- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Test Results
- Differences
- Compared To Others
- Deals
- Discussions
The NutriBullet Blender Combo is a full-sized blender with a tamper to help redistribute food inside the jar. It makes good smoothies, but it struggles to process almonds, and you shouldn't use it to crush ice on its own, according to the manufacturer. On the upside, it can hot blend without a problem. Its additional single-serve cups and to-go lids also make it easy to take a blend with you on the go. While it can sometimes be tricky to clean by hand, the jars, lids, and blade assemblies are all dishwasher safe, making cleanup a little easier.
Our Verdict
The NutriBullet Blender Combo is sub-par for multipurpose use. It produces a grainy-textured smoothie, and it has a hard time processing almonds into a smooth butter. The manufacturer also doesn't recommend using it to blend ice by itself. If you're making something sticky like almond butter, it can also be a little more difficult to clean. However, it can easily process hot food like soup.
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Comes with two single-serve jars.
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Can hold a lot of food in its main jar.
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Disappointing for making nut butter.
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Oils and sticky foods can be hard to clean.
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Not recommended for crushing ice without liquid.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo is passable for making smoothies and protein shakes. This decently-built blender can blend up frozen banana and raw kale, although it produces a drink with a slightly grainy texture. The manufacturer also says you shouldn't use it to blend ice on its own. It should be okay to add ice to the jar along with a liquid, but we don't test that currently.
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Comes with two single-serve jars.
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Not recommended for crushing ice without liquid.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo shouldn't be used to crush ice on its own, according to the manufacturer.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo is great for making soup. You can blend hot ingredients in the main pitcher. It does a good job incorporating ingredients into smoothies, although it doesn't fully process fibrous greens like kale. That said, it's decently well-built, usually easy to clean by hand, and most of its parts are dishwasher-safe.
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Can blend hot food.
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Can hold a lot of food in its main jar.
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Oils and sticky foods can be hard to clean.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo is disappointing for professional use. Although it has a decent build quality, it struggles to fully process hard foods like nuts or fibrous fruits and vegetables like kale. The manufacturer also doesn't recommend using this blender to crush ice on its own, and it can still be a little hard to clean sticky foods from it. On the upside, it can hot blend, which is suitable for making soups.
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Can blend hot food.
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Can hold a lot of food in its main jar.
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Disappointing for making nut butter.
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Oils and sticky foods can be hard to clean.
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Not recommended for crushing ice without liquid.
- 5.9 Multi-Purpose
- 6.3 Smoothies/Protein Shakes
- 3.1 Ice Crushing
- 8.3 Soups
- 5.7 Professional Use
- Updated Sep 08, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Sep 08, 2020: Early access published.
Test Results
The NutriBullet Blender Combo is smaller than other full-sized blenders like the Vitamix Explorian E310 or the Ninja DUO. It's a little bulky, though, and you may need to make extra room for it on your countertop or in your cupboard.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo has a satisfactory build quality. There are clicky and easy-to-use buttons on its front, which make it easy to switch between modes. The transmission gear, the pitcher, and its additional jars are made from high-quality plastic, while the pitcher and extractor blade gearings are silicone. The to-go lids don't feel as durable, though, since they feel somewhat brittle and could break more easily. The pitcher's handle is also a little loose, which can be a little annoying for some. Unfortunately, a part of our unit's plastic base broke off, and while we assume that this breakage happened in transit, it feels like bumps or drops could easily damage parts of this blender.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo comes with a large main jar that has measuring marks and a max fill line at 64 ounces on its side. It has a spout for easier pouring as well. However, it's fairly wide at the bottom, and the blades aren't very long, so if something like almond butter gets stuck to the sides of the jar, they may not be able to reach it. You can't remove the blades from the jar, but you can put the whole unit and the lid in your dishwasher.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo comes with a couple of single-serve jars: one 24 ounce jar and one 32 ounce jar. There's a separate blade assembly that screws onto these jars, and they each come with a to-go lid. The additional jars and to-go lids are dishwasher-safe, but you have to clean the standalone blade assembly by hand.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo's main blade assembly has six dull blades with tapered tips. You can't remove them from the main pitcher, but you can put the pitcher and blades in your dishwasher. The separate blade assembly that screws onto the single-serve jars isn't dishwasher-safe, however.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo comes with a two-part lid that uses friction to stay closed. The removable center piece allows you to use the tamper or add ingredients mid-blend and doubles as a two-ounce measuring cup. Unfortunately, though, if there's any moisture around the lid's seal, it's difficult to close and tends to pop off the jar.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo's power cord is long enough to reach most outlets. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a stowaway compartment to hide the cable when it's not in use.
- Blender pitcher and lid
- Motor base
- Tamper
- 24 oz personal jar
- 32 oz personal jar
- 2x to-go lids
- Individual blade assembly (extractor blade)
- User manual/recipe book
The NutriBullet Blender Combo has five preset speeds and an on/off button. It's also pretty loud at max speed.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo makes disappointing almond butter. The manual suggests using its medium speed to process nut butter, but this speed produces a dry and crunchy paste that isn't very spreadable. Its rough texture has a lot of big almond chunks left behind, which not only makes the blend bland but can rip a hole in your toast when you try to spread it. To get smoother nut butter, you'd need to blend it for more than 10 minutes.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo makes good smoothies in its 32-ounce additional jar. Kale gets chopped up evenly but isn't fully liquified, resulting in a somewhat gritty drink. That said, it mixes everything else well, resulting in a smooth pour. If you use 'Extractor Mode', the results are similarly good. The blender seems to struggle more to process frozen banana chunks when you run the preset, and it still leaves behind some unprocessed grains, but the result is a cold, thick smoothie with a good taste.
The main pitcher is also good for making smoothies. Although the blender has a hard time fully processing kale leaves, the rest of the ingredients are thoroughly blended. The result is a thick and slightly clumpy smoothie that's less gritty than the one made in the personal jar. It's still a little bubbly and foamy, though. If you're looking for a blender that makes better smoothies, the Vitamix ONE is a full-size blender that makes better smoothies in its 32-ounce main jar.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo isn't for crushing ice as it requires liquids in the jar to work properly. If you want a blender that can crush ice on its own, check out the NutriBullet PRO 1000 or the Vitamix 7500.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo has a preset mode for the single-serve jars called 'Extractor Mode', specifically designed for smoothies. However, it doesn't have a self-clean program like the Blendtec Classic 575.
The NutriBullet ZNBF30500Z is decently easy to clean. You can put the pitcher and lid on the top rack of your dishwasher, which is nice. You can also toss the personal jar into the dishwasher, but you have to wash its extractor blade by hand. If you want to wash everything by hand, it's best to use a sponge as the blades are dull. Kale and other leafy greens can get stuck underneath the blades or along the rim of the jar where the blades are screwed in. Cleaning up after making nut butter can also be a pain since it gets underneath the blades, and you need to scrub vigorously to remove all the oil. If you want a blender that's easier to clean, check out the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo has a couple of extra features. It comes with two personal jars with to-go lids and a tamper you can use to push food towards the blades in the main jar. You can also use the main pitcher to blend hot ingredients like roasted vegetables for soups, sauces, and purees.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The NutriBullet Blender Combo comes in one color, 'Dark Grey', but has a few variants with different accessories. The model we tested (ZNBF30550Z) comes with a 32 oz jar and a 24 oz jar. There's another variant (ZNBF50550Z) that seems to be identical, except its 24 oz jar has a handle. This model is sometimes called the NutriBullet 5-Speed Blender, and we expect our results to be valid for it as well.
If you come across another version, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Blenders
The NutriBullet Blender Combo is a full-size blender that comes with two single-serve jars so you can take your food with you on the go. It can also safely blend hot ingredients, which is nice if you like to make soups. Unfortunately, according to the manufacturer's guidelines, you shouldn't use it for processing ice as it can jam under the blades.
If you're looking for other options, check out the best blenders for smoothies, the best blenders for frozen drinks, and the best blenders.
The Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System is better than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Foodi has a better build quality and is easier to clean. It can crush ice and makes significantly better almond butter and smoothies. On the other hand, the NutriBullet can hot blend.
The Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher SS201 is better for most purposes than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Ninja makes very smooth, spreadable almond butter and snow-like crushed ice. It also produces significantly better smoothies. On the other hand, you can use the NutriBullet to blend hot ingredients for soups and sauces. Also, it comes with two personal jars with matching to-go lids.
The Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO is better for most purposes than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Ninja has a significantly better build quality. It makes much better smoothies and almond butter and produces snow-like crushed ice. However, it's a personal blender, and its biggest jars can hold 24 ounces. On the other hand, the NutriBullet is a full-size blender, and its main jar has a 64-ounce capacity. You can also use it for hot blending, unlike the Ninja.
The Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ is a better, more versatile blender than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Ninja is better-built and easier to clean, and it can crush ice, unlike the NutriBullet. However, the NutriBullet comes with two additional personal-sized jars. It also makes a better-blended smoothie.
The Ninja Blender Duo with Auto-iQ BL642 is better for most purposes than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Ninja has a much better build quality and is easier to clean. It makes snow-like crushed ice, more spreadable almond butter, and significantly better smoothies. It also comes with three personal jars, while the NutriBullet only comes with two. However, you can use the NutriBullet for hot blending. It also comes with a tamper.
The Vitamix Explorian E310 is a significantly better full-size blender overall than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Vitamix feels much better built, and it can produce almond butter and smoothies with better consistency in less time. It can also make bar-quality crushed ice, and it's easier to clean. However, the NutriBullet comes with an additional jar that you can take with you on the go.
The Ninja Nutri-Blender Pro with Auto-iQ is better for most uses than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Ninja makes significantly better smoothies, crushed ice with a better texture, and smoother, more spreadable almond butter. It's also easier to clean by hand. However, the NutriBullet has a larger capacity and can be used for hot blending.
The NutriBullet Pro and the NutriBullet Blender Combo have different strengths, and you may prefer either one. The Blender Combo is a full-size model that can blend hot ingredients. Its main jar has a much larger capacity and it has a few different speed settings. On the other hand, the Pro is a single-speed personal blender. It's much more compact, and it's significantly better at making smoothies and almond butter.
The Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ is better than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Ninja makes significantly better almond butter, silkier smoothies, and snow-like crushed ice. It's easier to clean and comes with a food processing attachment, although we don't test that currently. On the other hand, the NutriBullet can hot blend.
The Ninja Nutri Ninja Pro and the NutriBullet Blender Combo have different strengths. The NutriBullet is a full-size blender that comes with a 64-ounce main jar and two personal jars. It makes better-blended smoothies, and you can use it to blend hot ingredients. The Ninja is a personal blender that comes with three differently-sized jars suitable for single-serves, along with matching to-go lids. It can crush ice, and it's much easier to clean.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo and the Ninja Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ have different strengths. The NutriBullet can be used for hot blending, so it's suitable for making soups, and it also makes better smoothies in either its main pitcher or smaller personal jars. On the other hand, the Ninja is a more compact personal blender. It can crush ice and make spreadable almond butter, and it's also much easier to clean when you're working with sticky ingredients.
The Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender is better than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Ninja has better build quality, makes significantly better almond butter, and produces bar-quality crushed ice. It has a heating element and can hot blend. On the other hand, the NutriBullet takes less time to make a good smoothie. It also comes with two personal jars with matching to-go lids.
The Ninja Mega Kitchen System BL770 is a better full-size blender overall than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Ninja has a better build quality, and it can produce almond butter and smoothies with better consistency. It can also make snow-like crushed ice and cleaning it is significantly easier. However, the NutriBullet produces a silkier smoothie with its personal jar than that of the Ninja.
The KitchenAid K400 is better than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The KitchenAid K400 has a much better build quality and more speed settings. It can crush ice and does a much better job of making almond butter and blending smoothies. On the other hand, the NutriBullet comes with a tamper and two personal jars in addition to its main jar.
The Vitamix 5200 is better than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. It has a much better build quality and delivers a much better overall performance, since it makes smoother, more spreadable almond butter, silkier smoothies, and crushed ice with a better texture. It's also much easier to clean by hand. On the other hand, in addition to the main jar, the NutriBullet comes with a couple of personal jars with to-go lids.
The Vitamix 7500 is better than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Vitamix can crush ice. It has a much better build quality and does a better job of making almond butter and smoothies. It also has more speed settings and is easier to clean. On the other hand, the NutriBullet comes with two personal jars with to-go lids in addition to its main jar.
The Ninja DUO is better for making smoothies than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Ninja can produce silkier smoothies in less time, and you can pick up a variant with a micro-juicing attachment. It's also better at making almond butter. However, it's loud when blending. The NutriBullet, in comparison, has fewer cleaning needs, and it can make snow-like ice.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo and the NutriBullet Pro+ have different strengths, and you may prefer either depending on your needs. The Blender Combo is a full-size model that can blend hot ingredients. In addition to a pair of 20-ounce personal jars, it comes with a 64-ounce main pitcher. On the other hand, the Pro+ is a single-speed personal blender that makes much better smoothies and almond butter. It's also easier to clean by hand when you're working with sticky ingredients.
The NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender Combo is better for most uses than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Smart Touch has a significantly better build quality, produces better smoothies, and does a better job of processing almonds into spreadable almond butter. However, the Blender Combo is easier to clean, and it has buttons instead of a touch screen, which some may prefer.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo and the NutriBullet PRO 1000 aren't the most versatile blenders so you may prefer one over the other. The Blender Combo is a full-size blender with a 32-oz additional jar, while the PRO 1000 is a personal blender with a 32-oz main jar and a 24-oz additional jar. The Blender Combo can hot blend, so it's better for making soups and sauces, and it comes with different speed settings and a pulse mode. However, unlike the PRO 1000, it can't crush ice.
The Ninja Smart Screen and the NutriBullet Blender Combo have different strengths, and you may prefer either one. The Ninja is much better-built and is easier to clean. It makes smoother almond butter as well as crushed ice with a better texture. On the other hand, the NutriBullet make better-blended smoothies in less time. It comes with a tamper, a two-part lid, and two personal jars with matching to-go lids in addition to its main pitcher. You can also use it to blend hot ingredients.
The Vitamix ONE is a better blender for smoothies than the NutriBullet Blender Combo. The Vitamix makes much better smoothies in its 32-ounce jar, and it's significantly easier to clean. On the other hand, the NutriBullet can blend hot ingredients. Its main jar has a bigger capacity, and it also comes with two personal jars and matching to-go lids.
The NutriBullet Blender Combo is better for making smoothies than the Blendtec Classic 575. The NutriBullet feels better built, it comes with two personal jars so you can take your drinks with you on the go, and it produces a significantly better smoothie in less time. It's also much better for making soups. However, the Blendtec is easier to clean.