Hamilton Beach 51101B Personal Blender with Travel Lid Reviews
7 reviews of the Hamilton Beach 51101B Personal Blender with Travel Lid
1、I had seen this blender online at Walmart.com, but as an Amazon fan (and Prime member) I knew it would be cheaper to order it here. I was pleasantly surprised when I got it, because I was really hoping to make some good fruit smoothies in order to jump-start my change back to healthier eating. Unfortunately, my cousin asked to borrow it when he invited my boyfriend and me over for dinner. I was scared that he would break it, because the Mexican dish chile colorado involves crushing chili peppers. That was that, and I figured it worked well because the sauce’s consistency was as good as I knew it. However, I had a problem. Right where the blades begin, there was (and still is) a residue of the chili sauce my cousin made. All I had to do was leave soapy water in it overnight, and the smell was gone. I made a banana/apple/pecan smoothie that was delicious and tasted exactly as it should—delicious. My fear of having my smoothies tainted by the taste of the chili sauce was gone right then and there. I love this blender!
2、Most of the reviews I’ve read here below 2 stars are failing to treat this blender with care. If you are making smoothies, make sure you do the following:
1) Always put liquid like nectar into the cup FIRST – very important. It should be at least 1/3 of the contents.
2) Don’t stick large pieces of fruit into the container. Cut them up into 1″ or less cubes. This will make it easier to blend.
3) Do not put large ice cubes in the container. It will get stuck between the container and the blades. The blades are not big. If you push your luck too far and hit the blender button, the ice cubes will get stuck. You can burn out the motor that way, let alone break the container.
4) Do not fill the container more than 75% of the contents. That will prevent any explosion and leaking.
5) Do not press the button for long durations. Do quick presses to let the contents move around and displace itself. If you get ice cubes stuck and continue to press, you will burn out the motor.
6) Always lock the cup into the base. It is really easy to just shove it in the base and hit the button. Don’t. There are icons on the cup that align with the base. Use them to avoid problems.
7) Watch the contents in the cup. If they are stuck and not moving, stop pressing the button. Take those items out and cut them into smaller sizes.
You will know you are pushing your luck too far when you start to smell an odor coming from the unit. Stop blending and let the motor cool down.
I’ve made many smoothies this way and they turn out pretty good. But just don’t expect professional quality because the blades and motor are nowhere near a professional/commercial quality blender.
3、I LOVE my Hamilton Beach blender! I use it to make my high protein meal replacement shakes. I add frozen fruit and ice cubes and it does an outstanding job of completely crushing the ice and fruit…even better than most regular blenders I’ve owned! No small pieces of ice are left in the cup, it makes the perfect smoothie consistency without the hassle of a regular size blender. No disassembling required so cleanup is easy to wash by hand or place in the dishwasher and it is so convenient to be able to drink right out of the blender cup – no need to dirty another dish, I just slide the opening and insert a staw.
I often use it 2-3 times a day and I just can’t say enough about it. These can also be purchased at Wal-Mart for a little less than $20 I believe if you need it right away; otherwise you will pay about the same through Amazon once you add shipping to the cheaper price. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this. I researched several different blenders before purchasing this one and I can tell you if you are looking for a personal blender for your smoothies/ shakes/ protein drinks…you will not be disappointed with this one! I’m going to buy another to have on hand since I use mine so much (I’ve had it for about 6 months of daily use and it is still working great!). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
4、I don’t leave many reviews, but I wanted to clear things up about this blender for people who are on the fence about buying it because of the mixed reviews like I was. This blender is amazing. I read that a lot of people have issues with weird smells or with the motor breaking down within days of receiving it and I can guarantee that is because they are using it wrong.
I’m sure that a lot of people use this to crush ice without a problem, but I can promise you that if you don’t put ice in it, you can make amazing smoothies and milkshakes without ever running down the motor. I use frozen fruit, yogurt, or ice cream to thicken the drinks without putting stress on the motor. Additionally, I read that a lot of people are holding the button down and then smelling a burning smell. This problem is easily solved by not holding the button down. I was extremely impressed by how powerful this motor is and how sharp and effective the blades are. There is no need to hold the button down and wear the motor out in order to get a perfectly blended drink. I just pulse the button, maybe ten times (ten seconds at most), and always come out with a smooth and well blended beverage. I’ve never smelt burning, the motor has never made weird noises, and the drinks are incredible.
I love this blender. It only cost me twelve dollars and I use it every single morning. AND ITS A CUP. Does it get any better than that? You just take it off the motor and bring it with you. It’s also great to not have to wash an entire full size blender for one drink. I just rinse this thing out with some soap and warm water and its good to go. If you need a personal blender and are undecided about whether or not this will work as it says it will, this one is wonderful.
5、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)
6、At first I had an awful time getting this to blend anything, but when I started playing around with the ingredients I figured out what this blender can and can’t do.
Since it’s just a tiny blender and has a small motor, it has a hard time with large chunks of ice. I don’t have a fridge that crushes ice for me so I have to do it myself and it’s kind of a pain, but the smoothies I’ve been making are so tasty I don’t really mind.
Also, I’ve been storing fruit in the freezer until it’s time to use it, but I think this had the same effect as the ice. So I started thawing small amounts of fruit in zip-loc bags to use in my next smoothie. Frozen bananas are fine as long as you cut them up into smaller bits before you freeze them.
And I think the most important thing I’ve discovered so far is to add plenty of liquid base. Whether that’s milk for my peanut butter banana smoothie or whether it’s juice for any number of fruit smoothies, adding plenty of liquid helps so much. I don’t want to add too much, so I blend a little bit, see how it does, add a little more, etc…
Again, it’s a tiny blender, so if the pieces in the blender are large or if what you’re blending is thick then the blades create a pocket of air in the bottom and whir around in nothingness. Hence tiny pieces and plenty of liquid.
The top to the blender is a little difficult to put on and off, but it has a little sliding hatch like a coffee mug so you can take it with you and use it like a cup.
7、This little blender has made my mornings so ridiculously easy. 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 scoop protein powder, a few frozen strawberries and half a banana. Four or five pulses, pour it into a glass and I’m out the door. I have just used the container as my glass before, but I prefer to immediately rinse it out so it’s ready for the next day. And yes, if you pulse for too long, it will start to emit a ‘burning’ smell. I try not to push my luck if I get to that point, but that only happens with the occasional stubborn or extra-large piece of frozen fruit. It’s also not great for blending anything without liquid in there; the blades will just spin around and not do anything. But it does make a great salad dressing and frankly if I need any more traditional blender features, I would just buy a regular blender. For smoothies and drinks alone, this baby is a steal at $15. I’ve since bought and stockpiled two more back ups, but I’ve been using the same one, at least once or twice a day, for over 8 months with no problems.
