Kickstarting your day with a smoothie concoction, packed with all the good stuff, is a quick and convenient way to pack more fruit and vegies into your diet.
A personal blender can easily blitz up a single-serve smoothie, while cutting down on the washing up that comes with a larger, more fully-featured blender. And when you're done, they're usually compact enough to store easily in your kitchen cupboard.
NutriBullet and Ninja are the two best known brands on the market, costing $180 and $160 respectively, or even more – but are they worth the money? How does a cheap and cheerful $69 personal blender from Kmart stack up?
We asked CHOICE kitchen expert Fiona Mair for her advice on what to look for when buying a personal blender, and for CHOICE members, we'll reveal her pick of the personal blender brands.
How we test personal blenders
"Smoothie ingredients can include frozen fruits and vegetables, hard and soft fruits and vegetables, leafy greens such as spinach and kale and ice cubes," says Fiona.
"A personal blender needs to be able to blend these types of foods, resulting in a smooth texture."
To put each personal blender through its paces, we test to see if the blender can manage several things:
- Blending a soft frozen smoothie
- Crushing ice
- Blending a green smoothie
- Blending kale in water.
"The kale in water is a harsh test, but we want to see how finely the blender can process the kale," says Fiona.
"After blending, the kale is poured through a fine sieve and we weigh the amount that doesn't pass through to see how well the blender has processed it.
"If a personal blender can process kale, then it's usually one of the better ones."
What to consider when buying a personal blender
Overheating
Look for a model with a pre-programmed setting that will turn the blender off after one minute, or be mindful not to run your blender for longer than a minute at a time, as this can cause the blender to overheat, which can damage it.
Do you need multiple cups?
If you're a solo smoothie drinker, then one blender cup will be more than enough. But if you're blending for a few people, look for a model that comes with multiple cups or jugs.
Can be messy
When using a standard blender, you can easily add to it during processing through the cap or lid. But personal blenders with the inverted cup generally have screw-on lids. This means you'll need to take them apart to add extra ingredients, which can get messy.
How easy to clean
Consider how you'll clean the blender: Is the cup so narrow that you'll need a bottle brush to clean it? Are the parts dishwasher-safe? How easy is it to take apart and put back together?
Portability
If you're planning to drink your smoothie on the go, make sure the blender cup is leak-proof and will fit in your car's cupholder, or is easy to fit in your bag when you're done.
Other uses
Think about how else you might use your personal blender. They're great for whipping up small quantities of things such as dips, salad dressings, sauces and cocktails.
Keeping it cool
Remember that blending causes friction, which can cause the ingredients you're blending to warm slightly. To prevent this, add either frozen fruit or ice cubes to the mix.
For more advice on choosing a blender, read our guide to how to buy the best blender.
How does the Kmart personal blender compare with the Ninja and NutriBullet?
For simplicity's sake, we'll compare three similar personal blenders:
- Kmart Anko 900W Nutritional Pro Blender ($69)
- Ninja Nutri-Blender Pro with Auto IQ ($160)
- NutriBullet Pro 1000 NB07100-1008DG ($180)
Is the cheap Kmart blender a good option, or are you better off spending more for an established brand?
Both the Ninja and NutriBullet come with a 12-month warranty and dedicated customer service, plus you can buy accessories and replacement parts for them, which Kmart doesn't offer.
But do those factors justify the higher price tag?
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
