Kencko’s Smoothie Powders Are Erewhon-Level Tasty—and Actually Affordable

After a grueling workout session in the New York City heat, your girl needs a pick-me-up. When I’m in search of a nutritious beverage to wet the whistle and fuel my hot bod, I have to resist Central Park food carts with their convenient, outrageously priced bottles of Gatorade ($5? Seriously, WTF). Juice Generation is no different with those bougie, addictive drinks. Not today, Satan. I’d rather crawl on my hands and knees miserably dehydrated than slap down 11 bucks for what’s essentially an elevated mall kiosk smoothie.

Instead, I usually keep it chill by surviving on my saliva until I can get home and meet up with my boo. That special someone is no fuss, easy to deal with, gives me the hit of energy I need after undergoing physical stress, and costs $2.50 per date—my kinda man. The minute I step in the door, I have a date with Kencko.

I was intrigued by Kencko as soon as I caught word of it. Basically, it’s a “system” consisting of a magical shaker bottle that creates smoothies with its proprietary premade packets. They’re made of flash-frozen fruits and vegetables, so you can have a smoothie any time without the inevitable side effect of rotting spinach in your fridge. The flash-freeze method locks in nutrients, flavor, and color and results in a shelf-stable powder that you can instantly turn into a juice or smoothie.

I was skeptical at first—a smoothie without a blender? But, I was pleasantly surprised by the results. To make the magic happen, you add cold liquid up to the line, drop a packet in, screw the top back on, then shake for 15 seconds. I allowed it to sit for a minute to thicken a bit, then took a hearty sip. The first flavor I tried, and now my favorite, is “yellows,” a blend of mango, carrot, pineapple, banana, apple, and a touch of spice from cinnamon that tastes like drinkable Dole Whip with a slight kick. It’s not too sweet, which makes it a perfect snack without a sugar crash. My second bestie is “mint greens,” which combines classic smoothie ingredients like banana, apple, and mango, with less-expected additions like spearmint, ginger, sweet potato, cucumber, orange wheatgrass, and even parsnip, which I’d never had in juice form before, but is rich in potassium and vitamin C. 

For a juice situation, shake the packets with chilled water. Me? I like it creamy. You can use any milk, or add in yogurt or protein powder for an extra thicc, satisfying shake. Personally, I’m team nut milk, and I genuinely enjoy the brand’s entire variety of non-artificial tasting flavors—and I appreciate that they have healthy, complex flavor combos including berries, greens, chocolate, tropical fruits, and spicy notes. 

Think of it as a Shake Weight, sans actual exercise, crossed with a Jamba Juice. I do love blenders, but also hate washing them. This is the perfect lazy hack for when I feel like I have zero energy. 

So, calling all smoothie heads on a budget: Kencko’s monthly membership gives you the option of 20, 30, or 60 smoothies per shipment, and you can choose from 13 flavors. You can cancel anytime, so there’s no commitment, either. Whatcha waiting for? Get shakin’. 

Kencko smoothies are available for purchase on Kencko’s website.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.