The nutribullet Ultra is a higher-end bullet blender. It has a similar design to the nutribullet Pro 900 and nutribullet Pro+, with the addition of dishwasher-safe blades and touch-sensitive controls. Unlike most personal blenders, it has two different blending speed settings. According to the manufacturer, one of its jars is made of post-consumer recycled plastic. Otherwise, it's quite similar to other nutribullet blenders. It comes with three personal jars, including one with a handle, and two resealable to-go lids.
Our Verdict
The nutribullet Ultra is sub-par for multi-purpose use. It's a personal blender and isn't as versatile as many full-size blenders because of its design. Its biggest jar has a 32oz capacity, so it's most suitable for single-serves, and like most bullet-style blenders, you can't use it to blend hot ingredients. That said, it does a fantastic job of blending fibrous ingredients like kale and fruit, so it's a good option for drinks like smoothies. It's also very good at blending dips and spreads like nut butter and hummus. Unfortunately, it's not meant for crushing ice without liquid in the jar.
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Smoothly blends fibrous ingredients.
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Jars and lids are dishwasher-safe.
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Can't crush ice on its own.
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Controls can be overly sensitive.
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32oz maximum capacity.
The nutribullet Ultra is good for single-serve smoothies. Its three jars are all suitable for single-serve smoothies, and it comes with two resealable lids so you can bring your drink on the go. It makes a very smooth blend with fibrous ingredients, so it can do a good job with most smoothie recipes. However, its controls are a little inconvenient and easy to activate accidentally.
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Smoothly blends fibrous ingredients.
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3 personal jars included.
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To-go lids included.
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Jars and lids are dishwasher-safe.
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Can't crush ice on its own.
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Controls can be overly sensitive.
The nutribullet Ultra is decent for multiple servings of smoothies. Its biggest jar has a 34-ounce capacity, which isn't enough for more than one or two smoothies. However, it comes with three jars, so you can blend up single-serves for a couple of people, and it doesn't take very long to make a very smooth blend with fibrous ingredients like leafy greens.
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Smoothly blends fibrous ingredients.
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Jars and lids are dishwasher-safe.
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Can't crush ice on its own.
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Controls can be overly sensitive.
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32oz maximum capacity.
The nutribullet Ultra isn't intended for crushing ice without liquid in the jar, according to the manufacturer.
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Jars and lids are dishwasher-safe.
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Can't crush ice on its own.
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Controls can be overly sensitive.
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32oz maximum capacity.
The nutribullet Ultra can't hot blend, like most personal blenders, so it's unsuitable for making hot recipes like soup. Its 34-ounce capacity may not fit a full recipe in one batch, either. However, if your ingredients cool first, it can make a smooth blend with vegetables like kale and broccoli, which is important for pureed soups and sauces.
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Smoothly blends fibrous ingredients.
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Controls can be overly sensitive.
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32oz maximum capacity.
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Can't hot blend.
The nutribullet Ultra is sub-par for professional use. While it's well-suited for blending smoothies and smaller batches of dips and spreads like nut butter, it can't blend hot ingredients or crush ice. Its 34-ounce capacity is limiting if you're serving a crowd, and while it feels sturdy, it's entirely made of plastic. It has a pulse mode and a regular blending mode, which is good for a personal blender, but you might want a blender with more speed settings if you make lots of different recipes.
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Smoothly blends fibrous ingredients.
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Jars and lids are dishwasher-safe.
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Can't crush ice on its own.
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Controls can be overly sensitive.
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32oz maximum capacity.
- 5.9 Multi-Purpose
- 7.5 Smoothies (Single Serving)
- 7.1 Smoothies (Multiple Servings)
- 2.1 Ice Crushing
- 3.9 Soups
- 5.9 Professional Use
- Updated Sep 23, 2024: We've changed the results under Blades to say that the blade assembly isn't dishwasher-safe. An apparent mistake caused confusion in the original manual, which isn't currently available on NutriBullet's website.
- Updated Mar 18, 2024: Added information about a new Costco (U.S.) variant in Differences Between Variants.
- Updated Nov 02, 2023: Review published.
- Updated Oct 26, 2023: Early access published.
- Updated Oct 24, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Sep 28, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Sep 15, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The nutribullet Ultra comes in one variant, 'Gray,' and includes three jars. You can see the label for the unit we tested here.
There's also the nutribullet Ultra Deluxe Blender, which is sold at Costco (U.S.). It comes with an extra 32oz jar and a pair of stainless steel straws. Otherwise, it's identical, so we expect our results to also be valid for that blender.
If you come across another variant or your blender is different, let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Blenders
The nutribullet Ultra performs similarly to previous nutribullet models like the nutribullet Pro+, nutribullet Pro 1000, and nutribullet Pro 900, but there have been a few notable changes to its design. The blades are sharper, and instead of buttons, it has touch-sensitive surfaces, which gives it a sleek look. Unfortunately, it's easy to accidentally turn the blender on while you're moving it if the jar is docked. It still can't crush ice without liquid in the jar, like most of the brand's personal blenders. Overall, other premium blenders like the Beast Health Blender and Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO are better for smoothies, but you might like that this blender comes with three jars included.
If you're looking for more personal blenders, check out our recommendations for the best personal blenders, the best nutribullet and Magic Bullet blenders, and the best portable blenders.
The nutriBullet Pro+ and nutribulletUltra are both personal blenders intended for smoothies. They perform similarly when blending common ingredients like fruit or leafy greens. The Ultra comes with an extra jar and is a better option for small batches of nut butter or hummus. However, its controls are awkward and easy to accidentally activate.
The nutribullet Pro 900 has a better blending performance than the nutribullet Ultra when making silky smoothies with fibrous ingredients like kale and blueberries. If you don't mind slightly grainier smoothies, the Ultra's blades are dishwasher-safe. It also comes with three jars instead of two and has a dedicated pulse mode. However, its touch-sensitive controls make it easy to turn on accidentally, which can be annoying.
The Beast Health Blender is better than the nutribullet Ultra. The Beast has a much better build quality and a better blending performance, whether you're making a fruit smoothie or a small batch of nut butter or crushing ice for cocktails. It's significantly quieter when it's running. However, the nutribullet comes with three jars instead of just one, so you might prefer it if a few people in your home like a smoothie in the morning.
The Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO is better than the NutriBullet Ultra. The Ninja makes a smoother blend with common smoothie ingredients like leafy greens and fruit and processes these ingredients more quickly. It can crush ice without liquid in the jar. It's also easier to clean, and its controls are more convenient. However, the NutriBullet is a good option for smoothies, too, and it's significantly quieter when running.
You might prefer either the nutribullet Ultra or the Beast Mini Blender Plus. They're both personal blenders that are mainly intended for single-serve smoothies, and they both do a fantastic job of blending common ingredients like leafy greens and fruit. The nutribullet is easier to use for recipes like nut butter since you don't have to remove the lid to stir the recipe. However, it's not meant for crushing ice. The Beast can crush ice in the jar without liquid, but it can't handle many ice cubes at once and leaves unprocessed chunks, so it's not ideal for crushing ice. You might prefer it if you want a quieter blender or a more premium build quality.
Test Results
It's a bit taller and heavier than previous nutribullet blenders like the nutribullet Pro 900 and nutribullet Pro+. However, it's still more compact than most full-size blenders, so it's easy to store on your counter or in a spacious cupboard.
The motor base feels sturdier than previous models, especially the gears on the motor base. This includes thick fins to guide the jar into place, unlike the nutribullet Pro+ and nutribullet Pro 900. The jars and lids feel sturdy, and there are four suction cups under the body to keep it in place while the blender is running. However, the touch-sensitive buttons bring down its overall build quality score. It's very easy to accidentally turn the blender on while you're moving it since the buttons can be activated even if you're not actually touching them but hovering above them with your finger, as you can see in a video here. The blender won't start unless the jar is mounted on the base, so it's not a big safety issue, but it's annoying and not an improvement over previous models' regular button controls.
This blender comes with three jars. The biggest jar has a 34-ounce capacity. There are also two 24oz jars, one with a similar tall design and the other with a shorter, stubbier shape and a handle.
The jars are made of sturdy-feeling plastic, similar to other nutribullet models. The 24oz jar with a handle is made of post-consumer plastic, according to the manufacturer. There's also a 24oz jar with a similar design to the 32oz jar (pictured above). The jars are top-rack dishwasher-safe.
The blade design is different from other nutribullet blenders. The six blades are sharp instead of dull and have a shiny black coating instead of the usual plain stainless steel finish.
While the original manual that came with our model included instructions to only place the blade assembly on the top rack of your dishwasher, that version of the manual isn't on nutribullet's website. The manuals for other nutribullet personal blenders say to only hand-wash the blades. However, nutribullet's website also says all of its blade assemblies are dishwasher-safe as long as you put them on the top rack and don't use the sanitize cycle. If you choose to put the blades in the dishwasher, keep in mind that there's conflicting information about whether or not they're dishwasher-safe.
The blade assembly lid is easy to attach and remove. Two drinking lids are included, with flip-up spouts so you can drink on the go.
The power cord is long enough to reach a nearby outlet. However, there's no stowaway compartment or place to wrap it up when not in use.
- nutribullet Ultra motor base
- 'Rapid extractor' blade assembly
- 32oz jar
- 24oz jar
- 24oz jar with handle
- 2x to-go lids
- User guide
It quickly and easily processes small batches of fibrous ingredients, so it can make very well-blended smoothies with leafy greens and fruit. However, it leaves behind a few more tiny unprocessed pieces compared to earlier nutribullet models like the nutribullet Pro 1000.
It performs better when you fill the jar to its full capacity. Using the 34-ounce jar, it takes about the same amount of time as a smaller batch and makes a smoother puree with only a few little specks left over.
Like most other nutribullet personal blenders, it's not intended for crushing ice without liquid in the jar, according to the manufacturer.
It's fantastic for making nut butter. You need to stop and shake the jar a few times to keep the ingredients moving, but you don't need to remove the lid to stir it. It doesn't take very long to make very smooth, spreadable nut butter.
It's not that loud for a personal blender, so the noise isn't too irritating when you use it for a few minutes. Some personal blenders are significantly quieter, like the Beast Health Blender.
This blender has different speeds depending on whether you're using the regular blending mode or pulse mode. The regular blending speed is a bit slower than other nutribullet blenders, like the nutribullet Pro 900. The pulse button yields an even higher speed, which is useful for breaking up chunks of ingredients, like ice or fruit, in a smoothie. You can also hold the pulse button to blend constantly at the higher speed, which can help make smooth purees.
Unlike previous models like the nutribullet Pro+, you have to use buttons to start the blender instead of just docking it on the base. There are two touch-sensitive buttons: the circle on top is for regular blending, while the dotted-line circle on the bottom is for pulse mode. These buttons are sensitive and work well as long as you're precise with where you touch, but it's easy to accidentally activate them, which makes them less convenient than regular buttons.
It's decently easy to clean. You can run the blender with soap and water inside to get rid of some of the residue, but if you made something sticky like nut butter, you have to use a sponge or brush to clean the inside of the jar. You also need to use a brush to clean the threads on the blade assembly where it screws onto the jar, which can be difficult to reach with only a sponge.