Choosing the right blender for my protein shake is something I am quite familiar with since I make protein shakes at least three times a week.
Unfortunately, some blenders are just not the right match because they require too much liquid and effort to make a simple protein shake.
Fortunately, I have stumbled upon 5 different blenders that have allowed me to concoct protein shakes with a lot more ease!
Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender – Our Best Pick
Vitamix VM0197 Explorian Blender, Professional-Grade, 48 oz. Container, Black
Features
- Variable Speed Control: Ten variable speeds allow you to refine every texture with culinary precision, from the smoothest purées to the heartiest soups
- Pulse Feature: Layer coarse chops over smooth purées for heartier recipes, such as chunky salsas or thick vegetable soups.
- The 48-ounce container is ideal for blending medium batches for small family meals. Cutting blades measuring 3-inch diameter to ensure a consistent blend every time. Electrical Ratings-120 V
- Hardened Stainless-Steel Blades: Our aircraft-grade stainless steel blades are designed to handle the toughest ingredients, so from the first blend to the last, you get the same quality results. Cord length: 4.5 feet
- Self-Cleaning: With a drop of dish soap and warm water, your Vitamix machine can clean itself in 30 to 60 seconds. What's in the Box: motor base, 48 oz. container, mini-tamper, cookbook
The Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender is a professional-grade blender armed to the teeth with a variety of functions. It measures 11 x 8 x 18 inches and weighs 10.5 pounds. Out of the five blenders we have suggested, it is our best pick.
Versatile and self-cleaning, this nylon blender has a 48-ounce BPA-free Eastman Tritan copolyester container, making it an excellent choice for blending medium batches of protein shakes. It is also good at grounding vegetables for healthy soups and sauces.
This blender’s pulse feature can add quick bursts of power when you need them. This feature will work at whichever speed you’ve selected on the dial.
Pros
- Great at crushing rigid materials like ice due to the pulse feature and 10 variable speeds
- Easy cleaning – self-cleans in 60 seconds
- Stainless-steel blades that are resistant to bending and dulling
- Blade friction heating – the blender’s blades move so quickly that friction heat can heat cold ingredients in six minutes!
- Can come with a mini-tamper, which will help you process thick blends
- Can come with a scraper, which will help you get the most out of your ingredients by enabling you to reach hard-to-access areas in your container
- Comes with a 5-year warranty, with an option to buy an extended 3-year warranty.
Cons
- Can be a bit loud
- May require more liquid to make smoothies than other blenders
- Bulky
- Non-removable blades, which can make cleaning more difficult
- Not dishwasher friendly
Click here to buy the Vitamix E310.
Ninja Personal Blender – Best for Travelers
Ninja Personal Blender for Shakes, Smoothies, Food Prep, and Frozen Blending with 700-Watt Base and (2) 16-Ounce Cups with Spout Lids (QB3001SS), Black
7 used from $43.67
Features
- PULSE TECHNOLOGY: The powerful 700-watt push-to-blend motor base powers through everything inside the cup to give you the best of Ninja blending.
- NUTRIENT EXTRACTION: Unlock hidden nutrition from whole fruits and veggies. Extract a drink containing vitamins and nutrients from fruits and vegetables. By blending whole fruits and vegetables including portions that are usually discarded.
- FROZEN BLENDING: Crush ice and pulverize frozen ingredients for resort- like frozen drinks, smoothies, frozen treats, and more.
- COMPACT & SIMPLE: So compact that it fits on any countertop, and has intuitive, easy-to-use controls.
- ON-THE-GO CONVENIENCE: Blend directly in the 16-oz. single-serve cup, attach the spout lid, and enjoy your creations on the go.
We all know how difficult it can be to stick to healthy diets when you’re always on the go. Fortunately, this blender can help you reach your fitness goals while traveling. You will have one fewer excuse to not follow your fitness regimen once you become a proud owner of the Ninja Personal Blender.
Slender and lightweight, the Ninja blender bottle fits right into your car cup holder. It measures 13 x 4 inches and only weighs 4.49 pounds.
This iF Design Award winner’s leak-proof bottle also comes with a lockable lid and is extremely user friendly—push down to blend!
Pros:
- Lightweight, easy to carry around – perfect for travelers and people who’re always on the go
- BPA-free
- Maximum power of 700-watts
- Leak, odor, and dust-proof
- The blender container itself is your bottle
Cons:
- Not the toughest or most durable choice
- Limited capacity – may not be the best choice if you’re looking to create smoothies and protein shakes for the whole family or parties
- Can get quite dirty after a couple of uses; cup is not self-cleaning
Blendtec Professional 800 Blender – Quietest Blender
Blendtec Professional 800 Blender with WildSide+ Jar (90 oz), Sealed Sound Enclosure, Industries Strongest and Quietest Professional-Grade Power, 11-Speed Touch Slider, Self-Cleaning, Black
$799.95 in stock
Features
- The World’s Quietest Blender: Features the most advanced proprietary sound dampening and airflow innovations to operate at a level that won’t interrupt
- This kitchen blender features a 1800-watt motor, matte black jar base and an illuminated, capacitive touch interface that is easy to use in the kitchen
- Easy to Clean: Simply add hot water and a little dish soap to the jar and blend for several seconds to clean; Use a wet cloth to wipe down the machine
- High-Power Countertop Blender: This large blender has preprogrammed cycles for batters, mixed drinks, smoothies, frozen treats, whole juices, and hot soup
- No sharp blades; with patented blunt blade technology, blade is 80% thicker and ten times stronger than other blades providing smooth blends
If the other picks are too loud for you, you might want to get the Blendtec Professional 800 Blender.
This professional-grade blender is BPA-free and has a capacity of 90 ounces, with measurements listed up to 36 ounces. However, it is quite a bit bulkier than our other picks since it weighs 16.2 pounds. It measures 8.5 x 9.13 x 17.25 inches.
Pros:
- Features 11 speeds with six pre-programmed blend styles, so it is just as flexible, if not more, than the Vitamix E310.
- Blendtec Sound Enclosure (the blender’s sound enclosure system) allows the engine to operate quietly, so you won’t have to worry anymore about waking everyone up while you’re pumping out those protein shakes.
- Top and back portions block sound even for high volume blends
- Durable – blades are 80% thicker and 10 times stronger than other blender blades
- Pitcher is made of glass, so you can use this blender to create hot and cold protein shakes, something that many models are not capable of doing.
- Suitable for commercial use, so if you’re looking for a blender to set up your restaurant or cafe, this might be it!
- Can make hot soups, cocktails, ice cream, dough, and batter in addition to protein shakes and smoothies
Cons:
- Bulkier than a lot of other blenders its size
- Quite pricey, so this may not be the best choice if you have a tight budget
- Pitcher and lid are only dishwasher friendly if you place them in the top rack of the dishwasher
- Motor could be more powerful, especially for a product in this price range.
- Not the best pick for commercial use – can experience problems due to continuous use.
Tribest PB-250 Blender – Best for Crushing Nuts and Seeds
Tribest PB-250 Kitchen Grinder & Personal Blender for Shakes and Smoothies with BPA-Free Portable Blender Cups, White
$69.95 in stock
Features
- ELECTRIC BLENDER AND GRINDER: Featuring a powerful 200 watt motor which easily blends all your favorite ingredients including ice and grinds all your grains, nuts and seeds.
- POWERFUL, SMOOTH AND SAFE: The blades of this tool are completely enclosed, making it impossible to contact during operation. One-touch pulse, press and twist continuous modes for blending and grinding to perfect consistency. Powerful 200 watt motor allows for creamier blends even in a small personal blender.
- COMPLETE PACKAGE: Includes two 16 ounce and two 8 ounce BPA-free large cups, 3 cup lids and a single commuter lid. The possibilities are limitless with this extremely versatile and portable blender for today's busy lifestyle.
- EASY TO CLEAN: Blend and serve your own drinks effortlessly in the personal blending containers or store in the refrigerator for later use, eliminating the need for time consuming cleanups and mess.
- LIVE TRIBEST LIFE: At Tribrest, we provide you with quality products that will energize your life. Our motto is "Making healthy living easy" and we ensure that with our latest innovations and quality products like juicers, blenders, sprouters, dehydrators and other wellness and specialty items.
If you’re looking to blend nuts and seeds into your drinks, you should look into getting the Tribest PB-250 Personal Blender. Affordable, compact, and easy to use, this blender is perfect for crafting protein-packed, nutrient-dense protein shakes.
The Tribest comes with a 16-ounce container, measures 5 x 5 x 12.3 inches, and weighs 4 pounds.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Great for crushing hard materials such as nuts and seeds, so if you’re looking to create protein-rich protein shakes, look no further!
- Easy to use – only has two operation modes
- Robust 200-watt motor that allows for creamy blends
- Blades are fully enclosed, rendering it impossible for the blades to hurt you during operation.
- Dishwasher friendly
- Good at blending a variety of ingredients
- Comes with two operation modes: 1) the one-touch pulse and 2) the press and twist for continuous blend or grind.
- Comes with two 8-ounce and two 16-ounce BPA-free large cups, a single commuter lid, and 3 cup lids
Cons:
- Not the best at blending frozen ingredients
- Not the best at blending black sesame seeds or chia since they can get lodged in the blades.
- Ingredients can get stuck in the tip of the cup, and you will have to manually scrape the food back into the container in order for everything to blend properly
- Plastic container is not dishwasher-friendly
NutriBullet Pro – Most Efficient Blender
NutriBullet Pro - 13-Piece High-Speed Blender/Mixer System with Hardcover Recipe Book Included (900 Watts) Champagne, Standard
$99.87 in stock
6 used from $78.90
Features
- With 900 watts of power, the Pro is faster and stronger than the original, but just as simple to use. Load it up with dense whole foods like nuts, seeds, hard fruits, and kale, then push, twist and blend your way to a healthier lifestyle.
- Optimized 900-watt motor and refined nutrient extraction blades blend The toughest whole foods into nutritious shakes, smoothies, and nut butters.
- Included: (1) 900W motor base, (1) Extractor blade, (2) 32 oz. Cup, (2) to-go lid, (2) lip ring, (2) lip ring with handle and recipe book
- Powerful stainless steel Extractor blades use Cyclonic action to break down tough ingredients. High-performance, BPA-free plastic cups are long lasting and Durable.
- Hassle-free cleaning - simply twist off the blade, rinse with soap and water, and put the cups in the top rack of the dishwasher. This item comes with a 1 year Limited.
With 900 watts of power, the NutriBullet Pro is built for efficiency – you can create a smoothie or protein shake with this product in under a minute.
This blender creates smoothly-blended smoothies and protein shakes. You can also use this tool to refine whole foods into nutritious nut butter and shakes.
Pros
- Extremely efficient and affordable
- Will have no leaks if you do not fill the cup past the maximum line and only use crushed ice
- Comes with extra pitcher gaskets
- Effortless to clean and store – to clean, simply twist off the blade and rinse with soap and water
- Dishwasher friendly
- Comes with a lip ring, recipe book, lip ring with handle, extractor blade, to-go lid, and a 32-ounce cup
- Comes in a variety of colors, including but not limited to champagne, clover, coral, rose gold, and violet
- 1-year limited warranty
Cons
- Not meant to be used for longer than 60 seconds
- Rather loud – you may not be able to have a conversation while using this product
- Not as sturdy as it could be
- Using it to blend frozen items can cause leaks
- Pitcher is made of plastic, so this blender is not a good choice if you’re looking to make hot or warm protein shakes.
A Wrap-Up
All of these products are excellent blenders for protein shakes. However, the Vitamix E310 is our best pick since it is a professional-grade blender with many strong points.
As the most affordable Vitamix blender, the E310 is an excellent entry-level blender for protein shakes. It is not too big or too small (unlike the AICOOK OYeet, which is intended for personal use), has just the right number of speeds, and offers you the most functions for the lowest price.
Unlike many of the other options on this list, the Vitamix is great at crushing frozen items, which are essential ingredients for many protein shakes and smoothies.
Further, the Vitamix E310 can create hot and warm protein shakes, a feat that most of the blenders on this list aren’t capable of doing. While the Blendtec Professional 800 is capable of creating hot and warm protein shakes, it is much pricier than the Vitamix E310.
This is why the Vitamix E310 is our best pick because it combines efficiency with flexibility and affordability. Click here to buy the Vitamix E310.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Blender for Protein Shakes
We know how hard it can be to buy the best blender for your buck. Here is a YouTube video to get you started – it shows you what you should look for in a blender before deciding to buy it.
It would be best if you ask yourself the following questions before deciding to buy a blender for protein shakes:
What Size is Right for Me?
If you only want to use your blender to make protein shakes for yourself, you can pick up a small blender to save on storage and make cleaning simpler.
However, if you want to keep your options open, you should go for a medium-sized blender.
Keep in mind that blenders with smaller containers tend to be less powerful, so if you’re looking to blend harsh ingredients, you may want to go for a medium or large-sized blender.
How Important is Practicality of Cleaning to Me?
Some blenders are dishwasher safe, while others are not. However, even if a blender is dishwasher safe, you must carefully read the manual to determine whether the blades, lids, and other parts are also dishwasher safe.
Some blenders also do not have detachable blades, which can make cleaning more difficult. It’d be ideal if you also keep in mind that the more complex your blender is (i.e., the more parts it has), the more difficult it may be to clean.
Self-cleaning models such as the Vitamix E310 are a fabulous choice if you are interested in blending various protein shakes in one sitting. For non-self-cleaning models, you should look at whether the blender is dishwasher friendly or not.
Read the instruction manuals and reviews clearly – while many blenders claim to be dishwasher friendly, it may not be the best idea to place certain types of blenders in dishwashers. Some are too large to be safely stowed in a dishwasher, while others have lids, cups, and pitchers that should not be exposed to very high temperatures.
Note that the electronic part of your blender cannot go into the dishwasher, even when the blender is described as “dishwasher-friendly.”
How Quickly Do I Want to Blend Protein Shakes?
While every blender owner wants a model that can blend effectively and efficiently, some blenders blend quicker than others.
Further, smaller blenders often have weaker engines or fewer speed settings, so if you’re looking for a flexible blending experience, you should look at getting a model with multiple speed settings. Smaller blenders like the AICOOK OYeet and the Tribest PB-250 Personal Blender are not always the most powerful or the most efficient.
How Much Do I Want to Pay for a Blender?
Unfortunately, not all blenders are as good as they claim to be. If you want a blender that lasts more than a few months, you may have to prepare to invest in a pricier model.
However, pricier doesn’t necessarily mean higher quality. Many pricey blenders have been criticized for being too loud, too large, or too small.
At under $100, you will find mostly small personal blenders. These will often be smaller and weaker models that are meant for personal use. An example from our list would be the AICOOK OYeet Personal Blender.
In the $100 to $200 range, you will find a mix of personal and professional blenders. These blenders will have more speed options and may allow you to blend tougher items such as frozen vegetables and nuts. However, they are not likely to be heavy-duty and thus, should not be used commercially.
In the over $200 range, you will find heavy-duty blenders such as the Vitamix E310 and the Blendtec Professional 800. They often come with many speed settings and are able to crush ice, frozen items, nuts, and more.
As a rule of thumb, the more expensive a blender is, the more likely it will work well in a commercial setting (i.e., not be too loud, be able to work efficiently and effectively, and be able to blend drinks continuously without overheating).
What Kind of Pitcher Do I Want?
You should also ask yourself what kind of pitcher you want. Blender pitchers are usually made of glass or plastic.
Glass pitchers are cheaper, dishwasher-safe, and compatible with both hot and cold ingredients. However, low-quality glass can easily shatter, while higher-quality glass can make the blender bulky to carry around.
If you’re always on the go, a plastic pitcher would be a better choice. However, note that many plastic pitchers are not dishwasher-friendly and may not be BPA-free.
Is Noise Level Important to Me?
Last but not least, consider the importance of noise level, since some blenders are louder than others. Reading user reviews and watching videos of the blender in action will give you a better idea of what the noise level is like.
However, quieter blenders, such as the Blendtec Professional 800, perhaps are less energy efficient, bulkier, and more expensive.
