What's the point of a portable blender?

It begs the question: why would anyone need a blender when out and about? Can you imagine someone breaking out a liquidiser on a quiet trail to make their own high-protein treat? The cheek of it. It’s the exact same crime as bringing a bluetooth speaker to the beach.

But the demand for portable blenders saw a notable increase in 2022, fuelled by a rise in healthier eating habits, the expense of store-bought smoothies and juices, and the return of people to the real world following two years of home isolation.

They are also smaller than your usual bench-top workhorse, easy to cart around, and require minimal energy to run. Perfectly convenient for those heading out of the house.

Marketing photos of the handy travel product by NutriBullet show one user preparing to blitz some pre-chopped fruit in a park setting, while another user is seen stuffing the device filled with what resembles pumpkin soup into their backpack. A confusing sticker on the base says, “For household use only”.

Out of the box, the NutriBullet Portable Blender is a streamlined and lightweight appliance, comprising a 590ml blending cup and detachable base. It is said to be ideal for mixing smoothies, soups and protein shakes, but for this review I head outside to make a tropical afternoon beverage.

There is no need for an extension cord; as long as you’ve charged it via the standard USB-C cable it should have enough battery power to see you through upwards of 15 cycles.

By pressing the button once, it turns blue in standby mode. Pressing it again launches the blender into action. It makes quick work of my ingredients to blend two frozen margaritas right there in the great outdoors. The sound of the blades crushing ice might take away from the serenity, but it is notably quieter than my usual plug-in version and the convenience is incredible.

The clip and flip lid opens easily so users can pour their creation into glasses or drink straight from the vessel. I’m forced to take off the screw-top lid to remove two chunks of ice which weren’t completely broken up by the blades.

The appliance is also made portable with a handle lid and weighs next to nothing when empty. With just the charging cable supplied in the box you need an adaptor to connect by wall socket or a laptop with USB access. If you don’t have either, then you’re out of luck.

I can see myself taking the blender away on a weekend to whip up morning smoothies and afternoon drinks. I don’t think it will make it into the suitcase for a long-haul getaway, but for those who are interested, blenders are allowed on aircraft in carry-on bags if the blade has been removed. NZ$99.99,