If you're just looking for something to make smoothies in your own house, you're obviously going to need something different than a professional barista or a popular smoothie joint. We'll help you find what to look for and give you our list of the best personal blenders for every budget, so you can impress all your friends with your amazing green smoothies and delicious cocktails. This list will have personal countertop mixers as well as portable blenders.
Carry on reading to see our favorite personal blenders and the best budget options, followed by a breakdown of what niche each product fills, or...
====>> In a rush? Click here to go straight to our #1 pick on Amazon.
What Should You Look for in a Personal Blender?
While a strong (and big) blender may still be nice, even the most avid smoothie lovers just won't need a monster, industrial-sized blender with the motor of a Mercedes if you're only preparing drinks for yourself and a few friends. Here are our criteria for what you should look for in your personal blender.
Criteria #1: Design - Personal blenders will have a pretty minimalist design. It's not uncommon for them to just have one hold-to-blend button and nothing else. What makes a good or bad design in terms of personal blenders will mostly come down to how portable they are and if they're easy to clean. So it's basically, if they can be taken apart and if they're dishwasher-safe.
Criteria #2: Motor - I mentioned that since we're looking at personal blenders in this article, we won't necessarily need the strongest motors on the market. But still, the stronger the motor, the better. Personal blenders will usually have a motor strength of a few hundred watts, with some of the high-end ones pushing 1000.
Criteria #3: Price - You're going to have to shell out a bit if you want the best blender on the market, but we don't want you spending your hard-earned cash on a bad product that doesn't perform as advertised. Personal blenders are pretty cheap, so you don't have to worry too much about adding one to your kitchen.
Criteria #4: Size - Our final criterion is actually subjective in terms of what's good and what's bad, but it's important nonetheless. Personal blenders will of course be much smaller than family-sized blenders, but you might want something bigger or smaller on that spectrum. We'll try to mention the size of all of our blenders, but you'll have to decide what the right size is for you.
Here's How We've Determined the Best Personal Blenders
Using our criteria above as a jumping-off point, we evaluated blenders based on their official specs (usually taken from the company's website) as well as user reviews to determine the best personal blenders. We've laid it all out below, so you don't need to do all that research. You can just read our list, get buying, and get blending.
And without further ado, here are our best personal blenders.
#1: Supkitdin Portable Blender (Best Value - All-Purpose)
Yeah, you've never heard of this brand. But our analysis says they have the best personal blender on the market right now.
First, it comes in as one of the cheapest personal blenders on the market, so we're off to a great start. On top of that, at 500 grams, it's almost weightless, so it's really living up to the "portable" part of its name. You won't even notice this blender in your bag.
This single-serve blender somehow manages to fit 6 stainless-steel blades into it, giving you the best blend possible in a convenient, easy-to-carry package. You'll be able to make the perfect smoothie, protein shake, or milkshake wherever and whenever you want.
One of my favorite parts of this blender is its battery. A full charge of this blender is good for 15-20 blends, which means you'll basically be charging it once every week or two, even if you use it every day. It also only takes about 3-5 hours to fully charge the battery, so if the battery dies at breakfast, you can still enjoy a frozen fruit smoothie at lunch. On top of that, since it uses a mini USB charger, you won't really have to carry around an extra wire, and you can easily charge it in your car or with a portable battery, making this blender absolutely perfect for hikes or picnics.
The potential downside of the Supkitdin blender is that its BPA-free jar holds only 350ml, which may feel a bit small. That being said, the jar is fitted with a strainer, so any bits of fruit or vegetables that don't get blended will get caught as you pour, giving you the perfect smooth drink you want. The blender also comes with two reusable straws and a pipe cleaner. Supkitdin made the quintessential personal blender experience with this product.
#2: Ninja Personal Blender (Best Machine)
Ninja has quickly become one of the most popular blender brands out there, known for having easily-accessible and easy-to-use products. The Ninja Personal Blender makes it easy to see how they earned that reputation.
Ninja's personal blender has a 700-watt motor that's pretty much the strongest you'll find in true personal blenders. It's even stronger than some family-sized countertop mixers. Even though we gave our number one spot to the Supkitdin, there are a few reasons you might want to go with the Ninja instead.
Reason #1 to Buy This Product: Its Strength
As I've already mentioned, the Ninja has one of the strongest motors out there when it comes to personal products. It also has a pulse option, which you activate by simply pushing the jar down onto the base. This is pretty rare among personal mixers, and the pulse option means you can blend even the toughest ingredients in this mini blender, allowing you to crush ice or add some thicker ingredients, like almonds or peanuts, to your smoothies and shakes. The Ninja really is the strength of a family blender squeezed into a single-serve blender.
Reason #2 to Buy This Product: Just Blend and Drink
Unlike with the Supkitdin, there's no need to pour anything with the Ninja, as it blends straight into its 16-ounce Nutri Ninja cup. That'll save you some space in your bag, saving you time running out the door in the morning, and you'll have one less jar to wash. The Ninja also comes with a spare Nutri Ninja cup. The cups are dishwasher-safe, which makes this machine as easy to clean as possible. That's a big selling point if you're as bad about washing your dishes as I am.
The Ninja is incredibly strong for a single-person blender, and that could really draw someone to spend a little more to buy it instead of the Supkitdin. However, the Ninja doesn't run on a battery and needs to be plugged in, so while it's small enough that you could still bring it to work for a drink during your lunch break, you don't get that fully portable experience you get with Supkitdin.
The 16-ounce Nutri Ninja cups are great if you want to be able to just quickly blend and drink your smoothie on the go. Basically, if you want the best portable experience, go with Supkitdin. If you want the stronger blender and less cleaning, buy the Ninja.
#3: Oster Master Series Blender with Texture Selection (Biggest Personal Blender)
When you're talking about personal blenders, it's just so hard to compete with Oster's price range. This Master Series blender comes in with an 800-watt motor, and it has 6 dual-direction stainless steel blades to help overcome that.
Where this blender shines is in giving you a completely tailored experience that will help you blend the perfect smoothies and cocktails for your specific taste. This is the personal blender's personal blender. It has three speeds and one preset each for "smoothie" and "food chop." A little underwhelming, but the kicker is that it also has three buttons that let you manually select the texture you want. Any food snob will tell you that texture is more important than taste, and this blender lets you focus on the perfect texture by giving you the option to select from "thin," "medium," or "thick."
In addition to the texture selection options, the Master Series blender comes with the single-serve Oster Blend-N-Go smoothie cup that can be fitted right onto the base of the blender. This means you can just pull the bottle of the blender, and your drink is ready - perfect if you don't really make big batches with your blender, and you just want a single-serve drink that won't slow you down.
Only some parts of this blender are dishwasher-safe, so you might have an annoying time of cleaning it by hand - though you can save yourself some trouble if you use the Blend-N-Go cup, as you'll have one less container to clean that way. The blender has a 3-year warranty which isn't very long but will give you some peace of mind. Because it has the option of using the pitcher or the Blend-N-Go jar, the Master Series is perfect if you want something that gives you the option of preparing bigger batches so you can share with a friend or do some meal prep.
#4: Hurricane Hand Blender (Best Hand Blender)
Hurricane Hand Blender
Cuisinart makes some of the best hand blenders out there, and the Hurricane Hand Blender is their best of the best. This portable blender is powered by a 700-watt motor which is very impressive for such a small device. The Hurricane also has an adjustable speed knob to give you as much control as possible and comes with a 4-cup measuring beaker.
The really impressive part of this product is how versatile they manage to make such a small device. The Hurricane comes with a chef’s whisk and a potato masher attachment, so you may see this portable mixer quickly becoming the omni-tool of your kitchen.
The main two advantages of a hand blender are that it's portable and that it's incredibly easy to clean. Instead of blades at the bottom of a jug, these machines work with a rotating prong that you stick directly into your cup, giving you the perfect single-serve experience. After using it, all you need to do is quickly wipe down the prong, and you're ready to go.
The Hurricane is so easy to use you can bring it to work and sneak a homemade smoothie into your lunch break. And it's much stronger than you'd think. This is maybe the best personal blender out there when it comes to convenience.
#5: Oster MyBlend (Very Affordable Option)
As you might guess from the name, the Oster MyBlend is strictly a single-serve product. The MyBlend comes in with a 400-watt motor and a 20-ounce BPA-free plastic sport bottle which is dishwasher-safe.
This blender is perfect if all you need is your morning smoothie or post-workout protein shake, but that's really it. It only has one button, which is a touch-and-hold, pulse speed. The MyBlend is as cheap as they come, even by Oster's standards. If don't want to spend any extra money, and really only need something for your morning smoothie or shake, this is the best option for you.
Best Budget Options
If the cheap Oster options and hand blenders aren't what you're looking for but saving is your top priority, we've got you covered. The blenders in this part of the article will prioritize cheapness over everything. This section will mostly be Oster blenders and hand blenders.
#1 Budget Option: Cuisinart Two-Speed Smart Stick
The Two-Speed Smart Stick is the cheaper alternative to the Hurricane. This portable mixer only comes with two speeds and has a 300-watt motor. It also needs to be plugged in, so in that sense, it's not truly portable, though you could still bring it pretty much anywhere. All you'll need is an outlet before you can mix your drink. It comes with a 24-ounce mixing cup and is equipped with an 8-inch blending shaft. It's small, gets the job done, and is one of the cheapest options available.
#2 Budget Option: Oster 12-Speed Blender
It wouldn't be a list of budget blenders without Oster. This 12-speed countertop blender is just about the cheapest "real" blender you could buy, and it's not all that bad. As the name states. it has 12 different speeds, and it has a 700-watt motor. The speeds are even nicely labeled, and there's a pulse option. You can do a surprising amount with this cheap mixer. Nobody is better than Oster at selling good products at "dollar-store" prices.
#3 Budget Option: NutriBullet Magic Bullet
The Magic Bullet
The Magic Bullet is NutriBullet's answer to Oster's MyBlend. While technically a countertop device, this mixer could easily fit in most backpacks and is really only going to blend your frozen fruit and vegetables for that morning shake. It has a 25-watt motor and, just like the MyBlend, it blends straight into your cup, though the cup has more of a coffee-style design than a sports bottle one. This is one of the best cheap, minimalist, options.
What Not to Look for in a Personal Blender
As we already said, you'll be looking for different things if you're buying for just yourself compared to if you own a restaurant or even just have a bigger family or live with a lot of people. The things to avoid are models that seem like they take up your entire kitchen and blenders are super-strong.
I would prioritize price, a lot of speed options, and an easy-to-use design. The option to blend straight into a personal bottle is also great for personal blenders, as it's one less jar to clean. It'll really speed up your morning routine.
Verdict: Your Best Personal Blenders
If you want the best value for money, pick the Supkitdin Personal Blender.
The Supkitdin's 6 stainless-steel blades help it accomplish any blending task you can throw at it. It'll fit right into your bag, and it weighs almost nothing. Plus, its long-lasting battery and micro USB charging port make this blender the most portable one you can buy.
If you want the strongest product, pick the Ninja Personal Blender.
Ninja keeps the fans coming back. This affordable personal product's strong 700-watt motor and pulse options help it compete with full-sized countertop blenders, and it lets you blend straight into your bottle for the most convenient experience possible.
If you want to keep it cheap, pick the Oster MyBlend.
There's not really a whole lot to say about the MyBlend. It doesn't do a lot, but it'll make your smoothies, and it's insanely cheap.
A lot of lists about mixers will rant about $400 Vitamix products, but for your personal drink-maker, there's really no reason to spend that much. All of the mixers on this list are cheap and get the job done. They're small enough that they won't take up all your room and will look great in your kitchen. Remember to think about what size you want your blender to be, and if you want something battery-powered or if you're okay with a plug-in blender.
Leave a Reply