Photo: KoolShooters

Is NutriBullet as good as a juicer?

No, not unless you have the NutriBullet Juicer NBJ07100. NutriBullets are often compared to juicers, but the NutriBullet blenders work very differently. While a juicer extracts the liquid from fruits and vegetables and discards the pulp, a NutriBullet blender liquifies the entire fruit or vegetable.

choice.com.au - Is a NutriBullet blender worth it? - CHOICE

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Need to know Our experts tested the Pro 1000, Pro 1200, Select 1200, RX and the Blender Combo 1200. We've also tested the NutriBullet Juicer NBJ07100 to see how it fares Our reviews assess ease of use and blending or juicing performance with different ingredients We rate a range of blenders for all budgets to help you find the one that's right for you The NutriBullet first appeared on TV infomercials, promoted as a miraculous health-boosting machine that could transform regular fruits and vegetables into superfoods. While some of these claims were over the top, the NutriBullet's user-friendly design and high-powered blending performance have made personal blenders more and more popular. Now there are a number of similar products out there from competing brands. We put them to the test to find the best in our latest blender reviews.

NutriBullets are great for making smoothies.

What is a NutriBullet and what can it do?

A NutriBullet is a single-serve blender, most commonly used for smoothies. But they can also make dips, salad dressings, sauces and cocktails. While traditional blenders have a large jug with a lid that sits on top of the base, NutriBullets have a cup which locks into the base to activate the blender. Basic models only have one speed and no buttons or controls, making them simple to operate. Once your smoothie is blended, you can drink directly from the blending cup, cutting down on washing up.

Which NutriBullet is best to buy?

In our blender reviews, our kitchen lab experts tested the NutriBullet Pro 1000, Pro 1200, Select 1200, RX and Blender Combo 1200. We asked them about each model's performance, key features and limitations. The NutriBullet Pro 1200 (pictured) and the Pro 1000 look near identical. The main difference is their power (wattage).

NutriBullet Pro 1000 and NutriBullet Pro 1200

Price: $169 (each)

The Pro 1000 and Pro 1200 models are both single-speed blenders that come with three cups. Both models can purée and crush frozen fruit and ice, but they can't mill dry ingredients. CHOICE kitchen tester Chantelle Dart says the main difference between the two is power, measured by wattage. "The 1200-watt model is slightly more powerful than the 1000-watt model, but interestingly this doesn't translate into better performance," she says. "They scored identical results for soft frozen smoothies, green smoothies and ice. But the higher-powered Pro 1200 actually performed significantly worse in our kale test, which rates how it processes fibrous vegetables." The Pro 1200 model is also slightly heavier and louder than the Pro 1000.

The NutriBullet Select 1200 comes with control buttons.

NutriBullet Select 1200

Price: $189

The NutriBullet Select 1200 is a step up from the Pro in terms of features – it has three different speed settings and a vented pitcher for blending warm liquids. It performed almost identically to the Pro range for smoothies and ice, but scored much lower than the Pro 1000 on the kale test. Unlike the entry-level NutriBullets, the Select 1200 comes with control buttons, which Chantelle says makes the machine easier to use. "There are two speed settings, plus an extract mode, which alternates pulses with continuous blending to achieve a smooth result," she says. "There's also an on-off switch, which is slightly more convenient than the traditional design."

The NutriBullet RX is a larger version of the original NutriBullet.

NutriBullet RX

Price: $300

The NutriBullet RX is a supersized NutriBullet with a separate soup jug provided for its 'souperblast' function that has a 7-minute heating cycle for making hot soups. It performed excellently for making raw vegetable soup as well as for blending soft food, crushing ice and making a green smoothie. It also performed very well for chopping carrots and parmesan and also for milling nuts (using the medium-sized cup). It performed only OK in our kale test and poorly for making nut butter. It's also very noisy when using the high speed setting.

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The NutriBullet Blender Combo 1200 lets you switch between single-serve cups and a larger blending jug.

NutriBullet Blender Combo 1200

Price: $250

The Nutribullet Blender Combo 1200 gives you the best of both worlds, allowing you to switch between single-serve cups and a larger capacity blending jug. It has low, medium and high speeds as well as a pulse function. It also has an 'extraction' setting whereby Nutribullet claims "this super smart program will automatically blend, pulse and do the work to create the perfect smoothie". It performed perfectly for crushing ice (although it's not recommended to crush ice before using ice and frozen fruits in drinks – add liquids first) and also in our soft frozen smoothie and green smoothie tests using the extraction mode. It was only OK for blending kale and blending strawberry sorbet. It struggled to make a nut butter and was only borderline for chopping carrots. It performs well for ease of use, but is very noisy when processing on high speed.

The NutriBullet Juicer NBJ07100 is a centrifugal juicer.

What about the NutriBullet Juicer NBJ07100?

Price: $179

NutriBullet's centrifugal fast juicer has a very good chute size requiring minimal cutting of fruits/vegetables and has an easy pour juice jug with froth separator and lid. It has two speed settings as well as pulse. The juice jug can be positioned directly under the spout and there's a cap on the juice spout that stops juice from dripping after processing. It's a medium-sized juicer, so if you're juicing large quantities you may need to empty the juice jug and internal pulp container during processing. It received a 'good' rating for yield in our orange, apple and green leafy juice tests, but was only OK for carrot juice yield. To see how it fares against other juicers we've tested, take a look at our juicer reviews.

Verdict: is a NutriBullet worth it?

Our testing has shown NutriBullets consistently produce good smoothies, easily processing fresh and frozen fruit, as well as vegetables such as cucumber, celery and green spinach. For some, these capabilities justify the price tag. But our experts also found that the Pro 1200, Select 1200 and Combo 1200 struggled with blending coarser vegetables, and all models (except the Combo 1200 which performed excellently) performed poorly in the ice-crushing test. These results may give some people pause before they lay down their hard-earned money. "Unlike some other single-serve blenders, NutriBullets can only blend ice if there's also liquid in the jug," says Chantelle. "But they have no problem processing frozen ingredients in smoothies." Importantly, our tests did find blenders from other brands that performed better than the NutriBullet overall, including some with much lower price tags. So do look closely at features and check our full blender reviews before you buy.

Other things to consider before you buy

Can you make juice in a NutriBullet?

Can you blend hot liquids in a NutriBullet?

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With most models, it's best not to.

It may be tempting to whip up a quick soup in your NutriBullet, but most models aren't capable of processing hot liquids. In fact, Chantelle says blending hot liquids in a NutriBullet cup is dangerous. "The cups are sealed, so the pressure and heat have nowhere to escape, which could result in hot liquid exploding out of the blender, causing serious injury." The NutriBullet Select 1200 and RX come with a vented pitcher, meaning they're capable of processing hot foods such as soup. But Chantelle says you should still let the liquid cool down before blending.

Can you mill nuts and seeds?

Only with certain models. The NutriBullet Blender Combo 1200 comes with a milling cup, and while it didn't do a good job of making nut butter, it performed very well for milling almonds. Alternatively, if you want to use your NutriBullet to blend dry ingredients such as nuts, seeds and herbs, you'll need to buy either the 600 Series or the 900 Series – and pay extra for the milling blade attachment.

Single serve vs full size

While the compact, single-serve size was part of the unique appeal of the original NutriBullet, the brand has now expanded to add full-sized blenders to its range. The NutriBullet Blender Combo 1000 and 1200 both come with a full-sized pitcher, as well as the signature NutriBullet cups, so you can switch between single-serve and large-capacity blending. The full-sized pitcher is capable of blending hot ingredients, so it would be useful if you want to blend soup for the whole family. For many people, a so-called 'single-serve' blender may actually be big enough for two Chantelle says that, for many people, a so-called 'single-serve' blender may actually be big enough. "The larger cups generally make enough smoothie to serve two people," she says.

Noise

You may expect a smaller blender to be quieter, but we've found most single-serve blenders tend to be just as loud as their full-sized counterparts. The NutriBullet Pro 1200, Select 1200 and Blender Combo 1200 were particularly noisy. By contrast, the Pro 1000 was the quietest single-serve blender in our test.

How long do NutriBullets last?

NutriBullets come with a one-year warranty, but the company recommends replacing the blades every six months. Our tester Chantelle says limiting blending to one minute at a time and hand-washing your NutriBullet can extend its lifespan.

NutriBullet vs Ninja – which is better?

Ninjas generally outperform NutriBullets in our tests, scoring significantly higher for ice crushing and kale processing. But NutriBullets are usually a little easier to use and there is a wider variety of models to choose from. NutriBullets (left) are generally outperformed by Ninjas (right), but are usually easier to use. In terms of design, NutriBullets and Ninjas are very similar. The standard models of both brands have just one speed, plus a pulse function, and they come with a few different cup sizes. Both brands have more premium models that offer extra features and accessories such as hot blending and full-sized jugs. While NutriBullet and Ninja are the leading brands on the market, we've tested cheaper products that receive higher CHOICE Expert Ratings.

Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.

choice.com.au - Is a NutriBullet blender worth it? - CHOICE

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