The 6 Βest Protein Shake Βlenders - Spring 2024 Reviews

The best blender for protein shakes we've tested is the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO. A personal blender is a good choice if you're mainly going to use your blender for single-serve protein shakes. It won't take up too much space on your counter and comes with a pair of 24-ounce personal jars with to-go lids, so you don't have to transfer your shake into a travel cup or bottle before taking it o on the go. It'll have no problem with recipes that involve ice, liquid, and protein powder. It makes virtually perfectly smooth puree with fibrous elements like fruit or leafy greens.

This blender also comes with a 'Smoothie Bowl Maker' jar that has rotating arms inside of it that rotate with a knob on top. These arms act a bit like a tamper, allowing you to stir the ingredients without stopping the machine, which usually isn't possible with personal blenders. This feature helps a lot with thicker recipes like nut butter. Also, unlike many personal blenders, it has a few automatic blending programs, so you can multi-task while the blender runs. However, it's very loud. The noise will be annoying if you use it for more than a few minutes. If you want a quieter machine, the Beast Health Blender performs similarly. It's quiet for a blender, so it's less likely to wake up the whole house, and also performs similarly. However, it's significantly pricier.

The Ninja Fit is a good option if you want something cheaper. It has fewer features than the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO, making it less versatile and convenient to use. However, it comes with a pair of 16oz jars with resealable to-go lids. It makes a smooth blend with a variety of recipes, whether your usual shake is limited to ice, liquid, and powder or includes additions like fruit and leafy greens. It's easy to clean by hand, and all of its components are dishwasher-safe. It's also much quieter than the DUO. However, it doesn't come with a 'Smoothie Bowl Maker' and isn't as easy to use for thicker recipes like nut butter.

Unlike the DUO, it lacks blending programs and is operated by pressing down on the jar. You need to constantly keep your hand on the blender when using it, which can be annoying. If you want a blender with a more convenient design, the Magic Bullet Blender is a cheaper option with better controls. It's not as well-built or easy to clean by hand, and it only comes with one resealable lid for three jars. However, the jars lock into place on the base, so you can do something else while blending.

The best budget-friendly blender for protein shakes we've tested is the Magic Bullet Mini. If you're looking for a small, simple blender for shakes, it's a good option. Its main drawback is it can't process ice without liquid in the jar. While that's an annoying limitation, you can add ice cubes as part of a protein shake recipe. Despite being around half the price, it can blend fibrous ingredients like fruit, seeds, and leafy greens almost as well as the Ninja Fit, meaning it can make a well-blended shake with most recipes. The jar locks into place on the motor base, so you don't need to keep your hand on the jar constantly.

However, its jar has a smaller 14oz capacity and lacks a resealable lid, so if you want to enjoy your shake on the go or at the gym, you'll need to transfer it into another container. It does include a flat storage lid to seal the jar (but not drink from it easily). If you'd prefer the convenience of a resealable lid, you might prefer the Oster MyBlend. This personal blender takes longer to process ingredients than the Magic Bullet but can still produce a good result with most shake recipes. It's especially well-suited for shakes with just ice and liquid and has a resealable lid for its bottle-shaped jar.

Personal blenders are the best option if you plan to use your blender just for single-serve shakes and other drinks. However, if you want a blender for protein shakes that can help with the occasional soup or big batch of margaritas, consider a full-size blender like the Vitamix 5200. This very well-built blender only comes with a 64oz jar, but it's fantastic for blending single-serve portions and makes an extremely smooth puree with ingredients like fruits and vegetables, seeds, and nuts. It has no problem crushing ice cubes, either.

It makes an equally smooth puree with bigger batches. Unlike personal blenders, its main jar has a two-part lid, meaning you can pour in liquid mid-blend. You can easily use it to whip up a batch of homemade nut butter if you like a spoonful in your shakes. However, unlike the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO, it doesn't have automatic blending programs, meaning you need to stop the blender manually when it's done. Its jar and lid aren't dishwasher-safe either. However, blending something like a protein shake doesn't take long, and it's easy to clean by hand, especially when working with liquid ingredients.

If you want the flexibility to make single-serves and big batches, the NutriBullet Blender Combo is a convenient choice. This relatively inexpensive blender doesn't match the 5200 in performance or versatility. Still, if you're just looking for a blender for protein shakes, it makes up for it in convenience and affordability. It comes with a 64oz jar and a pair of 32oz personal jars. It makes a smooth blend with fibrous ingredients in any of its jars, which is nice if you like adding fruit or vegetables into the mix.

The personal jars come with resealable lids so that you can use them as travel cups. Unlike the 5200, it has a blending program for recipes like smoothies and shakes that will stop the machine automatically. However, it's less well-suited for other uses. It can't crush ice without liquid in the jar. It also offers limited speed adjustment; even the lowest blending speed is quite fast, which doesn't help when you want to blend thicker recipes like nut butter. Still, if you're looking for a blender for protein shakes and other beverages, it's a good option that bundles full-size and personal jars together at a budget-friendly price.

If you're still looking for a full-size blender, our best blenders for smoothies are all good options for protein shakes, too.

Consider a battery-powered blender if you want to blend a quick shake at the gym after a workout or during your lunch break. The best one we've tested is the Ninja Blast, a lightweight, portable blender with an 18oz jar. It's small enough to carry around like a travel cup, and unlike other similar blenders, the jar comes with a to-go lid that opens with a push of a button, so you can easily open it with one hand to take a sip.

The portable blenders we've tested don't perform as well as conventional plug-in blenders and can't smoothly blend fibrous ingredients like leafy greens and fruits. However, the Blast does a good job for a battery-powered blender, so drinks with kale or blueberries have a decently smooth texture. It's not an ideal ice crusher, but it can handle an ice cube or two in a smoothie or protein shake recipe. This blender is very well-built and quiet when running, but it's not the easiest to clean since the motor base and blades have some tough-to-reach spots that can trap food.