Power through fibrous fruits and vegetables, ice, and more with these space-saving blenders.
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Food and Wine / Russell Kilgore
Editor’s Note (January 2024): We initially included the BlendJet 2 as a portable blender option in this list, but the product has been recalled due to safety risks. Consumer Reports has advised consumers to stop using the product and contact BlendJet for a free replacement unit.
Blenders are an essential kitchen appliance (especially if you like to make smoothies at home), but they often take up a lot of space on the counter or in cabinets. That's what makes personal blenders so convenient. Not only are they space-saving in the sense that they're more compact than full-size models, but they also minimize the number of containers you need in the kitchen because you drink from the same cup you use to blend the ingredients in.
To help you determine which personal blenders are actually worth buying, we put 20 of the most promising models through a series of tests and evaluated their performance. In addition to assessing their ability to blend fibrous greens and crush ice, we also rated each one’s design, convenience, and ease of use and cleaning. Read on to see which models met or exceeded our expectations and which ones fell short.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
It has a powerful motor capable of blending ice and leafy greens into a smooth consistency and comes with two large cups for nutrient-packed smoothies.
The cups don’t have measurement markings to help with recipes.
After earning perfect scores across all categories, we named the NutriBullet Pro 900 our overall favorite personal blender. It packs a lot of power into a small device, featuring a 900-watt motor, so it has no problem crushing ice and frozen fruit. When evaluating the consistency of a blueberry kale smoothie with ice, we were impressed that there was virtually no berry skin or kale pieces after taking several sips through a straw.
This blender comes with two 32-ounce cups big enough for hearty servings but still easy to hold. If you have small hands, fear not, you can use the included lip rings with handles on your cup for fuss-free sipping. For on-the-go smoothies, two flip-top lids allow you to protect and enjoy your beverage while traveling.
The cups and lids are dishwasher-safe, and the blade requires handwashing, so just be mindful of the sharp edges. While we found the travel lids easy to drink from, there was a very small amount of leakage after we intentionally knocked a full smoothie cup off the counter. That said, it’s probably best to carry it upright instead of tossing it in a backpack or gym bag.
We also tested the Nutribullet Pro 1000, NutriBullet 600-Watt Personal Blender, and NutriBullet Rx Cooking Blender. The Pro 1000 model made our list as our splurge-worthy pick but didn’t surpass the Pro 900 for the top spot because they essentially performed the same, but the former is $36 more. The 600-watt model was a strong contender but didn’t wow us enough to beat out other top performers, and the Rx Cooking Blender was too expensive for not being user-friendly.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
It's the ideal balance of price and performance.
Since the cup size is small, you might have to blend half your ingredients at a time.
It’s no surprise that NutriBullet and Ninja blenders performed well during our tests, as both brands produce powerful, high-quality appliances. This specific model is our best value pick because of its moderate price, user-friendly design, and outstanding results. We made a blueberry kale smoothie and a frozen banana protein shake, and both of them had a smooth consistency that was easy to sip through straws.
The blender includes two 16-ounce cups with lids suitable for individual servings that fit nicely in most cup holders for easy transport. The downside to a smaller blending cup is that it can be challenging to fit an entire smoothie recipe in one go. During our tests, we had to add half of the blueberry kale smoothie ingredients, blend it to a smooth consistency (about 30 seconds), add the remaining ingredients, and then blend for another 60 seconds to achieve a smooth consistency. Considering that the smoothie recipe called for two cups of kale, we believe this isn’t a dealbreaker and that you can easily adjust the ingredient measurements or blend them in increments.
The blender has a 700-watt motor, is small enough to store in small kitchens, and isn’t as loud as other models we tested, meaning you can use it in an apartment complex without bothering your neighbors. Overall, it's the perfect choice for those looking for something that can make well-blended single-serving smoothies for a reasonable price.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
It’s an excellent choice for those who make a lot of frozen drinks and thick smoothies.
It’s basically the same as the Pro 900 but more expensive.
If you want more power than the NutriBullet Pro 900, this blender provides an additional 100 watts to achieve a creamy consistency in thick smoothies, banana ice cream, and frozen cocktails. Along with its performance, its design makes it worth the splurge. The base’s suction cups grip securely to countertops; the extractor blade is easy to twist on and off and doesn’t leak while blending; and operation is a breeze by simply attaching the cup onto the base and letting it automatically run for 60 seconds.
Those who prefer large smoothies will appreciate that the blender comes with a 24- and a 32-ounce cup plus to-go lids. While the cups have maximum fill lines, they don’t have markings to help you measure a cup of fruit or greens.
The only notable difference between this model and our best overall pick is their wattage. You can spend a little more on this one for more power to crush ice and frozen fruit, but they both truly get the job done well.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
This model has three settings, easily crushes ice, and comes with four travel cups.
It's not the most durable.
This Cuisinart blender features three settings, including low, high, and pulse, so it’s an excellent option for those looking for a versatile model that’s not only suitable for smoothies and protein shakes but also for hummus and purées. Powered by a 350-watt motor, it doesn’t have as much power as some of our other top models, but we found it still blended ice and frozen fruit to perfection. It was successful at incorporating peanut butter but had trouble grinding dates.
The blender comes with four travel cups, which is convenient for couples and families, so multiple people can enjoy a smoothie every day. We were impressed with the lid design, as there was zero leakage after turning the cup upside down and only a little bit of spillage when on its side for five minutes.
One thing to keep in mind is that the base looks and feels slightly cheap despite its neutral black and silver design. We found the blade slightly intimidating to wash with a sponge, but we were happy that our hands fit inside the cup just fine for cleaning. The cups are dishwasher-safe, but the blade isn't.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
It has a very sleek and expensive-looking design with an intuitive dial.
It’s not suitable for making salsa.
The Zwilling Enfinigy blender has an aesthetically pleasing design that looks more expensive than it really is. The matte-black base is sleek and attractive enough to keep on your counter when not in use, and the intuitive dial allows you to precisely control the settings (either manual pulse or automatic smoothie). We were impressed with the to-go lid, too. Not only does it have a spout that's easy to drink from, but it also has a flip-top design that locks to prevent accidental spills.
During testing, the Zwilling personal blender had especially great results when blending ice and frozen fruit and incorporating peanut butter and dates. The smoothies were pleasant to drink, featuring only a small amount of grit that you would likely expect.
While it produced delicious-tasting smoothies, we found it unsuitable for making homemade salsa. An entire layer of onion and a strip of jalapeño remained unblended, whereas the tomatoes were blended into a foamy juice. However, if you aren't planning on using it for anything other than smoothies and frozen drinks, you'll likely find this personal blender ideal for all your needs. You'll also appreciate that it comes with a three-year limited warranty.
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore
After rigorous tests and many, many smoothies later, we settled on the NutriBullet Pro 900 as our top choice for a personal blender. It has a powerful motor, a user-friendly design, and generously sized cups. If you want something more affordable, the Ninja QB3001SS Ninja Fit Compact Personal Blender is an excellent choice. The cup sizes are smaller, but the power is great.
When coming up with a list of which personal blenders to test, our main criteria was that the blending cup doubled as a drinking cup (a.k.a. no pitcher-style blenders that also came with a to-go cup), but it was also important that the blender had enough power and efficiency to tackle a variety of blending tasks. We spent countless hours testing 20 top-rated models, putting each one through multiple tests to determine how well they work for different uses.
We made two types of smoothies: a blueberry kale smoothie and a peanut butter date smoothie. The former allowed us to see how well the devices blend fibrous leafy greens, fruit skins, and ice, and the latter showed us whether or not they could mix sticky ingredients and frozen bananas. We used straws to sip both drinks to see if the consistency was smooth enough to go through. We also attempted to make homemade salsa to assess their versatility, but we found that most models were not fit for recipes outside of drinks and purées.
We also considered blade configuration, including blade placement and height. We looked for blade designs with vertical angles that were still wide enough to get close to the edges of the cup to blend evenly. We also liked when the blades were attached to the base of the motor or vessel so food could circulate around them during blending. Plus, it makes it easier to clean.
For blenders with travel lids, we did a leak test where we turned cups upside down and then knocked them on their side for five minutes to evaluate their durability and functionality for sipping on the go. In between the tests, we washed all the blending cups, lids, and blades by hand to see how easy they were to clean.
The blenders on this list have motors ranging from 350 to 1000 watts. This measurement is a good indicator of how powerful it is, but don’t underestimate the models on the lower end. The blenders in the 600 to 1000 range blended faster and created a smoother consistency, but we still found that the devices with 350 watts or less were able to crush ice and frozen fruit.
If you prefer bigger smoothies, make sure to pick a blender that comes with larger, 24- to 32-ounce cups. Some are as small as 12 ounces, meaning you may need to cut down your recipes to stay below the maximum fill line. If you plan on drinking your smoothie while on the go, choose a blender that comes with a travel lid with a spout. One thing to note is that some cups feature measurement markings while others don’t. If this is important to you for measuring specific amounts of liquids or ingredients, look for one that includes those lines.
Built-in programs and different speed settings give you more control over the results, but many personal blenders only have one setting (particularly those that you just place in and twist to turn on). If you want to make salsa, hummus, or other types of dips, we recommend a model that features a pulse button, such as the Cuisinart Portable Blending/Chopping System.
Personal blenders are generally easy to take care of, but when it comes to cleaning, always follow the instructions for your specific model. That being said, you can usually assume it's safe to wash the cup, lid, and blade by hand with soap and water. The placement of the blade can definitely affect how you clean it; there are blenders on this list with shallow, easy-to-clean blades as well as models with multiple serrated blades that were quite intimidating to wash by hand. Some of the blenders on this list have completely dishwasher-safe parts (like our value pick, the Ninja Ninja Fit Compact Personal Blender), which make cleanup a breeze. A few brands even recommend adding soap and water directly to the cup and blending.
The average lifespan for a personal blender is five years, but there are many factors that play into how long it lasts. The best thing you can do to maintain its longevity is to clean it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Blenders with powerful motors can withstand daily use and last around ten years, so if you’re willing to invest, we recommend splurging on a high-power model.
NutriBullet 600-Watt Personal Blender ($80 at NutriBullet)
As predicted, this blender’s performance was very similar to the 900- and 1000-watt models but took slightly longer to combine ingredients. It gets the job done, but we preferred the other two models because they aren’t much more expensive than this one but produce a smoother consistency.
Bella Rocket Extract Pro Power Blender Set ($49 at Amazon)
During testing, we described this blender as the inexpensive version of the NutriBullet blender. It comes with a blending blade and a grinding blade, which allows you to make smoothies, grind coffee beans, and more. Our only complaints are that it’s fairly loud while operating and that sticky ingredients needed extra blending time, but overall, we recommend this as a runner-up to our best value pick.
Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Compact Personal Blender ($100 at Amazon)
Both smoothies were smooth and easy to sip through straws, but we noticed bits of kale and dates weren’t fully blended. It’s easy to use and clean and has plenty of power to crush ice and frozen fruit.
There are many personal blenders we tested that we wouldn't recommend based on their performance, including models from Smeg, Hamilton Beach, Magic Bullet, and PopBabies. The biggest issue with these blenders was that they required longer blending times with breaks to shake ingredients yet still didn’t create a smooth, enjoyable consistency. Other issues included extremely loud noise levels during operation, travel lids with leakage, blending cups and blades that were difficult to clean, and models that simply felt and looked cheap.
The Food & Wine team evaluated 20 personal blenders side by side, putting them through a number of tests to determine the best models on the market. Associate Commerce Editor Bridget Degnan, who has four years of experience writing and editing for Dotdash Meredith, used the data and insights to curate the top recommendations.
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