I Tried the BlendJet 2 Personal Blender and Don’t Know How I Lived Without It
There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
On Trial: BlendJet 2 Portable Blender
The Tester: Brandon Carte, protein shake drinker who has had his last straw with shaker bottles
The Brief: This portable blender works surprisingly well despite its small shape and battery-powered motor.
Like millions of others, I end my weightlifting workouts with a protein shake. Over the years, I've accumulated a drawerful of those shaker bottles that come with the wire whisks. I hate them! They don't do a good job at breaking down my protein powder, creatine, or PB2 and they almost always smell terrible — even after cleaning them.
When I got the chance to test out BlendJet's latest battery-powered portable blender, I sprung at the opportunity in hopes of finding a much better alternative. I've been using the BlendJet 2 regularly for a month now and won't go back to my shaker bottle anytime soon.
For those who are unfamiliar, the BlendJet 2 is a single-serving personal blender that's about the size of a water bottle. It comes in several bright colors, is primarily made from BPA-free plastic, has a waterproof USB-C port for recharging, and features a single button on its front for power and changing blend modes.
The portable appliance is made from three main parts: there's the jar, a lid (which screws atop the jar and includes a wrist strap to help make the blender easier to carry) and the base (which holds the motor, battery, and blade assembly). The jar can also be detached from the base for deep cleaning, but you'll mostly keep the two together since the BlendJet was designed to be drunk from directly.
The first drink I made was — you guessed it! — a protein shake. The user guide recommends pouring in liquids first and then solids with some room at the top. So, I did just that and added some milk, a heaping scoop of whey protein, and a teaspoon of powdered peanut butter. One blend cycle did the trick and my shake was perfectly smooth and free of chunky bits of leftover powder.
Speaking as someone who normally gulps down protein shakes as fast as possible to just get them over with, I found that with the BlendJet, my drink tasted more flavorful and less chalky. Consider me impressed!
The BlendJet 2 has two separate modes that you'll alternate between depending on what you blend. Unlike most countertop blenders, the BlendJet 2 has just a single speed setting. Pushing its button once makes the blender's six blades spin continuously for 20 seconds. Double-press it to enable pulse mode, which is better suited for chopping tougher ingredients and achieving a chunkier texture.
You can even push and hold the button for three seconds to lock the blender, so it won't accidentally turn on in your bag or when you're drinking from it.
The portable blender also makes refreshing smoothies. It didn't skip a beat blending frozen blueberries, yogurt, ice cubes, and a banana. I've also used it to chop nuts while baking and to make a creamy tomatillo salad dressing. It worked well for making a pair of frozen margaritas, but because of its narrow lid opening, if you had lots of fresh fruit you'll have to slice them into smaller pieces.
Occasionally, ingredients will get stuck. During a late-night sweet tooth episode, I made a milkshake. After adding my milk, chocolate syrup, and then a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream, I pressed the blend button, but the blender froze up. The indicator light on the blender turned red. One quick flip upside-down and a shake loosened things up, and it started right up. When I enabled Pulse Mode, it annihilated the thick ice cream.
My favorite thing about the BlendJet 2 is how easy it is to clean. Most times, all you need to do is a quick blend with soapy water and rinse. I don't even mind that none of its parts are dishwasher-safe.
Another advantage of the BlendJet is its significantly lower $50 price point in comparison to standard countertop blenders, which cost at least twice as much and oftentimes more. If you just need to make a few drinks, some salad dressing, or chop a handful of ingredients up, the BlendJet 2 is a much more inexpensive and more portable alternative.
It's worth mentioning that the blender does not include a power brick for recharging. It comes with the charging cable, however, and the blender will run for 15 cycles before needing to be plugged in.
Closing Argument: As long as you don't expect the tiny hand-held blender to do the same job as a dedicated full-sized kitchen blender, I think you'll be quite pleased with its performance. What makes the BlendJet 2 shine is how convenient it is to use.
Countertop blenders take up a ton of room, they have to be plugged in, they're noisy, and are a pain to clean. The BlendJet 2 doesn't come close to having the power of a full-sized blender, but it works good enough and is a lot easier to use and clean, so I keep coming back to it time after time.
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