The 6 Best Personal Blenders of 2020

Whip up a smoothie and take it on-the-go

Written by
Donna Currie
Donna Currie is a food writer and blogger specializing in recipes and kitchen gadgets. She covers kitchen tools and gadgets for The Spruce and is the author of Make Ahead Bread.
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Donna Currie
Updated 09/17/20

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Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Nutri Ninja Pro at Amazon

"Has 900 watts of blending power that can pulverize fruits and vegetables."

Runner-Up, Best Overall: Magic Bullet Blender, 11 Piece Set at Bed Bath & Beyond

"Comes with enough pieces to make it useful for more than just smoothies."

Best Mason Jar Blender: Tribest PB-350 Mason Jar Personal Blender at Amazon

"Designed to work with standard mason jars, so it’s cheap and easy to blend smoothies for a crowd."

Best Design: Frigidaire Retro Smoothie Maker at Amazon

"An attractive retro look gives it some personality, so it will look good living on the counter."

Best for Families: Cuisinart SmartPower Portable Blending/Chopping System at Amazon

"15-piece set includes a set of four 16 ounce travel cups with lids, so multiple people can enjoy a smoothie at once."

Best for Travel: BlendJet One at Urban Outfitters

"It is battery operated and recharges via a USB cable, so it can be charged in the car or plugged into a laptop."

If you have limited kitchen space, live in a college dorm or small apartment, or just don't like the look of large appliances filling up your countertops, a smaller sized personal blender may be a better choice over a full-size blender.

Personal blenders are designed to blend single servings of smoothies and shakes that can be taken on the go in the same jar you blended in. And, like standard blenders, they're often powerful enough to pulse and puree small batches of dips, sauces, and batters. A personal blender is a must-have kitchen gadget for creating portable, nutrient packed smoothies–perfect for busy lifestyles, kids, and even travel. With power, portability, and budget in mind, here are our top picks for the best personal blenders.

Best Overall: Nutri Ninja Pro

Nutri Ninja Pro (BL456)
Courtesy of Amazon.com.
Very Good
What We Like

  • Fast

  • Easy to set up and clean

  • Blender cups are durable and generously sized

What We Don't Like

  • Noisy

The Ninja company is known for its innovative appliances and was one of the first to come up with personal-sized blenders. Now that the market is crowded, these blenders are still user favorites because they check all the boxes. This one has 900 watts of blending power that can pulverize fruits and vegetables, turning them into a silky smooth drink. Our tester was also able to make hummus, salsa, pudding, and even chopped vegetables. The blender can even crush ice, so slushie iced tea or lemonade is possible on hot days.

The twist-on spout lids make it easy to take the drink to go. This includes an 18-ounce cup and a 24-ounce cup, each with a lid, and more are available in case everyone in the family needs their own. For easy cleaning, the removable parts are all dishwasher safe, so this is as easy to care for as it is to use.

"I found most things were pretty thoroughly processed in 10 seconds or less." — Sharon Lehman, Product Tester

Runner-Up, Best Overall: Magic Bullet Blender, 11 Piece Set

Magic Bullet MBR-1701 17-Piece Express Mixing Set
Courtesy of Amazon.com.
What We Like

  • Tiny footprint

  • Includes three blender cup sizes

  • Affordable

What We Don't Like

  • Blender cups are small and narrow

  • Blender cups lack measurements

This handy personal blender comes with enough pieces to make it useful for more than just smoothies and a 250-watt motor that’s still very capable—the manufacturer says it can blend in 10 seconds or less. While it might not have the power to rival higher wattage machines, users like it for more than just smoothies, including grinding nuts, spices, and coffee, for making salad dressing, and for chopping chunky salsas. Our tester was also pleased to discover it only takes light pressure to start the blender and that it includes a locking feature for hands-free blending.

This includes a 10-second recipe book with plenty of recipes for smoothies, soups, dips, and sauces. It also includes three different blender containers, reusable lids, and a flip-top to-go lid. The removable parts are top-rack dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

"My smoothies weren’t as plentiful or smooth as I normally prefer, but I was impressed with how fast the Magic Bullet worked." — Sharon Lehman, Product Tester

Best Mason Jar Blender: Tribest PB-350 Mason Jar Personal Blender

What We Like

  • Includes two grinding blades

  • Comes with several mason jars and lids

  • Easy to use and clean

What We Don't Like

  • Not as powerful as some other blenders

Most personal blenders use proprietary cups or jars for blending, and extras can be expensive when you need more jars for the whole family or for guests. This blender is designed to work with standard mason jars, so it’s cheap and easy to blend smoothies for a crowd using the mason jar adapter. Many reviewers found it very easy to attach their own mason jars, although some note that the mason jar adapter can sometimes get stuck to the blade mechanism, which may make it tricky to remove. It also includes its own large and small cups with cup lids, as well as mason jars, mason jar lids, and a commuter lid so you’ll have plenty of options for blending large or small amounts.

Two grinding blades are included as well. One has four prongs and the other has two. The blender has a 200-watt motor so it’s not as powerful as some, but it’s sufficient for smoothies, shakes, and sauces.

Best Design: Frigidaire Retro Smoothie Maker

What We Like

  • Retro design

  • Quiet

  • Easy to use and clean

What We Don't Like

  • Doesn't work with standard mason jars

Most personal blenders look utilitarian and ready to hide in the pantry, but this one has an attractive retro look that gives it some personality, so it will look good living on the counter for daily use. It has a 300-watt motor that operates at two speeds for efficient blending and the quirky chrome side lever starts and stops the blender.

It includes a large 20.3-ounce plastic drinking jar, a glass mason jar with a handle, and two lids. While this does include a glass mason jar, the threads on the blender are not compatible with standard canning jars, so they can’t be used as replacements.

Best for Families: Cuisinart SmartPower Portable Blending/Chopping System

Excellent
What We Like

  • Easy to use and clean

  • Sleek, compact design

  • Convenient accessories

  • Powerful motor

What We Don't Like

  • Very loud

  • Shakes when used on high power

Still affordable, but with an upscale design in your choice of white or black with stainless steel trim, this personal blender packs plenty of power with a 350-watt motor. There are controls for pulsing, low-speed blending, and high-speed blending, which are housed on an electronic touchpad with LED indicator lights. Reviewers consistently describe this blender as powerful, durable, and long-lasting.

The 15-piece set includes a 32-ounce blender jar, which allows you to make either four 8-ounce smoothie servings or two 16-ounce servings. It also comes with two blades–one for blending and one for chopping–an 8-ounce chopping cup, and a set of four 16 ounce travel cups, so multiple people can enjoy a smoothie at once, making this a great choice for families and larger households. The cups come with lids and are BPA-free and dishwasher safe for fast cleanup.

Best for Travel: BlendJet One

BlendJet One
What We Like

  • Fun color choices

  • Carrying strap and built-in strainer for convenience

  • Battery operated so no outlet needed

What We Don't Like

  • Limited capacity

  • Tricky to clean around blades and o-rings

Designed with portability in mind, this blender can go anywhere you do. The blender cup and base function as a single unit and can easily be tossed in a gym bag, large purse, or even luggage. It is battery operated and recharges via a USB cable, so it can be charged in the car or plugged into a laptop and used to blend anywhere, no electricity required. The product description claims each charge is enough to blend 8-12 recipes so you'll have plenty of power to experiment with recipes before needing to charge.

It comes in 14 fun colors and includes an optional built-in strainer for catching any unblended bits and pieces of fruit or straining frozen cocktails. Our reviewer was impressed with how fast it worked and that it was powerful enough to crush entire ice cubes. The only downside is the limited capacity–this is definitely a blender for one and even then, it can only hold about 8-10 ounces so don't expect to to make super-sized smoothies with this one.

Final Verdict

The Nutri Ninja Pro gets the top spot because not only is it fast and powerful—great for those with tight schedules—but it's also compact and easy to clean. Do you travel a lot or love making smoothies at work? We recommend the BlendJet One. It is battery operated, recharged via a USB cable, and can make several smoothies on a single full charge.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Donna Currie has used a veritable flock of blenders, from manual to hand blenders to a high-end Vitamix that she tested for The Spruce Eats. To make sure she found the perfect personal blenders for everyday use, she spent hours doing even more research online to narrow down the list to the best of the best.

This piece was updated by Sharon Lehman, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, who researches and reviews small kitchen appliances for The Spruce Eats. She tested several of the blenders on this list, including the Nutri Ninja Pro, Magic Bullet, and BlendJet One.

What to Look for in a Personal Blender

Number of to-go cups: Single folks may not want multiple cups that they’ll need to store, but if you’re making morning smoothies for the family, having one for each person might be nice. While you can usually buy additional cups for these blenders, it’s convenient to get exactly what you need all in one kit.

Blender cup sizes: How big is your morning smoothie? Do you like the idea of blending once and then portioning it into several cups, or do your family members have different flavor preferences? Look for a kit that’s right for you.

Power: While wattage isn’t the perfect indicator of a blender’s power, it’s a pretty good hint. If you typically blend softer foods (like bananas and yogurt), you won’t need as much power as someone who plans on blending hard vegetables, ice, and frozen fruits. Higher power can also mean that the blender will be a little noisier—which might be a consideration if you’re blending in the morning while your family’s still asleep.

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