The 5 Best Budget Blenders - Fall 2023 Reviews

The best budget-friendly blender we've tested is the Oster Pro 1200. This full-size blender has a relatively small, lightweight design and is usually available for under $100. It comes with a 48oz pitcher made of glass, which is less prone to scratches and discoloration than plastic. It also has a 24oz personal jar for smoothies. It's versatile enough for various recipes since it can hot blend, crush ice for frozen drinks, and make well-blended smoothies and soups with fibrous ingredients like kale and broccoli. It can also make smooth, spreadable nut butter, but you must stop the blender and stir a few times.

However, the main jar is only intended to handle six ice cubes at once, so you're limited to smaller batches compared to most full-size blenders. This blender has a plasticky design and mediocre build quality, making it less suitable for frequent ice-crushing. On the plus side, the removable blades make it easy to clean by hand, and the jars, lids, and blades are dishwasher-safe.

It's common for full-size blenders to come with smaller personal jars, which are meant for single-serve smoothies and usually have to-go lids. The Oster Pro 1200 comes with one personal jar, but if a couple of people in your household like a smoothie in the morning, the best budget blender with multiple personal jars is the NutriBullet Blender Combo. It comes with 24oz and 32oz personal jars and matching resealable lids. Since it's a full-size blender, it also comes with a 64oz main jar for blending multiple servings simultaneously. In any of its jars, it easily liquifies fibrous fruits and vegetables, meaning it can produce completely smooth broccoli soups and kale smoothies.

However, it's not the most versatile blender—as is expected for NutriBullet products. Specifically, it's not meant to crush ice without liquid in the jar. It's not well-suited for blends like nut butter or hummus since you must stop frequently and stir the recipe to keep the ingredients in contact with the blades. It's easy to clean by hand, and the main jar and blades are dishwasher-safe, but you must clean the personal jar's separate blade assembly by hand.

If you like to blend frozen drinks like margaritas and need a big pitcher to serve a crowd, you might prefer the Ninja Professional Βlender 1000. This blender takes no time to pulverize ice cubes into snow-like crushed ice. Its 72-ounce pitcher can handle big batches of blended cocktails and frozen drinks like cocktails. The lid has a pouring spout, so you can easily serve drinks from the pitcher without spilling. It's sturdier than the NutriBullet Blender Combo, which is especially important if you regularly use it for tough tasks like crushing ice. The sharp blades make it hard to clean by hand, but the jar and lid are dishwasher-safe.

However, it's less versatile than the previous picks since it isn't safe for hot blending. It also makes a grainy puree with fibrous ingredients, which might be disappointing if you want to make drinks that include fruit like pineapple. It has no blending programs, so you must start and stop the blender manually. If you like pushing a button and turning your attention to something else, you might prefer the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. It's slightly more expensive but has a few programs, including 'Smoothie' and 'Ice Crushing'. Otherwise, it performs very similarly.

The best budget personal blender is the Magic Bullet Mini. If you want to spend as little as possible on a blender or want the best cheap blender for smoothies, it's worth considering. Unlike the NutriBullet Blender Combo, which has a much bulkier motor base, this compact blender doesn't need much space on the counter or in a cupboard. It does an excellent job of blending fibrous ingredients like kale and blueberries in its 14oz jar, so it can make a well-blended smoothie with most recipes. It's also quiet for a blender, which is nice if you like to blend a drink in the morning.

However, it's not meant for crushing ice without liquid in the jar, so it's not suitable if you want to make crushed ice for cocktails. Unlike many personal blenders, it doesn't come with a resealable lid for its jar, which isn't ideal if you want to bring your smoothie on the go. Its lower price point reflects in its plasticky, cheap-feeling build, and of course, you can't use it for blending big batches at once. Still, it's worth considering if you want something inexpensive for quick blends like smoothies and protein shakes.

The best budget portable blender we've tested is the PopBabies Portable Blender. This inexpensive, battery-powered personal blender is smaller and lighter than the Magic Bullet Mini. You can use it to blend smoothies when camping, traveling, or at work if you don't have access to an outlet. It's not as powerful as the previous pick, so if you make a drink with leafy greens or fruit like apples, you'll notice more leafy bits and grains left over. Still, it does an adequate job blending stubborn fibrous ingredients, and fruits like bananas or mangoes are easier to blend.

It's well-built and quiet for a blender, so using it during your lunch break isn't overly disruptive. The 14oz jar has a lid with a plastic loop so you can hang it from your bag or backpack. However, the jar's narrow opening makes it tricky to clean. The small spout can't fit full-sized ice cubes. Fortunately, it comes with a tray that makes mini ice cubes that fit, so you can use that if you like ice in your drink. The jar and blades are dishwasher-safe as well.