You saw the ads, and it seemed like a good idea. Time to get one of those Nutribullets.
Then you realized that there were not just 1 Nutribullet but about 100 of them. Different prices, different features, different names. Now there are even Nutribullet copycats you need to avoid!
This article is to help you wade through all the nonsense and just pick the right Nutribullet for your intended purpose, be it a morning smoothie, some baby food, crushing ice for cocktails, or a little guacamole.
And choose quickly. Less time researching, more time actually using the blender. Right?
Table of Contents
The Best Nutribullet Blender for Smoothies?
There's a fine line between an amazing smoothie and a smoothie which is too thick, too grainy, too chunky and all-round unappetizing. It's partly down to the ingredients, but it's also about the blender you use. Nutribullet blenders are great for smoothies, but which models are the best?
#1: Magic Bullet 11 piece set
The Magic Bullet has been chosen for the smoothie section because although it's not the most powerful bullet out (only 250 watts), it is great for smoothies. It can handle common smoothie ingredients like bananas, fresh berries, and soft greens like baby spinach. It's affordable, neat, compact, and easy to use.
Unless you're focusing on really hard ingredients like ice and hard veggies then the good ole Magic Bullet is ideal. It also comes with a flip-top lid which is great if you like to take your smoothies out the door in the morning and sip them on your commute.
Top features
- Really affordable
- Strong enough to blend common smoothie ingredients like bananas, yogurt, and fruits
- Comes with a flip-top lid for making your smoothie to go
- Cups are dishwasher safe (in the top rack is best)
- Compact and easy to store away
#2 NutriBullet Balance
The Nutribullet Balance is more than just a bullet blender, in fact, the charm is all in the technology that comes with it. The blender is connected to the NutriBullet Balance app which basically guides you through making healthy, macro-balanced smoothies, and other healthy foods. It weighs the ingredients as you put them in, and correlates the info to your app so you know you're getting your quantities right.
The blender itself has a powerful 1200 watt motor and a tough-as-nails blade. Smoothies are the NutriBullet Balance's specialty so that's why it gets a special spot here. The price isn't too steep either, considering the cool techy abilities you get with it.
Top features
- The blender is synched with the NutriBullet Balance app which tells you all the nutritional info about your smoothie
- Comes with 2 32 oz cups
- Comes with 2 flip-top lids for taking your smoothies on the go
- Powerful 1200 watt motor
- Strong precision blades for chopping ice, seeds, frozen berries, and veggies to a smooth pulp
- The app has all kinds of cool things which let you track your nutrition and make healthy eating plans and shopping lists
The Best Nutribullet blender for Juicing
It goes without saying that NutriBullets are blenders and not juicers, but they can be used with the same philosophy as with a juicer: liquidizing fresh produce for a drinkable hit of nutrients. I think that blenders are fantastic for "juicing" because all that fiber and gristly goodness is a shame to waste.
NutriBullet RX
This is the first time the NutriBullet RX appears in this review (hint hint, it comes back). It gets a spot in the juicing section because of the super powerful 1700 watt motor which can extract liquids from foods with ease. The RX doesn't actually have any control buttons as it's fully automatic and hands-free. Once you screw the filled cup into the base it will blitz your food until done. In terms of juicing, you may need to just give it an extra round of blitzing to get that thin result.
Top features
- Powerful 1700 watt motor for easily blitzing fruits and veggies to a juicy consistency
- Hands-free, automated operation
- The cups are dishwasher safe
- It's a pretty great price for what you get if you can get it on sale
- Very strong and powerful blade (NutriBullet advertises the RX as the strongest model yet)
What is the best Nutribullet blender for shakes?
Shakes are generally made with soft ingredients such as ice cream, banana, yogurt, or protein powder. If your NutriBullet will be purely or mostly for shakes then you can totally get away with the cheaper options. All NutriBullets are going to be versatile to some extent, so it's not like you're getting a one-trick-pony even with the simplest models.
NutriBullet Pro 900
This is one of the original NutriBullets (one step up from the original 600 series). It's been chosen for the shakes section because it's got more than enough power to blend soft ingredients like bananas, milk, and protein powder which is my understanding of a shake. With 900 watts it's not as gritty as the RX or the Balance, but it's strong enough to handle shakes as well as a smoothie with hard or tough ingredients.
You could also choose the 600 series as well, but I just think that it's great to give yourself a bit more power for more versatility. The 900 is just a really good, solid, all-around blender with a permanent place in the NutriBullet family.
Click here to see our in-depth review.
Top features
- 900-watt motor easily creates smooth shakes
- Comes with 2 big colossal cups, flip-top lids, and various lip rings
- Tough blade for great extraction of nutrients and beautiful smooth shakes
- No-hands ease, just twist the cup into the base and the blender will do the rest
NutriBullet Lean (if your needs are health-related)
I've put this model into the "shakes" list but it could also be at home in the smoothies list too. My thinking behind this is that to me, shakes and smoothies are my way into "getting healthy" after a phase of not-so-healthy eating. It ensures all the crucial nutrients and macros are getting into my body. If you're the same, then something like the NutriBullet Lean (or the Balance above) could be really useful.
The Lean comes with a 7-day eating plan as well as all kinds of other tips for a healthy lifestyle. If this is neither here nor there for you, the blender itself is great, it has a 1200 watt motor (one of the highest) and tough blades. Just thought I'd pop that one in here in case it's what you're after.
Special features:
- 1200 watt motor for great nutrient extraction and really smooth shakes and health drinks
- Comes with a 7-day meal plan and portioned plates/spoons to help with portion control and managing macros
- Comes with large and small cups with various lip rings and flip-top lids for portable shakes
- Comes with access to the NutriBullet LEAN app which has meal plans, shopping lists, and fitness tracking etc.
What is the best Nutribullet blender for ice drinks?
Ice-based drinks need a sturdy blender with a high powered motor and very tough blades. It needs to be able to run for as long as it needs in order to blitz the ice without overheating the motor or damaging the blades. The two options here offer high power (one more than the other), and various controls.
NutriBullet Max
The NutriBullet Max has 1200 watts of power and a pre-programmed autocycle which means all you do is screw the filled cup into the base and let it blitz. The blender will stop once the nutrients have been "extracted" and the result is smooth. Some people aren't a fan of the pre-programmed autocycle as they'd prefer to manually choose the speed or pulse it to their liking. However, if you like the "hands-off" vibe then the Max could be great for you. It's great for ice drinks because the machine can sense when there's still chunks left in the drink so it will blitz until the job is done.
Top features
- 1200 watt motor great for easily pulverizing ice
- Pre-programmed auto cycle (as opposed to manual speed and pulse)
- Strong blade for chopping ice
- Comes with a 1-liter pitcher for making lots of servings at once
NutriBullet Select
The Select has a slightly lesser wattage than the Max, at 950 watts. Unlike the Max, it has a control knob with 5 different speeds so you can control your own blending. It also has 3 different customized settings: crush, pulse, and blend. The crushing mode is awesome for ice drinks, as you'd imagine. It comes with two big vessels (a 28 oz and a 32 oz with various lids). The Select is more affordable than the Max, and I personally like the different speeds and modes more than the auto mode, but that's a matter of preference.
Top features
- 950 watts (more than enough for blitzing ice)
- 5-speed levels
- Crush, blend, and pulse modes for different ingredients (crush is made for ice drinks)
- Comes with two big vessels, a 32 oz and a 28 oz with different lids for different needs
What is the best Nutribullet blender for vegetables?
Raw vegetables need a particular kind of blender to be blended sufficiently. They need a powerful motor and strong enough blades to slash through fibers and stringy bits. Below you will find one model which is actually designed for prepping veggies (think chopping and spiralizing), and one which is a regular blender but with veggie-friendly features.
VeggieBullet
You guessed it, this is the model that is designed for preparing veggies in various ways such as slicing, spiralizing, and shredding. It saves you from getting the old knife and chopping board out when you've got a big batch of veggies to prep. It also blends, so you can make sauces, marinades, salsas, and dips too. Now, as great as many people have found this machine, others have not had such a great experience.
I still think it's worth looking into, especially if you're a vegan, vegetarian, or simply love to pack your diet with versatile veggies (looking at you, zucchini noodles). If you want a blender that can make smoothies and shakes as well as blitz the odd veggie for a green drink or sauce then I'd move past this one and check out another bullet like the Prime below.
See our in-depth review here
Top features
- Slices, spiralizes, shreds, and blends veggies for fast preparation
- Comes with different stainless steel blades for different functions (i.e. a spiralizer and a shredder blade)
- Attachments are dishwasher safe
- Pretty good price.
- Comes with a little cup for blending sauces and marinades
NutriBullet Prime
Okay, first...this model has been discontinued. However, I wanted to add it to the mix anyway because it's a great blender and you can still find it online. It has a powerful motor with 1000 watts of power and an auto-cycle which lets you go about your business as the bullet pulverizes the produce.
The motor and blades are more than strong enough to turn hard or gristly veggies into smooth smoothies or purees. It comes with some cool accessories too, including an insulated stainless steel cup so you can keep your smoothies cold until you need them. It also has a 32 oz colossal cup and flip-top lids for taking your creations on the go.
Top features
- 1000 watt motor for powerfully smashing through both hard and soft veggies
- Pre-programmed auto-cycle which blasts the ingredients until the extraction is complete, (i.e. you don't have to do anything)
- 32 oz colossal cup with a handle for easy pouring
- Stainless steel insulated cup
- Flip-top lids for taking smoothies/drinks on the go
- Grips for slipping onto the cups so you can carry them easily and without dropping (or getting super cold hands)
NutriBullet RX
This is the most powerful NutriBullet, with 1700 watts of power. I've put it in the veggie section because a: the over-the-top power can handle hard veggies, and b: it can also make veggie-based soups and sauces. The RX has a special heating feature that blends and heats ingredients at the same time to create hot, smooth soups. It has a hands-off, no control design so you screw it in and walk away while it blends until smooth.
Top features
- Very powerful 1700 watt motor can blitz through any veggies
- Heats and purees soups and sauces for a hot result (takes 7 minutes)
- No-touch design, just twist it onto the base and it blends on its own
- Comes with a special pitcher and lid especially for making soups and hot sauces
- Comes with a 30 oz short cup for littler servings
- Comes with a huge 45 oz cup for multiple servings
- Comes with a secure Stay-Fresh lid so you don't spill or leak drinks into your bag or car
What is the best Nutribullet blender for hot foods?
Making hot foods in a blender can be daunting and downright dangerous without the right equipment. I don't know about you, but I've learned the hard way about rushing to blitz hot soup in an unsuitable blender. Luckily, NutriBullet has created a model especially for this...and it's one we've already seen...very recently.
NutriBullet RX
The NutriBullet people have answered our soup and sauce-making prayers with the RX model. Let me clarify, this thing actually blitzes and heats the ingredients to make soups and hot sauces, as opposed to adding hot ingredients and blitzing them. You just add the raw ingredients and the liquid, secure the cup into the base and it will blitz while also heating until hot and smooth.
This is pretty handy if your life is hectic and you want hot food without messing around with lots of dishes. It also works as a regular blender too, making smoothies and health drinks with its crazy-good 1700 watt motor.
Top features
- Very powerful 1700 watt motor can blitz through any ingredient
- Heats and purees soups and sauces for a hot result (takes 7 minutes)
- No-touch design, just twist it onto the base and it blends on its own until the extraction is done and smoothness abounds
- Comes with a special pitcher and lid especially for making soups and hot sauces
- Comes with a 30 oz short cup for littler servings
- Comes with a huge 45 oz cup for multiple servings
- Comes with a secure Stay-Fresh lid so you don't spill or leak drinks into your bag or car
What is the best value Nutribullet blender?
If the likes of the more spendy models like the RX are a bit out of your budget, no worries, the long-standing original NutriBullet models are affordable and will serve you well.
NutriBullet original 600 watt
This is the original, tried-and-true, highly-rated NutriBullet. The power is less than the flashy, hulk-like newer models but 600 watts is more than enough to blend most ingredients into a smooth consistency. If you need your blender to create smoothies and health drinks then the 600 is a fine choice, it was designed for premium nutrient extraction and smoothness after all. I mean, you might come across a few more little seeds or tiny grainy bits than you would with a 1000 or 1700 watt model, but does that really matter? I don't think it does, especially considering the great price. In terms of capacity, the 600's largest vessel is 24 oz which is smaller than the 32 oz vessels of other models. If you're making smoothies just for you, or for you and a partner then no worries.
Another cool thing to note is that it comes with two blades; a flat blade and an emulsifying blade. The flat blade is designed to mill down things like nuts, seeds, and grains. The emulsifying blade is the blade for smoothies and drinks.
Top features
- 600-watt motor is more than enough power for impressive smoothies and drinks with hard and soft ingredients
- Comes with large and small cups (up to 24 oz capacity)
- Comes with 2 blades, one for milling grains/seeds and one for emulsifying smoothies and drinks
- Cheap, affordable price
- Easy to use and clean (the parts are dishwasher safe)
- 1-year warranty
Magic Bullet
Here we have another original, long-standing creation. The MagicBullet is super affordable and user friendly if all you need is a smoothie or a shake in a pinch. It's not great for super-hard ingredients or sinewy greens, but a fresh fruit smoothie or creamy dip can be made perfectly well in the MB. It has a 250-watt motor which sounds very measly compared to some of the other models in this review, but it's more than enough for simple tasks.
Top features
- 250-watt motor is more than enough for smoothies, drinks, and dips with softer ingredients
- Super affordable
- Comes with a flip-top lid so you can your smoothie to work, the gym, on the bus, wherever
- Cups can be popped into the top rack of the dishwasher for easy clean-up
Refurbished models
Sometimes a faulty product or a production issue can be a blessing in disguise. When the new NutriBullet gets returned to a store for certain issues, it is sent back to the manufacturer. When it gets there, it undergoes a pretty complex process of testing and fixing to make sure it works as good as (actually, better) than new.
The NutriBullet recondition technicians test and assess every part of the NutriBullet and only let it back into the world when it's 100% up to scratch. I think this is a cool system because it's almost like the product has already gone through the issues it was going to have, so you don't have to encounter them (in theory, and most often in reality).
There are some high-rated NutriBullet models for a great price on Amazon currently. These are the best two as of now:
NutriBullet Prime: this discontinued (but still available) NB has 1000 watts of power, a stainless steel cold-holding cup, and a pre-programmed auto-cycle for easy usage. It's a great option if you need anything from soft smoothies to gristly, frozen fruit and veggie drinks to seed-filled health drinks. The
NutriBullet Pro 900: one of the original NB's with 300 more watts of power than the original 600. The NB Pro 900 is powerful enough for most needs and has a great price to match. Because it is permanent, you won't have an issue with updating parts if need be.
Conclusion
I hope you've come across a NutriBullet which fits all of your wants and needs. If you want to know which I would recommend, I would go for the NutriBullet Pro 900 or the NutriBullet RX. My reason for this is that with the 900 you can blend anything you like and you get the ease of no-hands usage. It's also a permanent part of the NB family so you'll always be able to get parts if need be.
And why the RX? Well, I am drawn to multi-tasking appliances and this one is no exception with it's blending and hot soup-making abilities. But what's more, the 1700 watt motor is awesome for blitzing any ingredient you want (I mean, within reason, but nuts, seeds, and hard raw veggies are no problems).
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