adapt a few things and yes, we’ll move on.”

The head chef of the wildly popular Noma restaurant has resigned on the first day of its limited Los Angeles run following a protest from former employees accusing René Redzepi of violent abuse.

On Wednesday, Noma’s LA pop-up — charging $1,500 per dinner — began its 16-week run. But excited foodies weren’t the only ones drawn to the Danish restaurant’s opening day.

The protest, led by former employees, disrupted the opening. One former employee reportedly held a sign saying ‘Noma Broke Me’. A few hours later, Redzepi made a post on social media saying he was stepping down from his position.

“After more than two decades of building and leading this restaurant, I decided to step away and allow our extraordinary leaders to now guide the restaurant into the next chapter,” Redzepi said in a social media post.

He assured diners that the restaurant’s team “is the strongest and most inspiring it has ever been.”

open image in gallery

“This team will carry forward together into our LA residency, which will be a powerful moment for them to show what they’ve been working toward and to welcome guests to something truly special.”

Former employees spoke to the The New York Times about the alleged abuse and violence they experienced during Noma’s more than 20-year run.

“Beneath the glamour and stars, workers being pushed beyond their limits, workers being punched and choked, workers being humiliated and dreams being broken,” Jason Ignacio White, the former director of fermentation at Noma, said during the protest, according to NBC Los Angeles.

He demanded a change in management at the restaurant.

“The restaurant has violated the rights of employees over many years; restoring these employees’ rights would be necessary but not sufficient. Noma must change its management and employee policies to comply with both legal and moral obligations to the broader restaurant community,” he said, according to the NYT.

open image in gallery

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In his resignation post, Redzepi said that he has “taken big steps to transform the culture over many years.”

“I recognize these changes do not repair the past,” he wrote. “An apology is not enough; I take responsibility for my own actions.”

In the wake of the NYT exposé, a pair of major sponsors pulled away from Noma’s LA pop-up.

American Express and Blackbird, a hospitality start-up, backed out of their partnerships with the restaurant, according to the NYT and Expedite, a restaurant news publication.

“René’s past practices, by his own admission, were unacceptable and abhorrent,” Blackbird founder Ben Leventhal told the paper. “We cannot lean on time elapsed and rehabilitation claims when these things resurface.”

One 2014 incident, described in the NYT’s report, details Redzepi allegedly punching an employee reportedly after forcing the entire kitchen staff out of the restaurant to watch him humiliate a sous chef who had put on techno music.

In another incident, he allegedly punched a female employee in the ribs after he saw her using her phone, which he prohibits for staff during their serving hours.

In 2015, Redzepi published an essay admitting that he had been a “beast” to some of those he employed. He also offered an apology via a statement to the NYT.

“Although I don’t recognize all details in these stories, I can see enough of my past behavior reflected in them to understand that my actions were harmful to people who worked with me,” the chef said. “To those who have suffered under my leadership, my bad judgment, or my anger, I am deeply sorry and I have worked to change.”

On Monday March 9, 14-year-old Daniel Padilla Jr., of Fresno, Calif., was enjoying playing basketball during a PE lesson at school when he suddenly collapsed and was rushed to hospital

A teenage boy has sadly died suddenly after collapsing at school.

The boy has been identified as 14-year-old Daniel Padilla Jr., of Fresno, Calif., he was playing basketball during P.E. class at Fresno High School on Monday, March 9, when he collapsed, ABC 30, ABC 7 News, and KMPH reported.

Am emergency service dispatcher could heard requesting emergency assistance for an unconscious child in the school’s gym around noon on Monday, according to dispatch audio obtained by ABC 30.

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“We can confirm that the student who collapsed during PE has tragically passed away at the hospital,” a spokesperson for Fresno Unified School District said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “Our hearts are with the student’s family, friends, and school community during this incredibly difficult time. At this time, we do not have any additional information to share.”

“Our hearts continue to ache in solidarity with the family of our student,” the FUSD spokesperson later said in an update. “We can only imagine the pain his unexpected passing is causing them. We are honoring and respecting our student and his family by giving them the time and space they need to grieve.”

Following the upsetting incident a team of mental health professionals have been made available at Fresno High School to provide both social and emotional support for students following Padilla’s death. Staff will also have the option to speak with counselors, and substitutes are available for teachers who may need time off to grieve.

Daniel’s sister Hailey Valdovinos has launched a GoFundMe page. Padilla is remembered as a “silly kid who loved playing video games, cracking jokes and enjoyed spending time with his family whenever he got the chance.” Valdovinos added that playing basketball was one of his favorite hobbies, and he also enjoyed going to the movies and hanging out with his siblings.

The GoFundMe, which has already raised more than $10,000 of its $18,000 goal, will help his loved ones with affairs such as burial costs for what Valdovinos described as an “unexpected and unexplained” death. Padilla’s cause of death has not yet been determined.

You can donate to the GoFundMe page by clicking here.

Last year, a government-commissioned report looking into the role of employers in health and disability said that fit notes were “often problematic”. The Keep Britain Working review noted GPs often did not have the time, or the occupational health training, to fully assess if someone was able to work or not.