A personal blender is a smaller version of this that usually makes 1-2 servings at a time. An immersion blender is handheld and features a long arm with blades at the end.
Best personal blender: Ninja Nutri-Blender Pro
The Ninja Nutri-Blender Pro’s solid construction gives the machine a sturdy, high-quality feel, and the wide base provides a stable foundation for its powerful motor. Its straightforward control panel was the simplest to understand right out of the box of all the personal blenders we tested, making it easy to get right to blending as soon as we plugged it in.
The Ninja Nutri-Blender Pro has dedicated Crush, Smoothie and Pulse modes, but our favorite feature in testing was its Auto-iQ function, which automatically selects a blending and pausing pattern for your chosen mix and stops once the blend is complete. We were initially skeptical of this feature but ended up being impressed with the results and appreciated how it let us hit the button once and walk away to do other things, confident we’d get good results. If you’d rather keep an eye on things and stop it manually, you can turn off this function at any time by pressing the start/stop button.
The Ninja had no trouble making any of our test smoothies. It easily crushed ice and frozen fruit, pulverized leafy and fibrous vegetables and had no trouble mixing our powdered protein drink in about 10 seconds. The Ninja also never got “stuck” or needed any manual shaking to clear lumps of partially blended ingredients like some other blenders did.
The travel lid of the Ninja Nutri-Blender Pro was far and away the best of the bunch. It was easy to screw on, and the lid cover flips out of the way while you’re drinking, securely snapping back down when you’re not.
The Ninja Nutri-Blender Pro includes two “single-serve” cups, though at 16 ounces, they can definitely hold two servings. Since it also comes with two travel lids, the Ninja Nutri-Blender Pro can be a great option for a couple or household. The design of the lids, blades and large cups made everything simple to clean, and all the components are dishwasher-safe as well.
Though not a deal breaker, the drawback to the Ninja is its relatively large size compared to the other personal blenders we tried. If you have limited counter space or don’t have room to store a new appliance in your kitchen, you may want to go with another option, like the Magic Bullet.
Best portable blender: Ninja Blast Portable Blender
If your priority is portability, the one-piece design and rechargeable battery of the Ninja Blast could mean it’s just what you’re looking for. It’s easy to carry and use almost anywhere, so it’s a great solution for mixing up a protein shake on the go, whether that’s in the back of your Subaru at dawn pre-adventure race or at your desk at lunchtime. Plus, it’s very affordable, meaning you won’t feel like you need to baby it too much.
Unlike most of the personal blenders we tested, which are designed around a stationary base and a removable cup, the Ninja Blast puts it all together into a single unit. This design makes it especially useful for those who want to transport it without the hassle of multiple parts, and the compact dimensions (it’s a cylinder, roughly 3.5 inches in diameter and weighting just 1.75 pounds) make it convenient to toss into a backpack or tote bag.
The rechargeable battery is my favorite feature of the Ninja Blast and really what separates it from most compact blenders. (The cheaper BlendJet2 we tested is also a rechargeable one-piece unit, but the Ninja Blast outperformed it on every recipe we tried, so we’d recommend spending the extra money for the Ninja.) Not only does this cordless design eliminate the need to find an electrical outlet wherever you may be but it means you can enjoy freshly blended ice drinks where there is no power, like at the beach, at a parking lot tailgate or on a road trip.
Like Ninja products we’ve tested in the past, the Ninja Blast is noticeably sturdy and well made, with a nice solid feel to it. Most importantly, despite the small size, the Ninja Blast provides the power needed to tackle a wide range of blending tasks. Although it isn’t as powerful as its bigger sibling (and our top pick), the Ninja Nutri-Blender Pro, and it sometimes took more than a single 30-second blending cycle to get there, in our testing, the heavy-duty, six-edged blade was able to successfully pulverize ice and blend even tough, fibrous ingredients like ginger root chunks.
Though it’s not as cheap as the Magic Bullet and doesn’t offer as many accessories, you’ll always need to find someplace to plug in the Magic Bullet, so the Ninja Blast has an edge in go-anywhere convenience. And if you’re looking for an inexpensive personal blender, it’s a good budget-friendly option if you’re not set on having a wide range of tools and lid options.
Although these personal blenders look relatively similar, they’re actually more varied than you might think. To help differentiate our options and confidently declare the winners, we tested them across a range of various criteria, from overall operation and ability to blend an assortment of drinks to the usability and security of their travel lids.
After testing, we evaluated how each model performed on the following criteria, compared the results and finally chose the three blenders we felt were the best overall.
- User interface/ease of use: We reviewed the instruction manuals and, while operating the blender, noted how easy — or difficult — the blender was to use. Were the controls and user interface intuitive and straightforward, or were they more confusing, requiring some practice?
- Versatility: How many blending modes did each unit offer? More doesn’t always mean better, but it’s good to know, especially if you know you are interested in a specific mode, like Pulse or Low.
- Operation: How powerful was the motor? How quickly did the blades crush, blend or mix the ingredients in the cup? Did the blender struggle and need to be manually shaken for it to work effectively?
- Frozen berry drink: We filled each cup with a mixture of ice, frozen berries, half a banana and half an apple and evaluated each blender’s ability to crush the ice and blend together the rest of the ingredients. We then judged them on the completeness of the blend as well as the final texture.
- Green smoothie: We filled each cup with kale, spinach and ginger root chopped into half-inch pieces, water and ice, and we evaluated the blender on its ability to process the hard and fibrous ingredients. We also judged them on the completeness of the blend as well as the final texture.
- Protein shake: We filled each cup with protein powder, almond milk and ice, evaluating the blenders’ ability to quickly and completely mix the wet and dry ingredients together. We paid close attention to any remaining powder chunks after completion and remnants stuck to the sides of the cup.
- Build quality: Right out of the box, we paid close attention to the blender’s sturdiness and durability. Does it feel flimsy or cheap, or heavy-duty and durable enough to last? Do its components and buttons feel cheap or made from high-quality materials?
- Stability: While in use, does the blender stay securely in place, or does it wander or vibrate across the counter? This is especially important when it comes to taller blenders with narrow bases.
- Lid quality: A reliable and secure lid is one of the biggest factors to consider when it comes to personal blenders, and we thoroughly tested each one to make sure it was comfortable to drink out of as well as secure enough to prevent spills and leaks while traveling or just walking around the house.
- Accessories: Did the bender include any extra accessories or items like additional blades, shaker lids or cup sizes? These are less important when it comes to personal blenders — we didn’t judge them on their ability to do things like blend nut butters or grind flour, tasks better left to larger, more powerful models — but still worth noting.
- Capacity: How much liquid can the cup hold? Is it too large to be convenient for travel or too small to be useful?
- Ease of cleanup: How easy was the unit to clean overall? Were the blades difficult to access, was the lid easy to wipe down and were there any design elements of the cup that made them particularly easy or difficult to keep clean?
- Dishwasher safety: Can the cup and lid be washed in the dishwasher? Blenders are notoriously hard to clean, especially when they are allowed to dry, so this is an important consideration.
- We also noted the length and specific warranties of each blender and the types of coverage they offer.
Best Smoothie Blenders 2024 [don’t buy one before watching this]
FAQ
What are the three types of blenders?
Are portable blenders worth it?
What are portable blenders used for?
Can you drink out of a portable blender?
What are the 8 types of blenders?
The eight types of blenders are hand, stick, countertop, single-serve, stand, digital, heavy-duty, and cake blenders. Each blender type varies in capacity, power, speed, size, cost, parts, and attachments.
What type of blender should I buy?
On the other hand, having a small kitchen or limited storage space may present an issue in the type of blender that suits you. If you’re a home-maker, a small blender like a hand or stick blender for occasional use or a portable one like the single-serve blender will suit your everyday need.
What type of Blender is best for cooking?
This type of blender is best used for liquid recipes. Single-serve blenders may also be nicknamed as bullet blenders. They are also suitable if you want to make baby food. They offer multiple variable speed settings, and are oftentimes equipped with stainless steel blades, making them durable and easy to clean.
What are the different types of specialty blenders?
Vacuum blenders are another type of specialty blender that are equipped with pumps. These pumps remove the air right from the blending jar when the appliance is turned on. This removes aeration from the ingredients you’re blending out. Smoothies are usually more flavorful and it stops them from separating the moment they get refrigerated.