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If you love smoothies for breakfast, a personal blender is an essential little kitchen gadget. This compact machine blends fruits and vegetables without the need for a standard blender. You can remove the blender jar and take it with you as a go-to cup.
To find the best personal blender, we tested 39 of the best models to evaluate their performance. In addition to evaluating their ability to blend fibrous vegetables and crushed ice, we evaluated each product’s design, convenience, portability, and ease of use and cleanup. Read on to find out which personal blenders are worth trying and which ones aren’t.
The powerful, high-power motor can handle ice cubes, leafy greens, or anything else you want to crush.
We’ve tested all six Nutribullet personal blender models, and they’re all top contenders. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but we think the Pro 900 offers the best balance of price and performance. It scores top marks in all categories, thanks to a 900-watt motor that easily crushes ice cubes and frozen fruit or blends kale and blueberries into a smooth mixture with virtually no leaf or skin chunks.
This blender comes with two 32-ounce cups that are large enough to serve hearty meals but can still be lifted with one hand. (Readers with small hands, don’t worry: you also get a screw-on lip ring with a handle to make them easy to hold.) Flip-top lids let you protect your drinks and enjoy them on the go, although our lids did that. They will drip. A little. It’s best to carry them vertically rather than tossing them into a backpack or gym bag. Large cups are nice, but it’s a little disappointing that you don’t have smaller options that are more suitable for fitting into your car’s cup holder. However, you can buy many of the Nutribullet accessories separately, including 18- and 24-ounce cups.
Dimensions: 12.01 x 7.72 x 15.94 inches | Weight: 4.7 lbs | Power: 900 W | Includes: 2 cups (32 oz), 2 lip rings, 2 lip rings with handles, 2 convenient lids.
Beast is the rare blender brand that focuses on both beauty and functionality. We love the minimalist look of the base, unique ribbed canister, five available colors, and powerful motor.
The new Beast Mini Blender was announced after we completed our in-person testing, but we’ve only tested this mini model and can confirm that it’s worth its $99 price tag. The 600W motor instantly whips up smoothies filled with hard-to-blend ingredients like sticky almond butter, dense dates and tough kale. It can maintain the speed of the iconic Vitamix blender and is much quieter. When it’s time to wash, the jars, lids and blades are dishwasher safe on the top rack.
In keeping with its minimalist appearance, the Beast Mini comes with a minimal number of accessories. Comes with a large capacity cup and storage lid/straw. If you want to bring multiple smoothies at once, you’ll have to pay extra for the Mini Plus, which adds two smaller jars with lids for storage.
Dimensions: 4.13 x 4.13 x 13.43 inches | Weight: 4.81 lbs | Power: 600 W | Includes: 21.5 oz cup, lid, 2 straws
The Nutribullet Pro+ has a power of 1200 W, which is enough to even process frozen vegetable pieces to make smoothies. But it also blends thoroughly, transforming soft tomatoes into a velvety sauce without skin or seeds. The machine comes with 24 oz and 32 oz cups, each of which also comes with a leak-proof travel lid and screw-on drinking ring.
Our favorite feature of this blender is the automatic cycle. Instead of holding the cup while blending, the Pro+ will run for 60 seconds and then turn off. It may seem like a small thing, but being able to start the rest of your morning routine while your smoothie is being blended is a game changer.
Dimensions: 12.05 x 11.81 x 12.99 inches | Weight: 6.2 lbs | Power: 1200 W | Includes: 24 oz cup, 32 oz cup, 2 travel lids, 2 cup rings.
It requires more liquid to mix thoroughly than other models, and you won’t be able to carry the jar separately from the stand.
This portable blender’s cordless battery allows you to fill ingredients and place them in a soft cooler bag for blending fresh ingredients at work, at a dinner party, or at the beach. It makes up to 30 mixtures on a single charge, and despite the 70-watt motor, it produced smooth purees in all our tests. It was difficult at first, but it helped to add a little liquid compared to what we did in other models – juice for smoothies, oil for pesto.
The portable features are very impressive, but this model’s mixing base will need to be taken with you wherever you go. The jar and lid can be removed from the blade for cleaning (dishwasher safe), but there is nothing to cover the bottom of the jar to turn it into a travel mug. It’s also quite small at 16 ounces, but anything larger might compromise its portability.
In general, we’re big fans of SMEG’s retro-style kitchen appliances. They have a unique appearance and thoughtful design, which often justifies the high price of the machine. This was the case with this blender, which showed the best results in testing. He uses berries, vegetables, frozen fruit and peanut butter to create velvety smoothies; crushed cashews for nut milk and even string ginger as a marinade; It has two separate speeds, which is unusual for a personal blender: the high speed, although loud, is great for chopping up large items early in the blending process.
The curved jars included in the SMEG set are certainly an eye-catcher: they have flip-top straw lids, sort of like the super stylish insulated water bottles you see everywhere these days. This shape makes it easy for sticky ingredients like nut butter to get stuck in the bottom or sides and not mix thoroughly, but we found a simple solution: Be sure to add the wet ingredients first.
The problem with the SMEG personal blender is its high price. You can get similar performance for less money, but not the same looks (and color options—there are seven to choose from). The accessories are also limited, two identical jars, two identical lids and that’s it.
Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 x 13 inches | Weight: 4 lbs | Power: 250 W | Includes: 2 cups (20.3 oz), 2 lids
The Magic Bullet may be cheap and small, but it’s a complete personal hybrid system that outperformed many more expensive competitors in our tests. The set includes a short cup, a tall cup and a mug with handle, as well as a lip ring, strap lid and flat seal lid so you can store the contents in the refrigerator for later use. Larger containers are great for breakfast smoothies, but shorter cups are good enough for sauces—like a few batches of pesto.
We were impressed with this machine’s cleaning capabilities: One of our testers, a former barista and smoothie shop, called it the easiest blender she’s ever cleaned. Given the budget price, we were concerned that sticky juices would get into the base, but the screw-in blade holds everything in and is easy to clean. Both the cup and the lid are dishwasher safe.
The Magic Bullet has the same action as most similar models, but you can also rotate the cup to lock it in place while the motor is running. It’s not as convenient as the time setting, but it’s a nice extra feature. In our tests, the machine processed blueberries and spinach without issue, but its single 250-watt motor couldn’t process strawberries straight from the refrigerator. It’s best to use only fresh (or defrosted) fruit, like in this pomegranate banana smoothie.
Dimensions: 4.01 x 4.48 x 11.61 inches | Weight: 4.14 lbs | Power: 250 W | Includes: 12 oz short mug, 18 oz tall mug, 1 cup ring, 1 removable lid, 2 lockable lids.
This model features a small but powerful stand and three spacious mixing bowls, allowing you to accomplish big tasks in a small space.
The base of the Ninja Nutri-Blender Plus is not very large, but behind it lies a huge power of 900 watts. In testing, it was able to whip up a smoothie in less than 30 seconds and create incredibly smooth homemade hummus. When using pesto and other recipes that are dry or very thick, we have problems with the ingredients sticking to the sides of the jar and not being able to blend. We had to stop and scrape the sides a few times to get everything into the blade, but after that the motor was fine.
This model comes with three 20-ounce jars, which is perfect for a single serving of smoothie or enough sauce for a family meal (if not a lot of soup). You get two flip-up travel lids and a flat storage lid, neither of which leaked in our testing. The Ninja brand offers a variety of blender options—we tested five custom-sized models in total, and this one is our favorite. It’s a mid-priced yet high-performing appliance that will fit into any closet and most drawers.
Dimensions: 4.7 x 4.7 x 13.8 inches | Weight: 1.3 lbs | Power: 900 W | Includes: 3 jars (20 oz), 2 spout lids, 1 storage lid.
After rigorously testing 39 personal blenders (and, later, many smoothies), we’ve made the Nutribullet Pro 900 Personal Blender our top pick. It has a powerful motor, fast grinding and a large cup size. If you want something cheaper, the Magic Bullet Personal Blender is a great option. It offers amazingly reliable performance and a wide range of accessories at an affordable price. For a stylish upgrade, we also recommend the Beast Mini Blender as our editors’ favorite pick.
We define a “personal blender” as a machine that has at least one blending jar that doubles as a drinking cup. We included leading blender brands like NutriBullet, Smeg, and Beast in our testing to get an idea of prices, features, and features. Since some people like to take blenders with them everywhere, we included them in our test. Our test also included several portable options. They are battery powered rather than connected to a power source. Although it is very convenient to carry, you just need to make sure to charge it before using it.
This review includes results from two sets of tests that included 39 different models of personal blenders. We evaluate each model differently.
Like most appliances, blender motor power is measured in watts. We’ve tested a wide range of models, from under 100 to over 1,000, and found that more power somehow equals better performance. Machines under 300 watts tend to have problems with ice, greens, or both, while machines over 600 watts blend faster and produce a smoother consistency. Of course, more powerful motors cost more, and the design and shape of the blades can also affect performance.
Since you’re using your personal blender to blend and drink from the same container, the jars that come with it are usually smaller and only fit one or two servings. “Standard” cans range in size from 12 ounces to about 20 ounces, or from small to very large servings. If you’re looking for a blender for your morning smoothie, measure how much you typically make and make sure your model has at least the same size jar.
Similar to some full-size blenders, many individual models also include smaller jars for making sauces, as well as larger, multi-serving blenders. Multiple containers of different sizes can make a blender more versatile, not to mention better for a full home, but additional accessories and larger containers tend to increase the cost.
Keep in mind that more is not always better when mixing: ingredients may stick to the top and sides of a nearly empty jar in places where the blade can’t reach. The contents are mixed more efficiently if the jar is almost full.
Personal blenders generally don’t have many different settings. Some simply mix when you press on the cup and stop when you release it. Others allow you to lock the cup in place while the motor is running or use an automatic program to run the blades for a set period of time. Some have multiple speed settings, so you can use a slower setting for a rough grind and a faster setting for a completely smooth blend.
Some blenders also include additional parts to enhance functionality. Several different sized jars allow everyone to have their own smoothie, and airtight lids with straws or drinking holes allow everyone to take their smoothie on the go. Some fancier personal blenders also come with separate blades for blending and chopping, so you can use them not only with fresh fruits and vegetables, but also with coffee or spices.
Personal blenders are generally easy to care for, but you should always follow the instructions that came with your specific model. However, it is generally safe to wash cups and lids with soap and water. If the blade is removable from the base, you can also rinse it under the tap and wipe it with a sponge – just be careful with the sharp teeth.
Never immerse the motor part of a blender (or any other appliance) in water: any spilled liquids can be wiped up with a damp cloth or sponge; If the blade does not come off the base, some models can be cleaned by adding water and a few drops of soap and running the mixing cycle. Afterwards, be sure to rinse once or twice with clean water to remove all traces of soap. Many of the blenders on this list have dishwasher-safe parts, making cleaning easy. However, this rarely applies to the blade, parts of which may become rusty or damaged. In addition, most jars and lids can only be washed on the top rack of the dishwasher, on a gentler setting – be sure to read the manual for your model for details.
The average lifespan of a personal blender is about 5 years, and the best thing you can do to extend the life of your machine is to thoroughly clean it according to the manufacturer’s instructions every time you use it. You also shouldn’t run the blender for long periods of time without a break; After about every minute of mixing or if you feel the engine starting to heat up, stop and let the machine cool.
The characteristics of the original Nutribullet were similar to other models from the brand, which is a very good thing. This is the cheapest and least powerful of the Nutribullet personal blenders, but it still gets the job done. However, it’s smaller and slower than the Pro 900, and it doesn’t have the automatic cycle we loved about the Pro+.
The high-end Nutribullet boasts an incredible 1,700 watts of power and was able to smooth out everything we threw at it. Its special feature is that it can cook soup by heating and stirring at the same time. It’s cool, but if you don’t use the heating feature regularly, the extra cost isn’t worth it.
A great option for large smoothie-loving families, this Cuisinart set includes four identical containers, two additional mixing bowls, and a chopping blade. This is a versatile machine at a surprisingly low price. It’s just not very powerful and doesn’t handle ice or dates.
The Ninja Fit was our previous top pick, offering great performance at a great price. But the Magic Bullet is cheaper, and the equally compact Ninja Nutri-Blender Plus performed better in tests and costs only $10 more.
Both smoothies made by this ninja were smooth and easy to drink with a straw, but we did notice that some of the kale and dates weren’t fully blended. It’s easy to use and clean, and has plenty of power for crushing ice cubes and frozen fruit, but other Ninja blenders performed better in our tests.
Most personal blenders look the same, but this one stands out with its ribbed cup and stylish control wheel. In testing, it performed well in smoothie making thanks to its automatic smoothie setting, although the pulse mode gave us some very unevenly chopped salsa.
*Editor’s note: A previous version of this list included the BlendJet 2 handheld blender, which was recalled due to a safety hazard. Consumer Reports advises consumers to stop using the product and contact BlendJet for a free replacement device.
The main problem with 24 blenders, which we don’t recommend, is their inability to consistently create a smooth, grit-free texture. Other problems we encountered included an extremely noisy engine, a leaking cap, parts that were difficult to clean, and a machine that looked and felt cheap. Some models we tested that didn’t live up to expectations include the Hamilton Beach Portable Blender, Ninja Blast Portable Blender, Nutribullet Ultra Personal Blender, Magic Bullet Portable Blender, and Dash Portable Blender. When we test several models from the same brand, we also try to compare them with each other and highlight only the best ones above.
*Editor’s note: In addition to the recalled BlendJet 2 mentioned above, our testing also included the discontinued Bella Rocket Extract Pro personal blender.
Post time: Jul-27-2024