Hamilton Beach 51101B Personal Blender with Travel Lid, Black
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Hamilton Beach 51101B Personal Blender with Travel Lid, Black
Customer Review: Great little blender for the price.
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm about to buy my 3rd one. I've got one at home, and one I take on the road with me. I'm buying a new one because the one I've had for a little over a year has finally gotten a small crack at the bottom and leaks slightly; I don't know if it's because I had stored it for a short time in sub-freezing temperatures, or just because I've used it until it cracked. Who cares? It's $12, that comes out to a buck a month. I use it anywhere from 2-10 times a week, depending on how warm it is and what I'm in the mood for.
I was reading some of the other reviews complaining about several things, and I wanted to address my thoughts on those issues after having used one of these for about 2 years.
Leaking around the lid: I just now filled it 3/4 full of water to test it out, since I usually make smoothies or shakes with it, and they are much too thick to leak. Yes, it will leak a bit around the slide cover of the travel lid, if you are blending thin liquids. It wasn't very bad, and if you hold your hand over the lid it won't get everywhere. All I can think of is that some of the reviewers aren't snapping the lid on completely and it's leaking around it. I've never had a smoothie leak through or around the lid.
Not blending anything solid/only blending stuff on the bottom. People, if your mixture is too thick, it can't get down to the bottom to blend up correctly. A large kitchen blender will blend thicker stuff because (a) it's got a more powerful motor, and (b) a much larger blending container. When you are using this, it's better to put the liquids in first, and then the harder stuff up top; otherwise, you are going to have a very thick mixture on the bottom that can't rotate up and let the thinner stuff down. This isn't a design defect, it's just physics and the way things are. When I make smoothies, I put the ice in last, and it grinds up large chunks of ice very smoothly. If it's still a bit too thick to blend up, I add a bit more milk or juice or whatever so it will work properly. Once it gets going, it has a nice whirlpool effect and everything gets blended well.
As far as the smoking motors, I have had no problem with either of mine. You can smell the motor bushings when you use it, but it's the same smell you get from every electric motor, just ask anyone who owned a model train as a kid. I only blend for less than 20 secs at a time, so maybe that's why I have never burned the motor up. You can't leave it going continuously like you might a large kitchen blender.
People, this is a one serving blender, and for $12, you get more than what you pay for. I'm sure there are better ones out there, but not for even twice the price of this one; if I have to buy a new one every year, I can live with that. You can't compare it to a full sized kitchen blender and expect it to do everything the big one does. I thought about taking one star from it for a couple of things I would recommend changing about it (I think a blending lid would be a good idea, and it would make it easier to clean if you could separate the blades from the bottom), but in the end I decided that I couldn't expect those things from, once again, a $12 blender.
In conclusion, it does what it professes to do (makes smoothies and shakes), does it very well if used properly, and does it for what I consider to be a bargain price. That should be the gold standard for 5 stars, in my humble opinion.
Customer Review: Awesome and Perfect for Smoothies!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for an inexpensive small personal blender that was powerful, easy to use, and could blend a perfect smoothie. I did a lot of research and looked into about a dozen other brands including the famed "Magic Bullet". What I found out was that not all personal blenders are made equal. The "Magic Bullet" didn't get very good reviews even though it is by far the most popular. After all my intense research, I settled on this one... The Hamilton Beach Single Serve Blender. Here's the scoop on what makes this surprising blender the "cream of the crop" :)
Pros:
-Simple and easy to use
-Easy to Clean
-Powerful enough to chop frozen fruits (and probably ice too)
-Pulse button allows you more control because you can start or stop it.
-Seems very sturdy and only has 3 parts to it. (lid, glass, and base)
-This thing is freaking cheap... got mine for $15.
-Blends Smoothies perfectly with no unchopped pieces of fruit.
-Power cord can be tucked in and wrapped around bottom of base for storage.
Cons:
-Emits a slight 'burnt oil' odor while it is in operation... but it's not as bad as it sounds.
-The Lid seems kind of flimsy.
Conclusion:
At $15 this little blender is not only a bargain, it gets the job done and does it well! In fact, it works just as well as my friend's personal blender which costs more than twice the amount I spent on this one. The elegance and simplicity of the design is also to be admired. The plastic blending container also doubles as a travel mug and the Lid to it doubles as a sipping lid when used as a travel mug. It's a nice surprise to see a product in which you can see that they put a lot of thought into it's design. It's positive aspects greatly outshine the few negatives... especially when considering the price. So if you need an amazing blender but you're on a budget, pick this one up and never look back! By the way, this thing is also available elsewhere... like "Wally World" and "Target" ...and at the same low price :)
Customer Review: Takes Up Little Space, Works Great
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this Hamilton Beach Single Serve Blender for myself last year. I like it so much, I just bought one for my dad as a holiday gift.
I actually think it is a generous size in that the markings on the plastic blender jar say 12 ounces, but I always fill it up more than that, so that I can have 2 servings, one to drink now, and one for the next day.
So far I have bought smoothie mix, but have found I prefer to make my own smoothies with fruit juice and a banana, and a few ice cubes.
I put about 12 ounces of juice in the blender jar, then add pieces of the banana, then add about 4 ice cubes, then I turn the blender on.
The motor is quite powerful and has no problem crushing up the ice cubes. I would have preferred a glass blender jar, but for my dad this is great, as I don't want him cutting himself, so with this plastic blender jar no chance of that, plus I think they also made the jar plastic so that you can take the drink with you after you have made it. It also had a lid you can open and close, and to drink from that fits right on the blender jar. It's very easy.
This single serve blender takes up very little room on the counter. I did let my dad know to pulse the blender, instead of letting it just run. Only one button, so very easy to use.
My dad told me he will be making fruit drinks, and I also told him he can make milkshakes in it too, or vegetable drinks.
I just rinse the jar and lid out after using, so cleanup is a breeze.
I have had regular blenders but hardly ever used them, but this single serve blender I have been using quite alot. It does exactly what I want it to do, quickly and easily.
I love this single serve blender, and I think my dad will too. The price is also quite reasonable. Makes a great gift, for yourself or for someone else.
Customer Review: A good investment
Summary: 5 Stars
I am so glad I bought this little blender. It is exactly what I need for making smoothies. I have a Back to Basics smoothie maker with a pouring spout and that is fine for making smoothies for the whole family, but I also make them daily for myself alone, thus the need for this personal blender.
When I make my smoothies in this little blender, I use 6 to 8 ounces of plain yogurt, 4 frozen strawberries (available at the dollar store), 1 TBS wheat grass powder, 1 TBS ground flax seed, agave nectar for sweetening, and top it off with some milk to make it more fluid. I also use bananas when I have them. The result is good, but a little gritty because of the flax seed. I don't mind, though, because I am feeling great. The flax seed not only lowers my cholesterol, but my joints feel better as well.
This product is easy to clean, and that includes getting ground flax seed out of it. You have to pulse it, instead of keeping it on full blast, but it doesn't take long at all before the frozen strawberries are all blended, and I can enjoy my smoothie. It makes great milkshakes, too.
I have had mine for about 6 months now, and I love it. If it broke tomorrow, I would go right out and buy another one, because it is so handy. You can take your smoothie drink with you, because of the handy container, but I drink mine at home, so I can't really say how it fits into the cup holder in the car.
There is a burning motor smell almost every time you use it, but it doesn't seem to be a problem for this little machine. You will have to make sure it is properly seated in it's motor base before you turn it on.
I also like that it doesn't take up much counter space. I can leave it out, and it's not in the way.
Customer Review: Great*
Summary: 5 Stars
There are really more than enough reviews of this little gadget, so this is really more of a reinforcement than a unique perspective. First, if you're looking for a small blender to make protein shakes or smoothies, this is great. It's exactly what I use it for. It seems perfectly powerful, although I still pre-slice things like bananas just to give the motor a break. There are some small issues, though: 1.) This is not a full sized blender. while I think it would chop up a lot of things, you risk shortening the life of the motor. 2.) the blades are set rather high which means that there is sometimes a little pocket of less mixed contents at the bottom. Personally, I accept this as part of the bargain for what this thing is and how inexpensive it is. 3.) the sippy cup top is clever, but if the tumbler is more than 3/4 expect the contents to foam out during blending. 4.) It's ever so slightly difficult to clean. since the blades are fixed in order to make the tumbler portable, you have to gingerly clean around them and you can't easily get under them. I think it's probably fine if you rinse it immediately, but long-term cleanliness may be an issue. 5.) finally, the tumbler can probably hold up to 16 ounces (it's marked to just above 12), but I'd expect some overflow. This is also a little inconvenient since most servings are 8 ounce. If I wanted to mix 2, I'd have to do it twice.
Conclusion: Despite the 5 issues I've raised, I love the thing. it works well and was just what I was looking for. I don't have to disassemble a full-size blender for an 8 ounce protein drink. I am pretty sure you will enjoy it as well, just keep your expectations realistic.