When it comes to kitchen gadgets, it seems like there’s always something new that is a must-have for anyone who likes to cook at home. Honestly, though, most of these gadgets simply become knick-knacks that lie around in your drawer and never get used. However, one item that is gaining popularity that is actually REALLY nice to have, is a personal blender. In this guide, we’ll go over the basics and then move on to the best personal blenders on the market.
Table of Contents:
- What is a Personal Blender?
- Personal Blender vs Full Sized Blender
- What Are Personal Blenders Best For?
- Who Could Benefit from a Personal Blender?
- Tips for Using Personal Blenders
- What to Look for in a Good Blender
What is a Personal Blender?
Personal blenders are small, compact and convenient little blenders that make it easy to blend your favorite protein shakes, smoothies, drinks and more. They are significantly smaller than full sized blenders, and focus on providing convenience over raw power. Most come with blending capsules that double as to-go cups, so you can whip up a smoothie in no time and walk out the door – with very minimal cleanup. Some of the better options include a variety of attachments, so they can be used as full-size home blenders, or quick, convenient to-go options.
Because of their smaller size, good personal blenders are also quite a bit cheaper than their full size counterparts. While a high-end full size blender might run you several hundred dollars, you can get a top personal blender for less than $100 (and many for less than $50). We’ll go over the best personal blenders in this guide to help you choose.
Personal Blender vs Full Sized Blender
Some folks might be wondering which type of blender is best: personal, or full size? In reality, a lot of people can benefit from having both on hand, but that’s not strictly necessary. To help put things in perspective, see this blender pros and cons section below:
Personal Blender
Pros:
- Affordable
- Convenient
- Less cleanup
- Can make smoothies directly in to-go cups
- Usually come with a variety of attachments
Cons:
- Less powerful
- Usually not meant for blending hot liquids, such as soups
Full Size Blender
Pros:
- More powerful
- Can handle hot and cold liquids
- Better for crushing large quantities of ice
Cons:
- Significantly more expensive
- Takes up more counter space
- A lot more cleanup
- No to-go container attachments (generally)
- Uses more power
- Typically louder than personal blenders
As you can see, when comparing full size blenders vs personal blenders, it’s mostly a comparison of power over convenience. Full size blenders offer a lot more power, and more versatility for home chefs, but they are less convenient, more expensive, and take up more counter space. Good personal blenders offer a lot more convenience, less cleanup, take up less space, and are much more affordable.
It’s up to you to decide the best type of blender for your needs. You may actually want both, if you cook a lot and need a large, powerful blender. If you’re mostly just looking for something to make smoothies with, a good personal sized blender is definitely the way to go – they are cheaper and more convenient, and many have enough power to handle home cooking tasks anyways.
What Are Personal Blenders Best For?
Most of our readers, and indeed most people who buy a personal sized blender, use it for making shakes and smoothies. The small size makes it simple to measure out the right amount of ingredients, and the convenience of blending directly in the container you will drink from is quite a perk. Good personal blenders are a must-have for busy professionals or anyone who is in a rush to get out the door in the morning.
Beyond making smoothies, some of the top personal blenders have other uses. Our top recommendation comes with several attachments, which make it possible to crush ice, blend seeds and nuts, prepare baked good recipes, and much more. In some cases they can even double as food processors, helping to finely chop vegetables for soups and more.
Who Can Benefit from a Personal Blender?
The convenience of these little devices makes it so that practically anyone could benefit from using one! That said, the groups listed below will likely see the most benefit from purchasing a high quality personal blender:
- Dieters – when on a diet, one of the most effective tools you’ll have at your disposal could just be a good personal blender. Meal replacement shakes and nutrient-rich smoothies can be a great way to lose weight, and are a recommended component of many diet plans (check out these yummy slimming smoothie recipes). The problem is that many people find making smoothies inconvenient, and instead choose to eat toast and eggs, or stop for a breakfast sandwich at the local fast food joint! If you pick up one of the best personal blenders, you can quickly and easily make a to-go smoothie, which means it’s more likely that you’ll be able to stick to your diet!
- Athletes – athletes need a ton of protein in their diets, which is why you’ll find most active people have a big container of protein powder. And, one of the best ways to burn through protein powder in a tasty and accessible way is to make protein smoothies. By using a top personal blender, athletes will be able to whip up a nutrient-rich smoothie on their way out the door, and take the shake with them to the gym in the handy to-go cup!
- Busy People – busy professionals, parents, and anyone else on a tight schedule could stand to benefit hugely from the convenience of a personal blender. To make, eat, and clean up from a traditional breakfast takes at least 15-20 minutes, which, at the crack of dawn can feel like a long time (wouldn’t you rather sleep for an extra 15 minutes?). On the other hand, you can literally throw some ingredients in a personal blender and be out the door within 3-5 minutes. The cleanup can be saved for later, as you take the to go smoothie cup with you.
- People Living Alone – if you live alone, there’s really no need to have a full size blender, as you likely will never be using it to full capacity. A personal sized blender is a great alternative – and it takes up a lot less counter space, too! For apartment-dwellers with limited kitchen space, this factor alone is quite significant.
- Home Chefs – if you enjoy cooking at home, you may already have a full size blender. That said, you can still benefit from a top personal blender. They can be quite useful for whipping up small batches of sauce, syrups, etc. Sometimes large blenders are actually too big for what you’re trying to blend, and become inefficient. Small size blenders provide a great compliment to chefs wanting to make their own sauces, and also provide a backup blender in case your full size blender is in use.
Tips for Using Personal Blenders
While using personal blenders is generally pretty straightforward, you might find these tips helpful:
- Keep an eye on the fill-line – most blenders will have a fill-line, a line that designates the blending capacity of the container. You should not fill ingredients past this line, as it can lead to leakage.
- Don’t run for too long – due to their relatively small motors, personal size blenders should not be run for more than 30-45 consecutive seconds. This will probably be enough time to finish blending a smoothie, but if it’s not, just give it a 10 second break and then start again. This will keep the motor running smoothly and prevent burnout.
- Don’t blend hot liquids – personal blenders are made for convenience, and generally have plastic components that are not made to blend hot liquids. If you’re making soup, bust out the full-size, glass-container blender.
- Smaller ice cubes blend better – most good small blenders can handle ice and frozen fruit, but generally smaller cubes will blend better. Try to use a smaller ice cube tray, or break up larger chunks before blending (this depends on the blender – some of the more powerful personal blenders can handle chunk ice without issue).
- Learn proper solid to liquid ratios – when making smoothies, you’ll want to use a mix of solids (fruits, veggies, ice) and liquids (milk, almond milk, yogurt, etc.). Most blenders will have a sweet spot ratio between the two that makes for optimal blending. It might take a few tries to learn the ideal ratio for your blender (you can also check the user manual for instructions), but keep in mind that most blenders work better with more liquid, less solid.
- Get a cleaning brush – personal blenders are generally pretty easy to clean (certainly easier than full-size conventional blenders), but they can still be a hassle at times. For convenience, you might consider picking up a bottle brush while you’re at it.
- Be gentle – lastly, understand that these are not meant to be kitchen workhorses that can handle everything. They are designed for convenience and portability, and they simply can’t compare to a high end (but expensive) blender like a Vitamix. Be gentle with your personal blender, don’t run it for too long at a time, and it will last for a long time.
What Should I Look For in a Good Personal Blender?
We’ve already made a list of the top personal blenders to help narrow down your search for the best personal blender for you, but there are still some factors that you should consider. Some things to look for include:
- Attachments – for versatility, you’ll probably want to get a blender that comes with a variety of attachments. Most include the standard to-go cup style blender attachments, but some of our top recommendations also include larger conventional style attachments and small food processor-sized attachments. Having this variety of blender attachments helps to increase the versatility of your blender.
- Brand Reputation – there are a lot of companies out there that make personal style blenders, but many of them simply don’t have the reputation or experience to guarantee a solid product. Stick to known brands (Cuisinart, Ninja, Magic Bullet, etc.) for best results.
- Reviews – reading personal blender reviews is a good idea to help you get a good product. We’ve included personal blender reviews for some of the top products in the list below, as well as links to Amazon so you can read more reviews from customers.
- Value – take a look at the price, and the value that particular blender offers you. Some of the affordable personal blenders can be purchased for $40-$60 or less, while popular models might run more in the $100 range. Cheaper does not necessarily mean better (you don’t want a cheap personal blender, unless it’s a good product), but price should be a consideration.
- Warranty – most quality blenders will include some sort of manufacturer warranty. It’s a good idea to check into this when making your decision. If you purchase through an authorized reseller, like Amazon, you should still get the warranty – and you can also generally purchase an add-on protection package for a few dollars, which is generally worth it.
- Replacement Parts – especially when used regularly, blenders can take quite the beating. Even very high quality blenders will not last forever, but often certain parts will wear out first. For instance, you might find that your blade is getting dull after a few years. Ideally you’ll want to find a blender that offers replacement parts for sale at a reasonable cost. You can check Amazon for your options.
Top 5 Personal Blenders
1.) Cuisinart CPB-300
The Cuisinart CPB-300 is perhaps the best personal blender on the market. It sports an efficient yet powerful motor, a variety of attachments, and a very accessible price. Since the set comes with several attachment containers, both large and small, this can easily double as a full size blender, saving you from having to purchase multiple appliances, and keeping your counters clutter-free.
It also comes with 2 blades; one for blending, and one for chopping. And with FOUR travel cups (16-oz), a chopping cup (8-oz), and a large blender jar (32-oz), this is one of the most versatile blenders on the market.
Highlights:
- Very versatile
- Can be used as a standard kitchen blender or small personal blender
- 4x travel cups, 1x chopping cup and 1x large blender jar
- Comes with recipe book
- Smooth, consistent blending
- Small but powerful motor
- Two blades; one for chopping, one for blending
- Electronic touchpad controlled
- Small enough to be portable, powerful enough to meet all your needs
- Very affordable
- Well reviewed
- Made by one of the most well known kitchen brands
- The best personal blender we have come across
Brand Info: This product is made by Cuisinart, one of the best-known and biggest brands in the home kitchen market. Cuisinart started in the 1970’s, bringing the first-ever food processor to the United States. It quickly exploded in popularity, and became known as the brand of choice for many home chefs and homemakers.
Today, it remains a symbol of quality and consistently, and now produces a wide range of home kitchenware. While still best-known for the ever-popular line of food processors, Cuisinart now makes blenders and other appliances like this one. It has good customer service, consistent, quality products, and is a brand you can trust.
Final Verdict: Overall, we think that this is the best personal blender out there, and may just be the best blender overall. It’s affordable, versatile, and works great. Despite the relatively small motor, the CPB-300 produces a consistent, smooth blend that is perfect for smoothies, sauces and more.
Beyond that, this machine also doubles as a full size blender, a basic food processor, and more! The versatility of this machine is a main selling point, and the fact that it comes with so many attachments is a huge bonus. The low price seals the deal, and makes this our recommended pick for best personal size blender.
2.) Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ Blender (BL482)
Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ Blender is a effective small blender made by an excellent company. With both an 18-oz and 24-oz container (BPA free), it’s versatile and works great. It sports a powerful motor, and unique Auto-iQ technology that makes blending anything a breeze. Auto-iQ is basically a smart technology that uses preset functions for optimal blending.
There are several settings available which can be used at the click of a button – no more manual pulsing, stirring, or shaking needed. The Nutri Ninja is at the upper end of the personal blender price scale, but it presents a great value and is powerful enough to double as a standard blender.
Highlights:
- Comes with both 18-oz and 24-oz jars
- BPA free plastic
- Powerful motor (1000 watt)
- Utilizes Auto-iQ technology for smart blending
- Uses pre programmed blending patterns (blend, pulse, pause, etc.) for smooth, consistent blend
- 1-button operation
- Extracts nutrients from fruit and vegetables
- Excellent reviews
- Great value
- Blends smoothly & consistently
Brand Info: This blender is made by Ninja, a company that manufacturers blenders, coffee brewing systems, and other small home appliances. Ninja is well known for producing high quality products that customers love, so it’s easy to see why their products are so popular.
With effective and innovative products, awesome customer support, and reasonable prices, Ninja is a company we wholeheartedly recommend.
Final Verdict: Overall, this is one of the best personal blenders out there. Its innovative Auto-iQ technology makes it dead simple to get a perfect blend no matter what materials you are working with.
It comes from a very well respected company, who stands behind their products and provides great customer support. While it’s certainly not the cheapest option, the Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ Blender is well worth the price, and one of the most durable personal blenders on the market.
3.) Magic Bullet Blender
The Magic Bullet Blender is one of the most popular personal blenders out there. You’ve probably seen the commercials on TV, or even heard about it on the radio. This ultra-popular little blender is a very affordable, entry-level small blender that makes it easy to make shakes on the go, and offers super easy clean up.
And there’s a reason it’s so popular – it works great, and gets good response from personal blender reviews. The Magic Bullet is also incredibly easy to use – all you need to do is place the cup on the base and press down – there are no buttons or complicated settings to deal with.
Highlights:
- Comes with 2 18-oz cups, plus a 12-oz cup
- Comes with recipe book
- 250 watt motor
- Very affordable & good value
- Dishwasher safe components
- Super simple operation
- Replacement parts are widely available and very affordable
Drawbacks:
- Some Magic Bullet reviews mention poor build quality
- Might not last as long as more expensive models
- Smaller motor
- Lack of customizable settings
Brand Info: This blender is made by Magic Bullet, a division of Homeland Housewares. Magic Bullet was one of the first major commercially successful personal size blenders, and today it remains a staple in the industry.
Magic Bullet now makes a number of Bullet style blenders that are sold in over 50 countries, while parent company Homeland Housewares manufactures a wide variety of kitchen goods and housewares. This is a good company with a lot of experience in the blender world.
Final Verdict: Overall, Magic Bullet is a classic staple of the small blender world, and one of the best personal blenders out there. It’s very low price makes it an attractive option to those on a budget and those who are not sure how much use they will get out of a small blender.
On the other hand, there have been some complaints about build quality with Magic Bullet blenders, and they have relatively small motors. There are better options out there, but for the price, Magic Bullet offers great value.
4.) NutriBullet Pro
The NutriBullet Pro is a high end personal blender made by one of the pioneers of personal blenders, NutriBullet. It comes with as a 13-piece set, complete with 2 personal size to-go cups, 2 different types of lids, a recipe book, and more.
It’s a bit costlier than most on this list, but it’s also much more powerful and can double as a standard blender as well. It is definitely an effective personal blender that should be a consideration for your needs.
Highlights:
- Includes 2 32-oz cups
- 2 different lid styles
- To go cups have handles
- 900 watt motor for powerful blending
- Can crush ice and blend pretty much anything you throw at it
- Comes with a recipe book boasting 700+ recipes
- Comes with pocket nutrition guide
- Much more powerful than most personal blenders
- Made by a good company
Drawbacks:
- More expensive than average
- Can leak some times
- To go cups are rather large
Brand Info: This product is made by NutriBullet, a popular small appliance manufacturer that specializes in good personal size blenders. They manufacture a whole line of Nutribullet products, most of which are very well rated and popular.
This specialization in a single product line allows them to fine tune their designs and manufacturing techniques to maximize their products features and efficiency. Overall, NutriBullet is a great brand to consider when shopping for a top personal size blender.
Final Verdict: Overall, the NutriBullet Pro is a powerful personal blender that packs enough punch to blend through whatever is required. Its motor is a whopping 900 watts, which is more than twice as powerful as most personal blenders.
It comes with a variety of useful attachments, cookbooks, and more. On the other hand, it is on the expensive side when it comes to the top 5 bullet blenders.
5.) BLACK & DECKER FusionBlade Personal Blender
The Black + Decker FusionBlade is a popular, affordable personal blender from a reliable brand. It comes with two 20-oz personal jars that you can take with you on the go. It’s powerful enough to crush ice, but compact enough to take up very little counter space. It’s also quite affordable, which makes it a good choice for those on a tight budget.
Highlights:
- Very affordable
- Includes 2 20-oz personal jars with lids
- 275 watts
- Can crush ice
- Makes smoothies easy & mess-free
- Available in several colors
- Continuous blending & pulse settings
- Easy clean up
- Made by a well-respected company
Drawbacks:
- Limited attachment options
- Lids for personal jars make drinking thick shakes difficult
- Smaller motor than many competitors
- Some negative personal blender reviews concerning build quality
Who Makes It: This product is made by BLACK+DECKER, a well-known manufacturer of kitchen equipment, power tools and more. Founded way back in 1910, the company has more than 100 years of experience building small appliances. They are a well-respected manufacturer, and generally make high-quality products.
Final Verdict: Overall, this is a great entry level personal blender. It’s very budget-friendly, which is a big draw. It blends well and makes cleanup easy. Downsides include the relatively small motor and the somewhat awkward jar lids that make drinking thick smoothies difficult.