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Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
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Credit:
Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar
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If you're looking for a versatile personal blender that can do more than blending smoothies, the Select is your best option. Read More
Fast, simple, and very transportable, the Magic Bullet is designed with busy people in mind. Add enough liquid, and it can handle almost any smoothie ingredient. Read More
The great-looking blender comes with a sturdy base, some useful accessories, and a powerful motor. But its blending cup can be awkward to handle. Read More
The Cuisinart is substantial and powerful. It easily blends everything from a basic smoothie to a piña colada with full-size ice cubes. Read More
It’s the Goldilocks of the category: not too big and powerful, not too small and weak, but just right. We were impressed by its speed and strength. Read More
With the rise in juicing and post-gym health smoothies, personal blenders have exploded in popularity. Great for individuals or couples who rarely need to blend a lot at once, the best personal blenders are easier to store, clean, and transport than full-sized blenders, and their containers are ideal for on-the-go sipping.
To find out which personal blenders are worthy of turning your favorite fruits and leafy greens into something delicious, we tested the top small blenders on the market, evaluating their mixing and blending abilities. While we prioritized size during personal blender testing, we also took into account design, speed, noise level, and how easy they were to clean.
After producing gallons of fruit smoothies and other purées, our top pick is the NutriBullet Select (available at Amazon) . With a powerful motor and slender blender cups for versatility and portability, it’s a great everyday personal blender, but the NutriBullet Select also can handle basic tasks you’d expect from the best full-size blenders.
While we think this NutriBullet is the best fit for most people, shoppers looking for the best personal blender for smoothies should consider the classic Magic Bullet Blender (available at Amazon).
The Nutribullet Select is the best personal blender we've tested.
The Magic Bullet is small but mighty.
The Beast, one of our favorite blenders, has a sleek and modern design.
The Cuisinart Evolution X is a lot like a regular blender, but you can take it on the go.
Fast and efficient
Durable
Easy to transport and store
No buttons or automatic programs
Limited volume
Stylish design
Decent at blending
Fast and efficient
No buttons or automatic programs
Limited volume
Blends well
Stylish design
Large blending capacity
No buttons or automatic programs
Stylish design
Blends well
Sturdy, durable base
Oversized—hard to transport and store
Flimsy travel attachemnts
To find out which blender is the best, we put them into the tests.
While we used similar testing criteria for personal blenders as the best blenders, we prioritized size for our personal blender recommendations. The ideal personal blender should be distinctly smaller and more portable to be meaningfully different than its full-sized counterparts.
Personal blenders are primarily designed to make single-serving smoothies and shakes, so that’s where we focused. The two main tests were mixing brightly colored yogurt and blending up a strawberry-banana smoothie. The yogurt gave us a visual indicator of mixing efficacy, demonstrating the blades’ reach and how quickly the blender could mix distinct red and blue yogurt into a purple union.
The smoothie test was exactly what it sounds like—how well can this blender whip up a fruit smoothie? We considered speed, noise level, and ease of use while blending, then smoothie quality, lid tightness, and ease of cleaning when blending was done.
When evaluating the blenders and containers themselves, we prioritized portability, design, accessories, and wattage, among other factors. Some blenders were clearly more powerful thanks to higher wattage and larger size. However, these larger blenders were usually louder, more difficult to clean, and had high-reaching blades that couldn’t handle small amounts of liquid.
Blenders are useful, but not everyone needs a full-size blender living on their kitchen counter. For those who live alone, have limited storage space, or just don’t make frozen drinks that often, a personal blender is a better fit.
A personal blender’s compact size and specialty containers are perfect for on-the-go types who just want to quickly whip up their green smoothies and be on their way. Here are some more things to consider when buying one.
While watts are a measure of power, there’s more that goes into determining the best personal blender than how many watts a model has. Among other things, the size and sharpness of the blades matter, too. But the motor’s power can be a solid initial indicator of a blender’s strength and efficiency.
With personal blenders, bigger isn’t necessarily better. Many models have containers that can detach from the base and become travel mugs or cups, so finding something that feels good in your hand and fits your lifestyle (or your car’s cupholder) is more important than grabbing the biggest blender.
Even if most of these blenders don’t have the full array of settings a full-size blender does, features still matter. Look for traditional features like pulse settings and one-touch options, as well as portability considerations like travel lids or easy-pour spouts on the container.
Some personal blenders can crush ice, though it’s not a guarantee nor part of our testing. Generally speaking, more powerful models should be able to crush ice. As for frozen fruits, you should be fine with most models, as long as you include enough liquid alongside the frozen ingredients.
Cassidy covered all things cooking as the kitchen editor for Reviewed from 2018 to 2020. An experimental home chef with a healthy distrust of recipes, Cassidy lives by the "Ratatouille" philosophy that, with a few techniques and key tools, anyone can cook. She's produced in-depth reviews and guides on everything from meal kits to stand mixers and the right way to cook an egg.
Valerie Li Stack is a senior staff writer for Kitchen & Cooking. She is an experienced home cook with a passion for experimenting with the cuisines of countries she's visited. Driven by an interest in food science, Valerie approaches the culinary scene with a firm grasp of cooking processes and extensive knowledge of ingredients. She believes food speaks to all people regardless of language and cultural background.
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