Is there anyone who doesn’t like smoothies? Whether your taste leans toward fruity and sweet or green and good for you, you can’t argue with the health benefits of adding more fresh fruits and veggies to your daily menu. One of the simplest ways to do so is by whipping up a nutrition-packed smoothie in a NutriBullet blender.

A NutriBullet blender’s powerful motor can blast through pulp, skin, seeds, and stems that would stymie other blenders. You can make healthful smoothies with fresh produce in just seconds. And there’s no pulpy mess to clean up afterward. But there are lots of different NutriBullet models, so how do you choose the right one for you?

At BestReviews, we are ready to help. We combine research and testing to bring you the information you need to make smart purchasing decisions. If you’re thinking about buying a NutriBullet blender, our shopping guide has plenty of information to savor.

The NutriBullet blender debuted in 2012, a descendant of the Magic Bullet, a small, “personal” blender with a distinctive upside-down configuration, which was released about a decade earlier. With a more powerful motor and larger cups, the NutriBullet has gone on to sell millions of units and gain many devoted users, as well as imitators. NutriBullet models with added capabilities – from heat to Bluetooth connectivity – later joined the lineup.

When first introduced, NutriBullet blenders were targeted to an older audience interested in “slowing down the aging process.” Today, the benefits of eating more fresh fruits and vegetables are legion, and NutriBullet blenders appeal to anyone, young or old, who wants to eat a healthier diet.

Dietary guidelines published by the USDA recommend that we focus on eating whole fruits, a varied assortment of vegetables of all colors, low-fat dairy, and less sugar and fat. The guidelines also encourage us to fill half our plates with fruits and vegetables – although there’s nothing that says that half-plate full of spinach, almonds, and bananas can’t be in liquid form.

If you’re looking for a well-designed, powerful blender that’s easy to use, easy to clean, and reasonably priced, a NutriBullet is hard to beat. And if you eat more fruits and vegetables along the way, that’s a good thing, too.

The NutriBullet is not advertised as a blender so much as a “nutrient extractor,” promising to “virtually predigest” food to make it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients. Traditional countertop blenders also pulverize and liquefy foods, so what’s the difference between those and NutriBullet blenders? Each type has some distinctive features.

NutriBullet blenders

• 600-watt to 1,700-watt motors

• One speed (most models)

• One design (upside-down cup)

• One use (liquefy produce)

• One temperature (most models)

• Powerful (processes seeds, nuts, stems, pulp, and skin that can jam other blenders)

• Fast (10 seconds or less)

• Convenient (single blending/drinking cup)

• Easy to clean

• Less expensive than similarly powered blenders
   

Other countertop blenders

• 300-watt to 1,500-watt motors (household models average 450 watts)

• Three to 10 speeds

• Many designs

• Many uses

• Hot or cold foods

• Glass, polycarbonate, or stainless steel containers

• Larger containers

• Tamper to push stuck food toward the blades

• Extras (touchpads, programmable controls)

• Longer warranty

All the NutriBullet models come with at least two cups, two lip rings, two lids, a user manual, and a recipe booklet.

The original NutriBullet comes in three colors, has a 600-watt motor, one speed, an extractor blade, and a 24-ounce capacity.

The NutriBullet Pro has a 900-watt motor, one speed, an extractor blade, a to-go lid, and a 32-ounce capacity.

The NutriBullet Select has a 950-watt motor, an extractor blade, three pre-programmed settings, five variable speeds, and a 32-ounce capacity.

The NutriBullet Balance has a 1,200-watt motor, one speed (but the included app can vary speed and duration), a precision extractor blade, Bluetooth-enabled Smart Nutrition Sensor, an app, an integrated scale, and a 32-ounce capacity.

The NutriBullet Rx has a 1,700-watt motor, a seven-minute heating cycle, an extractor blade, hands-free Smart Technology with auto on/off, a vented SouperBlast pitcher, and a 45-ounce capacity.

The Baby Bullet is for preparing baby food and has a 200-watt motor, a blending blade, a milling blade, and six date-dial storage cups.

The Dessert Bullet is for preparing desserts from frozen ingredients and has a 350-watt motor, a feed tube and barrel, a pusher, and a spout.

NutriBullet blenders are designed to do one thing very well – blend – so they don’t have all the features, or the price tag, of top-of-the-line countertop blenders. Whether you buy the original, no-frills 600-watt NutriBullet or a 1,700-watt NutriBullet Rx, you’ll spend between $60 and $180, considerably less than you’d pay for a comparably powered countertop blender.

You can buy a 900-watt NutriBullet blender complete with two cups, two lip rings, and two lids for less than $100. Replacement parts, such as a 24-ounce cup ($12) or extractor blade ($20), can be found on the company’s website.

• Get creative. Use your NutriBullet blender to purée the bits you might otherwise toss out, such as tough asparagus stems or washed carrot skins, and use the purée to make soups.

• Stock up in season. When fruits and vegetables are at the peak of freshness, stock up at the farmers’ market, pulverize the produce, and freeze it in muffin pans. The “muffins” can then be stored in resealable plastic bags. When you’re ready to make a smoothie, just add one of your frozen kale or strawberry cubes to the other ingredients in the NutriBullet blender.

• Surprise a picky eater. Think your child won’t touch cauliflower? Broccoli? Chia seeds? You can use your NutriBullet blender to whip up a kid-friendly smoothie full of nutritious vegetables, as well as the apples, grapes, and bananas they already love.

• Know the good from the bad. While there are many seeds you can add to your smoothies, you should never add the seeds or pits from apples, pears, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, or cherries. These contain amygdalin, a bitter compound that produces cyanide when pulverized.

• Vary your vitamins. Broccoli, pistachio seeds, and avocado provide vitamin B6. Strawberries, kale, and papaya are full of vitamin C. Swiss chard, beans, and coconut water are loaded with potassium. For a creamier smoothie, try adding cottage cheese or cooked chunks of sweet potato. For sweetness and thickening, try figs, pitted dates, or beets.

Q. My NutriBullet blender leaks sometimes. Is it broken?

A. Leaks can happen for a couple reasons: putting too much liquid in the container or a loose connection between the container and base. Make sure you don’t overfill the container by paying attention to the maximum fill line. And make sure you securely screw the container onto the base before turning on your NutriBullet blender.

Q. How do I prepare different fruits and vegetables for my NutriBullet blender?

A. Many foods, such as blueberries or cucumbers, only require rinsing before tossing them in the NutriBullet. For others, such as cantaloupe, you must remove the rind. For stone fruits or avocados, you must remove the pit. You can download a complete food prep chart from the NutriBullet website.

Q. Can I put unpeeled bananas in my NutriBullet blender?

A. The skins of many fruits are packed with nutrition. For example, apple and apricot skins are high in vitamin C. While you probably never eat the skin on a banana, it is edible and high in fiber, and you can add it to your smoothies. However, be sure to only eat organic banana peels. Pesticides and other chemicals are used for growing non-organic bananas and can collect in the peels.