The 6 Βest Protein Shake Βlenders - Fall 2023 Reviews

The best blender for protein shakes we've tested is the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO. A personal blender is convenient if you're looking for a blender specifically for shakes. This model doesn'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 can blend a smoothie and use the blending jar as a travel cup. It has no problem crushing ice, so it's ideal for recipes that involve ice, liquid, and protein powder. It has no trouble making a practically perfectly smooth blend if you like fibrous fruits and vegetables like kale.

This blender also comes with a 'Smoothie Bowl Maker' jar with arms inside that you can rotate with a knob on top. They act like a tamper, allowing you to stir the ingredients without stopping the machine, which is great if you like to add nut butter to shakes and want to make your own. Unlike many personal blenders, it has a few automatic blending programs, so you can multi-task while your shake blends. 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, but it's more expensive and only comes with one jar.

The Ninja Fit is a great option if you're looking for something cheaper that can handle tough shake ingredients like seeds and leafy greens. This mid-range blender is lighter on features than the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO, making it less versatile and easy to use. It comes with a pair of smaller, 16-ounce personal jars with to-go lids. It can make a smooth blend with a variety of recipes, whether your usual shake is limited to ice, liquid, and powder or includes additions like fruit, vegetables, and nuts.

It's easy to clean by hand, and the jars, lids, and blades are all dishwasher-safe. It's also much quieter than the DUO. However, while it can produce smooth nut butter to add to shakes, it doesn't come with a 'Smoothie Bowl Maker' jar and isn't as easy to use for that purpose. Unlike the DUO, it lacks blending programs and is operated by pressing down on the jar. You need to keep your hand on the blender constantly when using it, which you might find annoying.

If you want a blender with a more convenient design, the Magic Bullet Blender MBR-1101 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 is the Magic Bullet Mini. If you're looking for a simple, small blender for shakes, it's a good option. The main drawback is that it can't process ice without liquid in the jar. While it's an annoying limitation, adding ice cubes to a protein shake recipe isn't an issue. Despite being around half the price, it can blend fibrous ingredients like fruit, seeds, and leafy greens nearly 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, it doesn't come with a resealable lid for the 14oz jar, so if you want to enjoy your shake on the go or at the gym, you'll need to transfer it into a bottle or travel cup. There is 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.

The design of personal blenders makes them the best option if you plan to mostly use your blender for shakes and other drinks. However, if you want a blender for protein shakes that can handle the occasional soup or big batch of margaritas, look at a full-size option like the Vitamix 5200. This very well-built blender only comes with a 64-ounce 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 both a full-size jar for multiple batches and personal jars for single-serves, 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. In any of its jars, it makes a smooth blend with fibrous ingredients, which is nice if you like adding fruit or vegetables into the mix.

The personal jars come with resealable lids, so 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 just 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 smoothie after your morning workout or during your lunch break. The ΒlendJet 2 is the best portable blender for protein shakes we've tested. You can take this well-built personal blender with you on the go and blend a protein shake even if you don't have a place to plug it in. It's designed so that you can drink directly from the blending jar, and the whole unit can fit into a backpack or a bigger purse. It's also very quiet, which is nice if you use it in a shared space.

It can break up ice cubes but doesn't make the uniform, snow-like ice you'd want for frozen drinks. It makes an even grainier blend with fibrous ingredients, so if you add something like kale to your shake, you'll notice unprocessed bits in the final result. It takes a long time to process tough ingredients, and you need to stop and rest the blender periodically so it doesn't overheat, so it's better suited for simple recipes. It comes with a USΒ-A to USΒ-C cable for charging, and the manufacturer advertises the blender lasts about 15 20-second cycles. Unfortunately, no part is dishwasher-safe, but it's easy to clean by hand.