The 10 Best Shaker Bottles
Special Honors
BlendJet One The BlendJet One isn't technically a shaker bottle; instead, it's a USB-rechargeable blender that goes anywhere you do, from the gym to the office and more. It can create 8 to 12 blended beverages on each charge thanks to a powerful battery and six stainless steel blades that turn at 22,000 RPM. blendjet.com
DiscountMugs Plastic Shaker You can promote your gym or personal training business easily with the DiscountMugs Plastic Shaker, a budget-friendly, customizable option. All you have to do is upload your logo or text and select a color, and you'll have a great giveaway item that recipients are bound to use. discountmugs.com
BlenderBottle Create Your Own If you'd like a big-name model with a personalized touch, the BlenderBottle Create Your Own will give you just what you're looking for. You can choose between stainless steel and Tritan plastic models, select the color you'd like, and add your own artwork — so you'll never mistake yours for someone else's again. blenderbottle.com
Editor's Notes
May 01, 2020:
Blending a protein shake on the go is a cinch with a shaker bottle, but one thing no one wants is leaks, which is why we've removed the Homiguar Sports and the Contigo Shake and Go. But when it comes to affordable efficiency, the popular BlenderBottle ProStak still comes out on top. It makes it a cinch to carry your supplements along with you, too, and it's dishwasher-safe for hassle-free cleaning. We've added the BlenderBottle Star Wars Pro Series, as well. It's relatively simple, but for fans of the franchise, it's definitely a fun and useful choice. Top models from different manufacturers include the Hydra Cup, a dual-sided model that gives you pre and post in one convenient bottle, and the Bottled Joy, a wallet-friendly shaker with handy finger grooves.
For something a little different, we added the Grenade Shaker and the ShakeSphere Tumbler. The former looks like a grenade, true to its name; unfortunately, it's on the bulky side, so if you're looking for something slim and trim, this may not be the best choice. The ShakeSphere boasts an interesting shape, as well, which actually makes it possible to blend without the shaker ball. It, too, is not without drawbacks — while it has measurement lines, the bottle is dark, so filling it accurately can be a bit difficult. You can avoid this problem altogether with the Ello Splendid, a fine alternative to using a glass water bottle. The silicone sleeve is safe to put in the dishwasher, but you'll want to scrub its lid well. A sturdy bottle brush will help.
Making The Perfect Protein Shake
Drop in a few cubes before shaking to smooth out the drink.
Bulking up requires eating a ton of protein. Unfortunately, eating a ton of protein often means chugging something that more closely resembles a big jug of toothpaste than an actual milkshake.
It doesn't have to be that way. There are ways to make shakes that give you all the nutrients you need, without tasting like chalk.
The smart thing to do is to make your own. Most pre-made, store-bought shakes are full of artificial sweeteners, so you'll be getting a lot of nasty additives in addition to your protein. Not only can this slow down your progress, but it can wreak havoc on your digestion.
Using a protein powder is another smart alternative — just try to break it up a little before scooping it into your bottle. You can do this with a fork or a whisk, or even by shaking the bottle before opening it (you can also shake it after you open it, but that gets a little messy).
Ideally, you'd use a good blender. Make sure it has a powerful motor and a sturdy blade, so that it can make short work of anything you dump into it. This is especially important if you plan on using ice or frozen fruit.
Of course, you won't always have access to a blender, especially if you're on the go a lot. Luckily, you can still make a great-tasting drink with a shaker bottle; it just takes a little more creativity.
The best way to do it is to add half of your liquid into the bottle first, then scoop in your protein. Shake this up as best you can. Once it's properly mixed, top off the bottle with the rest of the liquid and shake some more. This should create equal dispersion without clumping.
Adding ice can reduce clumping, as well. Drop in a few cubes before shaking to smooth out the drink. This has the added bonus of chilling the shake, helping with the post-workout cool down.
Now, we're not claiming that the resulting shake will make you think it's filled with ice cream, or even that it will be completely clump-free. However, following these steps will give you the best chance of making a shake that you might actually enjoy drinking — so you're more likely to stick to your diet plan.
And you'll no doubt discover that any shake tastes a lot better when you're drinking it to feed your six-pack.
Keeping Your Shaker Clean
While having a shaker bottle can make it easier than ever to get the nutrition you need when you need it, they're not without their downsides — the biggest one being that they can start to stink if not properly cleaned.
Many models are dishwasher-safe, so there should be no excuse for letting it get rancid. You may want to invest in a couple of bottles, so that you always have a fresh one, even if it's been a few days since you last ran the dishwasher.
That makes it easier to get the protein you need today — without getting a bunch of protein from last month.
The plastic might still pick up a few smells along the way. If that happens, one trick is to boil some water and vinegar, and then pour it into the shaker. Leave it for a little while — at least a couple of hours. Then, pour it out and clean it like you regularly would.
Another option is to use denture cleaners. The bubbles in these can help scrub away any caked-on protein, while also leaving everything minty-fresh. Just be sure to wash it again before you use it, unless you want your next shake to taste like kissing Grandma.
Of course, the best way is to try to avoid odors in the first place. We already mentioned regular cleaning, but beyond that, BPA-free plastic is less likely to retain aromas, and it may be better for you anyway. Likewise, glass bottles shouldn't get too stinky, but you'd need to be careful with them in your gym bag.
Having a clean bottle will make it much more pleasant to down your next shake. That makes it easier to get the protein you need today — without getting a bunch of protein from last month.
How Much Protein Should You Be Getting?
Getting ripped is a lot like raising a kid: everyone has strong opinions on how to do it, and the people who have never done it think they know more than anyone.
It's no surprise, then, that deciding on how much protein to eat per day is a matter of some contention.
The biggest factor in determining the correct number for you is what exactly your goals are.
Anything more than two grams per kilogram of body weight a day is probably too much.
If you just want to maintain your current weight, the World Health Organization recommends taking in eight-tenths of a gram per kilogram of body weight. That's not very hard to do, but then, maintaining mass is easier than building it.
To build muscle, you're going to need more protein — a lot more. Some people recommend twice the daily requirement for maintenance. A 2008 study indicated that two protein shakes a day is ideal for building mass without adding fat, but that's only 20 additional grams per day.
Just be careful you don't eat too much. Over-consuming protein has been linked to everything from high cholesterol to increased cancer risk, not to mention less severe complications like constipation or weight gain. Anything more than two grams per kilogram of body weight a day is probably too much.
Don't neglect the rest of your diet, either. Try to make sure it's well-balanced, and get lots of exercise, or else all those extra calories will just turn to fat. The good news about that is, it takes very little effort or forethought to maintain your fat levels.