Smoothie Operators: 5 Single-Serve Blenders Tested

I don't want to rely on some juice shop to satisfy my smoothie and milkshake fixes. I know my taste buds better than anyone. And frankly, I think I can make a better drink for myself than some hipster kid working his summer job. But I live on a budget, and I have pretty limited kitchen space, so I'm not about to shell out $500 for a fancy Vitamix.

Instead, I've been looking at single-serve blenders. They let you make your favorite drink exactly how you want it, quickly, and in a manageable size. Some even blend right inside the same cup you drink out of, so you can run out the door with little to no clean-up routine. I've also found that some of these single-serve blenders still offer a level of control and performance that approaches what you get out of a full-size machine. So they really are ideal for anyone who wants to save money, doesn't have the space for a larger appliance, or just wants blended drinks with less hassle.

How We Tested

We selected some of the most popular single-serve blenders, or any blending machines that let you blend directly in the same container you drink from. The maximum size of the drinking containers was 20 ounces, and all of them had some sort of lid for transportation. Some of the machines came with larger containers for blending more than one drink at a time, but none were the size of a full blender. We made drinks several using different ingredients -- yogurt, frozen berries, Nutella, ice cream, and fresh fruit -- to gauge varying consistencies and emulsification. We also looked at the size and weight of the machines, ease of operation, and portability. We stayed away from stick or wand blenders, because that's a different category.