A Comparison: Nutribullet Vs. Blender

Looking for a simple overview comparing a Nutribullet vs. blender?

There are many blender types and quality levels but our goal with this article is to give you a better idea of what is best for your needs and if a compact Nutribullet is the best fit for you.

Keep in mind that most blender comparison reviews you see are people comparing a Nutribullet that costs under $100 to a fancy Vitamix or Blendtec blender that is $400 or more which I feel is unrealistic.

Nutribullet vs Blender In Size

When you compare the size of a Nutribullet to most blenders you will see that the Nutribullet is smaller and intended as a single use blender. The popular Nutribullet containers hold 24 or 32 ounces.

Whereas, a typical blender is larger with capacities up to 64 ounces and are intended for other uses such as frozen drinks and food prep. Make sure you are comparing equivalent blending capability as well as uses that the blender is made for.

Downside to the Nutribullet

The Nutribullet is designed to quickly blend fruit and vegetables at a high speed and is easy to use and clean. It is an effective solution for making quick, well-blended smoothies.

Whereas, a blender with equivalent strength motor is obviously larger and is intended for a wider range of uses. Full-size blenders can offer more features like variable speed settings, different blades, and larger capacity.

Realize though that not all blenders are the same. You will see a HUGE price range for blenders for a good reason as a high-end blender like Vitamix can puree just about any ingredient you can imagine and are extremely powerful but you pay more for that.

Side Note- Ninja full-size blenders might be a good alternative if you want a powerful full-size blender that is more affordable than Vitamix.

Blenders And Nutribullet’s Lids And Cups

For cleaning Nutribullet cups you just fill with warm water and dish soap and shake it with the blade on and rinse out. For blenders, many promote themselves as self-cleaning which essentially means you fill the dirty cup with hot water and dish soap and run on high speed until clean.

The Nutribullet comes with a range of cups that work fine for making 1-2 normal servings. The larger cups are intended to hold enough raw ingredients that condense down to a single serving once blended.

The normal Nutribullet recipes are based on using the “tall cup” which holds 24 ounces and results in 12-16 ounces of smoothie.

Many blender brands and Nutribullet claim to be dishwasher safe but we would suggest just hand washing with hot water. Nutribullet uses BPA free safety-strength plastic that is long lasting and there are rarely any comments from consumers about issues with Nutribullet’s cups and lids.

Most high-end blenders also use plastic pitchers and some use glass containers. Note- the reason many high-end blenders use high strength plastic (Tritan is the plastic commonly used by blender manufacturers) is because it can withstand impact better than glass. Also, most countertop blenders don’t come with serving cups, whereas single serve blenders like Nutribullet come with to-go cups and lids.

Nutribullet vs Blender In Versatility

As mentioned earlier, you have to make sure you are comparing the correct motor strength. The popular Nutribullet Pro model has a 900 watt motor that runs at 25,000 RPM(revolutions per minute) which allows it to blend the ingredients quickly and keep them from overheating. It works very well for smoothies and can handle chopping up hard ingredients like nuts and seeds.

We have seen some claims that heat from blending will kill the important healthy enzymes and nutrients that are released from your raw vegetables and fruits so they suggest you avoid using blenders that are underpowered and heat up too much when in use. (We haven’t seen any proof to that claim and even Vitamix has recipes that turn raw ingredients into hot soups using their blenders).

If you look at the Nutribullet for what is was intended then it is very versatile (especially for the price) as it can blend any vegetable or fruit even with nuts into a nice smooth texture.

You will be surprised at how much better the Nutribullet can pulverize nuts and small seeds like flax seeds compared to many full-size blenders.

If you are looking to use a blender for other uses besides smoothies like iced drinks, ice cream or other uses then maybe a full-size blender is a better choice for you. Just make sure that you look at the motor and read the reviews about how well the final drink consistency turns out. (Many low priced blender don’t have the right blades or motor to make good smoothies).

Capacity

Large blenders and even medium-sized blenders can fit more ingredients than the Nutribullet. As previously mentioned, the Nutribullet is intended to make single-serve drinks(12-16oz) and that means that it can only fit so much in it.

It is important to understand that container size is relevant to motor strength so some full-size blenders might have a large container but they don’t have the horsepower to blend that large of a container. That is why you will see different container sizes on Nutribullet and other personal size blenders as they reflect the motor strength. For example, the 900watt Nutribullet Pro comes with a 32oz container vs the Nutribullet 600watt comes with a smaller 24oz container.

If you are looking for a product that has a lot of capacity, then the Nutribullet may not be what you’re looking for, but make sure you choose a blender with enough horsepower to blend the larger capacity.

Also, consider kitchen space when evaluating personal blender vs. countertop blenders. Vitamix and other countertop blenders are HEAVY and take up counter space. A personal blender is compact and can be easily stored.

Durability

When it comes to durability, there are many great blenders brands out there with strong reliability records. The same goes with the Nutribullet. We have used ours for over 1,000 uses over 4 years and never had any problems(we still use the original cup and blade that came with the unit). We have seen some comments online that people said their cup leaked but we never experienced that problem and maybe it was because people overfill their cups with ingredients ? (Also, don’t use hot foods or liquids in Nutribullet containers as it creates pressure in the container).

Overall, the Nutribullet is durable and pretty reliable if used properly.

Although, if you are willing to buy a higher priced high-speed blender then consider a Vitamix (this is the most afforable Vitamix model). Vitamix is made in the USA with all metal gears and works extremely well.

Overall, it really depends on what you are intending to do with your blender. If you just want to start having healthy smoothies then a Nutribullet is great and is easy to use and easy to clean up. If you want to make blended soups, nut butter, and other non-smoothie recipes then a high-powered full-size blender might be a better fit.

Recipes

If you look online you will find 1,000’s of recipes for blenders and juicers or read through our smoothie recipe posts. It can be overwhelming for many people that are new to blending. This is where Nutribullet excels as they provide an easy to follow recipe book that makes it simple to get started. They even provide a step-by-step 30 day plan to lose weight.

Honestly, ease of use is a big factor why Nutribullet has been so successful. They identify which ingredients to use for targeting certain types of health ailments and the recipes all follow the same ratio of vegetables to fruits.

Many of the Nutribullet recipes are similar to juicing recipes but blending includes the entire pulp in the drink vs. juicing only extracts the juice (See our juicing vs blending explanation).  Nutribullet brand wins out in the recipe category if you are looking for simple, healthy smoothies.

Price

Blenders can range in prices from $30 up to more than $600+ vs. the Nutribullet ranges in the $65-180 range depending on the model you are looking at(The Nutribullet 900 is a good choice for the money).

Generally, if you are looking at a blender as a way to add nutrition to your daily health then consider a single serve blender like Nutri bullet for simplicity and easy to follow recipes. If you are looking to make larger batch smoothies for the whole family then maybe a full-size blender is a better choice.

Which One Should You Get

Hopefully, we answered many of your questions when comparing a Nutribullet vs. a blender. If you are brand new to making healthy blended drinks then we like the Nutribullet both for its price and ease of use with its simple recipe book. For deciding on a Nutribullet model, visit our post comparing popular Nutribullet blenders.

If you are fully committed to blending and will be using your blender for lots of uses like making soups and motor-intensive applications such making nutter butters then consider something like a Vitamix or alternative powerful blender.

Our advice if starting out with smoothies is to get a solid personal blender. Also, you can read our guide comparing the 2 most popular personal blenders. A single-serve blender is a good way to start and see if you really stick to making smoothies a part of your routine.

If you want to upgrade later to a higher-end blender to make things besides just smoothies then buying a high-end blender (that will be on your countertop all the time) will make more sense. If you are going to buy a full-size blender, we would just pay up a little more for the Vitamix vs. other high-end countertop blenders.

Overall, for the money we like the Nutribullet 900 personal blender. It is a good price, works very well for smoothies (it can purify seeds, nuts, and hard vegetables like broccoli), and is easy to use.

For blenders, ease of use is important so that people stick to using it rather than feeling overwhelmed (which many people do with juicers and large blenders).

If you have more questions about Nutribullet then read our comprehensive Nutribullet Questions post or leave a question in the comments below.