Hamilton Beach Portable Blender for Shakes and Smoothies, 14 Oz BPA Free Travel Cup & Lid, Durable Stainless Steel Blades, Personal Smoothie Blender, Red (51101RV)

This is a nice little inexpensive blender. Something happened to the little blender that I'd bought for my smoothie-making, and I thought that maybe I could fix it, but didn't have the time to pay attention to blender repair and, with warm weather just around the corner, absolutely needed a blender for smoothies! So, I went looking for something small, easy to use, and inexpensive, and this is exactly that. Some reviewers say that it's cheaply made, but it seems fine for me, and had a nice selection of colors to choose from (I got the light blue). It feels sturdy, holds just the right amount for a generous glassful of morning smoothie, I haven't had a problem crushing a cube of ice (though I generally crush my ice a bit first), It's easy to clean as long as I put water into it to soak right away. So, I haven't fixed my older one yet. This one quickly buzzes up my morning drink, and is kind-of perfect for me.

I had been using a portable blender (it is called “Popbabies”, which is…unfortunate) that I found at the thrift store to make my kencko smoothie packets and it worked fine but it only came with one bottle and the bottom is cracking on the bottle. I had to replace it with something before it became unusable and this one looked like a decent replacement. This blender has some improvements and some features that are less convenient than the portable blender. 1.The portable blender is a usb-c rechargeable device and this device must always be plugged in. That’s not important to me because I will save my original mini blender for camping, but if you wanted portability this may not be it. 2. This blender is more powerful in that it will crush ice much easier but some protein/smoothie powder remains as the blender blades are raised well above the bottom of the cups, as well as being smaller in comparison to the cup than the rechargeable one, which is narrower and eliminates any powder mix on the walls. I have not noticed a huge difference in flavor, however. 3. The lid stays on the blender cup when you drink which is nice because I have to store the screw-on lid from other one SOMEWHERE when I am drinking. That’s inconvenient because it’s usually coated in smoothie…. However if you’re not careful to hold the sliding mouthpiece closed on the cup lid, some liquid can exit from the top as you blend. All in all it’s a keeper but I do wish it was rechargeable. That’s my only complaint and to be fair it never advertised that it is.

6/19/2024 Update. I reduced my rating from 5 stars to 4 stars because Hamilton Beach has another model (51190F) at the same price that address most of the weaknesses of the lid on this model (51101AV). It is called the Personal Blender with Leak-Proof Travel Lid. Oddly it is not available on Amazon at the time of this review update. The 51190F has a screw-on lide with a flip top and is called "Leak-Proof."After using the non-leak-proof lid model several times daily for more than a week, I noticed that liquid does leak out of the opening in the lid and the pinhole even when the lid is closed. This happened when blending 10 oz of liquid with ~50 g of powder or 12 oz of liquid with ~15 g of powder. It did not leak badly but more than a few drops.In addition to the occasional minor leaking described above, I found that removing the lid for clearning was a hassle every single time I use the blender. Each time I can't predict exactly how much pressure I need to apply to remove the lid and worry that I will splatter liquid by accidentally removing the lid to suddenly.Despite the above, I would still rate this blender 5 stars given its price. It is after all still very good when used several times daily. That being said, given that there is already a model available that addresses the main problems with the lid at the same price point, 5 stars can't be justified. The 51190F has a leak-proof screw-on lid that is available now and at the same price.Original Review.This review is based on using Hamilton Beach Portable Blender 14 Oz for mixing powdered shakes and beverages multiple times daily.I use this to mix powdered (protein) shakes and (electrolyte) beverages to eliminate clumps that remain when using a shaker bottle. It does that perfectly. Far superior to a shaker bottle, especially if your powder to liquid ratio is high.I did not use this blender to blend ice, frozen fruit, or anything other than powder that could otherwise be mixed with a spoon or shaker bottle.There are many individual serving blenders on the market. This product is unique:-Blades are at the bottom of the cup-Cup detaches from a base that plugs into a standard electrical outlet-Cup is a thick solid plastic with a wide mouth for ingredients-Most other individual blenders have an attached base and the blades are on the lid (you invert the cup when blending) which creates a risk of injury every time you put the lid on and off.Those features are perfect for my use case because:-I use this at home, so I don't need the base attached-I want to prep, mix, clean quickly multiple times daily-Cup detached from base is easier to handle when prepping, drinking, cleaning-Blades at bottom of cup keep my fingers safe when quickly repeatedly usingI previously used a shaker bottle and because I mix powdered beverages multiple times a day, I noticed I had to shake longer and harded multiple times every day in hope of eliminating clumps. This seemed like a risky practice over the long term, given it was every single day, multiple times. Vigorously shaking my body, arms, and even head so much seemed like a bad idea.The shaker bottle I used was the Helimax 2.0 Vortex. That is the best shaker bottle available in my opinion. It is effective at eliminating clumps, but it the powder to liquid ratio is high, like when mix multiple powders in a beverage, it requires more shaking and more vigorous shaking. It can be cleanded very thoroughly with minimal effort. There is not blender attachment that is difficult to clean and the surfaces are all wide open making it so easy to clean.This personal blender completely addressed my concern about using a shaker bottle so much.HAMILTON BEACH: THANK YOU!NOW SOME SUGGESTIONS / REQUESTS:LID.-Screw On Instead of Snap On. The lid is easy to snap on, but it takes effort to get it off for cleaing. With the uncertain effort it takes to remove the lid, every time I fear splattering residue from the lid/cup when I remove it. I would suggest referencing the shaker bottle I used previously, the Helimax 2.0 Vortex. Its lid is a screw on with perfectly engineered screw threads. Easy on, easy off, no leaks at all.-Thicker Material. Again, the Helimax 2.0 Vortex lid is a good reference. It has much thicker material.-Larger Hinged Snap On Cap Instead of Sliding Door with Hole. The sliding door seems to work, but I am concerned about residue building up under it even though I clean it immediately. Also, I noticed it has a pinhole in it. This makes me concerned about leaking in case the cup falls over. It did seem like the pinhole helps with flow when I drink from the cup, but a larger opening would be preferred. I am not sure if the pinhole also helps with blending when the door is closed. The opening in the lid is too small to drink the contents quickly. Helimax 2.0 Vortex has the perfect size opening with a hinged snap on cap. It us solid, easy to drink from, easy to clean, and I do not worry about spillage.-Protruding Opening Instead of Protruding Lip. The lid has a lip that protrudes into my mouth when drinking. This puts distance between my mouth and the opening to the lid. The Helimax 2.0 Vortex has a large round opening that protrudes in a cylinder shape about a half inch. Perfect for sipping slowly or gulping down quickly.CUP-It would good if the outside of the cup (not the inside) could be beveled. The smooth round shape on the outside makes me concerned it is going to slip out of my hand. The Helimax 2.0 Vortex has a beveled design that made me always feel confident when handling it.Overall this Hamilton Beach Portable Blender 14 Oz is beyond expectations at this price point and completely works for my demanding everyday use.

Omg I love this little convenient blender , is small but so powerful and holds exactly how much I need. The fact that it can turn into a cup right off of the blender , I love. The blades are sharp, there is only one speed but effective and it's a cute pink which was the cherry on top for me. I love making my smoothie every morning in this blender, great design.

I never write reviews until I have owned and used for awhile, because some things are not as advertised and go back or are tossed out!!. This gets used about every other day and has held up well. I am a bit surprised, but then I have never had bad luck with Hamilton Beach!

Great little blender. It’s the perfect size for our morning protein shakes. This is actually our second one. The first one has lasted over three years of every day use. Well worth the price.

The motor works great but we have had to replace this twice in 4 years. We don't use it that often.The first time the cup cracked at the base.The second one we got the lid split..I like the product but this is ridiculous and I will be buying another brand.