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PopBabies Portable Blender vs. Hamilton Beach 51101AV Personal Blender Side-by-Side Comparison

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PopBabies Portable Blender vs. Hamilton Beach 51101AV Personal Blender

Overall Verdict

Both these blenders are simple, budget-friendly, and low powered, with the PopBabies offering cordless operation and the Hamilton Beach having a space-saving design. After testing both the Hamilton Beach and the PopBabies, we found that neither of them is worth buying due to their lackluster performance.

In the smoothie test, both blenders struggled to produce the desired thick and ice-cream-like texture. The PopBabies is able to achieve a smooth mixture, but the fast-thawing nature of frozen fruits results in a diluted consistency due to its extensive blending time, while the Hamilton Beach's motor and poorly-constructed blade led to a chunky texture. Their performance in the protein shake, ice crushing, and leafy green extraction tests were also just mediocre.

Nonetheless, if you place a priority on cordless operation for portability, the PopBabies apparently has an edge over the Hamilton Beach. It’s just important to note that this blender is only suitable for basic recipes with soft ingredients.

Ranking by
Showing: 2/2 Items

Pros & Cons

  • The cordless design allows for blending on-the-go. 
  • It is pretty useful when it comes to making small batches of baby food and fresh fruit smoothies.
  • The battery is easy to charge.
  • Inexpensive and easy to use with one-touch blending. 
  • Blending cup features measuring lines. 
  • Compact design makes it perfect for use in small spaces. 
  • It is adequate for light blending performance.
  • It’s inadequate for blending tough ingredients like frozen fruits and raw nuts. 
  • The cup’s small capacity limits the quantity of ingredients.
  • Food must be cut into very small pieces before blending.
  • The low cost of the blender is reflected in its flimsy construction.
  • The cup’s small opening makes it messy to add ingredients.
  • The need to shake the blender during operation
  • The low-powered motor limits its capabilities. 
  • Poorly-built quality impairs the machine’s overall performance and durability. 
  • It works inconsistently 
  • The blades are too short, which affects the blending time and final results.

Key Specs

Dimension
H10.2 x W3.3 inches
H12 x W3.8 inches
Weight
1.3 lbs (0.6 kg)
1.7 lbs (0.8 kg)
Number of speeds
1
1
Pulse/Turbo option
No
No
Dishwasher-safe wand
Yes
Yes
Accessories
a rubber funnel, ice cube tray
A to-go lid

Where to Buy

Price at publication
$34.11
$20.48

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Analysis and Test Results

Performance

Overall Performance Scoring
2.3
1.4

Protein Shake

2.8
3.4
A batch of protein shake prepared by the PopBabies Single-Serve Blender is checked for smoothness by being drained through a stainless steel mesh strainer, with a smartphone displaying the total blending time (3 minutes and 20 seconds) next to it.
A batch of protein shake prepared by the PopBabies Single-Serve Blender is checked for smoothness by being drained through a stainless steel mesh strainer, with a smartphone displaying the total blending time (3 minutes and 20 seconds) next to it.
Using a spoon to scoop a small smattering of dried blueberry chunks from a mesh strainer containing protein shake produced the PopBabies blender.
PopBabies Portable Blender Protein Shake Test
Hamilton Beach 51101AV Protein Shake Video
A batch of protein shake prepared by the Hamilton Beach Single-Serve Blender is checked for smoothness by being drained through a stainless steel mesh strainer, with a smartphone displaying the total blending time (3 minutes and 45 seconds) next to it.
Using a spoon to scoop a small smattering of dried blueberry chunks from a mesh strainer containing protein shake produced the Hamilton Beach blender.
Blending Time
3 mins 21 secs
3 mins 46 secs
Result
Very Coarse
Coarse

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

4.0
0.0
A spoon of fruity smoothie packed with blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and mango made by the PopBabies  portable blender with a smartphone displaying the total blending time ( 2 minutes and 01 seconds) next to it.
A spoon of fruity smoothie packed with blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and mango made by the PopBabies  portable blender with a smartphone displaying the total blending time ( 2 minutes and 01 seconds) next to it.
To check for solid chunks, after finishing blending, the fruity smoothie made by the PopBabies personal blender is spread throughout a white paper.
PopBabies Portable Blender Frozen Fruit Smoothie Test
Hamilton Beach 51101AV Frozen Fruit Smoothie Video
To check for solid chunks, after finishing blending, the fruity smoothie made by the Hamilton Beach portable blender is spread throughout a white paper.
A spoon of fruity smoothie packed with blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and mango made by the Hamilton Beach small blender.
Blending Time
2 mins
2 mins
Result
Smooth
Failed
Suction

Fibrous Greens

0.0
0.0
A glass of water and with fibrous greens pulp produced by the PopBabies Single-Serve Blender.
A glass of water and with fibrous greens pulp produced by the PopBabies Single-Serve Blender.
PopBabies Portable Blender Fibrous Greens Test
Hamilton Beach 51101AV Fibrous Greens Video
A glass of water with fibrous greens pulp produced by the Hamilton Beach Single-Serve Blender.
Blending Time
20 seconds
20 seconds
Result
Very Coarse
Failed

Crushed Ice Cubes

0.0
0.0
Hamilton Beach 51101AV Crushed Ice Video
A black tray of crushed ice produced by the Hamilton Beach Blender being on a table.
The amount of unblended ice cubes (4.48 oz) of the Hamilton Beach single-serve blender displayed on a scale’s screen.
Ice Fineness
Failed
Faild
Unblended Ice
100% of 6 oz
75% of 6 oz

Design

Overall Design Scoring
6.1
5.0

In the Box

The PopBabies  personal blender lying on a table with a paper carton box, user guide, charging cable, funnel, and ice cube tray by its sides.
The Hamilton Beach personal blender lying on a table with a paper carton box and user guide by its sides.

Dimensions

The PopBabies portable blender standing on a table, with the length of its motor base being noted to the side as 4.2 inches, and the total length and width of the unit as 10.2 inches and 3.3 inches, respectively.
The Hamilton Beach 51101AV Personal Blender standing on a gray table, with the length of its motor base being noted to the side as 5.8 inches, and the total length and width of the unit as 12 inches and 3.8 inches, respectively.
Height
10.2" (25.9 cm)
12.0" (30.5 cm)
Width
3.3" (8.4 cm)
3.8" (9.7 cm)
Weight
1.3 lbs (0.6 kg)
1.7 lbs (0.8 kg)
Length
Shaft Length

Build Quality

6.5
5.0
The motor base and blending cup of the PopBabies blender.
The motor base and blending cup with blade assembly permanently attached of the Hamilton Beach blender.

Blades

6.0
5.0
A close-up of the PopBabies’s blade
A close-up of the blade assembly featuring 4 stainless steel prongs inside the blending cup of the Hamilton Beach personal blender.
Material
Stainless steel
Stainless Steel
Type
Cross
Cross
Guard Material
Blade Count
4 blades
4 blades
Removable
No
No
Dishwasher Safe
No
Yes

Motor Base

The PopBabies’s Motor Base
The PopBabies’s Motor Base
A close-up of the PopBabies’s motor base
The underside of the PopBabies’s motor base
The Hamilton Beach motor base standing on a white table.
The Hamilton Beach motor base standing on a white table.
A close-up of the front interface of the Hamilton Beach motor base.
A close-up of the power cord featuring a 2-plug in the underside of the Hamilton Beach motor base.
Rated Voltage
N/A
120
Rated Power
175 Watt
175
Working Time
N/A
N/A
Protection
Yes
No
Weight
0.8 lb
1.2 lbs (0.5 kg)
Cord Length
NaN" (NaN cm)
2.1 ft (0.6 m)
Extra Feature
No
Ventilation holes

Blending Cup

5.0
5.0
The PopBabies’s cup standing on a table, with its dimension being noted to the side as 2.3x8.6x3.2 inches
The Hamilton Beach blender cup standing on a table with dimension measurements written to the side (4x8.2x2.4 inches).The Hamilton Beach blender cup standing on a table with dimension measurements written to the side (4x8.2x2.4 inches).
Material
Plastic
Plastic
Capacity
16.0 fl oz (473.2 ml)
14 Oz
Weight
0.5 oz (14 g)
0.4 oz (11 g)
Dishwasher Safe
Yes
Yes
Measurement
Yes
Yes
Suitable For
Small batches
Small batches
Accessories
A funnel
No

Speed and Controls

A close-up of the power button on the motor base of the PopBabies
A close-up of the power button on the motor base of the PopBabies
Someone is measuring the noise level of the Popbabies personal blender with the noise meter (86.4 dB).
Someone is measuring the noise level of the Hamilton Beach personal blender with the noise meter (98.8 dB).
Activation
Button
Button
Min Speed
N/A
N/A
Max Speed
17,234 RPM
23,341 RPM
Presets
No
No
Noise Level
86 dB
98 dB
Digital Display
No
No
Pulse Mode
No
No

Usability

Overall Usability Scoring
4.6
5.7

Hands-Free Operation

3.0
4.6

Assembly

7.0
6.0

Cleanability

7.0
8.5