We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Shopping Food and Kitchen Reviews Small Kitchen Appliance Reviews The 7 Best Personal Blenders of 2024 for Smoothies, According to Our Testing Whip up your morning smoothie with ease using one of these handy appliances. By Molly Blanco Molly Blanco Molly is an Editorial Apprentice at Dotdash Meredith focusing on home products for Better Homes & Gardens. She has conducted research and testing for hundreds of home products ranging from bed sheets to vacuums. She is a journalist with three years of experience researching and writing articles. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on May 22, 2023 In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Our top picks Reviews The Bottom Line Our Testing Process What to Know About Them Other Personal Blenders We Tested Your Questions, Answered Who We Are What Is BHG Recommends? Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore A personal blender is a convenient kitchen appliance that can help simplify your cooking, whether you make a smoothie every morning or love to whip up a blended drink after work. These compact and powerful devices can also serve as handy food choppers to help with meal prep, including making a quick salsa or salad dressing as well. “A personal blender is great for individuals who are only making a single serving versus blending for a family. They are also great for people with smaller kitchens or who don’t have a lot of storage," says Rebecca Miller Ffrench, author of "The Ultimate Blender Cookbook: Fast, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal." To find the best personal blenders, we spent more than three days testing 20 different personal blenders in our Birmingham, Alabama testing lab. To select the best for your money, we evaluated each model for its ease of use, design, convenience, performance, and ease of cleaning. The Best Immersion Blenders for Making Soups, Smoothies, and More Our Top Picks Best Overall: Nutribullet Pro 900 Personal Blender at Amazon ($90) Jump to Review Best Budget: Oster My Blend at Amazon ($47) Jump to Review Best for Marinades : Beast Blender at Amazon ($138) Jump to Review Best Design: NutriBullet Pro 1000 Personal Blender at Amazon ($80) Jump to Review Easiest to Use: NutriBullet 600W Personal Blender at Target ($70) Jump to Review Best Set: Cuisinart Portable Blending/Chopping System at Amazon ($80) Jump to Review Best Settings: Ninja BL480D Nutri-Blender Pro with Auto-IQ at Amazon ($80) Jump to Review Best Compact: Ninja Nutri Blender Pro with Auto-iQ at Amazon ($80) Jump to Review Best Overall Nutribullet Pro 900 Personal Blender Amazon View On Amazon $90 View On Target $80 View On Wayfair $86 Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Performance 5/5 Convenience 5/5 Ease of Cleaning 5/5 Value 5/5 Why You Should Get It It is easy to use and blends even the toughest ingredients. Keep in Mind Bits of food or liquid can get trapped in the lid if it isn’t cleaned well. Overall, the NutriBullet Pro 900 is the best personal blender to consider. We appreciated the simple design that was effective at blending a variety of ingredients, like frozen fruit and leafy greens. The blender comes with two different blending cups and attachable flip-top lids. It also includes a recipe book with inspiration for how to make different smoothies, sauces, dressings, cocktails, and more. During testing, the blender effortlessly integrated the ingredients from each of our recipes in 60 seconds or less. There was virtually no blueberry skin or unblended kale left in our smoothie, and it fully blended the dates and peanut butter. Each of the smoothies was smooth and had a consistent texture, no matter what ingredients we used. To use the blender, you simply attach it to the base and twist it into place. Its small size is convenient for making smoothies and other small servings. The blender has only one speed and the design is intuitive, so there isn’t room for error when making your favorite drinks. Despite its high wattage and powerful blending ability, the blender is relatively quiet. It wasn’t the quietest blender we tested, but the noise level is very reasonable given the blender’s performance. During testing, we thought it was easy to wipe clean using warm water and soap. The cup is also dishwasher safe, making cleanup quick and convenient. However, the lid has several ridges that could trap food or liquid if it is not carefully cleaned. Product Details: Capacity: 32 fl. oz. | Number of Settings: One | Wattage: 900 | Accessories: Two cups with lids, recipe book Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore Best Budget Oster My Blend Amazon View On Amazon $47 View On Wayfair $29 View On Walmart $35 Our Ratings Ease of Use 4.5/5 Performance 4/5 Convenience 4/5 Ease of Cleaning 4/5 Value 5/5 Why You Should Get It It’s a compact size and effective blades. Keep in Mind The hands-free blending option is tricky to operate. The Oster MyBlend is a compact design with effective blades, and is a great choice if you're on a budget. During our tests, tough ingredients like frozen blueberries, kale, and peanut butter blended seamlessly into our smoothies. The blender even tackled ice and frozen bananas, creating a smooth texture for our drinks. The blender needed a little bit of extra time to fully blend all of the ingredients for the smoothie recipes. However, for the lower price and convenient design of the blender, we felt it was worth the effort. Plus, we thought the blender was also much quieter than a full-sized blender. Both the blender base and the blending cup are slim and compact, making them easy to store or tuck away on your kitchen counter. The base even comes with a handle so it can be picked up and carried with ease. The blender cup twists into the base, and you push down to pulse. The cup can be locked in for hands-free blending, but we struggled to make it work during testing. The blender cup is dishwasher safe, and the cup can also be cleaned by hand using a bottle brush. The blending cup comes with a lid to take your smoothie on the go. Product Details: Capacity: 20 fl. oz. | Number of Settings: One | Wattage: 400 | Accessories: Travel sport bottle, recipe book Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore Best for Marinades Beast Blender Beast View On Amazon $138 View On Nordstrom $195 View On Thebeast.com Our Ratings Ease of Use 4/5 Performance 4/5 Convenience 5/5 Ease of Cleaning 4/5 Value 2/5 Why You Should Get It It has a sleek design and is made with quality materials. Keep in Mind It is very loud while blending. The Beast Blender is a great option if you want to invest in an effective and attractive appliance for your kitchen counter. The blender has a sleek design and is made with high-quality materials, so it is built to last. During testing, it blended a variety of ingredients with ease in under 60 seconds. It combined peanut butter, frozen blueberries, and kale quickly and efficiently, though there was some peanut butter leftover on the cup. It didn’t leave any chunks behind when we blended a frozen banana and ice, though we felt that it left behind quite a bit of grit when we blended a date. When we used the blender to make salsa, the tomatoes blended well but there were pieces of onion leftover that appeared totally intact. Overall, we felt that this was the most effective personal blender to make things like dressings and marinades that don't have larger pieces of food in them. The blender cup and blades screw onto the base of the blender, and the buttons allow you to choose between a pulsing blend and a full 60-second blend. Due to its large capacity, the blender can easily make multiple servings of smoothies or beverages. While testing, we noticed that it was quite loud while in use, so you won’t want to use it while others in your home are sleeping. Overall, the blender has a similar function to other blenders on our list. It stands out for its unique design and attractive to-go cup. The Beast Blender includes a sealing lid and a drinking lid that attaches to the blender cup. The blending cup also includes a carry cap. The components are dishwasher-safe and easy to clean. However, the blades are not removable, so it must be cleaned carefully if it is washed by hand. While the blender is easy to move around and store, it is heavier than average for a personal blender. Product Details: Capacity: 33.8 fl. oz. | Number of Settings: Two | Wattage: 1,000 | Accessories: Storage lid, drinking lid, carry cap Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore Best Design NutriBullet Pro 1000 Personal Blender Amazon View On Amazon $80 View On Target $80 View On Wayfair $80 Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Performance 4/5 Convenience 5/5 Ease of Cleaning 5/5 Value 4/5 Why You Should Get It It can blend thick ingredients like peanut butter. Keep in Mind The blades are very sharp, so they must be cleaned carefully. The NutriBullet Pro 1000 has the same intuitive design as the Pro 900, but with even more blending power. With 1,000 watts of power, the blender can tackle tough ingredients like ice and peanut butter. The blender comes with two different cup sizes and to-go lids, as well as a recipe book with recipes for smoothies, cocktails, sauces, and even hummus. During testing, the travel lid was sealed tightly and didn’t leak after a few minutes. Overall, we gave the design a perfect score. The sleek and streamlined design makes it ideal for everyday use. The blending cup attaches directly to the blender, and you simply twist the cup to turn on the blender. We found the blender to be most effective at blending thick ingredients. During our tests, most ingredients were integrated in 60 seconds or less, but very frozen fruits needed more time to fully blend. Peanut butter blended seamlessly without sticking to the blades or the sides of the blender. The blender is easy to wash by hand, but the blades are very sharp. While we didn’t have an issue cleaning the blender, you should be cautious to prevent accidental cuts. The blending cups are dishwasher-safe for quick cleanup. Product Details: Capacity: 24 and 32 fl. oz. | Number of Settings: One | Wattage: 1,000 | Accessories: Two cups with lids, recipe book Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore Easiest to Use NutriBullet 600W Personal Blender Amazon View On Target $70 View On Wayfair $70 View On Walmart $58 Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Performance 4/5 Convenience 5/5 Ease of Cleaning 5/5 Value 4/5 Why You Should Get It The design is simple to use and effortless to clean. Keep in Mind The base is a little bulky and tall with the cup attached, so it may take up some extra space on your counter. The original NutriBullet blender makes your morning routine a breeze with its simple design and easy-to-clean blades. The blender’s design makes it easy to operate by pushing down on the cup while it is attached to the base. It can also lock into place by twisting the cup into the base, allowing for hands-free blending. During testing, the blender combined ingredients quickly for our smoothie recipes, creating a smooth and consistent texture for each beverage. It blended ice, blueberries, kale, and peanut butter seamlessly in about 30 seconds. Some ingredients, like the dates, took longer than 30 seconds to blend, but it eventually combined all of the ingredients effectively. The blender base is somewhat bulky and tall with the cup attached, so it might take up extra space on your kitchen counter. However, the ease of cleaning this blender makes up for the size. The cups and to-go lids are dishwasher safe, and the blade mechanism is very easy to clean since there is plenty of room to wash under the blades. The cups are large enough to fit your hand inside to wash by hand with a sponge. Product Details: Capacity: 24 fl. oz. | Number of Settings: One | Wattage: 600 | Accessories: To-go lid, recipe book Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore Best Set Cuisinart Portable Blending/Chopping System Amazon View On Amazon $80 View On Office Depot $81 View On Macy's $80 Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Performance 4/5 Convenience 5/5 Ease of Cleaning 5/5 Value 4/5 Why You Should Get It It includes a large capacity blender cup and four travel bottles, so you can prepare multiple servings at once. Keep in Mind It took longer to blend the blueberries and kale in our smoothie. The Cuisinart personal blender’s large capacity is ideal for families who like to prepare multiple smoothie servings at one time. Thanks to the included travel bottles and lids, you can blend a large batch and divide it into smaller cups. The blender has three settings: low, high, and pulse. The settings help blend your smoothie exactly how you like it to create the perfect texture. During our tests, the blender fully blended ingredients like peanut butter, ice, and frozen bananas. However, it took extra time to incorporate some of the other ingredients, including blueberries and kale. The blender has a slim design that is lightweight and easy to move around. It makes very minimal noise, so you can operate the blender without disturbing your family. Aside from the base, all of the components are dishwasher safe, so the blender is easy to clean. Even the blade is removable and dishwasher safe. In addition to multiple settings and speeds, the blender also comes with a chopping cup that can be used to mince or grind ingredients. Plus, it also includes a recipe book of different sauces and smoothies to inspire your blending. Product Details: Capacity: 32 fl. oz. | Number of Settings: Three | Wattage: 350 | Accessories: Chopping cup, set of four travel cups Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore Best Settings Ninja BL480D Nutri-Blender Pro with Auto-IQ Amazon View On Amazon $80 View On Wayfair $80 View On Walmart $60 Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Performance 4/5 Convenience 4/5 Ease of Cleaning 4/5 Value 4/5 Why You Should Get It The range of settings achieves the ideal consistency for smoothies. Keep in Mind The suction cups on the base are very strong, so it is difficult to move. The Ninja blender with Auto-IQ technology is designed with a range of settings to achieve your desired consistency when blending different ingredients. It features multiple buttons to change the blend settings, including options like pulse, ultra blend, and regular blend, so it’s one of the most versatile options on the market. The set includes two blender cups with spout lids and a recipe book of 75 unique recipes for soups, juices, sauces, and other meal alternatives. During testing, the blender combined the smoothie ingredients, including ice and frozen fruit, in around 60 seconds. The blender’s high wattage ensures a smooth, consistent texture even when blending frozen ingredients. The blender is relatively simple to use, but the Auto-IQ technology took some getting used to when we tested it in our lab. The blender combines pulsing and blending patterns to achieve the perfect mixture. The blender is very easy to clean using a sponge, and it is also dishwasher safe. The blending mechanism wipes clean without an issue, but you may need a smaller brush to clean the inner rim. While it is relatively compact and has a streamlined design, the base of the blender has suction cups that keep it firmly attached to your counter, so keep this in mind if you plan to store it often. Product Details: Capacity: 18 and 24 fl. oz. | Number of Settings: Three | Wattage: 1,000 | Accessories: Two cups with lids, recipe book Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore Best Compact Ninja Nutri Blender Pro with Auto-iQ Amazon View On Amazon $80 View On Wayfair $90 View On Walmart $69 Our Ratings Ease of Use 5/5 Performance 4/5 Convenience 4/5 Ease of Cleaning 4/5 Value 4/5 Why You Should Get It The small size packs a punch with powerful blending ability. Keep in Mind The travel lid on the cup started to leak when it lay on its side. If you’re short on space, the Ninja NutriPro is for you. The blender has powerful blending ability thanks to its 1,100-watt motor, yet it has a compact and streamlined design. The blender features multiple settings, including crush, smoothie, and pulse, though using it is simple. After you fill the cup with your ingredients, you just twist it into the base. During testing, it took less than 50 seconds to blend all of the ingredients for our smoothie recipes. It even blended thick and sticky ingredients like peanut butter and dates, creating a smooth consistency. There are suction cups on the bottom of the base that keep it firmly attached to the counter, which is helpful while the blender is in use. However, it may be difficult to move it at times. All of the parts are dishwasher-safe and easy to wash by hand. It comes with two blender cups and travel lids, so you can take smoothies on the go. However, the to-go cup started to leak slightly from the top when we laid it on its side during testing. Despite the slight leak in the travel lid, the blender cup did not leak while blending. In addition to additional blender cups, it also includes a recipe book of 20 different recipes for smoothies, protein shakes, sangria, hummus, and dressings. Product Details: Capacity: 24 fl. oz. | Number of Settings: Three | Wattage: 1,100 | Accessories: Two cups with lids, recipe book Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore The Bottom Line We chose the NutriBullet Pro 900 as the best blender overall for its intuitive design, ease of cleaning, and consistent blending ability. Our Testing Process To find the best personal blenders, we purchased 20 different styles and put them to the test at our testing lab in Birmingham, Alabama. We evaluated each blender for factors like ease of use, performance, design, convenience, and ease of cleaning. We used the blenders to make three different recipes, assessing their performance for each. We also cleaned each blender and tested the leak protection on models that included a travel lid. For the first recipe, a blueberry and kale smoothie, we added all of the ingredients and blended for 30 seconds, noting how well the ingredients were combined. If the contents were not fully blended after 30 seconds, we blended the smoothie for an additional 30 seconds. After blending, we tasted the smoothie, checking for uncrushed ice and large chunks of blueberry skin or kale. We cleaned the personal blender following the manufacturer's instructions, considering how easy it was to take apart, clean, and reassemble the blender. To assess how well the blender incorporates sticky ingredients and powder, we made a peanut butter and date smoothie. We blended the smoothie for one minute, then blended in increments of 30 seconds until fully blended. We tasted the smoothie, noting how well the peanut butter was blended and checking for large chunks of date. After cleaning the personal blender, we prepared it for the salsa recipe. We added all of the ingredients and used the pulse function until they were mixed but still chunky. We tasted the salsa, noting the consistency and whether it was chunky or closer to a puree. We also checked if the tomato and onion were evenly blended, or if some pieces were significantly larger. Finally, we tested the leak protection for blenders that included a travel cup. We assessed how well the cup prevents spills by filling it with water and knocking it on its side. We let the cup lay on its side for several minutes, noting any leaks. Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore What to Know About Personal Blenders Before Shopping Accessories When choosing a personal blender, you’ll want to consider any accessories it comes with. Common accessories for personal blenders include blade attachments, cleaning tools, and cups or lids for blended beverages. Most personal blenders come with a cup that attaches directly to the blender base. Some blenders also include blade attachments that can be used for different tasks, like blending ice or crushing fruit, so you’ll want to keep in mind any recipes you have in mind. Capacity Personal blenders are typically designed to make single portions, so they have a smaller capacity than traditional blenders. Most personal blenders range in capacity from 8 to 32 ounces, which is a good size for blending smoothies or other beverages. However, you may want a larger size blender if you frequently need multiple servings or prefer large servings. Wattage The best personal blenders will have a wattage of 300 to 700 watts, which allows them to easily crush ice and blend a variety of food textures without overloading the motor. “The lower the wattage, the less effective the blender will be with blending firmer ingredients and getting them very smooth, for example woody kale stems,” Ffrench says. Personal blenders with a higher wattage will be more powerful and able to crush ice and frozen foods more easily. However, wattage is not always a direct indicator of the blender’s performance. Some low-wattage blenders are still capable of blending ice and other tough ingredients with ease. Noise The more powerful the motor or the higher the wattage of a blender, the more likely it is to be loud while blending. Blenders with sharp blades may also help reduce excess noise since they can blend more efficiently. Blending at higher speeds may also affect the noise level. If you notice your blender becomes much noisier over time, the motor may be worn out or damaged. Better Homes & Gardens / Russell Kilgore Other Personal Blenders We Tested Tribest PB-150 Personal Blender The Tribest PB-150 Personal Blender is compact, convenient, and easy to use thanks to only one speed setting. However, we struggled to clean the blending mechanism due to the placement of the blades. The blades are very close to the base, so the area easily collects liquid, but you can’t fit a sponge or brush under the blades to clean it. The blender was also very loud, especially when blending ice or frozen fruit. NutriBullet Rx Cooking Blender The NutriBullet Rx Cooking Blender is designed with the brand’s SMART technology, which defaults to a one-minute smoothie blend mode. The blender mixed smoothie ingredients with ease, but we thought the SMART technology feature was confusing, especially when we tried to change to a setting other than the default smoothie mode. Oster Blend Active Portable Blender The Oster Blend Active Portable Blender is very portable and charges with a USB cord, so it works well for on-the-go use. It blended ice and frozen blueberries with ease, making it ideal for simple fruit smoothies. However, it struggled to blend some ingredients, like frozen banana and onion. Your Questions, Answered How long does a personal blender last? The lifespan of your blender will depend on several factors, like how well it is maintained and the frequency of use. Most personal blenders will last around five years before they need to be replaced. The best can last 10 years or longer, depending on usage and care. To extend the life of your blender, regular cleaning is essential. Always clean your blender after each use according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Can a personal blender crush ice and frozen fruit? Most personal blenders can crush ice and frozen fruit. However, it depends on the strength of the motor and the quality of the blades. “Most all personal blenders will blend some ice and frozen fruit, even surprisingly some of the lower wattage blenders,” Ffrench says. “However, they blend ice at low quantities.” High-wattage blenders will be able to crush ice and frozen fruit more easily than less powerful blenders. Some models will have a setting specifically for crushing ice or fruit, which may make it easier to blend. Ffrench recommends checking the manufacturer's instructions to be sure the blender is designed to crush ice. How many settings should a personal blender have? The best personal blenders will have several speed settings and a pulse feature. Multiple settings allow you to achieve different consistencies or textures, and it may make it easier to blend certain foods. However, the number of settings on a personal blender depends on your needs and what you plan to use it for. If you only make smoothies or other simple beverages, a blender with only one or two settings may be sufficient. If you plan to make many different types of food or drinks or use the blender for complex recipes, you may need more options. Who We Are Molly Blanco is a journalist and freelance writer for Better Homes & Gardens. Previously, she worked as an editorial apprentice for research and testing at Dotdash Meredith. For this article, She considered testing insights from our Birmingham, Alabama testing lab. She also consulted Rebecca Miller Ffrench, author of “The Ultimate Blender Cookbook: Fast, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal”, for additional insight. What Is BHG Recommends? Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they're worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn't an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit