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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.
Fast
Easy to set up and clean
Blender cups are durable and generously sized
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
Tiny footprint
Includes three blender cup sizes
Affordable
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
Includes two grinding blades
Comes with several mason jars and lids
Easy to use and clean
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.
Retro design
Quiet
Easy to use and clean
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.
Easy to use and clean
Sleek, compact design
Convenient accessories
Powerful motor
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.
Fun color choices
Carrying strap and built-in strainer for convenience
Battery operated so no outlet needed
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.
Powerful
Easy to use
Can grind meat
Smaller than comparable models
More than just a personal blender, this includes a 51-ounce pitcher that turns your personal blender into a food processor. It's ideal for making larger batches of smoothies or for chopping fruits and vegetables for salsas, sauces, and meal prep. You can even use it to grind meat for burgers and sausages.
This blender also comes with a 10-ounce jar for chopping small portions of fresh herbs or veggies for a single salad serving. And a 20-ounce travel cup is included for taking smoothies on the road.
This has a 300-watt motor and sharp blades that can handle fruits, vegetables, and ice, and it has suction cup feet that keep it stable on the counter. The removable parts are dishwasher safe, so cleanup is easy, no matter what you’ve blended.
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 roundup was updated by Sharon Lehman, a home cook who happens to be a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She researches and reviews small kitchen appliances for The Spruce Eats and 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.