Small wonder the BlendJet 2 has thousands of positive consumer reviews as it’s indeed a small wonder of a product. From the new larger size, 5x faster blend speed over its predecessor, water resistant design and self-cleaning at the touch of a button feature, you can create everything from smoothies, shakes, and even a number of adult beverages plus loads more. The company sent over a Blendjet 2 and some very nifty accessories to review and I can safely say this is one of the easiest recommendations I’ve ever had to make. For some, the hardest thing will be choosing a color or pattern design, as there are 21 (currently).

For the record, up until about a month ago. I owned a 30-plus year old big name blender that needed disassembly and cleaning between blends, which was a bit of a pain. When the motor finally gave out after all those years of service, I was in the market for a new model. After one blend with the BlendJet 2 ($49.99), I stopped searching and now use mine on a daily basis. The portability makes the unit perfect for busy users on the go and the one-press lock feature means you can blend and drink your concoction of choice without the need to tote a second container along. That said, the insulated Jetsetter Sleeve ($14.95) and Jetsetter Tote ($29.99) make for excellent ways to bring your blending skills to friends and family. The unit charges in an hour via it’s USB-C port, which gets you 15 or so blends per charge and yes, the cable is included.

Operation is a simple as it gets, thanks to the excellent design. One press of a button gets you a 20-second blend, while a double press turns the BlendJet 2 into a food processor that allows you to do some heavy duty chopping with dry or wet ingredients. Want to make your own salad dressings, guacamole, dips, or hummus? There’s a very helpful 120-page recipe book available called Next-Gen Blending ($19.95) that features 50 recipes, all easy to prepare and yes, many more appear on the company’s YouTube channel. Also included in the box was a selection of Jetpack smoothies ($3.99 each), which were all gluten and GMO-free, vegan-friendly, a good source of fiber and made with no artificial sugar or flavors. Oh. that $3.99 drops a buck if you subscribe to getting your smoothies delivered monthly.

As for my own recipe ideas, among many other things, I found out the Blendjet 2 is perfect for a traditional New York beverage. Or yes, you can make a proper Egg Cream with it, provided you do a tiny bit of prep work:

10oz whole milk or a mixture of milk ice cubes and milk

2-3 tbsp Fox’s U-bet Chocolate Syrup

Chilled Seltzer for mixing (warning: DON’T use carbonated beverages in a BlendJet!!!).

Add milk and U-bet to Blendjet 2, run for one cycle. Pour mix into tall glass, then add about 4oz of seltzer and stir vigorously. Part of the fun of an egg cream is the mixing part, so this drink should be made fresh each time. You can feel free to use your milk of choice, but I like the old traditional ingredients and as I recall some guy who worked in a delicatessen I used to drop by once saying about U-bet: “THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE.”

Speaking of milkshakes and such, the Blendjet 2 does it all from shakes, malteds and pretty much anything you can toss into it. For example, I ended up buying a giant can of Ovaltine from a shop here and I haven’t touched that stuff in over 40 years! I’ve also found that if you have freezer space, making coffee ice cubes comes in handy as well as reserving coffee for the fridge so you can make excellent iced coffee the next morning. Also, if you use fruit juice for your smoothies. try adding customized ice cubes of your choice along with that juice for a slushie-like texture along with a chance of brain freeze. A frozen margarita with lime juice and mint ice cubes? I don’t have a proper name for it, but I made one the other night.

There’s nothing negative to say here other than you’ll need to inform some overly eager folks that they can get their very own Blendjet 2 so they can stop making excuses to pop by and nicely ask for a cold drink. I say let them mix their own drinks and tell you about it, of course.

-GW