The Hamilton Beach 58148A performed quite well, earning an above-average score. The motor base has one button that you need to press constantly to blend. Simulating a pulse mode by pressing and releasing in short intervals is also easy. However, blenders with programs or that run continuously after one push of a button are more convenient since this design means hamilton beach blender you can’t multi-task while your smoothie blends. The jar has a 14oz blending capacity, so it’s only suitable for blending small batches, like single-serve smoothies or protein shakes. Designed to Make Less NoiseIf you are concerned about waking up the whole family when making your morning shake, keep an eye out for blenders designed to dampen the sound.
Keep in mind I also had to leave the machine running for 2 minutes on Puree/Smoothie/Icy drink mode for the slurry to gel properly. Oddly enough, the Hamilton Beach MultiBlend didn’t shine as brightly on our smoothie-making trials as its smaller, less powerful sibling. I measured the MultiBlend’s smoothie mix to have a lower consistency percentage of 87.5 (meaning it was less smooth) after the same 45 pulses. However, you should dry the components on a separate dish drainer, as we don’t think there is enough airflow to let it dry on its base. It is very well labeled, with large text that is easy to read for its low, medium, high, and pulse settings.
The blades are always attached when you use the jar as a travel cup. It’s mostly made of plastic, which doesn’t feel very premium or durable. It doesn’t have any anti-slip pads to help keep it stable while blending. The plastic lid also feels quite cheap, as it’s very thin and doesn’t fit tightly on the jar. The Hamilton Beach Personal Creations Blender is a fairly small, compact model.
On the upside, you can wash the jar and the lid in the dishwasher, and it’s also easy to wash by hand. The Hamilton Beach Personal Creations Blender is awful for professional use. It doesn’t hamilton blender feel very durable, and its 14-ounce capacity main jar isn’t suitable for making large batches of food. It can’t hot blend or handle difficult blends like making nut butter or crushed ice.
After 30 pulses on high speed (Grind/Crush ice mode), the blender reduced my 2 cup sample of whole raw almonds to mostly powder. Letting the engine roar for 15 more pulses (45 total) and I had legitimate almond flour on my hands. Unfortunately, no amount of time or motor pulses could transform my nutty materials into true, creamy almond butter. There’s no getting around the fact that the Hamilton Beach MultiBlend is not a fearsome slicing and dicing machine. For that you’re much better off springing for a much more powerful blending device from Ninja, Vitamix, or Blendtec. That said, akin to its small appliance relative the Stay or Go, the MultiBlend does have enough juice to handle standard blending duties and my tests bore out this fact.