Blenders don’t come cheap. This is why you spend hours reading reviews and understanding ratings just to make sure you end up with the best blender for the money.
But, here’s the thing:
You don’t always have to spend hundreds of dollars just to get your hands on an efficient and reliable blender. You just have to know exactly what to look for in a good cheap blender and you’ll be able to narrow down your list to the most affordable models.
To help you out, here are our top picks for the best value blender.
Blender Under $50 Reviews
1. Hamilton Beach Smoothie Smart 700-Watt Blender
Why we love it: Durable
Hamilton Beach Smoothie Smart 700-Watt Blender is the best value blender for anyone looking to kickstart a healthier diet. With a 700-watt peak power, it can process vegetables and fruits into perfect smoothies. It can even crush ice with its powerful Ice Sabre Blades and its Ice Crush Cycle that works on high, medium and low speeds.
In addition to power, its motor is quite durable as well. It has been life-tested to blend about 8,000 drinks. Now, that’s very impressive.
This blender is also quite simple to operate. Unlike most models that’ll require you to get familiar with a lot of confusing buttons, this one won’t keep you guessing.
2. Magic Bullet Blender
Why we love it: Efficient in most blending tasks
The Magic Bullet Blender’s price isn’t the only thing you’ll love about this good cheap blender. Despite its size, it’s highly efficient and that makes it extra popular to a lot of people.
You see, for its price, you’ll get a high-quality machine that can make smoothies, grind coffee beans, make spreads and create juices. It can even chop onions. And all of those things are possible with the blender’s 250-watt motor.
Take note that this power is only sufficient for a small quantity of ingredients. It won’t work that well if you fill its container excessively.
As for capacity, this one is capable of holding 16oz. It’s just the right size for making single servings.
Now, if you need to create several batches or you need to use it for different recipes, you won’t have to worry about cleaning it up after each use. You simply have to rinse it with soap and water and you’re all good. You also have the option to clean the cups in your dishwasher.
And if you don’t like cleaning, no problem! This blender actually comes as an 11-piece set. You’ll have different jars, cups and pitchers you can work with.
Just make sure you have a lot of space in your kitchen. Otherwise, storing those containers won’t be a lot of fun.
3. Bestek BL15 Personal Blender And Coffee Grinder
Why we love it: Has different blades
BESTEK BL15 Personal Blender and Coffee Grinder is the perfect fit for anyone looking to achieve a healthy and active lifestyle. With a 300-watt motor, it has enough power for grinding, mixing and blending.
Additionally, the blender has two types of blades. Its wet-blade assembly has 4 pieces of blade while the dry-assembly only has 2.
The blender comes with 3 different sports bottles which are all BPA-free – a 600 ml glass jar, 570 m and 400 ml bottles. Its grinder cup, on the other hand, measures 200 ml.
All of its bottles, jars and removable parts are dishwasher safe for your convenience. Cleaning up the blender is easy as well. Like the previous product, you only need to fill it halfway with water and add a few drops of soap. Run the blender for about 30 seconds and you’ll get a clean machine.
The blender features an interlock system which is great for safety. It won’t run unless you assembled it correctly.
And you know what else?
The blender also has an overheating protection. Even if you over-run it, the appliance won’t get too hot, reducing damage to its motor.
To operate the blender, you only need to press the one button it has in front for about 30 seconds. Once done, you simply twist the jar counterclockwise and take it out. If you’re not satisfied with the mixture, you can simply repeat the procedure.
4. Oster 6831 10 Speed 5-Cup Blender
Why we love it: Durable
Oster 6831 10 Speed 5-Cup Blender is anything but basic. With 700 power watts and 450 blending watts, it can chop and pulverize ingredients with precision.
In addition to power, its 4-point stainless steel blades are also impressive. It’s durable to withstand most blending tasks, making it a really great choice for people looking for the best budget blender.
This blender has 10 speeds. From pulse to puree, it gives you more control over your recipe.
As for the control, they are buttons which means that liquids and food debris can get trapped in between them. This can make cleaning the blender’s exterior a bit tricky.
The pitcher it comes with is a 5-cup glass jar. That size should be enough to help you create several servings of your drinks and smoothies. And like most of the blenders on this list, it’s also dishwasher safe.
5. Aicook Blender
Why we love it: Has several safety features
This AICOOK Blender is easily the best blender for the money. For its price, you’ll get a high-performance blender with 700 watts of power.
The unit houses stainless steel blades which are carefully coated with titanium. This simply means that the blades aren’t just sharp but they can last long as well. They can pulverize and break down ingredients with ease.
This blender has 8 different blending functions. It even comes with a Pulse button which you can use to dislodge any ingredient that gets stuck in its blades.
Now, here’s the most interesting part.
The appliance comes with a handful of safety features. For one, it won’t operate unless the cup is firmly placed into the motor base.
It also has a cooling fan which can prevent your blender from overheating when it’s running at a high speed. Also, there’s an overload protection device to protect the motor and extend its life.
There are slip-resistant rubber feet as well. They can make sure that your blender stays in place when in use.
How To Choose The Best Blender Under $50
Finding the best value blender isn’t that different from finding the best blender. It’s just that you won’t have as many choices with your budget.
Now, don’t feel bad about that.
There are still a lot of blenders that can perform according to your standards without burning holes in your wallet. To show you how we were able to find the best blender under $50, below are the criteria we used.
Power
When searching for the best blender for the money, you have to consider how powerful the blender is. Spending less doesn’t have to mean you have to compromise performance.
If you are looking for a blender for personal use, look for blenders with about 200 watts. For blending dressings and sauces, 300 watts is enough. For processing ice cubes and a large quantity of nuts, pick blenders with 500 to 800 watts. Heavy-duty ones can have greater than 1,000 watts.
Ease Of Cleaning
The ease of cleaning after use is another factor you have to consider as well. Check if the blender has hard-to-reach corners, particularly under the blades. If the unit you are planning to buy has removable blades, assess how hard or easy it is to put back together. Remember, if you fail to assemble your blender properly after washing, there’ll be a risk of leakage.
Speeds
Since you’re looking for a good cheap blender, don’t be surprised if you end up with blenders with limited speed settings. If you really consider it, having a few speed settings isn’t that bad. It’s actually convenient since you’ll only have the most essential ones.
Most affordable blenders typically have 4 buttons pulse, stop, low and high. Some units only have one setting while others, if you’re lucky to find them, can give you as much as 10 options.
Capacity
This will depend on how you are planning to use your blender. If you want a blender for creating single servings, a personal blender might be enough.
Most mini-sized blenders are capable of holding about 1 to 2 cups of food. A full size, on the other hand, can hold about 5 to 9 cups of foods.
Blender Jar
Blender jars can be stainless steel, glass or plastic so you need to be extra careful when choosing.
Plastic blender jars are more convenient since they are lightweight and portable. They are also a lot more practical and great for commuting.
They are, however, not the best choice if you’ll be processing hard ingredients. They can end up getting scratched, diminishing their clarity.
Glass jars, meanwhile, are more resistant to scratches. They are clearer and has no risk of discoloration. They can also repel food odors.
The problem with glass jars is that they aren’t durable. They can easily shatter into small pieces if not handled properly.
Stainless steel jars are more durable and powerful. Most of the time, they offer a large capacity which makes them great for heavy duty use. The only problem with these jars is that they aren’t clear which can make it hard to quantify how much ingredients you’re working on.
Design
Pay close attention to your blender’s blade design as well as the number of blades it has.
Blades that are arranged in varying angles work better in pulverizing ingredients into a fine consistency. Also, consider if the blades are removable. This can ensure better storage and cleaning. It also helps avoid moisture buildup around the blades after each use.
Noise
If you are like most people who dislike loud blenders, you have a lot of factors to weigh in.
A blender’s speed settings and power wattage have a lot to do with how noisy or quiet a motor is. Its surface hollowness, top lid material and blade design are factors that determine the unit’s noise control as well.
If you are greatly concerned about the noise, pick a blender with sound absorption feature. This can be a little bit tricky since you’re budget is limited.
In case you can’t find one, there are things you can do to reduce your blender’s noise. For example, you can move it away from the wall or place the unit on top of a silicone mat or dish towel.
If you have family members at home who get annoyed with loud blending sounds in the morning, try to blend the night before.
Conclusion
A good cheap blender can give you everything you need in a blender as long as you choose wisely. Paying a lower price doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality, convenience and performance.
In our search for the best blender under $50, we found the Hamilton Beach Smoothie Smart 700-Watt Blender as our top pick. With its power, it’s able to process vegetables and fruits into really great smoothies and drinks. It’s powerful enough to process ice as well.
In addition to its low price and excellent performance, the blender is also easy to operate. There’s no need to guess which buttons to use and you can even create recipes without stirring the mixture at all.
