Hamilton Beach 51101B Personal Blender with Travel Lid, Black
|
List Price: Our Price: $14.60 You Save: $6.00 (27%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $12.99 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Hamilton Beach 51101B Personal Blender with Travel Lid, Black
Customer Review: Perfect for a quick shake---but needs spare blender jars
Summary: 4 Stars
I like how filling, quick, and easy protein shakes can be, but I don't like trying to get the powder to dissolve and I like to add fruit to the mix. This blender is the perfect size for what I need. It holds about a cup and a half of ingredients with room to blend, the jar doubles as a travel mug, and the lid has a sliding part that creates a hole to drink through. It handles fruit just fine, and leaves not a trace of grainy powder after several pulses.
Important note: When I bought this item (and as of right now as well) the Amazon "Frequently bought together" recommendations includes the Stay Or Go Hamilton Beach Blender Travel Cup. Do not make the mistake of thinking that actually goes with this blender---it goes with an entirely different blender! Unfortunately I haven't yet been able to find spare jars for this blender, which is a shame, as that was part of the attraction (make a shake, put the jar in the dishwasher, make another shake in the spare jar).
My favorite shake to make in this blender: 1 cup milk, 2 scoops Biochem egg protein, 1 teaspoon sugar or maple syrup, and a banana. A few drops of almond extract make a nice optional addition.
Customer Review: Perfect for the right purpose. Blending Protein Shakes.
Summary: 4 Stars
Anyone who has tried using nutrition and protein powder shakes finds out quickly that they must be blended. Stirring , shaking doesn't work and they come out gritty and chunky and basically gross. Using a full size blender is a hassle to clean every day. I picked this up for [...] bucks, about the same price as a good quality shaker, and I love it. It is easy to clean, no hassle. No small parts to remove, no extra glasses to wash (it is a built in one serving travel cup). Here is the downside. It is NOT very heavy duty. Do NOT try to blend a margarita or custom smoothie with tons on things to chop, I wouldn't trust it. It is good for short bursts at a time, enough to blend a shake to perfection. I add water, powder and fruit (banana), and a little crushed ice to chill it (THAT's IT). I tried crushing whole ice, and it did the job, but I thought I would burn it out too quickly.
If you want to blend a quick shake, LOVE IT! For [...] bucks I'll replace it every year. If it blows up before that, I'll let Hamilton Beach send me a new one, but until a find something that does the same job, better, I'm going to latch on to this for dear life.
Customer Review: THREE stars BECAUSE....
Summary: 3 Stars
These blenders ARE a great size and do the trick for a quick smoothie, HOWEVER, the plastic on the cup gets pitted very easily (I use a little frozen fruit and in SMALL chunks)and obviously that can't be good for the person drinking the smoothie (where are those miniscule bits of plastic going?). The motor is strong enough to blend the fruit, but the cheap plastic cup gets beat up and feels rough after maybe a month of use. I have had a couple of these in the past, and just wound up getting a new one maybe every three or four months after they started feeling very rough, because of how cheap they are, I haven't minded. The last one I got either wasn't as good (motor continued to sound overworked and after about a minute of blending, smelled like a chemical or burning smell) or they've changed the construction a bit. I DO love the size and how quick I can whip up a smoothie, but next time, I'm trying Hamilton Beach's other mini blender, which I believe was put out previous to this one. It has more reviews as well. Since I don't use mine as a travel cup, I WISH they would do one with a glass, or at least a stronger plastic, container.
Customer Review: One Major Flaw
Summary: 3 Stars
I've been using this blender several times daily for over a month now, and on the whole it's terrific. I use it to make protein shakes- the kind that taste disgusting if not thoroughly blended- and this product is great at very quickly doing just that. It's the perfect size to blend individual drinks, and the convince of being able to drink directly out of the cup is great. It even has a nifty recessed ring around the base that the cord can easily wrap around, making it easy to store.
But then there's the lid. The #$@%$^% lid. It's a piece of junk. First of all, it doesn't properly fit the top of the cup, so that it takes a ridiculous amount of force to get it on and take it off. This is especially a problem when taking it off, since the (useless) drink hole on top doesn't close tight enough and whatever you're blending comes seeping out onto the lid, where it pools, and then sprays everywhere when you pry that @#$&* thing off.
Then again, it was also very cheap, and I didn't want a full on blender, as this is something I use at work. It's frustratingly close to being perfect. Stoopid lid.
Customer Review: Light Duty and Fair performing - Inexpensive - Small and portable
Summary: 4 Stars
- I think its got a 175 watt motor. The size of fruits pieces I put in range from 2cm X 2cm to about 4cm X 3cm.
- 3 second pulse and 5 second wait. Harsher use will blow the motor out. Light duty only.
- Blend in it. Drink from it. Clever, and convenient for me.
- I don't have to worry about having another bulky thing to stuff in while packing as I keep moving often. Its small.
- It will fit in most cup holders in cars.
Use it sensibly and it will be worth every cent you put into buying it and more.
Tips:
- Hold the lid down firm while blending. It doesn't really leak, but if its full to the brim the pressure might force some liquid out of the gaps.
- If you smell something burning, wait for 30 seconds before you continue blending.
- Rinse it soon as you're done with your smoothie. If stuff hardens near the blades, it will be difficult to clean it as the blades are not very accessible (without removing them. Repeated removing might loosen the attachment at the bottom.)