The 5 Best Personal Blenders - Spring 2023 Reviews

The best personal blender we've tested is the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO. If you're looking for a smoothie maker, it's a fantastic option, with an overall performance that rivals some full-size models. It's partly because of its 'smoothie bowl maker', a jar with rotating arms inside that allows it to easily process hard ingredients like nuts and make very smooth, spreadable nut butter. It comes with a pair of personal jars that you can use to blend extremely silky smoothies with fibrous elements like kale. Add in its fantastic ice-crushing ability, and you have a compact, multi-purpose blender that can help with everything from smoothies to hummus to slushies.

It has a few other helpful design features, like to-go lids for the personal jars and automatic blending programs that let you move away from the blender as it's running—which may come in handy because it's one of the louder blenders we've tested. Like most personal blenders, it can't hot blend, and its small capacity and single speed preset also make it less versatile. The jars, lids, and blades are all dishwasher-safe, but if you're cleaning by hand, you must be careful of the sharp blades.

The best single-serve blender we've tested with a mid-range price point is the Ninja Fit. This simple bullet-style blender lacks a few features compared to the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO and isn't as versatile. However, it has no trouble processing tough smoothie ingredients like spinach or blueberries. It's also great for small batches of crushed ice, so it can easily handle ice cubes in your smoothie or produce well-blended slushies and blended margaritas.

The blender's main downside is the controls—it has no buttons, so you need to push down on the blending jar and hold it to blend. It means you can't multi-task while blending, but making something like a smoothie, even with tough fibrous ingredients, doesn't take long. Also, it doesn't come with a 'Smoothie Bowl Maker' jar and isn't as easy to use for recipes like nut butter. The 16oz jars are narrow, so depending on the recipe, you may need to stop and shake the jar partway through the process. It's quieter, so it's not as irritating to stand next to it for a few minutes.

The Magic Bullet Mini isn't as well-built or as powerful as the previous picks, but it's a good option if you're looking for the best mini blender for smoothies or want to save money. This blender's light, compact design makes it easy to store on a shelf or in a cupboard, which is good news for cramped kitchens. It makes a smooth blend with fibrous ingredients like kale and blueberries, meaning it can make a well-blended smoothie with all kinds of recipes. It takes longer to blend a smoothie than the Ninja Fit, but you don't need to hold onto the jar to blend.

Its design feels plasticky and not particularly durable, and it's not very versatile since it's very hard to use for blends like nut butter or hummus. Like most Magic Bullet blenders, it's not meant for crushing ice without liquid in the jar. It doesn't come with a resealable lid for the jar, which is unusual for a personal blender. If you want a personal blender with a jar that can double as a travel cup, the Oster MyBlend is around the same price and comes with a resealable lid. However, it struggles to make a smooth blend with common smoothie ingredients like leafy greens.

If there's one downside to our top pick, it's the noise—despite its relatively small size, the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO is one of the loudest blenders we've tested. That might not bother everyone, especially if you're making quick blends like smoothies, but the noise can get annoying if you use your blender often. If you don't want to wake up the whole house blending an early-morning smoothie, consider the Beast Health Blender. This model is even quieter than the much less powerful Magic Bullet Mini. It's more expensive than the DUO but has a sturdier, more premium build and an equally fantastic performance for most recipes. It easily liquifies ingredients that can be tough for blenders to smoothly process, like leafy greens.

Its 34-ounce jar has a shorter, wider shape than the jars that come with most personal blenders, which might make it a little less convenient to use as a travel cup. Then again, it comes with a drinking lid with a screw-on cap. This blender can handle tough blends and is exceptionally easy to use for thicker dips and spreads like nut butter. It doesn't crush ice as well as the Ninja, which might bother you if you like making drinks like slushies, but ice cubes in a smoothie recipe or a small batch of ice for cocktails are no problem. The jar's ribbed design gives it a premium look but makes it harder to clean by hand than most picks here since food tends to get trapped in the ridges.

The best portable personal blender that we've tested is the BlendJet 2. This blender is around the same price as the Magic Bullet Mini and isn't as good at processing stubborn elements like leafy greens or fruit skins. If you're looking for something you can take to work or on a trip, it's the best battery-powered option we've tested. It's small enough to fit into a backpack or a big purse, and the lid has a built-in loop to make it easier to carry or hang from your bag. It charges with a USB-C to USB-A cable, and the manufacturer advertises it to last for about 15 20-second blending cycles. It also comes in different colors and patterns to suit your style.

Depending on your recipe, your smoothie will have a grainy or leafy texture, so it's not ideal if a perfectly smooth puree is important to you. However, it can still produce an acceptable, drinkable smoothie from most recipes and crush ice, so it's well-suited for protein shake recipes that include ice, powder, and liquid. It's easy to clean by hand since the jar is open at the top and bottom once you unscrew the blade assembly. No part of it is dishwasher-safe, though.