While blenders are fast and can make large portions, they take up a ton of kitchen space and don’t fit conveniently into a dorm room. Here’s a new tool that can solve your blender woes. The Blender Bottle comes in both a Classic and Sportsmixer model, the latter functioning as a water bottle with a narrower lid. They come in a bunch of bright colors, so a Blender Bottle can jazz up even your gym workout. We love it because it’s easy to shake up, and both the bottle and metal whisk ball are dishwasher safe. Blenders can get messy sometimes, but the Blender Bottle keeps everything locked in and the cleaning process is a cinch.

Photo by Ellen Barry

We’ve created delicious protein shakes for pre and post-workout sessions and tasty breakfast fruit smoothies to power our day. The whisk ball is extremely efficient in breaking down thicker materials, like flax seed, peanut butter and bananas. In addition to making drinks, you can use the Blender Bottle to shake up an egg for a breakfast omelet or make a batch of fluffy pancakes.

Photo by Ellen Barry

You can buy this kitchen appliance and daily water bottle online at blenderbottle.com or from stores like GNC in Wilmette or the Vitamin Shoppe in Skokie. The Classic, the model more apt for kitchen use, costs between $8.49 and $8.99. The Sportsmixer, which works better for dual use as a daytime water bottle, costs between $12.99 and $14.99. You can also buy the book “101 Quick and Easy BlenderBottle Recipes” for $12.99.

The Blender Bottle is a handy tool to have for a dorm, kitchen, or on the go. It whips up tasty treats in a snap and doesn’t require a drinking cup. It’d be pretty difficult (and silly looking) to drink straight from a blender, and that’s why the Blender Bottle is much more accessible. For more kitchen work, we say stick with the large Classic model, but for daily errands, the Sportsmixer is preferable. But, of course, you can purchase both!

Photo by Ellen Barry