NutriBullet Review
Is the popular single-serve blender the right pick?
NutriBullet is a leader in personal-sized countertop blenders. You might know the brand for its user-friendly single-serve blenders. These blenders are designed to whip up nutritious, colorful, and vitamin-rich smoothies. More recently, the brand has expanded the product line to include full-sized home blenders. However, NutriBullet remains consistent with its core products. These are the sleek bullet-shaped single-serving blenders that the name NutriBullet calls to mind.
If you're in the market for a new blender, you may be wondering if the simple NutriBullet Blender will cover your needs. If you’re a dedicated smoothie maker, limited on space, or budget-conscious, the basic NutriBullet blender might be what you’re looking for. Check out the full in-depth review below to find out if the NutriBullet is a smart choice.
Updated: 12/6/20
NutriBullet Highlights
Overview
The NutriBullet is a single-serving, easy-to-use personal blender. It has an affordable price tag and compact design. This blender is especially suited to shoppers with budget and space constraints. Single-person households and students, in particular, will value the NutriBullet's easy-to-use, minimal design.
This might be the most straight-forward blender you can find. There are no buttons, speed options, or even a pour spout. To use the blender, fill up the single-serving plastic cup with your favorite fresh or frozen ingredients. Then screw on the tight-fitting detachable blades. Invert the entire piece onto the motor base, press down, and watch your smoothie come to life. The best part? Your drink is already in a handy, portable to-go cup! Simply twist on the to-go lid, and you’re on your way.
The sleek design, simple interface, and straightforward usability make this blender ideal for anyone who wants the most efficient, no-frills blender on the market.
Features & Specs
Easy to Use
What the NutriBullet lacks in nifty features, it makes up for in ease of use. Sure, you can find upscale blenders with dozens of blending presets, like the Vitamix 7500. Or built-in blending programs, like the Ace by Instant Pot. But often, a more complex interface means a less intuitive blending experience.
The NutriBullet, on the other hand, offers a simple answer to its competitors’ fancy features. This blender is built to do one thing: blend smooth, creamy drinks with reliable results. And it does just that, every time.
Personal Size
The blender comes with one 24-ounce blending cup. This is big enough to make a filling, nutrient-packed smoothie for two. Fortunately, it takes up minimal storage space. At just over one foot tall, the blender base and cup attachment can sit under standard kitchen cabinets. The same can’t be said for models like the much more expensive Vitamix 5200.
So you don’t plan to showcase your NutriBullet on the counter at all times? It’s still small enough to store in the most cramped apartment kitchens. The blender and cup make a sleek bullet shape that you can stash in cabinets or pantries with ease.
Detachable Blades
The NutriBullet blades detach from the motor base as easily as the cups. This allows for effortless single-serving blending and easier cleaning. Most blenders, except for Ninja products, have blades built into the blender jar. This offers one benefit of fewer pieces to misplace. But it also makes cleaning more difficult.
With the NutriBullet, you can easily detach the blades from the blender base and the cups. First of all, this is necessary to fill the cup, screw on the blades and invert it on the blender base for single-serving mixing. And secondly, it makes cleaning a snap. After blending, wash the exposed blades with warm soapy water in the sink.
Detachable Rubber Gasket
While a detachable gasket might not sound like the most enticing feature, it has some valuable benefits. This gasket is a rubber ring that seals the blender cup to the base for leak-free blending.
Being able to remove the ring makes cleaning easier. Like the blades, simply rinse the rubber ring with warm soapy water and let it dry. Another benefit of the ring being detachable is that it’s easy to replace. Nutribullet sells replacement rings if yours wears out before the motor does. And it’s straightforward to reattach the gasket; no technical expertise is required.
600-watt Motor
For a personal blender, 600 watts is a fair amount of power. Combined with the refined blades, this blender is built to take down frozen and fresh fruits and veggies for drinkable nutrition.
You’ll find higher wattage on blenders from other brands and advanced NutriBullet models. However, 600 watts is an excellent starting place for first-time blender owners.
Pros vs Cons
BPA-Free Container
Like the Vitamix e310, the Nutribullet has a high-quality Tritan plastic container. It’s easy to clean and BPA-free. The tough Tritan is also resistant to scratches and breakage.
Dishwasher Safe
The plastic blending cup can go straight into the top rack of your dishwasher for easy cleaning. Rinse the detachable blades with warm soapy water to remove any visible food. Then simply let them air-dry.
Designed for Efficient Blending
Though simply designed, the NutriBullet blends hard-to-break ingredients smoothly with minimal effort from you. First, fill the cup with your ingredients, including liquid, to keep things moving. Then invert the cup and blending blades onto the motor. When you press down on the cup, it activates the motor. This creates a cyclonic action inside the cup. This keeps the food moving in a cyclical pattern. After the food on the bottom breaks down, it moves up towards the top of the cup. This makes room for larger food pieces to face the whirring blades on the bottom. As a result, you rarely need to adjust the food inside your blender. And you can whip up smooth and fluffy drinks quickly and efficiently.
Stainless Steel Base
The NutriBullet motor base is made with high-quality stainless steel. This makes it easy to clean with a damp kitchen towel or sponge. It also means that the machine is less likely to break or become damaged with use.
Helpful Getting-Started Guide Included
NutriBullet includes an educational user guide with all its blenders. This is an excellent resource for new NutirBullet owners. The NuriBullet design is slightly different from your standard upright blenders like Blendtec, for example, and can take some getting used to.
Well Tested Motor
Hamilton Beach tested the 700-watt motor and successfully blended 8,000 frozen drinks without a hiccup. While not the most powerful home blender, 700 watts is enough to break down very solid pieces of frozen food and ice.
Lower Wattage
At 600 watts, the NutriBullet is the least powerful motor in the NutriBullet blending family. In fact, this blender offers less than half of the blending power of Vitamix competitors. The Vitamix 5300, for example, packs a 2.2-horsepower (1640-watt) motor.
No Accessories
The NutriBullet takes its job seriously. And it doesn’t get distracted by add-ons and accessories. Other appliances include attachments for big-batch blending and food processing. But the NutriBullet stays in its lane: blending single-serve smoothies. On the one hand, this makes the NutriBullet easier to store. It’s also more appealing for buyers who only need a great smoothie-making machine and not any add-ons.
Limited Blending Options
With no buttons or levers, the NutriBullet leaves you one option: push down and blend. Regardless of the blender contents, you're always applying the full force of a 600-watt motor. Therefore, it reliably crushes frozen fruit into thick and creamy smoothies. However, if you want to use your blender for other recipes, like chopping salsas or making soup, you won't have the same amount of control you get from the Vitamix 750 or another blender with variable speed control.
Can be Loud
If you’re not used to it, you might notice the noise your first time using the NutriBullet. The blender base has little insulation compared to larger blenders like the Vitamix e320. So you’ll hear all 600 watts of the motor going to work. Of course, at only 600 watts, this is certainly not the loudest blender you’ll find.
NutriBullet FAQs
NutriBullet blenders are made by the NutriBullet brand.
NutriBullet blenders are reasonably priced and affordable compared to higher-end brands like Vitamix. You can find most NutiBullet models for under $100.
The NutriBullet blender has a 600-watt motor.
Yes, the NutriBullet blending cups are top-rack dishwasher safe. The blade and rubber gasket detached from the motor base should be rinsed clean by hand with soap and water.
Given its compact size, there is little insulation on the NutriBullet blender base. For this reason, it can be a bit noisier compared to bulkier blenders. However, the NutriBullet has a lower wattage than competitors. So it’s not quite as loud as a blender with 700 or more watts of power.
Purchasing the product as-is does not qualify you for a warranty automatically. But after purchase, you can contact customer service for the manufacturer's warranty. This is available with proof of purchase.
The blender comes with a 3-year warranty from the manufacturer.
NutriBullet
