This personal blender has been my summer heatwave saviour – but will it still earn its place on the counter come fall?

When temperatures soared above 90°F this week, I was especially grateful to be testing the best personal blenders, not roasting dishes or wood-fired pizza ovens. Standing over a hot stove was out of the question, but whipping up chilled salad dressings and smoothies? That I could handle.

The Beast Mighty 850 Plus quickly became my go-to for staying cool and nourished during the heatwave. It blends some of the creamiest smoothie bowls I’ve ever made at home – thick, silky, effortless, and Instagrammable.

But there’s more to this blender than just good looks and glossy results. Can it handle ice? Is it too loud? And most importantly, is it worth the steep price tag? Let’s dive in.

Specifications

Design

The Beast Mighty 850 blender's design is a cut above the rest. It feels sturdy and premium. I chose the white design, which is minimalist and sleek, but it is also available in covetable colorways, such as pastel lilac and moody blue. The motor base is tiny, with one simple button for controlling your blender. It didn’t hog any counter space, so I was happy to leave it tucked in the corner of my kitchen all week during testing. It also fitted neatly into my shelves.

The accessories are more sprawling. It comes with three cups – extra large, medium, and small – and three interchangeable lids with carry handles and built-in straws. This was my favorite part of the blender and the main factor that propelled it into my guide to the best personal blenders. The versatile cups and lids allowed me to be flexible with my recipes and transport different drinks around with me – even small dips and dressings that I could put in the office fridge for my lunch.

What is it like to use?

This blender keeps things simple: there are no presets or variable speed settings – just a single, light-up button on the motor base. Press and hold, and it gets to work. While my decibel meter registered a relatively quiet 80 dB during smoothies (impressive by blender standards) in real life, the sound felt noticeably sharp and piercing. This might be personal opinion, but some reviewers agree with me (more on this below)

Test 1: Berry breakfast smoothie

For the first blending task, I always choose the toughest smoothie ingredients to push the appliance to the limits. That includes frozen strawberries and blueberries, banana, protein powder, peanut butter, chia seeds, rolled oats, yoghurt, and a splash of almond milk to get it all moving.

Once I had loaded up the large blender cup, I pressed the singular button on the motor base. I quickly realised you need to hold it down for a couple of seconds to set the blades whirring continuously, rather than pulsing. Once the blender was away, I watched as the fruit turned into a velvety, purple pulp with only a few flecks of chia.

I tried the same test the next day with chunks of frozen banana, but this caused more trouble. After around 20 seconds, I realized that the banana was causing a jam. I shook the blender and tried again, but I think the fruit was just too solid. I let the banana thaw for a couple of minutes (it didn't take long in the heat) and tried again with much more success.

Beast recommends adding your liquid first before fruit to help things move around, which I'm not sure I did on this test (I blame the heat for my lack of precision here). I have used that method on every blend since, and have had no problems at all.

Test 2: Green goddess dip

Cool, creamy dips were my go-to during the heatwave. I whipped up a green goddess dressing, and the Beast’s performance was silky smooth, even though I tossed in tonnes of fibrous kale, strands of chives and whole cloves of raw garlic. There wasn't a lump or fleck to be seen.

I put it straight in the refrigerator in the medium blending cup with the tight sealing lid, which kept it fresh and vibrant for a couple of days. I dipped into it with tortilla chips, carrot and celery sticks throughout the week.

Test 3: Crushed ice

Unfortunately, the one thing this blender wasn't 'mighty' enough for was ice. While popping a single ice cube into a smoothie was fine, the blender struggled with larger batches of ice. When I tried to make a sno-cone, the crushed ice cubes got lodged under the blades and stalled the blending process.

If you’re desperate for a frozen drink, you'll need something larger, more powerful and suited to crushing ice. A Vitamix e5200 will tackle the task with no qualms, or the cheaper Vitamix alternatives I've reviewed can blitz ice excellently, too.

Cleaning & maintenance

Post-smoothie cleanup was less refreshing and more frustrating. The interior ridges made cleaning sticky smoothie residue very fiddly. I struggled after thicker blends, which left traces of ingredients like chia seeds and protein powders. The jars, lids, and accessories are all dishwasher-safe, though, which does help if you are blessed with a dishwasher (I am not).

On a positive note, I found the included blade brush helpful for cleaning around the sharp blades without risking cuts to my fingers. This is a thoughtful addition; I've tested over 25 blenders this year, and I've never seen anything like this included by a brand.

How does it compare?

When stacked up against the leading personal blender in our best blender guide, the Beast Mighty 850 falls a little short. The Nutribullet Ultra features a more powerful motor that powers through tough ingredients like ice cubes and chunky frozen fruit with ease. However, it's also about 10 decibels louder – and far less visually appealing than the beautiful beast.

If aesthetics are a priority and your primary goal is blending creamy smoothies and dips, I’d probably recommend the Zwilling Enfinigy Personal Blender over the Beast. I rated it 4.5 stars in my review. It's more affordable at around $99, easier to clean thanks to its ribbed exterior (not interior), and just as stylish. That said, the Zwilling lacks some of the thoughtful extras the Beast includes – like interchangeable lids and reusable straws – so it depends on what you value most.

Of course, compared to a full-sized blender, the Beast Mighty 850 is naturally more limited in both capacity and versatility. If you're looking for a machine that can handle soups, sauces, nut butters, and serious ice crushing, I’d recommend investing in a Vitamix every time.

What do customer reviews say?

I tend to look at Amazon.com for reviews first, since they always seem to be the most honest in comparison to comments I see on brand websites. Overall, Amazon reviewers appreciate the quality and style of the Beast Mighty 850 blender, praising its size and versatility, yet criticising the price and fiddly cleaning. It earns an average of 4.3 stars.

One top review says: 'Before I made the switch to this new blender, I was using a Vitamix, which I ultimately decided to donate. The main reason for this decision was my need for a more compact option that would fit better in my kitchen. Since this new blender arrived, I have been absolutely obsessed with it! I can’t express enough how much I enjoy using it. It’s the perfect size, not too bulky, yet spacious enough to accommodate my favorite smoothie recipes. The performance is outstanding; it blends everything to a creamy consistency with ease, making my smoothie-making experience not just efficient, but genuinely enjoyable.'

Other users were irritated by the Beast Mighty 850's high price tag, fiddly cleaning and noise level. A 1-star reviewer said: 'Too expensive for what you get. Packaging is beautiful, but product is difficult to use... Cleaning is very difficult. I was making a soft cheese dressing. The cheese got stuck and would not mix. When I opened the lid to stir, all the liquid (ie. oil) spilled out, but the soft cheese remained stuck. Had to get a spatula to scoop it out. The ridges on the inside just serve to get everything stuck.'

Should you buy it?

If you are in the market for a pretty blender that makes light work of dips, dressings, and delicious smoothies, then you'll love the Beast Mighty 850. I fell in love with the versatile accessories, which I carried around everywhere with me – drinking smoothies in the car and storing dips in the refrigerator at work. However, the ribbed cups can be tricky to clean, and I found the noise quite jarring. If you prioritise peace, more power and a more palatable price tag, you'll be better off choosing the number one Nutribullet in our best personal blender guide.