Shakes are a great treat to have on any given day to satisfy your sweet tooth. But you don’t have to settle with it being a once in awhile occasion. It can be an everyday delicacy with a blender on hand to mix one up in a few seconds.
If you’re looking for a meal replacement or a way to supplement some for your diet, investing in a quality blender could be the key to some of the best tasting protein shakes you’ve ever had.
Many individuals are already looking to protein shakes to improve health and a better well-being. If you want to also have a long-term solution to your nutrition and health, adding a quality blender to your countertop kitchen is a great step to a healthier lifestyle.
If you’re ready to take that plunge, I’ve compiled a list of the best blenders that can whip up a protein shake for you in no time!
Contents
- 1 Ninja Professional Countertop Blender
- 2 Vitamix Professional Series 750 Blender
- 3 NutriBullet NBR-1201 Blender/Mixer
- 4 Hamilton Beach Personal Blender
- 5 Blendtec Designer Series Blender
- 6 Oster BLSTPB-WPK My Blend
- 7 Instant Ace Nova Blender
- 8 Sboly Smoothie Personal Blender
- 9 Ninja Smart Screen Blender
- 10 Breville BBL620 Blender
- 11 What’s Inside the Best Blenders?
- 12 When to Make and Take a Protein Shake?
- 13 3 Easy Protein Shake Recipes
- 14 Invest in a Quality Blender for Life
Ninja Professional Countertop Blender
Protein shakes need to be whipped up on-the-go for that pre or post workout meal. You need something powerful and durable that can properly mix together almost any ingredient into your desired texture, whether smooth or thick. And it needs to hold up to make drinks everyday or every other day.
You can accomplish your health and nutritional goals with this with the best and affordable Ninja blender.
The 1100-watt base plus its easy to use 3 mixing functions can easily create that smooth and rich flavor you’re looking for. Clean up and consumption will be simple too with the provided personalized two 16 ounce cups if you want a personalized blender experience.
Simply throw all your desired ingredients into the cup and mix away. Now you have a protein shake ready to go.
The crushing technology of the blender will be an asset to your health journey as it is able to extract and take advantage of all the nutrients in your protein powder and other ingredients.
If you want that balance of performance and budget – this particular blender will be a valuable machine that you will be using in your kitchen everyday.
Vitamix Professional Series 750 Blender
For those who are looking for a high-end, long-term investment to add to their countertop, Vitamix is the right choice for top-tier blenders. If you truly want to be able to crush almost anything, you only want the industry’s best.
It’s a household name for a reason to both professionals and home cooks alike.
If you are a seasoned veteran in making protein shakes and smoothies everyday it might be time to upgrade to the Vitamix 750.
The blender provides a much more detailed blending experience allowing you more control with variable speed and pulsing action. The blades themselves pulverize the ingredients making the most rich shakes and smoothies. The quality of your everyday workout drink will have you looking forward to this delicacy everyday.
Stainless steel, aircraft grade construction, hardened blades – this is the type of thing you need in a buy-it-for-life blender. You’ll be able to mix your drinks in large quantities if you are in need of meal prep ahead to store in your refrigerator.
NutriBullet NBR-1201 Blender/Mixer
If the top two choices are a bit out of your price range another great option is the NutriBullet. It is a trusted brand backed by a blender that is all about simplicity and convenience. If you’re looking to save time in the kitchen and more time focused in the gym, you can easily load up with this particular blender.
The 600-watt motor will get the job done and provide you the desired texture of your protein shake. The extractor blade will both be durable and strong enough to crush most powders, fruits, and vegetables into a quick and easy drink.
You can easily pulse and blend whatever ingredient you need by using the provided cup as a personalized blender. Just throw anything in the cup, put it in the blender, and press down. Few seconds later you’ll have a tasty shake ready to drink.
Hamilton Beach Personal Blender
If you’re not looking to spend too much and want something on the cheaper side, Hamilton could be a great option as an entry-level blender. It combines all the main elements of what you want in a portable and compact blender.
While the blending function might not be as strong with a 175-watt motor, it can still make a pretty good shake with the right ingredients. You might not be able to achieve the smoothness and finer pulsing with their blades but if you stick to softer ingredients and foods it will get the job done.
But I think the most important thing that should draw you this blender is this:
The price.
You are getting bang-for-your-buck in terms of functionality and grinding up that protein shake pretty quickly and consuming it right after.
If you want to see if you can incorporate smoothies and shakes into your diet, a good way to try it out would be getting this Hamilton blender.
Blendtec Designer Series Blender
Back to the high-end series of blenders, a direct competitor for the Vitamix line of mixers is the BlendTec Designer Series.
Compared to the Vitamix brand it has 8 speed control features compared to the 5 that Vitamix provides. This allows for additional operations in getting the desired texture for your drinks. In addition, the touch screen interface feels more on the modern side.
And to top it off:
It’s cheaper compared to the Vitamix brand while still providing that durable and powerful crushing technology that can mix an assortment of ingredients to mesh into a delicious protein shake.
It is definitely one of the more powerful blenders on this list with its stainless steel blades that are thicker and cut through food better than most competitors.
Oster BLSTPB-WPK My Blend
If you’re a fan of the bottle blenders Oster is another great option that is cheaper but can mix up your protein shake real fast.
This blender breaks it down simply where you just insert your bottle, shake, and drink. If simplicity is the goal this is a great alternative to look at if you’re feeling a little tired after the gym.
The 20-ounce sports bottle is dishwasher safe and can be taken with you on the go if you’re in a rush from place to place
The compact size and assortment of colors can easily fit on your countertop and use whenever you need.
For those on a budget, I highly recommend doing some comparison shopping with this blender versus Hamilton.
Instant Ace Nova Blender
For those trying to make protein shakes and smoothies for multiple people, you might want a blender that can hold a lot of ingredients.
And to the rescue is none other than Instant Pot.
If you didn’t know Instant Pot makes other products besides their instant pot line. This blender includes a 56 ounce glass pitcher that will easily hold a variety of protein powder, fruits, vegetables, milks, etc.
You’ll easily be able to blend together a large serving of shakes and smoothies with the efficient 10-speed blending power.
You can expect a hardened blender with several features with the familiar Instant Pot interface at the bottom to create your drink of choice.
Sboly Smoothie Personal Blender
Too many buttons can make it confusing for some and just want to throw stuff in the blender in mix. You get that simplicity and efficiency in protein shake creation with Sboly’s personal blender.
The one button feature plus bottle blending capabilities allow for quicker and less pain in consuming a shake or smoothie. All you have to do is press the button and wait a few seconds for that on-the-go drink.
This also makes cleanup very easy with the single serve bottle. So if you find yourself drinking shakes on the daily, an easy to clean bottle is great to reuse consistently with a personalized blender.
Ninja Smart Screen Blender
Ninja offers multiple different options when it comes to blending and one of their offerings includes a smart screen display. One thing you might not be thinking about when buying a blender is the visual. A blender is going to be sitting on your kitchen countertop for a long time, you might as well get one you’re going to like to see everyday.
And with that thought in mind, a modern touch-screen blender lends itself to a higher quality feel with the functionality to back it up.
You get all the button features you want to create your drink of choice but also the satisfaction of having a trusted appliance that will be a cohesive part of your kitchen for days to come.
Breville BBL620 Blender
Last, but not least is the Breville BBL620. No, this is not a droid from Star Wars but a great all around blender that is quiet yet powerful.
The blades processing power makes this a strong option for both blending and processing of foods. The quieter motor and one touch interface makes it easy to know what type of texture you want in a shake.
This is a lesser known brand that can crush up all kinds of fruits and vegetables you might want to include in a silent manner.
For those that add frozen and thicker ingredients, this can crush it up in the late night or early morning for your convenience so you can avoid disturbing anyone in the house and waking them up.
What’s Inside the Best Blenders?
The 3 main factors you need to take into consideration when deciding on a blender are the strength of the blades, how powerful the motor is, and the pulsing/mixing controls. If you want to be a smart shopper, focus on these aspects of blenders first to get an idea of what is right for you.
Industrial Strength Blades
Stainless steel blades are ideal for both durability and cutting precision when mixing. If you want your blender to last you for years you want blades robust enough to cut through thick fruits, vegetables, and other solid ingredients. You want it to also withstand the test of time try to get blade types with industrial strength. If you’re constantly using the blender, you want to ensure that it won’t break easily within the first year or two.
Powerful Performance Motors
The speed of the motor will affect the mixing and crushing speed of the blender as well. Usually you want to aim for a higher watt blender. This usually lends itself to being much more powerful and also having stronger crushing speed and strength.
Pulsing and Variable Speed Controls and Actions
Everyone has their own tastes when it comes to the thickness or smoothness of their protein shake or smoothie. Having a blender that gives you several different options makes it easy to customize your shake to the desired viscosity. You can also mix-and-match the variable speed/pulse to breathe life into a drink recipe you’re used to.
When to Make and Take a Protein Shake?
Now that you have a blender or are close to adding one to your kitchen’s toolbox. It’s now time to put your investment to use. But you might be asking yourself:
Is there an ideal time to take in a protein shake?
And the short and easy answer is: no.
To expand on that, protein shakes are meant to either supplement some of your diet or add to it depending on your overall goals.
If you’re trying to bulk up you might want to take it before your workout for an extra boost of energy. But you could also decide to take it after to replenish your energy and allow protein synthesis to take place and help build muscle after a hard workout. Sometimes you might not have time to make a meal or buy food, so you can mix together a shape quickly to supplement that particular meal.
The point is, figure out your lifestyle and overall goals and use the blender and protein shake as a tool to make your life easier or better.
3 Easy Protein Shake Recipes
To get you started on your journey, here are a couple protein shake recipes we pulled that we thought were both delicious and healthy. And hopefully you find them tasty too.
And keep in mind – can always add, remove, or replace ingredients to your liking. These recipes can serve as a baseline and you can customize your own protein shake to your liking.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Protein Shake
- Strawberry Banana Protein Shake
- The Green Protein Power Breakfast Smooth
There are several other recipes you can find online but I’ve found these three to be popular choices that you can change up every other day so you don’t get sick of one recipe too fast.
Invest in a Quality Blender for Life
If you’ve read this far, then you know we advocate a buy-it-for life blender.
Usually that comes with a heftier price tag, but it doesn’t have to be. There are several competitively priced blenders on this list in the $100 range that can last you for years while still having the ability to make a refreshing drink.
But if you just want to try and see if adding blended smoothies or shakes is right for you, then it makes sense to opt for an entry level blender for a cheaper price.
Make sure to understand your priorities and lifestyle, and then go from there in how you want to make a simple addition to your life that will pay itself back in full over time.
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