Magic bullet vs. Nutribullet

[Bearblastbeats]

I am really into smoothies and milkshakes and have always used a blender to get the job done.

However, mine burnt out so I am looking into getting something new.

My brother showed me his nutribullet and it seemed to really work, but I don't need to spend $100 on something just to make a smoothie or frozen margarita. I was looking at some cheaper models like the original magic bullet ($50) or a Farberware knock off for ($20).

I just want something easy to crush ice, frozen fruit and gets the job done simply.

Suggestions?

[arebelspy]

I've never seen the point to a fancy blender.  If a low priced one blends it as well (it just takes a few seconds longer?), doesn't the smoothie taste the same?   Thrift shops like Goodwill often have a wall of donated blenders where you could get one for like $4.

[velocistar237]

This gets decent reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-76W-SmartStick-200-Watt-Immersion/dp/B000EGC9SG/

Also works for blending soup in the pot. Maybe you can find one on ebay.

[kdms]

I've got an original Magic Bullet (given to me as a gift a few years back) and it's one of my few appliances I never bother putting away or even unplugging because I use it on pretty much a daily basis.  I'd highly recommend it.  Does a beautiful job with soups, pureeing vegetables, crushing ice, baby food, etc.  Makes a smoothie for my impatient toddler in less than a minute (it takes longer to get everything into the cup than it does to blend it).  I use it to do homemade butter and have discovered that it does an awesome job of grinding fresh peppercorns and other nuts and herbs.

Super easy to clean, store, and wash - dishwasher safe.  Also, because they've been out for a few years, you could probably find one on Kijiji or Craigslist for cheap as people are upgrading to the newer gadgets for sale... ;) (just make sure it's got both blade attachments!)

If you're just looking to make smoothies/milkshakes, a magic bullet will do you just fine.

[ace1224]

my coworker is very into smoothies and says that getting a good one like a vitamix or a blendtec is important because it breaks down the cell wall of the greens so that we can digest them, otherwise your body isn't able to process the cellulose.

i have a 20 dollar target special.  it works fine to make my sons smoothie in the morning, but i'm not blending kale and swiss chard either.

[arebelspy]

my coworker is very into smoothies and says that getting a good one like a vitamix or a blendtec is important because it breaks down the cell wall of the greens so that we can digest them, otherwise your body isn't able to process the cellulose.

[Citation needed.]

[Fletch]

My roommate has a nutri-bullet, and I use it instead of a blender for smoothies because it does much better with frozen fruit and with greens.
I imagine the original magic bullet would do just fine, I think the main reason it does better with frozen fruit is the smaller container so the chunks don't have a place to "hide", but that is pure speculation.

[ace1224]

my coworker is very into smoothies and says that getting a good one like a vitamix or a blendtec is important because it breaks down the cell wall of the greens so that we can digest them, otherwise your body isn't able to process the cellulose.

[Citation needed.]

this is what she gave me
While there is little doubt consuming fresh fruits and vegetables is the absolute best way to provide the body with the majority of the nutrition it needs, more than one study suggests that merely chewing and swallowing these foods results in a potential nutritional loss of what is available from them of up to 90%.  Chewing our food is and always will be important.  It’s Stage 1 of our bodies’ natural digestion process.  Chewing not only begins the breaking down of what we eat, but also signals the stomach to begin preparing gastric juices for its role in digestion.  Still, the vast majority of nutritive and disease-fighting properties can easily go unutilized during digestion without a more thorough breakdown of our foods’ cell structure, in which these properties reside.  Cell walls in our plant-based foods are comprised largely of a carbohydrate called cellulose.  It just so happens the human body cannot break down cellulose on its own (it lacks the necessary enzymes to do so), which is why the chewing process in digestion has always been so vital.  Yet, once reaching the stomach, a great majority of the energy our bodies do derive from our chewed and swallowed food is actually spent digesting it.

This is where high-powered blending really pays off.  With it, cell structure breakdown is done for us prior to consumption, which translates into more energy being utilized in the forms of detoxification, disease fighting/prevention, and cell repair.  It’s a strong blender’s ability to rupture cell structure which allows a substantially greater increase in the percentage of phytonutrients into the bloodstream that would otherwise go unutilized.  Phytonutrients, of which there are literally hundreds if not thousands found in our fruits and vegetables, reside inside the cells of their more fibrous components – skin, seeds, and pulp.  The more powerful the blender, the greater its ability to aid the body in releasing properties otherwise locked inside these particular cell walls.  In short, a blender delivering over 1 actual horsepower of mechanical energy is strong enough to rupture an exponentially greater number of cells in our whole foods, releasing a greater percentage of phytonutrients into the bloodstream which have been determined to do everything from, but not limited to, fighting diseases and conditions such as cancer, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and osteoporosis, just to name a few.
from here http://blenderdude.com/articles/vitamix-blendtec-blenders/

also David Wolfe is a big advocate of it.  i would link but my work computer has his page blocked

[velocistar237]

I didn't see any nutritional claims on the Vitamix website. You would think that if studies existed that showed a benefit from blending your food, then a seller would say so. I did see that Dr. Oz recommended it as a way to increase fruit and vegetable intake.

Right now, I would venture to say that, like a lot of other health food claims, nutritional claims about green smoothies are unsubstantiated.

@ace1224, the idea of using a blender to reduce the thermic effect of feeding in order to reserve energy for "detoxification" sounds like nonsense.

I do like using my stick blender to blend orange soda with vanilla ice cream on a hot summer day. Good for mental health.

[totoro]

I like the magic bullet.  It works for smoothies, allows you to individualize ingredients quickly, and is really easy to clean.

[arebelspy]

I didn't see any nutritional claims on the Vitamix website. You would think that if studies existed that showed a benefit from blending your food, then a seller would say so.

Not only that, but even if there WAS a health benefit to blending veggies (as of yet unproven), that still doesn't even prove:

that getting a good one like a vitamix or a blendtec is important

..why can't a regular blender break down the cell wall in the exact same way?

How does a vitatecblendmix break it down in any specialer way than any ol blender?  That's the citation I wanted, I'm willing to grant you magical science on the breaking down of the walls.

It sounds to me like the exact same excuse people use to buy brand name anything... aka pure bullshit.

also David Wolfe is a big advocate of it.  i would link but my work computer has his page blocked

No idea who that is, but he is a big advocate of what, exactly?  Blending things, or using specific brand name items to blend them because they "blend better"?

[rtrnow]

I didn't see any nutritional claims on the Vitamix website. You would think that if studies existed that showed a benefit from blending your food, then a seller would say so.

Not only that, but even if there WAS a health benefit to blending veggies (as of yet unproven), that still doesn't even prove:

that getting a good one like a vitamix or a blendtec is important

..why can't a regular blender break down the cell wall in the exact same way?

How does a vitatecblendmix break it down in any specialer way than any ol blender?  That's the citation I wanted, I'm willing to grant you magical science on the breaking down of the walls.

It sounds to me like the exact same excuse people use to buy brand name anything... aka pure bullshit.

also David Wolfe is a big advocate of it.  i would link but my work computer has his page blocked

No idea who that is, but he is a big advocate of what, exactly?  Blending things, or using specific brand name items to blend them because they "blend better"?

The advantage I've seen with the vitamix is its ability to handle whole foods. You can blend peels, seeds, etc. Sometimes these are the most nutritious parts. That said I'm not shelling out the cash for one. I'm lucky enough to have someone else's to play with.

[Bearblastbeats]

Well, I decided to just go ahead and get a Ninja "Pulse" series. I like the idea of the quick travel mug. A friend suggested it and its only 100 watts less than the nutri bullet. luckily wal-mart has a 90-day return policy so I can return it and try something else if I do not like it.

[onehappypanda]

I've never seen the point to a fancy blender.  If a low priced one blends it as well (it just takes a few seconds longer?), doesn't the smoothie taste the same?   Thrift shops like Goodwill often have a wall of donated blenders where you could get one for like $4.

Typically the issue is that, in my experience at least, most cheap blenders will never do what a good blender can, at least when it comes to trickier items like ice, nuts/grains, or fibrous greens like kale. I've had a few cheap blenders (mostly hand-me-downs or yard sale finds) and they've all had issues with consistency unless I was blending something that was already pretty smooth to begin with. I'm not sure if the difference is due to motor power, design, or some combination of factors - but there's definitely a difference.

A blender is just like any other tool - the quality of their construction will affect their performance and longevity. Typically higher quality construction comes with a higher price tag, although (as we all know) not ALL high price tags mean better quality. But a really cheap blender will generally have more limited motor power, less thoughtful design (meaning more difficult blending and harder to clean), and cheaper plastic components that are prone to breaking and snapping with regular use. If you use a tool often enough, there's something to be said for investing in decent quality.

The Ninja seems to get pretty good reviews for a blender that I'd call moderate price range (a step up from a $40 Oster, but not the investment of a Vitamix). It's also worth looking on Craigslist if you know what you want, I see nicer blenders up there from time to time. Cuisinart has some OK reviews and I regularly see them on Craigslist from people who have upgraded to a Vitamix.

As an aside, this is the bad boy I've been using to blend up my smoothies:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/120428628/vintage-retro-iona-blender-ionablend
40+ year old Iona model, inherited from a grandparent. The fact that the motor is still kicking is fairly impressive, unfortunately it doesn't blend greens worth a damn.

[Nudelkopf]

... I legit thought you were asking about vibrators when I saw the title of this thread. Haha. Sorry.

[ace1224]

I didn't see any nutritional claims on the Vitamix website. You would think that if studies existed that showed a benefit from blending your food, then a seller would say so.

Not only that, but even if there WAS a health benefit to blending veggies (as of yet unproven), that still doesn't even prove:

that getting a good one like a vitamix or a blendtec is important

..why can't a regular blender break down the cell wall in the exact same way?
from what i've read any blender that has over 1 horsepower of speed can, most of them don't go that fast

How does a vitatecblendmix break it down in any specialer way than any ol blender?  That's the citation I wanted, I'm willing to grant you magical science on the breaking down of the walls.

It sounds to me like the exact same excuse people use to buy brand name anything... aka pure bullshit.
i know i quoted a guy who is into the vitamix but the whole point is a blender that can break down the cell wall, it doesn't have to be a specific  brand.  that is of course if you are interested in breaking down cellulose and getting all the fiber and phytonutrients

also David Wolfe is a big advocate of it.  i would link but my work computer has his page blocked

No idea who that is, but he is a big advocate of what, exactly?  Blending things, or using specific brand name items to blend them because they "blend better"?

using better blenders to "blend better", not specific brands.   but like i said in my op this is all stuff my coworker spouts all day and sends me weird emails like this.
From a raw food perspective, the first thing you need to understand about a blender is that a blender doesn’t just “blend” or mix up a bunch of ingredients. A high-end blender does much, much more. These benders have motors is 5 to 10 times more powerful than a typical kitchen blender, and blades that reach blade-tip speeds that approach the speed of sound! This is not just for show!

With this much speed and power, the blades in these powerful machines hit your spinach, kale, bananas, almonds and everything else with a powerful force that their cell walls literally explode, instantly releasing all the dense nutrients and flavors trapped inside. That would be hard for your stomach to do even if it wasn't already compromised by a lifetime of cooked, processed foods! However, this only happens with a high-end, powerful blender. If you make a green smoothie in an ordinary kitchen blender it may mix up the ingredients somewhat, but the effect won’t be the same. Instead, you’ll waste a lot of energy chewing the lumps and digesting what should be smooth and effortless to absorb.

 i actually use a 20 dollar blender because i'm not blending any types of greens into my smoothies. 

[RayS127]

I am really into smoothies and milkshakes and have always used a blender to get the job done.

However, mine burnt out so I am looking into getting something new.

My brother showed me his nutribullet and it seemed to really work, but I don't need to spend $100 on something just to make a smoothie or frozen margarita. I was looking at some cheaper models like the original magic bullet ($50) or a Farberware knock off for ($20).

I just want something easy to crush ice, frozen fruit and gets the job done simply.

Suggestions?

I know it's a bit late but hopefully I can still help someone...I know you mentioned that you didn't want to spend a lot of money but I bought my Nutribullet around 3 months ago and I can honestly say it was worth every penny.

My advice to you would be save a little money and just invest in one, I wasn't really into juicing either until I got one and I've lost a ton of weight with it too. If you're looking for a cheap Nutribullet, one of the cheapest I found was http://www.nutribulletuk.co.uk, hope I helped!

[netskyblue]

Instead, you’ll waste a lot of energy chewing the lumps and digesting what should be smooth and effortless to absorb.

I don't think most Americans need to worry about wasting the energy they consume!  They tend to consume far more calories than necessary, anyway!

[GGNoob]

Very happy with my Magic Bullet. Been using it for about 5 years now with no issues. It works great for smoothies and I love making frozen margaritas in it! We were recently shopping for a housewarming gift for a friend and saw the Nutribullet and the outrageous price tag. Looked up the Magic Bullet on Amazon and ordered that for them instead!

[Worsted Skeins]

ace 1224 wrote:  "With this much speed and power, the blades in these powerful machines hit your spinach, kale, bananas, almonds and everything else with a powerful force that their cell walls literally explode, instantly releasing all the dense nutrients and flavors trapped inside. That would be hard for your stomach to do even if it wasn't already compromised by a lifetime of cooked, processed foods! However, this only happens with a high-end, powerful blender. If you make a green smoothie in an ordinary kitchen blender it may mix up the ingredients somewhat, but the effect won’t be the same. Instead, you’ll waste a lot of energy chewing the lumps and digesting what should be smooth and effortless to absorb."

In Mary Roach's excellent book, Gulp, she discussed the 19th century experiments of William Beaumont who inserted food into a fistula in a patient's stomach in order to observe the digestive process.  It is my understanding that he essentially proved digestion is a chemical process--not a mechanical one--which leads me to wonder if a blender is required to break down cellular walls.

Roach also discusses an archaic theory on intense mastication (Horace Fletcher).

I am not a medical person or a biologist.  Maybe someone else can chime in on this.

[surfhb]

I must admit I'm one of the idiots who paid $500 for a stupid Vitamix.....and it's by far the best purchase I ever made :).   After using the nutri bullet for about a year I knew how much green smoothies changed my life for the better.    Also nutri bullet warranty is pretty good....if it breaks they will send out a new one

I figured if this is something that I will do forever why not spend the money on something that will never need ( unlikely) replacing.   So what if I have to work a few months longer :)

Can't comment on the nutritional benefit of one over the other but the Vitamix blends very smooth smoothies....hands down difference. 

[freeedom]

Neither... Blender + Mason Jars

[bhanu8999]

I have recently got a Magic Bullet Blender but it seems to be not working good for hard items like ICE, frozen Fruit, and nuts, may be I should have got a Nutri Bullet blender. After reading this article NutriBullet vs Magic Bullet had given me more insight on blenders. I will return this Magic Bullet and will get a Nutri Bullet blender for my requirement. 

MOD EDIT: Spam link removed.

[Cromacster]

also David Wolfe is a big advocate of it.  i would link but my work computer has his page blocked

You mean the guy that believes the earth is flat, solar panels steal energy from the sun, gravity isn't real, and that chocolate is a sound wave from the sun also advocates blending vegetables so I don't have to chew?  I'm sold.  Never use this schyster as a source, you lose all credibility.

[farmecologist]

We got a cheap 'Ninja' brand blender and it works great.  Our daughter has been using it daily to make smoothies, etc...

[Del Griffith]

We got a cheap 'Ninja' brand blender and it works great.  Our daughter has been using it daily to make smoothies, etc...

Agreed. We got the Ninja smoothie maker/food processor/blender all-in-one (pricey, but it was a shower gift to us a couple years ago) and use it daily. The thing is pretty great. Before we received this, we got a Nutribullet and I also thought that did a good job as well.

If you're torn on what to get, you can purchase from BBB -- they have the most forgiving return policy and took the very-used Nutribullet back and gave a us full refund when we decided to go Ninja. Just hang onto the receipt.

[Laserjet3051]

Ive had several magic bullets over the years. They are ok, but dont last long due to plastic parts (especially the one that drives the blade). But due to their cheap cost, buying a new one every 5 years seems not so bad.

Of course the vitamix is a superior performance instrument but the argument it produces a healthier product due to more efficient blending sounds like TOTAL BULLSHIT. For example:

"my coworker is very into smoothies and says that getting a good one like a vitamix or a blendtec is important because it breaks down the cell wall of the greens so that we can digest them, otherwise your body isn't able to process the cellulose"


The more detailed citations supporting this claim upthread are far from compelling. Furthermore, of course we cant process the cellulose! But that doesnt stop us from processing the phytonutrients that we extract from the cellulose due to mastication, cooking, blending, etc. Human nutrient assimilation has co-evolved over millenia with our primary method of extraction: mastication. This method is uniquely matched to our specific nutritional needs and dietary constituency.

Mechanical blending of plant cells does not increase our ability to digest plant cell walls. Why do you think a torn up batch of cellulose can be digested any different by a human than a long stretch of cellulose. We cannot do either.

"Phytonutrients, of which there are literally hundreds if not thousands found in our fruits and vegetables, reside inside the cells of their more fibrous components – skin, seeds, and pulp.  "

This quote immediately discredits your source. No, there are not hundreds of phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables, there are tens of thousands in any given plant. While the relative nutritional value of any individual molecule will vary, claiming there are "hundreds, if not thousands" tells me the author is not well versed in plant biology / nutrition.

[dreaming]

I have recently got a Magic Bullet Blender but it seems to be not working good for hard items like ICE, frozen Fruit, and nuts, may be I should have got a Nutri Bullet blender. After reading this article NutriBullet vs Magic Bullet had given me more insight on blenders. I will return this Magic Bullet and will get a Nutri Bullet blender for my requirement.

I had a Magic Bullet from when they first came out years ago.  I was underwhelmed with it and so it was mostly used for grinding flax seed.  I bought a couple of other blenders and didn't like them either so I finally broke down and got a Vitamix.  A couple of years later I wanted to make smoothies at work and needed something cheaper, but something that would pulverize everything including raspberry/strawberry seeds  (because the Vitamix spoiled me, I now didn't want to deal with the seeds) and figured I would try the 900 watt Nutribullet.  While it does not do as good of a job as the Vitamix, it does very well.  Make sure to get at least the 900 watt if you care about getting rid of seeds.

[NorthernBlitz]

This gets decent reviews.
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-76W-SmartStick-200-Watt-Immersion/dp/B000EGC9SG/

Also works for blending soup in the pot. Maybe you can find one on ebay.

I would not recommend this product.

We got this because we liked the metal stick for inserting into hot meals like soup.

Like all immersion blenders we've had with a removable stick, the coupling that drives the blade was irreparably broken in less than a year. I have altered the attachment so that it can be run by a drill, but the speed of the smaller drills I have isn't good for blending harder materials. For example, this works well for blending cooked apples into apple sauce, but not so well for blending something like frozen (or even thawed) fruits into a smoothie. I think it works fine with a higher speed drill, but the ones I have are heavier and it makes wielding it more cumbersome.

[ReadySetMillionaire]

I know this thread is old but just wanted to give a positive review for my Nutribullet.  I got mine on sale for like $70.  I use it every single day and it's lasted about three years now and still works great.

Three servings of baby spinach plus a banana plus a handful of strawberries is quite delicious.