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What are the features that make the best blender for a protein shake? It starts with a smaller BPA-free pitcher of 24-ounces or less, making them perfect for single servings. Easily disassembled parts, such as removable stainless steel blades, for easy cleaning and one to two program settings for quick and simple blends come next on the list.
This is the ultimate blender for on-the-go consumers looking for an easy way to create healthy drinks in less time. If you find yourself often running late for work, we recommend a model with plastic to-go cup style blending jars and lids so you can easily take your breakfast with you. Dishwasher-safe parts also allow you to quickly clean and reuse your jar for the gym later that evening.
Keep reading our buyer’s guide to learn more about what to look for in the best blenders for protein shakes.
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: This Ninja blender has a compact design that fits on kitchen counters easily. With a powerful 700W motor, this device crushes fruits, dairy products and vegetables fast.
The Ninja QB3001SS 16-oz blender is effective with shakes, smoothies, and juice. This device has pulse technology, allowing users to control blending. It extracts nutrients to deliver nutritious and delicious shakes. The blades are powerful enough to handle ice and frozen fruits. This blender comes with two 16-oz Nutri cups, which can be used as travel containers for beverages. However, the cups have grooves, so they are difficult to hand-clean.
This Ninja QB3001SS 16-oz blender comes with a 50-recipe inspiration guide to provide fresh ideas for meals. It has a simplistic control panel that is unlikely to present any difficulties. The cups, lids, and blade assembly of this blender are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. With tight lids, this device prevents spilling during processing or storage. Powered by a 700W motor, this blender pulverizes fruits and vegetables fast and saves time.
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: This blender has a 175W motor that operates efficiently. The device is quite compact, making it a good choice for regular travelers.
The Hamilton Beach 51101AV 14-oz blender is a portable model that will especially appeal to people who want to move with their blending equipment. This blender is available in black and white, appealing to a wide variety of people. It has a simplistic design with an easy-to-use power button. Its cup is graduated for precise measurements. However, the 14-oz cup on this model is too small for people who want to prepare large quantities of shakes.
Award: BEST FOR HARD INGREDIENTS
WHY WE LIKE IT: The blender has a powerful motor that will crush anything from fruits, nuts to vegetables. It’s especially suited to nut butter and other challenging recipes.
The Koios BL219B 17-oz blender has a stylish design that adds a touch of freshness to the kitchen counter. This blender has a stainless steel base to complement other appliances in the home. The base is sturdy enough to stand up to vibrations during operation. The two included 17-oz cups and a 10-oz travel bottle are ideal for blending and taking drinks to the office or gym. However this blender is too small for families.
This Koios BL219B 17-oz blender has BPA-free parts for safe use. It features a powerful 850W copper motor that makes light work of dairy product, vegetables and fruits. This device is well-suited to handling ice and frozen fruit processing, a characteristic of the best blender to crush ice. It’s used for chopping in addition to blending. With resilient flat blades, the blender is effective with coffee beans and it makes nut butter quickly. The blender comes with two spout lids to facilitate pouring out.
Award: BEST FOR FAMILIES
WHY WE LIKE IT: This Oster blender has a unique design that brings a modern vibe to the kitchen. It has a moderately sized 20-oz cup, which doubles as a on-the-go cup for preparing fairly large quantities of shakes in one go.
The Oster My Blend BLSTPB-WBL 20-oz blender has a contemporary design that catches the eye. It features a stunning white, black and blue palette that adds a pop of color to the kitchen. With a 20-oz dishwasher-safe cup, the device processes moderate quantities of smoothies and shakes fast. The jar on this device is removable and can be used for carrying shakes on the go. However, the cup has a narrow mouth which makes it hard to load ingredients and pour shakes.
This Oster My Blend BLSTPB-WBL 20-oz blender comes with a reciple guide to provide fresh ideas on a variety of concoctions. It has a compact design that will especially appeal to people who take their drinks to the gym or office. With a simplistic touch control panel, this blender is easy to operate. This blender has a firm lid that will prevent spillage during processing. The powerful blades unlock ingredients for nutritious protein shakes. It has a resettable fuse to protect it from damage in case of overheating.
Award: BEST FOR OFFICE
WHY WE LIKE IT: This blender has a very stylish design and will stand out in the kitchen. Its 12-oz cup will especially appeal to people who want to transport drinks in a handbag or small bag to the office.
With its compact profile, the Magic Bullet MBR-1101 12-oz blender will appeal to users with small kitchens. It has a 250W motor that provides fast results. A powerful cross blade crushes ingredients smoothly. The blender comes with a party mug for taking drinks on journeys. With a gorgeous stainless steel base, this device is easy to clean and adds elegance to the kitchen. However, this device struggles when dealing with ice and frozen fruits.
This Magic Bullet MBR-1101 12-oz blender comes with a reciple guide to provide inspiration. It has a sturdy non-slip base for stability. A resealable lid prevents the beverages from leaking during processing or transportation. The cups, blades, and all attachments are dishwasher-safe, so they can be cleaned easily. This blender uses a cyclonic system to crush dairy products fast and move the ingredients around for efficiency.
Award: BEST FOR TRAVEL
WHY WE LIKE IT: This device has an outstandingly portable design that fits in small bags to allow hassle-free transport. We like that its chargeable with a 4000 mAh battery, which enables operating this device during transit.
The PopBabies P20 14-oz blender is an incredibly portable device that is suitable for people who want to produce shakes when traveling. This 175W blender features a 14-oz jar for making and storing shakes and smoothies. Nursing moms will love its compact design that fits in handbags and baby bags. It has a graduated cup for measuring ingredients and comes with a specialty ice tray that makes ice pieces small enough for this unit. However, the cup is too small for people who want large meals.
This PopBabies P20 14-oz blender has dishwasher-safe parts for easy cleanup. It’s powered by a USB interface, so it’s easy to charge even on foreign trips. A simple one-touch control panel simplifies operation. It has an integrated 4000 mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery, so it operates without being plugged into a power outlet. This TSA-safe device is suitable for use in vehicles and during camping trips. Its 304 stainless steel blades make easy work of fruits and dairy products.
A protein shake blender is a kitchen appliance, just like other blenders. They are usually compact and built with single-serving sizes in mind. Often, they’re designed for on-the-go use, having adaptable serving cups that can just as easily serve the same purpose as a traditional blending jar as they can a to-go cup.
Protein shake blenders also sport easy-to-clean features and relatively simple controls. They also make the perfect appliance for healthier eating and are a great option when looking for the best blender for vegans.
The key difference between blenders for protein shakes and standard blenders is that you can get away with less than 500 watts in terms of motor power. In fact, if you’re only blending soft ingredients, a 200-watt blender should be enough. More expensive and full-sized models will sport motors with 1000-watt power or greater for tackling tougher ingredients.
Most standard blenders sport a 48-ounce pitcher (or larger). These sizes are great if you are looking at hosting parties or large gatherings, but if you’re simply planning to make simple, non-frozen smoothies or protein shakes, something that size is overkill. For this type of single-serving use, an 18 to 24-ounce jar is perfect for a single serving use. Additionally, standard blenders generally come with blending jars and lids meant only for use during the blending process. Protein shake blenders, on the other hand, often come with to-go-style cups with screw-on lids specifically intended to be taken with you when you head off to work or the gym.
When it comes to programming and controls, standard blenders usually have multiple preset programs and variable speeds, but none of these are necessary to mix protein powder. In contrast, protein shake blenders tend to have relatively simple controls and may or may not have one or two preset programs, depending on the model.
Another major difference between single-serving blenders and standard blenders is in the price. Protein blenders usually have a more affordable price tag. Unfortunately, the lower price may also mean that blenders in this category may be made with less durable materials. As such, they have the potential to wear out faster than a more expensive model.
Mechanically, standard blenders and models designed for mixing protein shakes operate in the same way. If you have a unit with a detachable jar, you’ll secure it on the motor base before plugging it into the outlet. Once you have selected the desired program or speed, the blades will start spinning in a circular motion to create a vortex that draws the ingredients to the base, breaking everything down into a smooth mixture.
If you currently use a blender bottle to mix your protein shakes, you know that it can get a bit tedious, especially when the ingredients don’t want to come together easily. And, sometimes, it’s nice to be able to make other drinks, too. Protein shake blenders can be ideal for crafting delicious smoothies and milkshakes, especially if the model you choose has at least a 500-watt motor.
Of course, if you’re looking for something that can handle a much wider variety of kitchen tasks, you might want to consider a more high-end model, such as the best blender for nut butter.
If properly taken care of, a budget-friendly blender should last three to five years. Keep in mind that many brands limit these low-end models to a 1-year warranty. In contrast, a more expensive model will cost more upfront, but it can easily last you ten years or longer.
Especially if you’re blending hard ingredients, like ice or frozen fruit, the blades are often the first thing to wear out. Stainless steel blades are the best, as they resist rust and stay sharp longer than other metals. The motor is something to watch for, as well. So, make sure you use your blender as intended and avoid blending ingredients for which its motor isn’t suited to keep it from burning out.
Keeping up with good maintenance will help increase your blender’s longevity. For example, make sure that it’s dishwasher-safe before putting any part of the appliance in the dishwasher. More importantly, cleaning your blender by hand after every use can significantly improve its longevity. You can simply add warm water and dish soap to the jar and turn it on for a few seconds.
There are a few other key aspects that make the best blender for protein shakes. These include how you intend to use it, pitcher sizes, and programmed settings. Keep reading to learn more about how to decide on your next protein shake blender.
A blender for protein shakes is best used for simple blends of soft ingredients or liquids. These appliances are great additions to your kitchen for creating other healthy treats like green smoothies or indulging your sweet tooth with a milkshake.
You can get away with a small blender when you are using it for just one person. However, you will likely be limited to soft ingredients and liquids due to its decreased motor strength. Models with an 18 to 24-ounce pitcher are perfect if you are making individual drinks. Of course, for serving multiple people at once, a 48-ounce or larger container is best. That said, these larger pitcher sizes are usually found in full-sized models.
It doesn’t get much simpler than a blender for protein shakes. All you need is a pulse feature or single setting to provide a quick blend, and you’re good to go. Additional preset programs will open the door for other kitchen creations, if you are interested in branching out.
Unfortunately, all blenders emit noise; some more than others. Decibel levels increase with a more powerful motor and high-speed blades, as well as whether you are blending frozen food, ice, or nuts. A personal blender for protein powder mixes, though, should be quieter since you are mixing soft ingredients with less power.
Most brands offer a limited warranty of some sort, but don’t be surprised if a cheap blender only has a one-year warranty. Additionally, it won’t cover the normal wear and tear.
Because plastic can leach harmful chemicals into your food, look for BPA-free materials. Tritan polycarbonate is commonly used in the best blender brands.
If you’re looking to upgrade beyond a single-serving sized appliance, check out a countertop blender or full-sized model. Not only will these let you blend harder foods, but they will usually last longer. Hand-held blenders can also be useful for quick mixes, and they are easy to store.
Ninja, Nutribullet, and Oster all have a great line of personal blenders. Additionally, Hamilton Beach has a small line of inexpensive models, but they tend to have weaker motors. If price isn’t a concern, consider a Vitamix model. They have great durability and powerful motors to handle all your kitchen needs.