I need a small blender -- any suggestions?

[Trifle]

Hi folks

Long story short, I don't have a blender and I need one because I'm going to start making smoothies (to deal with some nutritional/food allergy problems).

I'm minimalist and I definitely don't want some huge thing that's going to sit on the counter.  I'll be putting it away after each use.  I like to buy durable, well made things that are going to last for years. 

I'll only be making single servings, not batches of anything, so I think a small blender would do.  It will probably have to chop up frozen fruit and maybe ice cubes. 

Does anyone have a recommendation for something small and well made? 

Thanks all!

[uniwelder]

A submersible stick type blender could work, but not for ice cubes or frozen strawberries. Smaller fruit like blueberries would probably blend in ok.

We found one at the thrift store. It has a detachable metal shaft that makes cleaning easy. I suppose there might have been other attachments that could have snapped in place.

[Trifle]

Thanks @uniwelder !  That's helpful.  I do have a stick blender I use for soups, and I hadn't thought of just making do with that.
I can give that a try for the softer items like bananas.  I think you're right that it's not going to work on anything frozen.  Maybe I can just plan ahead and make sure everything is thawed beforehand . . . 

I looked at Craigslist and there a bunch of blenders on there, so I agree there will probably be a lot of them in the thrift stores.  I'll definitely be into thrifting one, but it would be great to go armed with some suggestions on brands/types.   

[BeanCounter]

I have this one and love it. Powerful and stores easily.
https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Ninja-QB900B-Master-Prep-Pulsating-Food-Processor-and-Blender/5171197/product.html?opre=1&option=7072426

[SquashingDebt]

I have a Kitchenaid stick blender and I've made smoothies with it most mornings for the last 10 years.  It does totally fine with frozen bananas, berries (including strawberries), and cherries.  It struggles a bit with big chunks of frozen peaches and pineapple and mango because they're harder, but it still gets the job done.  The only thing I had to pull out the big blender for was pomegranate seeds in one of the frozen fruit blends I bought.  The stick blender did NOT like those, lol.  I've never tried it with ice cubes, though, so you'd have to see.

One tip is to put the hardest things in the middle of the cup as you're layering everything in.  I do yogurt, then spinach, then frozen fruit (hardest), then fresh banana, then flax/chia/protein powder.  Then top it off with almond milk and blend.  It's also important to work relatively quickly.  If you get distracted for more than a minute or two between pouring in the almond milk and actually blending, it can kind of freeze with the berries and make a big clump that's harder to blend.

[chemistk]

We have this:

https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Personal-24-Ounce-75-Recipe-Cookbook/dp/B00P2PFMV0/ref=pd_lpo_3?pd_rd_i=B00P2PFMV0&psc=1

It is the only blender we use. It's got a very small footprint, and can easily be stored. Replacement blades (the "teeth" on the drive side of the blade can wear if you strain it too much) are cheap, and you can blend right into the container you drink out of.

When my wife uses it to make smoothies, she's usually tossing frozen berries, bananas, peanut butter, and almondmilk into it, and it handles all of it like a champ. We also used it to make baby food, and to blend (cooled) sauces.

The drawback to this style is that you can't put anything hot into it, since there's no vent. There's a similar model they sell with a more traditional putcher, but the pitcher isn't interchangeable between the two models.

I personally don't really consider immersion blenders to be "blenders" in the strictest sense, as the geometry of the blade and the way it's inserted into whatever container you're mixing in does not lead to efficient blending for anything that's not already mostly liquid. We have an immersion blender, and don't get me wrong - it's incredibly useful. But it's just not up to the task of something like a smoothie (at least how we make one).

[iris lily]

Thanks @uniwelder !  That's helpful.  I do have a stick blender I use for soups, and I hadn't thought of just making do with that.
I can give that a try for the softer items like bananas.  I think you're right that it's not going to work on anything frozen.  Maybe I can just plan ahead and make sure everything is thawed beforehand . . . 

I looked at Craigslist and there a bunch of blenders on there, so I agree there will probably be a lot of them in the thrift stores.  I'll definitely be into thrifting one, but it would be great to go armed with some suggestions on brands/types.

I shop the thrifts in St. Louis. I don’t see blenders. There are lots of coffee makers. There are good slow cookers usually. Tons and tons of bread machines.

[Adventine]

Before you spend any money, have you checked your local Buy Nothing groups on Facebook? I see people on my local groups giving away small kitchen appliances all the time.

[Frankies Girl]

Aldi has a very well loved blender coming back into the stores this week:

https://www.aldireviewer.com/ambiano-high-speed-blending-system-coming-back-to-aldi/

Looks to be priced at $25, easy to clean, small footprint, comes with all you need to make most stuff you'd be interested in. I don't own one of these, but I saw it in the sales papers and thought I'd throw it out there that they'll be available right now.

Otherwise, I have a stick blender I got for free (it was a thank you/xmas gift from work) and I do recommend those if you don't need a ton of space taken up by things.

[travel2020]

Bought the small nutribullet several years ago from Costco and highly recommend it. Works like the day I bought it and is used several times a week:

https://www.nutribullet.com/shop/blenders/nutribullet-600/

[Trifle]

Thank you all so much!  This was exactly what I was hoping for. 

I'll experiment a bit with our KitchenAide stick blender to see what it can do -- thanks @uniwelder and @SquashingDebt.  If I decide I need to step up to a blender I've got several brands/models that you all have vouched for.  Thank you @BeanCounter and @travel2020.  I really like the one you're describing @chemistk -- it looks perfect.   I'll also be at Aldi tomorrow morning and I will see if that little blender is there, and check it out.  Thanks @Frankies Girl !

@Adventine -- thanks! That's a brilliant idea and I love the idea of Buy Nothing, but I don't have any social media accounts (other than this forum). I think Buy Nothing was trying to make their app accessible to those without a social medial account, but from what I read online it's not working that well yet unfortunately.