Hamilton Beach 51101B Personal Blender with Travel Lid, Black
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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 |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Hamilton Beach 51101B Personal Blender with Travel Lid, Black
Customer Review: It works, but seriously- get a real blender.
Summary: 2 Stars
EASY TO CLEAN MY A**!
First of all, you can't take this gizmo apart, leaving it with the rubber components and the blade always attached. Does that sound easy to clean to you? Sure, it might be if you do it right away, but picture this.
You make yourself a smoothie in the morning and use the cup as it was intended, drinking straight from it as you drive to work. You finish the smoothie and leave the cup in the car, intending to clean it when you get home.
Now imagine dried up fruit gunk under the blades, along the small ridges on the side, and the fact that the cup is not going to be easy to maneuver your hand inside of.
How is that easy to clean, people?? HOW?!
And another thing, I just burned the motor out on it trying to make a smoothie. It accomplished it's task, but I turn it around and FOOM! OH NO SMOKE! I have used this thing less than thirty days. Don't buy it if you're going to try to make a smoothie that isn't practically liquid.
Get a real blender!!
Customer Review: Durable Work Horse with Minor Flaws
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had this blender for several years and I use it every morning for smoothies. It gets the job done for 1-2 servings without the complications or clean-up of a large blender. I've used it a few times for thicker stuff like hummus and it works just fine with a little bit of patience and nudging, but if you're going for power and want silky consistency with tough ingredients (things with peels/skins, dense pastes, etc), get something more aggressive. If you want a basic, inexpensive smoothie machine that will last you a while, you can't beat this guy.
Pros:
Durable plastic
Easy to clean
Small and lightweight - perfect for a small household, easy to go from cabinet to counter
Still works great after years of daily use
Simple - one "pulse" button
Inexpensive
Cons:
Lid is not an easy fit, takes some forcing/prying - I wouldn't use as a travel cup
Distinct burning plastic smell during long, tough jobs
Leaves bits (ex: spinach flecks or cranberry skin)
Customer Review: The little blender that could!
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this as a travel blender so I could have my diet protein shakes while on the road. It stayed in the box until my regular family-size blender broke. I pulled this one out and it worked better than my big one! I drink two protein shakes a day: 8 ounces of juice, protein powder, and about a cup or 1 1/2 cups of frozen fruit (strawberries, melon balls, pineapple, and sliced peaches). I defrost the fruit in the microwave for about a minute before pouring it in. I haven't tried to blend without defrosting yet, but perhaps I should. This little guy is quieter and faster than my big blender and does a much better job of liquifying the fruit. No chunks at the bottom of the cup, unlike my big blender, and everything is mixed nicely together. I have used the lid in the car to shake-and-go without problem, although I'm always a bit afraid of it falling off. I take one star off because I'm lazy and wish it was dishwasher-safe, not that it is hard to clean. However, I still enthusiastically recommend this blender for small drinks.Customer Review: Good blender if you know its limitations
Summary: 3 Stars
I was really looking for a magic bullet in the store and couldn't find one. I decided to get this one until I could get the bullet. I knew from the start that this $13.00 mixer would not equal a real blender. So I keep this in mind when using it.
I blend protein shakes in it. I always put the liquid in first. Then if I use frozen fruit,it is sliced. If I use ice I use smaller cubes. I put the protein in last. BEFORE I turn it on, I shake the whole works up to start the mixing process. Again, I knew what I was getting into when I bought it. I also use the graduations on the sides to measure carefully. I notice that if I use a cup of liquid and a scoop of protein, it fills the whole thing to the top. So I lower the liquid level accordingly when I am adding fruit or ice( and yes, you should add some water when making drinks with ice).
Other than all that, it suits my purposes and I totally agree that the design is great. It makes storage and clean up "a breeze", as they say on infomercials.
Customer Review: Works Pretty Good
Summary: 4 Stars
I have had this product for at least 5mths, and it still works great. It is great for what I need, which is single use and on the go. You have to pulsate some harder items, but it blends very well. Just this morning I blended one apple, frozen mango, oatmeal, and milk. It tasted great.
I saw the other reveiwers who complaied that it ran over. One thing you have to remember is that it is a single serve blender and you can't fill it to the brim and not expect it to run over. I purchased my single serve blender from Walmart for $15. I haven't had any problems with it. It still works. I do smell a burning smell when it is working hard to blend something. That is why I've found pulsating and stoping and shaking the cup a little to get the contents rotating helpful. Overall for the price and purpose, this blender works well. I have other hamilton beach products and have not had any problems with them.
I would give it 5 stars if there was a way you could buy a replacement or extra blending cup. That part sucks.