Best Personal Blenders for Solo Smoothies & Small Jobs (2026)

I write about kitchen gadgets for a living, so it should come as no surprise that my kitchen is covered in countertop appliances. I’ve got a rice cooker, a countertop oven, an Instant Pot, a stand mixer, an espresso machine… the list goes on. But the kitchen appliance I use the most? It's undoubtedly my personal blender.Our top picksThe best personal blender overall: Nutribullet UltraThe best budget personal blender: Thyme & Table Single-Serve BlenderThe best personal blender for smoothies: Ninja BlendBossOur personal favorite: Beast Mighty 850Sure, I love my Vitamix (which is also on my counter). But I’ve found that even the best full-size blenders are less effective at making single-serving smoothies or small-batch soups and sauces, and besides, it never feels worth the effort of pulling mine out and cleaning it when I’m only cooking for myself. As a person who drinks a smoothie at least twice a week, I rely on my small bullet-style blender to get the job done.Here’s the thing, though: There are a lot of bad personal blenders out there. That’s why I set out to find one that could deliver silky smooth sauces and grit-free green smoothies, all while being compact and easy to clean. After testing 12 models, I've found four that’ve earned my seal of approval.More on our top picksHow I tested personal blendersOther personal blenders I likedPersonal blenders I don’t recommendWhat about rechargeable portable blenders?What to make in a personal blenderOther kinds of blenders I loveThe best personal blender overall: Nutribullet UltraNutribulletUltra Personal BlenderProsPowerfulImproved blade designConsHas the size limitations of all personal blendersPower: 1,200 wattsCapacity: 24 or 32 oz.Warranty: 1-year limited (5-year limited for blade)Included: 32-oz. cup, 24-oz. cup, 24-oz. handled cup, 2 to-go lidsWhat we love: The biggest problem with most personal blenders is that they lack the motor power that makes something like a Vitamix so effective. Not so with the Nutribullet Ultra, which has an impressive 1,200-watt motor that cuts through everything we threw at it with shocking ease for a blender of this size. For reference, our favorite Vitamix, the 5200, has a not-actually-that-much-more-powerful 1,380-watt motor, and a standard Nutribullet model has a wattage of 600.At 1,200-watts, the Ultra is tied for the most powerful personal blender we’ve ever used, and the benefits of that superior wattage shone through in our testing. The Ultra was able to turn a pile of fibrous kale (with stems!), frozen fruit, and almond milk into a creamy smoothie with ease, and it produced beautifully emulsified, supremely smooth pesto in 30 seconds flat—something no other personal blender we tested could do.That top-notch blending performance is also partially due to the design of the titanium-coated stainless-steel blade, which has six prongs, as opposed to the four I’ve seen in most comparable models.Even setting aside the stellar performance and powerful motor, there's a lot to love about this mini blender design-wise. It’s equipped with thoughtful features that make it more pleasant to use than other models: very strong suction cup feet that do an excellent job at keeping the unit stable on the counter while the machine is running, a thick-rimmed lid that doesn’t leak, and sleek, intuitive-to-operate touchscreen buttons. Its two modes allow you to run a 30-second blend cycle, or press and hold to blend or pulse.The Ultra comes with two extra BPA-free blending jars (including a handled one) and two to-go lids. I've been using it to take smoothies on my morning commute.What we’d leave: Though this is an impressive little machine, a personal blender will never afford you the blending power of a premium full-size model like a Vitamix, so it’s important to set reasonable expectations. If you’re looking to crush ice cubes in large quantities or make nut butters, this is not be the blender for you. Other than that, at $165 at the time of writing, this is a great value for the amount of horsepower you’re getting—especially when compared with a Vitamix, which will run you anywhere from $380–$750.In the long run: "Having this blender at home actually turned me into a smoothie person. I’ve begun using it to make them for myself and my kids for breakfast a couple of days a week. The Nutribullet’s performance is as good now as it was when I first got it over a year ago, zipping up well-blended mixtures of kale, frozen berries, and coconut water.The real benefit of the Ultra, though, has turned out to be the mini food processor that comes as an optional add-on. If you are considering getting this blender and you do any cooking at all, do yourself a favor and get the processor attachment. I use it to mince garlic and ginger or chop onions every week, often on multiple nights. They’re tasks I find particularly tedious, and, especially in the case of just a couple cloves of garlic, impractical in my regular food processor (who wants to take that thing down and clean it up for two cloves of garlic?). In the mini-processor, the work is done in 10 seconds with the mess quite contained." —Noah Kaufman, senior commerce editorGood to know: For an additional $80, you can upgrade to the Nutribullet Ultra Plus+ Compact Kitchen System, which includes the motor base, two blending cups with to-go lids, as well as a coffee/spice grinder (keep it for spices, use a burr grinder for coffee) and mini food processor attachments. There are also a number of other models in the Nutribullet lineup, including the Pro+, Pro 1000 (reviewed below), Pro, and classic Nutribullet.The best budget personal blender: Thyme & Table Single-Serve BlenderThyme & Table Single Serve BlenderProsPowerful (though not quite as powerful as the Nutribullet Ultra)Includes two settingsConsOnly one blending cup available, meaning you need to clean and dry before using it againPower: 900 wattsCapacity: 25 oz.Warranty: 1-year limitedIncluded: 25 oz. cup, sealable to-go lid, strawWhat we love: This blender from Walmart-exclusive brand Thyme & Table was a pleasant surprise in our most recent round of testing. At just $60, it’s less than half the price of our top pick, but still feels sturdily constructed and well-designed. The base itself is made of plastic but has a nice weight to it, and the suction feet on the bottom do a good job of stabilizing the blender as it runs.Like many of the blenders on this list, this one has two modes: blend and pulse. We used the blend mode for both the smoothie and pesto test and achieved relatively smooth mixtures in just one 30-second blend cycle both times (though each needed a couple of extra seconds of blending to reach an optimal consistency). This makes sense given the Thyme & Table's powerful 900-watt motor (the same wattage as our previous budget pick, the Zwilling Enfinigy, which costs $40 more).We also appreciated that the included blending cup is wide enough that you can fit your hand and sponge inside it, which makes for easier hand-washing—though the cup (and other accessories) is also dishwasher-safe.What we’d leave: Our main gripe with the Thyme & Table is that it only includes one blending cup—and from the looks of it, the brand does not currently sell additional cups or lids sans blender.The best personal blender for smoothies: Ninja BlendBossNinjaBlendBoss™ Personal Blender and Tumbler in CyberspaceProsPowerful motorHandled cup and spout lid are great for smoothiesCompact baseConsOnly one container optionHandle can collect water inside, with no way to dry itPower: 1,200 wattsCapacity: 26 oz.Warranty: 1-yearIncluded: 26 oz. cup, flip top lid, strawWhat we love: Ninja's latest personal blender lives up to its name: It's a powerful-yet-compact little machine with a 1,200-watt motor that rivals that of our top pick. It has four different modes: Smoothie, ice crush, blend, and pulse. The smoothie, ice crush, and blend modes all use Ninja's Auto iQ technology, which uses a combination of blending, pulsing, and pausing to achieve the desired result.In testing, the BlendBoss whizzed through smoothie ingredients (including those pesky fibrous kale stems) with no trouble at all, producing the silkiest smoothie out of any of the models I tested in just one 55-second Smoothie iQ cycle. It performed well in the pesto test, too; its powerful blade was more than up to the task of breaking down whole garlic cloves and leafy basil.The base of the BlendBoss is unlike that of any other personal blender I've seen—bulbous and sort of donut-shaped, rather than the vertical cylinder that's become industry standard. This didn't have any real effect on the user experience or the model's performance, but I found the cute colors and shape to be somewhat charming. The BlendBoss comes with a single-handled blending vessel, a flip-top lid, and a straw, all of which make it more suitable for smoothies than sauces or soups.What we'd leave: At the time of writing, the only blending vessel that's compatible with the BlendBoss is the 26-ounce handled tumbler that's included. While the handle is nice if you're drinking a smoothie, it feels unnecessary when using the blender for other tasks, such as puréeing soups or blitzing sauces. What's more, that handle is actually the BlendBoss's biggest flaw: There's a gap in the plastic construction that allows water to get inside the handle, and because there's no way to detach it from the body of the cup, there's no real way to dry any droplets that get caught.Our editors' personal favorite: Beast Mighty 850ProsSmall footprintComes with various sizes of blending containersIncludes lids and spout tops to make it easy to sip blended beverages on the goConsNot as powerful as other blenders, so it may take a little more time to get a smooth consistencyFluted containers can be tricky to clean at times because food gets stuck in the groovesPower: 850 wattsCapacity: 415mL, 640mL, and 785mL vesselsWarranty: 2 yearsIncluded: base and blade, 3 blending vessels, 2 storage lids, drinking lid and carry cap, straw cap, straws, cleaning brushesWhat we love: This model from Beast is certainly a looker, with its pretty ribbed cups and range of color options. I also appreciated that it came with three different-sized cups and a range of useful lids (including one with a straw), and that it has a comparably compact base. I ended up taking this model home and have found that it’s been perfectly effective for blending my own morning smoothies, which consist of frozen fruit, almond milk, protein powder—and importantly, no fibrous kale stems. And I do really love the straw lid, which enables me to take my smoothie on the go or easily carry it around the house while I go about my morning. If you don’t intend to be as hard on your blender as we are in our Test Kitchen, you may actually love this model.I've also taken to using the blending vessels as storage containers, which is made easy thanks to the included screw-on lid. The small container is great for packing yogurt parfaits for work, and I frequently use the larger one to stash batches of soup in my fridge.What we'd leave: I'll be up front with you: the Beast did not perform well in my in-office testing. I had to run it countless times to get the tough kale stems in the green smoothie to blend properly, and it took several cycles to successfully blend a batch of pesto. That said, this is a well-designed appliance that I genuinely enjoy using, and given that I use my full-sized blender for tougher tasks, I don't mind that the Beast's capabilities are somewhat limited.In the long run: I'm a kitchen product reviewer for a living, so of course I have a Vitamix. But I reach for my Beast Blender far more often. Its footprint is tiny enough to live on my counter at all times without looking bulky or out of place, which is a bigger deal than it sounds. I use it almost exclusively for smoothies with just frozen fruit and protein powder, so nothing that requires the wattage of a high-powered blender to get through tough kale stems or ginger. The smaller vessels get a lot of use too. When I make a salad dressing and have leftovers, I pop a lid on the vessel and stick it straight in the fridge, and I still have two more vessels free for smoothies or soups in the meantime.—Olivia Tarantino, senior shopping editorGood to know: Beast now offers stainless steel blending containers and blades, which you can purchase with the base or separately. In testing, we found the stainless construction made no difference in performance, but makes Beast a great option if you're looking to eliminate as much plastic as possible from your kitchen, becauseHow we tested personal blendersTo test personal blenders, we first put them to work making green smoothies full of fibrous kale (with the stems), frozen fruit, and chewy whole dates. Then we made batches of classic pesto to see how well each blender handled a mix of leafy basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and cheese.What makes a good personal blenderCreamy smoothies and smooth pestoWe looked for personal blenders that could work through tough leafy greens and hard frozen fruit and nuts to produce smooth, chunk and grit-free smoothies and pesto in a reasonable amount of time/blend cycles.Is the control panel intuitive? Are any special features helpful, or unnecessary?Does the blender come with any useful accessories? We’re talking extra cups, to-go lids, or any other handy extras that make it more versatile.Personal blenders should be compact enough to sit permanently on your counter without hogging space, but also lightweight enough that you could easily stash them away. After all, there’s a reason you’re opting for one of these and not a full-size model.We favored models with dishwasher-safe components, because no one wants to hand-wash a blender cup when they’re running out the door after downing their morning smoothie.Other personal blenders we tested and likedZwilling Enfinigy Personal BlenderZwillingEnfinigy Personal BlenderThis model from Zwilling earned the top spot in the personal blender category for years and rings in at just two thirds the price of the Nutribullet Ultra. It’s one of the most stylish personal blenders we’ve come across, with a sleek, well-constructed base, intuitive knob-controlled interface, and chic fluted blending cup. It has two modes: Turn the control knob to the right to activate the automatic smoothie setting, or hold it down to the left to run the manual blend/pulse mode.While not quite as effective as the Ultra, the Zwilling did a great job at both of our tests. It broke down tough kale stems and left no garlic chunks or stray basil leaves in the pesto. Performance-wise, it was on par with the Thyme & Table model in our most recent round of testing, so it ultimately lost the top spot solely due to its higher price tag. That said, this is an excellent blender that would serve you well.The Zwilling Enfinigy making a batch of pesto. Alaina ChouBeast Mega 1200At 1200 watts, the Mega is the most powerful blender Beast makes. But power isn't the only thing that sets it apart from the Mighty. It also has a larger base and bigger, wider blending cups. In testing, the Mega performed well: it produced a fully blended smoothie in about one and a half 1-minute cycles and a smooth pesto in just one cycle.That said, the Mega's wider blending cups can be awkward to hold and drink from with one hand. Because of this, we wouldn't recommend it if your main use is making smoothies to take on the go. However, if you're primarily looking to make soups, sauces, or other larger-batch recipes, its powerful motor and spacious blending vessels could make it worth considering.The Beast Mighty (L) and the Beast Mega (R). Alaina ChouBeautiful by Drew Barrymore Personal BlenderBeautiful by Drew Barrymore Personal BlenderThe appliances in Drew Barrymore’s Beautiful line have claimed the top budget pick spot in some of our other product tests (see stand mixers and toasters), so we were eager to try out the brand’s personal blender. It’s very cheap (just $35 at the time of writing), and the build quality feels as such. The plastic base and cups don't feel the most sturdy or durable. We also disliked that the largest blending cup has only a 16-ounce capacity. However, this blender performed decently for something of its price. While it took a little longer to achieve a smooth texture, it was able to get there in about 90 seconds in both of our tests. We also appreciated that it comes with a range of attachments, including (but not limited to) three blending cups, two blades (one for grinding and one for blending), and a straw lid. If you’re looking for the cheapest option that can get the job done, this model is worth considering.Our Place Splendor BlenderOur Place Splendor BlenderThe Our Place Splendor Blender looks a bit like a toy, but it has an impressive 1000-watt motor and was surprisingly effective in our most recent round of testing. It has three buttons: pulse, blend, and off. The 45-second blend cycle was able to produce a fairly smooth smoothie (though it would've benefited from an extra ten seconds to eliminate some grittiness), and I achieved a luscious pesto in one and a half cycles. We ultimately think our top pick outperformed the Splendor Blender by a hair, and appreciate that $165 can get you the Nutribullet plus three blending cups and two lids—whereas that same $165 gets you just two cups and one lid with the Our Place.Personal blenders we don’t recommendThe Nutribullet Pro is essentially two steps down from the Nutribullet Ultra. It has a powerful 1000-watt motor, comes with two blender cups and lids, and has those same grippy suction cups to keep it secured to the counter. We didn’t love the twist-to-blend functionality, ultimately preferring the touchscreen controls of the Ultra. And while the Pro did well in the pesto test, the smoothie it made was quite chunky.This Ninja blender comes with two cups for smoothies and sauces, plus a “nutri-bowl.” The bowl comes with a “power paddle” meant to be turned by hand while the machine is running to create better textured smoothie and açai bowls, but we didn’t find it very effective. While this model made a great smoothie, we found it difficult to gauge how long to blend our pesto and docked points for its very loud motor.While Magic Bullet blenders are made by Nutribullet, we found that this one’s performance paled in comparison to the Nutribullet models we tried. At only 250 watts, its motor just wasn’t powerful enough to achieve the creamy, chunk–free smoothies we were after.This blender from Ninja performed okay in our testing. With a 1,100-peak-watt motor, it is quite powerful and was able to blend a smooth green smoothie in one 50-second cycle. However, it struggled in the pesto test: No matter how many times we ran the blend cycle, the machine could not seem to get rid of some noticeable bits of garlic. After three tries, we gave up—and by then, the pesto was verging on warm due to the heat generated by the motor.Like all of the brand's products, the pastel Smeg blender is quite cute—but in testing, it failed to deliver. I disliked that I had to press down on the blending container continually for the blender to run, and the 300-watt motor was incredibly ineffective. After nearly three minutes of blending (with pauses to shake the container manually), the green smoothie still wasn't smooth. The plastic blending containers were also small and felt a bit cheap, despite the blender's $190 price tag.FAQsWhat about rechargeable portable blenders?We’ve tested a number of these cordless blenders that proliferate in many people’s social media feeds (you can check them out in action here) and the truth is, they just aren’t powerful enough to succeed in any of our blender tests. They’re…fine if all you’re making are protein shakes. But we advise against them in general.Read more shopping stories on Bon AppétitRead all about the best full-size blendersCurious which Vitamix blender is right for you? We’ve got you coveredRead why we love immersion blenders for making soups, purees, and even smoothies