Licensed products hold a curious place in nerdom, specifically because they act as flags that signal our love of something. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is perhaps one of the most treasured licenses for this. Their toys, movies, and countless other products have become a staple of childhood memories. One way or another, you’ll grow up with something bearing the TMNT name.
Blendjet is the latest company to further that mission with their new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Blendjet 2 portable blender. It’s a light, easy to carry, and USB-rechargeable blender that lets you make smoothies on the go. It’s a powerful machine (retailing as of the time of this writing at $49.99) that can crush ice, mix it in with fruit and liquids, and produce a drink in some 20 seconds, give or take. One charge should yield 15+ blends.
The blender functions as advertised. I’ve squeezed some 16-19 blends per charge and have tested all manner of frozen fruits to see how it holds up. Cleanup consists of adding water and soap and then pushing the button to let it, essentially, clean itself. Sometimes you still have to carefully clean the blades yourself to remove any leftover pieces of fruit, but for the most part it really does do the job on its own.
Of course, what TMNT fans will be eager to know is if it looks cool enough to add to the collection. I’m happy to say it does, and it’s mostly owed to the careful approach to design. The blender comes in two styles: “Colorful Ninjas” and “Shredder’s Mind.” For what I consider to be obvious reasons, I went with Shredder’s Mind.
There really wasn’t much competition considering the machine’s sharp and powerful blades can easily remind users of the equally sharp and dangerously pointy baddie that’s been after the Turtles since the beginning. In essence, this portable blender is like having a small Shredder in your backpack ready to rip and tear through fruit for your smoothie drinking delight.
As stated earlier, it’s the care that went into designing the package that really stands out. The blender features a wraparound illustration of the Turtles with April O’Neil, Splinter, and Shredder hovering behind everyone set to a soft purple background that brings back memories of the 1980’s animated TMNT cartoon. It keeps things from feeling exclusively tied to the release of the Mutant Mayhem animation currently in theaters, feeding the nostalgia factor driving the product’s appeal.
The circular lid is especially attractive. On its very top is an illustration of a classic pepperoni pizza pie, crisp enough to make it feel like a collectible all of its own. The lid itself is purple as well, keeping with the Shredder theme. It’s a nice detail that accentuates the TMNT spirit of the design. Blendjet truly put together a blender that wouldn’t look out of place in either the Turtles’ or Shredder’s costumes. It’s battle ready.
Fans of TMNT have good reason to get one of these if only for the sake of adding it to their collection. Knowing it’s also a beautifully put together machine that can blend a mean smoothie, though, is truly what makes it special. It captures the child-like excitement associated with the license and it looks sleek. It’s a great addition to any kitchen, but it begs to be taken out into the streets for a blend while on the move, or while jumping over rooftops. I hope the line expands to include styles specific to characters like April O’Neil and Casey Jones, but the two we have available are more than enough to warrant attention. Shredder himself would be proud.
Disclaimer: Graphic Policy was sent the product for FREE for review
