Up Your Smoothie Game with the Most Reliable Personal Blenders We've Tested
Up Your Smoothie Game with the Most Reliable Personal Blenders We've Tested
We updated this article in September 2022 to add information about each product, based on extensive testing by the Good Housekeeping Institute. Our original picks, selected by Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, remain the same except for a new pick from Beast.
A personal blender can be used to blend most things a full-sized blender can — plus it can even function as a food processor in some instances! While full-size blenders are handy for families who need multiple servings at once, a personal blender is often perfectly sufficient for smaller households. Personal blenders can be used for making healthy smoothies, emulsifying a creamy salad dressing or whipping up one or two servings of soup — particularly if you tend to take your meal on-the-go. Most of the blending cups that come with these machines include a secure to-go lid and some even come with multiple cups.
To help you find personal blenders worth the money and that fit your specific needs and recipes, our experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute have tested more than 100 blenders over the years, including full and personal-size models. These are the best personal blenders you can buy, according to Lab testing, in-home use and online reviews.
Our top picks:
You can read more about how we test personal blenders in our Lab — plus how to purchase the best personal blender for your needs and lifestyle — at the end of this guide. Looking for more kitchen appliances to pulverize and blend ingredients? Check out our guides to the best coffee grinders and best food processors.
1) My Blend
Oster
amazon.com
$23.99
When it comes to making single-serve smoothies and protein shakes, you can't beat the Oster My Blend personal blender. Everything — fruit, ice, veggies and more — can be blended directly in the sports bottle, so there are no extra dishes to wash. Despite a lower wattage, in tests the machine received a perfect score for grinding whole coffee beans and a great score for preparing a thick frozen margarita. Just don't expect the 250 watt machine to tackle tougher foods, like hearty leafy greens.
To use, simply fill the jar, twist on to blend, then replace the blade with the portable lid. You can even toss the finished product into your bag, since the cup's tight-fitting lid has a strong seal that won't leak even when turned upside down.
2) Personal Creations Blender
Hamilton Beach
amazon.com
$21.99
Though it's the most affordable pick on the list, this personal blender holds its own. In tests, the 175 watt motor was able to make a super smooth and creamy milkshake, but was less effective when faced with firm ingredients, such as coffee beans or ice cubes. Markings on the cup are extra helpful for quick and easy prep, as there's no need to dirty any measuring cups or spoons in the process.
Not only is the 14-ounce cup easy to transport, thanks to a tapered design that fits well in cup holders, but the entire blender is easy to transport to work or on a trip because it’s very lightweight (2.25 pounds) and compact (3.94 x 3.94 x 11.9 inches). As a bonus, the cord wraps tightly around the base for easy storage.
3) Blender
BEAST
amazon.com
$155.00
The Beast Blender is a personal blender that lets you crush ice; blend small batches of dressings, sauces and soups; and create one to three servings (depending on vessel size) of drinks like smoothies, shakes and margaritas. To help with blending efficiency, the Beast Blender’s ultra thick Tritan plastic vessels feature a 12-rib design (for comparison, most blenders have about four ribs within a blender jar). Did we mention this blender also looks like a piece of art on your countertop with its unique design?
In Lab testing, we found the blender to be easy to use with powerful performance thanks to 1,000 watts of power. When we blended up green smoothies, all ingredients passed through the sieve and the margaritas it produced were light and fluffy with no large ice crystals or any grit from lingering sugar. Keep in mind that this blending system is on the heavier side and not great for portability, but the blending vessels themselves are lightweight and come with lids for easy transportation.
4) Magic Bullet Blender
Magic Bullet
amazon.com
$46.49
This hardworking machine does more than whirl smoothies — it also chops, mixes, whips and grinds for maximum versatility. Since the 11-piece set comes with an impressive array of extras, like three blender cups (one with a convenient handle) and multiple lids, you can make full use of all the functions without having to wash or transfer any chopped goods to other storage containers. One of the three blender cups holds 12-ounces and comes with a storage lid — perfect if you want to make a small batch of hummus or ranch dip that will travel securely to work.
While the Bullet itself doesn't take up much countertop space, testers lamented the extra storage required for all of the accessories. Only the blender cups are dishwasher-safe.
5) CPB-300 Personal Blender
Cuisinart
amazon.com
$69.95
Though a bit bigger than other personal blenders, this machine is still compact enough to be included in the category. In tests, it was very good at grinding coffee beans and blending fruit smoothies. If you make smoothies frequently or regularly serve more than one to two people, the Cuisinart is a great choice: It comes with a 32-ounce jar, complete with measurement markings on the side, to make those bigger servings. You'll also get four 16-ounce portable cups with tight-fitting lids, so each person can grab theirs and go — or create their own personalized smoothie without the need to wash anything but the blade between users.
While having various cups is helpful, take note that this also requires extra storage. And the larger dimensions (10.12 x 15.75 x 10 inches) mean a larger footprint on your counter or in your cabinet.
6) Foodi Smoothie Bowl Maker & Nutrient Extractor
Ninja
amazon.com
$89.99
If you prefer to have the option of both a smoothie and a smoothie bowl, then the Foodie Smoothie Bowl Maker & Nutrient Extractor is a great pick. This personal blender's jar features a built-in tamper and doesn’t need as much liquid to blend ingredients to a smooth, very thick consistency — perfect for a smoothie bowl. In our tests, this model tackled both green and berry smoothies with ease with very little residual seeds and super smooth results.
This model also suctions firmly to your counter, which keeps it completely in place for its pulse-style auto-smoothie setting. In addition to the 14-ounce smoothie bowl jar, this model comes with two 24-ounce blender jars with travel lids, which are all dishwasher-safe.
7) Pro Plus Personal Blender
NutriBullet
williams-sonoma.com
$119.95
This small-but-mighty personal blender has an impressive 1,200-watt motor that blends even tough leafy greens into super-smooth smoothies. It also comes with a 32-ounce blender jar and a pulse function that's especially helpful for distributing ingredients to create an even blend or ensuring that your salsa stays a little chunky. This compact unit is also key to tackling small meal-prep tasks, like a textured chimichurri or super smooth nut butters, that you might otherwise need a big, bulky food processor for.
Take note that some testers had trouble achieving a completely smooth consistency with frozen foods like fruit and ice.
8) Fit Personal Blender
Ninja
amazon.com
$59.99
While we haven’t had the chance to test this personal blender yet, it has more than 22,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. Users love this personal blender because all parts are dishwasher-safe, it’s easy to operate and it's very powerful (700 watts) without being too loud, according to reviews. The Ninja Fit Personal Blender comes with two durable plastic 16-ounce personal cups with spout lids, which is handy if one cup is dirty or there are two people using the same blender. The slim base and minimal amount of pieces make it easy to store in any size kitchen.
Take note that, unlike other personal blenders, this model does not come with a pulse feature, which means that you may have to take the blending cup off its base and shake it a little if tougher ingredients get stuck.
9) FusionBlade Personal Blender
BLACK+DECKER
amazon.com
$31.99
In tests, this high-powered personal blender received a nearly perfect score in performance, effectively grinding coffee beans and blending smooth and thick smoothies, milkshakes and margaritas. It was also incredibly easy to use, checking off all the boxes in convenience: The manual is clear and concise, and the jar is dishwasher safe and easy for both righties and lefties to maneuver.
Another huge bonus? Though exceptionally powerful, the motor was one of the quietest we tested — great for early risers who don't want to wake roommates or family members.
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To help mimic how a home consumer would use a blender, we make green smoothies, vanilla milkshakes and frozen margaritas as well as broccoli-leek soup, if the blender is equipped to blend hot ingredients. (A blender must have vents in order to safely blend hot ingredients, and you should avoid blending hot liquids in a personal blending cup, which could potentially cause burns upon opening.)
During Lab testing, we weigh the final product and strain it through a mesh sieve to evaluate whether all ingredients are blended and that each grind or puree is uniform.
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We also evaluate how well blenders can handle hard ingredients: We grind coffee beans, and we include frozen strawberries and ice cubes in our tests.
We evaluate each machine for operation and functionality, including helpfulness of the manual and ease of use for assembling the blade parts, positioning the jar on the base, using the controls, reading markings on the jar and cleaning the blender. We also consider how loud each blender is while operating and how well it fares in the dishwasher if it's dishwasher-safe.
The best personal blenders for portable smoothies and crushing ice, including picks from brands like Ninja, Oster and Hamilton Beach.