Stick Blender for Smoothies?

[bostonwendy]

Have you used a handheld blender to make smoothies? I am away from home for an extended period, staying in a furnished place but it does not have all of my usual tools and gadgets. Right now I am missing smoothies terribly and have no blender. I can't bring myself to purchase something I have at home already, even if my blender at home is not a great one. Hence my interest in a handheld (like Cuisinart Smartstick or one like it). At least I would end up with a tool that would still be useful when I brought it home, for pureeing soups right in the pot for instance.

Can I make a good smoothie with one of these? My fear is that it won't be powerful enought for frozen fruit, ice, spinach, etc.

I have also been scouring craigslist for a Vitamix on the cheap but that is a longshot.

 

[kathryn]

I don't think a handheld will work well with ice, or even frozen strawberries. They are good for blending puddings, soups and such, but I've never tried them (nor thought of it) for smoothies.

Another suggestion would be to get a single-serving blender (like a Tribest personal blender: http://www.tribestlife.com/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=3 ) that can do the job. Then, once you're home, you could use it at work, or find some use for it at home. It also has a carrying case, which makes it easy to travel with, so you could take it with you whenever you are on the road.

Caveat: I haven't used the Tribest myself, but it seems to be the go-to small blender in the raw-food community. I've used the Magic Bullet for smoothies, and it does a pretty good job (though frozen strawberries are still tough---just thaw them a bit before blending to solve that problem. I also don't put ice in my smoothies, as the frozen fruit makes it cold enough for me.)

 

[strider]

I use my $9 stick blender for smoothies all the time. I dump the frozen fruit & liquid ingredients and everything (ice sometimes) in a big strong plastic mug I have and blend turning the stick blender on and off, works great for me and no big blender to wash.

 

[wonderwoman]

I was looking for the same thing and I found one made by Hamilton Beach. It's a small portable blender and made just for smoothies. It works great with frozen fruit. I havent put any ice cubes in it because the frozen fruit already makes it cold and icy. I normally just cut the fruits in smaller pieces before I freeze it. I found the blender at Shoprite for $24.99.