The 6 Best Personal Blenders for Every Budget, Tested and Reviewed

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These small but mighty appliances make it easy to eat more fruits and veggies.

It’s no secret that smoothies are a tasty and simple way to pack in some extra nutrients. But there’s nothing worse than coming across lumps of unblended protein powder or rogue pieces of kale when you’re taking a sip. From frozen to fibrous, the ingredients in our favorite smoothies (and soups and sauces, for that matter) can put up a fight, so it’s important to have a blender that can tackle the tough stuff. Not only that, but wouldn’t it be great if it also wasn’t a monstrosity that took up valuable space on your countertop?

Luckily, our team of nutrition and culinary experts surveyed the field of personal blenders that can do it all, and while there are a few big-name brands in the mix like Ninja and Nutribullet, there are some other top contenders that may surprise you. We tested nearly 20 different models and evaluated each one not only on its ability to blend to perfection, but also its ease of use, value, cleaning protocols and more. Read on to find out which personal blenders are our favorites for your needs and budget.

Our Personal Blender Recommendations

• Best Overall: Ninja Nutri Blender Plus Compact Personal Blender

• Best Budget: Hamilton Beach Personal Blender

• Best Splurge: NutriBullet Ultra

• Best Portable: Ninja BLAST Portable Blender

• Also Great, Portable: Beautiful By Drew Barrymore Portable Blender 2.0

• Best Design: Smeg Personal Blender
  

Best Overall: Ninja Nutri Blender Plus Compact Personal Blender

$80 at Amazon

$104 at Walmart

What we like: The powerful motor, portable cups and reasonable price point tick all the right boxes for this top overall pick.

What to know: You may need to pause and shake the cups to get things fully blended (but the results are worth it!).

At first glance, the Ninja Nutri Blender Plus Compact Personal Blender may seem too basic to be our winner, but once you start using it, you can understand why we’ve selected it. The 900-watt motor outpaces most competitors and provides some of the best textures we've seen in our testing.

Operating this blender is easy: You assemble your ingredients in the cup, screw the blender blade attachment on top and then press the cup into the base to get things moving. When it comes to cleaning, nearly every part of the machine that you’d really need to wash is dishwasher-safe, and came clean easily for us during testing, with no stuck-on residue or visible wear and tear from multiple runs through the dishwasher.

While the blender itself isn’t portable, the 20-ounce cups certainly are, adding an element of ease to anyone’s busy lifestyle. Some of the included lids are also travel-ready, with spouts for drinking or pouring and leakproof closures. However, our biggest tester takeaway wasn’t how easy and functional the design was but how smooth and dreamy the textures were, even when blending icy or gritty ingredients.

Power: 900 watts | Capacity: 20 oz. | Dimensions: 4.7"D x 4.7"W x 13.8"H | Warranty: N/A

Best Budget: Hamilton Beach Personal Blender

$23 at Amazon

What we like: This machine performed surprisingly well for its budget-friendly price point, at a fraction of the cost of most other blenders we tested.

What to know: This one may take longer to incorporate ingredients, and it has a tight-fitting lid that may not work for those with limited grip strength.

For less than the cost of a ticket to the movies in many areas, you can add the Hamilton Beach Personal Blender to your kitchen collection for fast and easy smoothies to fuel your busy life. This model is corded, which limits portability, but the BPA-free blending jar doubles as a travel cup and comes with a drinking lid.

The cup fits easily into the base, and while it did take a bit more time to incorporate our ingredients, the end result was a smooth and tasty smoothie. We did find that the lid on this blender screws on quite tight, so keep an eye out for that if your ability to grip and twist is more limited.

We loved that this blender wasn’t especially loud, making it a great idea for households with multiple people, folks with varied morning routines, or even dorm dwellers. The one-touch blending design keeps things simple, and when you're finished, you can throw the cup and lids in the dishwasher, letting you skip hand-washing the sharp blades.

Power: 175 watts | Capacity: 14 oz. | Dimensions: 4"D x 4"W x 12.25"H | Warranty: 3-year limited

Best Splurge: NutriBullet Ultra

$150 at Amazon

$150 at Macy's

What we like: Cups come in varying sizes, offering more versatility.

What to know: While the machine is high-powered, the engine can be on the noisier side.

The NutriBullet Ultra is significantly more expensive than many of the personal blenders we’ve included here, but it certainly does bring value. This model’s wattage alone may be worth the spend, with a whopping 1,200-watt motor that’s literally 10 times the power of some other blenders.

Now, wattage isn't the end-all of a good blender, but this NutriBullet Ultra also comes with a larger capacity of up to 32 oz. for bigger jobs and a more standard personal-sized 24-oz. cup for smaller, portable smoothies. These cups are dishwasher-safe, but we also found them easy to clean by hand. You can put the extractor blade in the dishwasher as well, and while it may collect some water when inverted, it does mean you won’t have to hand-clean those incredibly sharp edges.

In testing, we loved the silky smooth textures this blender produced. In fact, we had to watch out: If you do want chunks in something like a salsa, this machine will puree them in a flash. Overall, it has a streamlined and efficient design that we found easy and intuitive to use, if on the noisy side.

Power: 1,200 watts | Capacity: 32 oz. | Dimensions: 5"D x 4.75"W x 14"H | Warranty: 1 year, extractor blade has a 5-year limited warranty

Best Portable: Ninja BLAST Portable Blender

$60 at Amazon

$64 at Walmart

What we like: This small but mighty cordless blender is a game-changer for folks on the move. It fits in everything from your cup holder to your beach cooler.

What to know: You can't remove the cup to take your smoothie on the go—the whole blender and base are designed to travel with you.

Most of the time, when blenders tout portability, it means you pour the contents of your smoothie into a cup and then carry it with you. However, this newer style of personal blender lets you take the entire appliance with you. While there are quite a few of these in the marketplace nowadays, this Nina BLAST Portable Blender is our favorite.

The simple two-button control panel is easy to use, and the start-stop button blends automatically for 30 seconds at a time. Everything fits together easily without being too tight or too loose and leaking, and it’s not much larger than a water bottle. We think its diminutive size makes it great for travel, as well.

The 7.4-volt battery charges via USB in under 2 hours, and it’ll give you several rounds of blending on one charge—even if you need to blend more than once, which we found was necessary for a smoother result. No more making your smoothie before a workout, only to have it separate before you can get to it; now you can blend as you go. And trust us, you won’t have to worry about spillage and leaking—this one seals up tight.

Power: 7.4 volts | Capacity: 18 oz. | Dimensions: 3.54"D x 3.54"W x 10.71"H | Warranty: 1 year

Also Great, Portable: Beautiful By Drew Barrymore Portable Blender 2.0

$49 at Amazon

$30 at Walmart

What we like: This adorable machine serves as part functional kitchen equipment and part outfit accessory.

What to know: When blending your ingredients, be sure you have enough liquid—you’ll need it to ensure things get incorporated evenly.

Another fabulous option for portable and personal-size blenders is this chic and functional option from Beautiful by Drew Barrymore. The trendy colors are a bit more style-minded than other portable choices, and a 3- to 5-hour charge time will get you several uses. The 16-oz. capacity is perfect for a quick little morning smoothie or post-workout shake, and the one-touch operation is super easy to use.

Our commerce editor Kayleigh Drake loves how compact this blender is, and the fact that it doesn't take up a ton of space on her too-small kitchen countertop. She also loves the fact that she can charge both her Samsung phone and this blender with the same USB-C charger—an unexpected (but very much appreciated) perk of this little machine.

When we tested this blender, we found it to be a bit middle-of-the-road in terms of noise level—not the quietest, but also not the loudest. The blades on the Beautiful blender are built into the base, which screws onto the bottom of the cup. Because of this, you won't be able to take the cup with you on the go without bringing the base as well.

Another thing we'll note with this blender: Make sure you include plenty of liquid when adding your ingredients, as they won't incorporate properly without it. The blades will need to be cleaned by hand or by running a cycle of warm, soapy water through the machine, but the lid and cup are dishwasher-safe. Overall, we think this blender is an excellent option if you’re looking for something portable that’s also easy on the eyes.

Power: 70 watts | Capacity: 16 oz. | Dimensions: 3.54"D x 3.54"W x 10.71"H | Warranty: N/A

Best Design: Smeg Personal Blender

$170 at Amazon

$170 at Williams-Sonoma

What we like: An appliance you’ll happily leave out on the counter, this Smeg blender is as functional as it is attractive.

What to know: This model’s simple design is echoed in its functionality, and it lacks multiple settings.

If you’re familiar with Smeg appliances, then it’s no surprise that a Smeg appliance is taking the top spot for best design on a personal blender. This fun, retro blender comes in a multitude of colors and makes a great addition to your kitchen, not only for its style but also for its functionality.

Where most other personal blenders have one speed setting, the Smeg has two. This model comes with two 600-millimeter Tritan blender jars that make portability possible. The jars mold to the base securely and efficiently without needing a lot of muscle or finesse, and their hourglass shape makes them easy to hold in your hand on your way out the door.

While the Smeg’s 250-watt motor and 4-blade blending apparatus work well together, you may need to blend your ingredients a bit longer to pulverize all the small bits. While we thought this blender did a great job, it didn’t quite match the full-size Smeg blender's smoothness after a single 30-second run. We did, however, find cleaning to be as seamless as one could hope for, with all of the dishwasher-safe cups and lids and the wipe-clean base coming clean easily.

Power: 250 watts | Capacity: 600 ml | Dimensions: 5.5"D x 5.5"W x 13"H | Warranty: N/A

The Bottom Line: The Best Personal Blender

The Ninja name has become synonymous with desirable kitchen appliances, and it's easy to see why. The Ninja Nutri Blender Plus Compact Personal Blender (view at Amazon) captured our hearts and our counter space with a powerful motor that handled absolutely everything we threw at it. Looking for a more wallet-friendly option? We love the Hamilton Beach Personal Blender (view at Amazon), which performed well in our tests while only costing roughly a third of the price of the aforementioned Ninja.

Choosing a Personal Blender

Choose the Right Size and Capacity

One of the most important considerations when purchasing a blender is exactly what you plan to blend and how much of it. If you’re someone who puts fistfuls of greens into your smoothies or makes soups and sauces in big batches, you may want a larger-capacity cup. If you’re less interested in large volumes, though, most of the personal blenders here have between 16- and 32-oz. cup sizes, which should work for most individuals.

How Durable Is It?

Blenders can take a beating, there’s no doubt about it—even more so if you’re lugging it around in your gym bag or purse all day. Ensure that you’re choosing one designed to come along for the ride or just one that can stand up to repeated use and dishwashing. Keep an eye out for cracks in the cup or base as an indicator that parts are breaking down, and if the base feels like it’s overheating or overworking, it may be time for a new machine.

Is It Easy to Use and Clean?

Most personal blenders have dishwasher-safe cups and parts with a wipe-clean base, though some also recommend running a blending cycle with warm, soapy water to self-clean. We think it’s always a safe bet to follow manufacturer instructions, but it’s important to be incredibly careful if you hand-clean these machines—especially the blades. And if you’re nervous about that, then try to choose one that you can pop in the dishwasher.

Take Note of the Design

While these smaller-size blenders may fit more easily in a cabinet, you also may not want to put them away due to the amount of use they get—or simply because they look too darn good on the counter. We really appreciate when an appliance gives us flash and substance, so be sure if you’re going for an attractive design that it can also power through tough ingredients without overheating.

Consider the Speed and Performance

With dramatically different wattage values across the field, some as high as 1,200 watts and as low as 75 watts, you’ll undoubtedly notice differences in what they can confidently be used for. While wattage is not the end-all for determining blender performance, it can be one indicator of speed and overall effectiveness.

Is It a Good Value for the Price?

Costs can vary widely across blenders, and how much you spend should align with the functionality you need and how often you plan to use the appliance. We think it’s wise to consider a bigger spend if you plan to get more use from the product, and it’s a top-tier one. On the other hand, if you’re only dabbling in the world of smoothies, you may get more value from a cheaper model if your blender will only see occasional use.

Our Personal Blender Tests

With the title of best personal blender on the line, we put nearly 20 different machines through their paces to determine which could handle the workload and wear and tear while providing the overall best experience in a personal blender. Each model was used to create multiple culinary delights, including smoothies, sauces, dips and more, to determine how well tough, fibrous ingredients would combine. We also tested each model for its ease of cleaning using the manufacturer-recommended method and assessed the safety of blade cleaning. The blenders were also evaluated for potential leakage, overall design, ease of use, versatility, value and general quality.

We Also Considered

Magic Bullet Blender ($50 at Amazon): This model was functional and very easy to clean. We loved its slender shape, which made it easy to store. However, other personal blender options we tested felt a bit more sturdy than this one, and they also performed better with chunky frozen fruits than the Magic Bullet did.

Dash Personal Portable USB Blender ($40 at Williams Sonoma): With its simple and straightforward control panel, this USB-chargeable blender was easy to use and quiet when we blended our smoothies. Cleaning the blades was a bit difficult, though, since you can't detach them from the base. Additionally, this blender didn’t have as much battery life—even when fully charged—as some of the others we tried.

KitchenAid Go Cordless Personal Blender ($130 at KitchenAid): We loved how durable the materials seemed on this blender, which proved leakproof during our tests. We also loved that it came with a travel lid for taking smoothies on the go. However, this blender doesn't handle ice very well, and when we made a batch of pesto, large pieces of spinach and basil were left unblended. It's also quite loud, so you may want to skip this blender if you live with roommates.

Magic Bullet Portable Blender ($40 at Amazon): This blender impressed us with its design, including its easy-to-pour and drink-from spout and highly portable and sturdy body style. However, we did notice some leftover ice chunks after blending our smoothies, and it was a bit noisy as well.

Common Questions

Are personal blenders worth it?

While personal blenders may have some overlap in price point and utility when compared with a full-size blender, we do think they’re worth the spend, depending on your needs. “Personal blenders typically offer a more budget-friendly option and occupy significantly less space,” says Chef Jason Heiselman, Director of Culinary for meal and grocery delivery service Hungryroot. “Moreover, for the average home cook, the added capacity of a larger blender often proves unnecessary.” We think it’s good to take stock of what you currently use and what you think you’ll make to ensure a personal blender is worth the buy.

What all can a personal blender be used for?

Aside from the obvious smoothies, personal blenders can have a multitude of uses. Chef Heiselman recommends using them for grinding spices or cracking rice and grains. “In the summer, [personal blenders] are great for making a quick sorbet with some fresh fruit, ice, honey and lemon,” he says. “If you want just a few pancakes, they're great to whip up a small batch on the fly.” They may also be able to handle tasks like grinding coffee or making smaller portions of homemade nut milks.

What is the best way to clean a blender?

We always recommend following manufacturer instructions for cleaning, as putting parts in the dishwasher when they’re not meant to go there can result in warping and damage. Additionally, many blenders can be cleaned by running a normal blending cycle with warm, soapy water. If you do choose to clean your blender by hand, as Chef Heiselman says he prefers, be careful when cleaning around the sharp blades. “I use baby bottle brushes for those hard-to-reach spots,” Heiselman says.

Is there anything you shouldn’t put in a personal blender?

Personal blenders aren’t necessarily designed to handle the bigger, tougher tasks with firmer ingredients or larger batch sizes. Additionally, Chef Heiselman says, "It's important to be careful with extra hot or hard items, and be sure to never overcrowd them."

Our Trusted Expertise

Tori Martinet, M.S., RD, is a culinary and intuitive eating dietitian with a background in high-volume food service and corporate dining. She has a personal history of developing smoothie recipes for clients as a part of that work and has tested a multitude of personal and professional blenders. Her written contributions have been featured in publications like Food & Wine, The Spruce Eats and Verywell Fit.

For this article, we spoke with Chef Jason Heiselman, the Director of Culinary for Hungryroot, a grocery and meal delivery service designed to simplify healthy eating. We got his take on what makes a personal blender great.

This article was edited by Kayleigh Drake, a former full-time baker and current EatingWell commerce editor and contributor to publications such as Food & Wine, The Spruce Eats and Verywell Fit, and was reviewed by Brierley Horton, M.S., RD, senior commerce editor, who has 15 years of experience reporting, writing and editing nutrition and health content.

Read the original article on Eating Well.