Private blenders are considerably smaller than their full-size opposite numbers, and because you’ll drink out of the cup you’re mixing with, they’re nice for protein shakes and smoothies. And since their cups characteristic handy commute lids, it’s simple and handy to mix your drink and take it with you to paintings, to the health club or simply to run errands.
We ran 9 of the highest fashions available on the market thru a rigorous trying out procedure, comparing their talent to execute a lot of mixing duties. We additionally judged them on their design, building, and — possibly most significantly — how handy and comfy they have been to drink out of.
Easiest non-public blender total
The transparent standout in our trying out, the Ninja Nutri-Blender Professional used to be simple to make use of, created clean mixed beverages, and integrated a commute lid that used to be each comfy to make use of and closed securely.
Easiest funds non-public blender
For those who don’t require a couple of mixing modes or settings and simply wish to make a single-serving drink temporarily and simply, the low cost Magic Bullet Blender is a wonderful possibility.
The Ninja Nutri-Blender Professional’s cast building offers the gadget a robust, top quality really feel, and the broad base supplies a strong basis for its {powerful} motor. Its easy regulate panel used to be the most straightforward to know proper out of the field of the entire non-public blenders we examined, making it simple to get proper to mixing once we plugged it in.
The Ninja Nutri-Blender Professional has devoted overwhelm, smoothie and pulse modes, however our favourite characteristic in trying out used to be its Auto-iQ serve as, which mechanically selects a mixing and pausing trend in your selected combine and forestalls as soon as the mix is entire. We have been first of all skeptical of this option, however ended up being inspired with the consequences, and preferred the way it allow us to hit the button as soon as and stroll away to do different issues, assured we’d get excellent effects. For those who’d relatively keep watch over issues and prevent it manually, you’ll flip off this serve as at any time through urgent the “get started/forestall” button.
The Ninja had no hassle making any of our take a look at smoothies. It simply overwhelmed ice and frozen fruit, pulverized leafy and fibrous greens and had no hassle blending our powdered protein drink in about 10 seconds. Whether or not that is because of the extra vertically orientated blade meeting or to the Auto-iQ blend-and-pause regimen, the Ninja additionally by no means were given “caught” or wanted any guide shaking to transparent lumps of in part mixed components like every other blenders did.
The commute lid of the Ninja Nutri-Blender Professional used to be some distance and away the most productive of the bunch. It used to be simple to screw on and the lid duvet flips out of the best way whilst you’re consuming, securely snapping backpedal whilst you’re now not.
The Ninja Nutri-Blender Professional comprises two “single-serve” cups, regardless that at 16 oz they are able to indisputably make two servings. Because it additionally comes with two commute lids, the Ninja Nutri-Blender Professional could be a nice possibility for a pair or family. The design of the lids, blades and massive cups made the whole thing easy to scrub, and the entire parts are dishwasher-safe as properly.
Despite the fact that now not a deal breaker, the downside to the Ninja is its reasonably vast length in comparison to the opposite non-public blenders we attempted. If in case you have restricted counter area, or don’t have room to retailer a brand new equipment to your kitchen, you might wish to pass with another choice, just like the Magic Bullet.
This compact blender couldn’t be more straightforward to make use of; you simply fill the cup, twist at the blade and press it down at the base to turn on the motor. This simple operation, mixed with its small length — a couple of 4.5-inch footprint — made it one in every of our favourite choices.
In spite of its compact length, the Magic Bullet Blender had identical heft and durability to our best select, the Ninja Nutri-Blender Professional. It carried out properly in all our assessments, even if it did take somewhat longer to achieve complete mix than the bigger, extra {powerful} fashions we checked out. On our powdered protein drink take a look at, it in fact carried out higher than nearly each and every different blender. Because of the small cup length — those are really single-serving cups — minimum powder caught to the edges whilst mixing, an nerve-racking factor that probably the most better cups suffered from.
We additionally preferred that the Magic Bullet Blender comes with a 2d single-serving cup, in addition to a 3rd “brief cup,” so it’s an invaluable possibility for a couple of individual. The cups are simple to scrub and received’t soak up a lot room to your cupboard both.
The Magic Bullet Blender’s lids are flat, with a gap like a commute espresso mug, as an alternative of the spouts utilized by the opposite blenders we examined. Whilst this design offers the lid a decrease profile and makes it protected when transporting, we discovered it tougher to drink thick smoothies. This can be an issue of private desire, however price noting for individuals who choose a spout-style lid.
Whilst the Magic Bullet Blender felt strong and featured rubber ft at the backside to assist with stabilization, it did perform a little slight “strolling” around the counter all through use. That stated, it moved perhaps half of an inch or so in 60 seconds, so now not too giant a deal.
Even supposing those non-public blenders glance reasonably identical, they’re in fact extra various than it’s possible you’ll assume. To assist differentiate our choices and hopefully claim the winners, we examined them throughout a variety of more than a few standards, from total operation and talent to mix an collection of beverages to the usability and safety in their commute lids. After trying out, we evaluated how each and every style carried out at the following standards, when compared the consequences and in the end selected the 2 blenders we felt have been the most productive total.
- Person interface/ease of use: We reviewed the instruction manuals and, whilst working the blender, famous how simple — or tricky — the blender used to be to make use of. Had been the controls and consumer interface intuitive and easy, or have been they extra complicated, requiring some follow?
- Versatility: What number of mixing modes did each and every unit be offering? Extra doesn’t all the time imply higher, however it’s excellent to understand, particularly if you realize you have an interest in a selected mode, like “pulse” or “low.”
- Operation: How {powerful} used to be the motor? How temporarily did the blades overwhelm, mix or combine the components within the cup? Did the blender fight and want you to manually shake it to paintings successfully?
- Frozen berry drink: We crammed each and every cup with a mix of ice, frozen berries, half of a banana and half of an apple and evaluated each and every blender’s talent to overwhelm the ice and mix in combination the remainder of the components. We then judged them at the completeness of the mix in addition to the overall texture.
- Inexperienced smoothie: We crammed each and every cup with kale, spinach and ginger root chopped into half-inch items, water and ice, and evaluated the blender on its talent to procedure the exhausting and fibrous components. We additionally judged them at the completeness of the mix in addition to the overall texture.
- Protein shake: We crammed each and every cup with protein powder, almond milk and ice, comparing the blenders’ talent to temporarily and entirely combine the rainy and dry components in combination. We paid shut consideration to any closing powder chunks after of completion and remnants caught to the edges of the cup.
- Construct high quality: Proper out of the field, we paid shut consideration to the blender’s durability and sturdiness. Does it really feel flimsy or reasonable, or heavy-duty and sturdy sufficient to final? Do its parts and buttons really feel reasonable, or created from top quality fabrics?
- Steadiness: Whilst in use, does the blender keep securely in position, or does it wander or vibrate around the counter? That is particularly essential on the subject of taller blenders with slim bases.
- Lid high quality: A competent and protected lid is among the greatest components to believe on the subject of non-public blenders, and we totally examined each and every one to ensure it used to be comfy to drink out of in addition to protected sufficient to stop spills and leaks whilst touring or simply strolling round the home.
- Equipment: Did the bender come with any more equipment or pieces like further blades, shaker lids or cup sizes? Those are much less essential on the subject of non-public blenders — we didn’t pass judgement on them on their talent to do such things as mix nut butters or grind flour, duties higher left to greater, extra {powerful} fashions — however nonetheless price noting.
- Capability: How a lot liquid can the cup grasp? Is it too vast to be handy for commute, or too small to be helpful?
Upkeep
- Ease of cleanup: How simple used to be the unit to scrub total? Had been the blades tricky to get entry to, used to be the lid simple to wipe down and have been there any design parts of the cup that made them in particular simple or tricky to stay blank?
- Dishwasher protection: Can the cup and lid be washed within the dishwasher? Blenders are notoriously exhausting to scrub, particularly when they’re allowed to dry, so that is crucial attention.
- We additionally famous the period and explicit warranties of each and every blender and the varieties of protection they provide.
Who wishes a private blender, and why?
The diminutive length of private blenders, in comparison to full-size fashions with vast pitchers, makes them a handy and helpful equipment for individuals who are maximum enthusiastic about making single-serving beverages with minimum cleanup.
With single-serving cups and locking commute lids, they’re an excellent selection for individuals who wish to take their smoothies at the pass, whether or not that’s to the health club, magnificence or paintings. They’re absolute best for protein shakes and smoothies, sports activities beverages and on-the-go meal replacements.
Despite the fact that you’re now not headed for a exercise, they’re a cheap answer for anyone who would another way be purchasing smoothies or inexperienced beverages from a smoothie store. The reasonably low worth of private blenders — our best choices are $100 or beneath — makes them much more sexy.
Plus, their compact length makes them nice for individuals who don’t have the additional counter area that better, bulkier blenders will require, and want one thing sufficiently small that it might probably simply retailer away in a cabinet if wanted.
Whilst they are able to’t essentially do the whole thing a better blender or meals processor can, non-public blenders can be utilized to make a lot of different pieces. Relying at the energy of the unit, they are able to make enjoyable salsas, soups and purées, and some of the fashions we examined include a separate blade for cutting and combining dry components and can be utilized to grind up flaxseeds and herbs, or even masticate nuts for nut butters. Salad dressings and condiments like mayonnaise, ketchup or hummus can be made with maximum non-public blenders. For those who’re now not certain if a blender has the facility or mixing mode to make a selected merchandise, you’ll typically obtain the consumer guide on-line ahead of buying.
NutriBullet Unique ($42.27, at first $59.99; amazon.com)
The heavy-duty really feel and durable building of the NutriBullet Unique make it an excellent selection for any individual who prioritizes efficiency over portability. Its {powerful} motor treated all our trying out very easily and temporarily mixed anything else we put throughout the cup. The straightforward operation used to be simple to make use of as properly. And not using a settings or controls to debris with, you simply screw at the blade to the cup, turn it over onto the bottom and press down — in an instant activating the blender. The NutriBullet Unique plays in a similar way to the Ninja Nutri-Blender Professional, however its lid isn’t as excellent, so it isn’t as well-suited to creating beverages for at the pass.
Despite the fact that it used to be comfy to drink out of, the latch that covers the spout wasn’t as protected because the Nutri-Blender Professional’s. That being stated, should you’re making plans to make use of it round the home and also you’re nice consuming smoothies and beverages proper out of a lidless cup, this blender is usually a excellent selection. And its reasonably low worth makes it an exquisite selection for the ones on the cheap.
Hamilton Seaside Private Blender ($19.99, at first $20.99; amazon.com)
You received’t discover a less expensive non-public blender than this Hamilton Seaside style. Its single-button regulate is handy for any individual who needs to steer clear of the additional bother of a couple of settings and the light-weight design makes it simple to pick out up and shake round any components that aren’t “catching” the blade as you’d like. Sadly, we ended up doing this rather a little all through our trying out, because the small blades had hassle with the ginger and kale of our inexperienced smoothie. The design of this blender additionally completely connects the blade meeting to the cup, which makes cleansing inconvenient if you are taking it to paintings or the health club. For those who’re now not ready to clean it till you arrive again house, your dried components could be a actual problem to clean off. All the unit is dishwasher-safe so this isn’t the tip of the sector, however it isn’t an excellent answer. The lid used to be each tricky and messy to take away, and our least favourite a number of the blenders we examined. As an alternative of screwing on, it’s important to press the lid down and snap it into position, which additionally ended up spilling probably the most contents.
Oster My Mix ($29.99; amazon.com)
In spite of its {powerful} motor and sizable blades, the Oster My Mix’s odd-shaped cup made it inconceivable to make it a favourite. Not like the opposite, more-tapered cups we examined, its cup narrows within the heart, which makes for simple gripping, however creates an nerve-racking bottleneck for components to get caught whilst mixing. The cup may be a blue colour, which makes it tricky to peer whether or not components are jumbled together properly whilst you’re mixing — a specific problem with protein powders.
We preferred different design options, just like the sporting handles at the lid and the motor base, in addition to the comfy consuming spout. The Oster does have an impressive motor, mixing components simply — as long as they have been ready to achieve the blade. Cleansing wasn’t simple both, and with out a lengthy bottle brush, you’ll have hassle attending to the ground with a sponge — regardless that it might probably pass within the dishwasher.
BlendJet 2 ($44.99, at first $49.99; bedbathandbeyond.com)
We had top hopes for this ultra-compact blender, and even if its cordless design is attention-grabbing, and doubtlessly handy for some customers, we weren’t fanatics. It fees by means of USB, because of this you don’t have to fret about plugging it in, however it does require you to hold round all of the unit (each the cup and motor base) if making a decision to take it anyplace. We discovered this to be a security factor, particularly after we by chance pressed the facility button to turn on the blade whilst we have been consuming out of it. Even supposing this will also be remedied through the use of the lock surroundings — you press the facility button till the pink ring flashes 3 times — it doesn’t really feel intuitive for the consumer. We’d like to peer a separate lock button or transfer, even if this may clearly remove from the single-button design.
In the case of efficiency, the BlendJet 2 had some hassle with our leafy vegetable drink, regardless that it will were because of the scale of the vegetables we used. With better-chopped kale and smaller ginger chunks, it most definitely will have treated the drink higher. But if it got here to frozen berry and protein powder beverages, the blender did an admirable process. The sporting strap at the lid used to be a pleasant characteristic, and regardless that it didn’t be offering a spout or sipping opening, it stopped leaks and spills through securely screwing on tight.
Cuisinart CPB-300 (beginning at $39.99; amazon.com)
This can be a nice blender, we simply didn’t assume it used to be an excellent non-public blender. An especially {powerful} possibility, it comes with 4 consuming cups (together with an extra-large 32-ounce pitcher) and an extra blade for cutting, and is unassuming to make use of, with a “top,” “low” and “pulse” settings. Sadly, what it doesn’t supply is a tight commute lid for consuming at the pass, which is crucial standards for a private blender.
The 4 integrated lids all have consuming spouts, however they aren’t protected sufficient to stick on for commute, and the 5th lid, even if it screws on securely, isn’t handy for informal sipping. All this being stated, should you aren’t bringing your mixed beverages anyplace or don’t thoughts shifting them to another receptacle, the Cuisinart CPB-300 is usually a nice selection. The inclusion of the extra-large pitcher permits it to paintings as a full-size blender and the cutting blade will increase the number of components you’ll mix and the recipes you’ll make.
Bella Rocket Extract ($59.99; amazon.com)
This ultra-powerful blender couldn’t be more effective to make use of, and as with the NutriBullet, you press the cup all the way down to turn on the blades. It comes with an outstanding quantity of equipment — together with 5 other cups and a couple of blades — so just like the Cuisinart, it is usually a sensible choice for a full-size blender-style possibility. It additionally treated all our trying out properly, and completely pulverized anything else we put throughout the cup.
The huge cup, at 23.6 oz, is large for unmarried servings, however a little small for standard blender tasks, and after we examined it with our protein shake we ended up with powder caught to the edges. We didn’t just like the Bella Rocket Extract’s commute lid, which didn’t have an ergonomic spout and wasn’t as comfy to drink from as our best choices, regardless that it used to be watertight and protected. Nonetheless, it used to be a detailed name, and a better-designed lid would have made this one in every of our best alternatives.
Beast Blender ($155; amazon.com)
The Beast Blender is a beautiful instrument, with a much more fashionable construct than the opposite fashions we examined. The fluted, ridged outsized cup has a twist-on cap with a sporting care for, and used to be one of the vital total protected lid we examined. The white base and cup accents have been sexy and we loved the single-button regulate, which equipped two modes — pulse and mix. The mix mode is a 1-minute timed cycle, which is made up of 3 mixing classes separated through two pauses to permit for the contents to settle. Then again, it wasn’t as efficient because the Ninja blender’s identical Auto-iQ serve as.
Sadly, the Beast isn’t dishwasher-safe, and washing through hand is inconvenient since the ridges at the within the cup, even if they appear excellent, make it a problem to scrub, particularly should you’ve left it to your bag all day and the contents have dried on. All that being stated, if you’re on the lookout for a extra design-forward blender, you’re now not going to do any higher than the Beast Blender.
Learn extra from CNN Underscored’s hands-on trying out
