With the rising popularity of juicing and smoothies, many people wonder if they can use their NutriBullet blender for juicing fruits and vegetables. While the NutriBullet is marketed primarily as a smoothie maker, it can also be used to make fresh juices at home.
How NutriBullet Works for Juicing
The NutriBullet is a high-powered personal blender with a 600-watt motor and strong extraction blades. It uses a cyclonic action to break down fruits, vegetables, and seeds into a smooth liquid consistency. This makes it well-suited for making smoothies and juices.
To use the NutriBullet for juicing, you simply add your ingredients to the tall cup, attach the blade, and blend. The powerful blades extract the juice from produce by breaking down the cell walls and pulp. What’s left is a smooth, drinkable juice.
The NutriBullet juices in a different way than a traditional slow juicer. Slow juicers slowly grind produce and then strain out the pulp, separating the juice from the solids. The NutriBullet pulverizes everything together into a smooth juice drink that contains all the pulp and fiber.
Benefits of Juicing with NutriBullet
There are some advantages to using the NutriBullet for juices rather than a regular juicer:
- Convenient and fast – Juices are made in seconds.
- Easy cleanup – The NutriBullet cup rinses clean easily.
- Retains fiber and nutrients – The juice contains all the pulp and fiber from the produce.
- Versatile – Can make smoothies, juices, nut milks, and more.
- Compact – Takes up less space than a juicer.
The biggest benefit of the NutriBullet is how fast and convenient it is. You can make a fresh juice in under a minute with very little cleanup required afterwards. It’s much simpler to use than washing and assembling a whole slow juicer.
Juices made in the NutriBullet also retain more fiber and nutrients compared to heavily strained juices. The pulp adds extra fiber and the juice is not exposed to as much heat and oxygen like it is with a juicer.
Limitations of the NutriBullet for Juicing
However, there are some downsides to juicing with the NutriBullet:
- Doesn’t fully extract juice – Some pulp and moisture stays trapped in the pulp.
- Shorter shelf life – Juice separates and goes bad more quickly due to the pulp.
- Texture – NutriBullet juices have a thick, pulpy texture.
- Small batches – Can’t juice large quantities at once.
- Not ideal for leafy greens – The blades aren’t optimized for juicing greens.
The NutriBullet won’t produce the highest juice yields compared to a masticating juicer that thoroughly grinds and squeezes produce. Some moisture and juice always remains in the pulp. This means you won’t get the maximum amount of juice from your fruits and veggies.
The shelf life is also shorter with juices made in the NutriBullet. The juice starts separating after a day or two as the pulp settles. With a juicer, the juice lasts 3-5 days refrigerated.
Some people don’t like the thick, pulpy texture of NutriBullet juices. They prefer the smooth, clear juice extracted from a juicer. NutriBullet juices are closer to smoothies in thickness.
The small capacity of the NutriBullet cups also makes it inconvenient for juicing large batches for multiple people. You’ll have to juice in small batches. It’s not ideal for juicing things like leafy greens either. A slow juicer’s auger is better equipped to fully crush and press greens like kale and spinach.
Ideal Fruits and Vegetables for Juicing in NutriBullet
While the NutriBullet may not be ideal for hardcore green juicing, it works well for most other fruits and vegetables. Here are some of the best options:
- Apples – Juicy, pulpy, easy to extract.
- Citrus fruits – Oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes.
- Berries – Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries.
- Melons – Cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon.
- Pineapple – Soft pulp is easy to blend.
- Cucumber – High water content.
- Tomatoes – NutriBullet can extract juice well from tomatoes.
- Carrots – Pulpy and juicy.
- Beets – Soften well in NutriBullet.
Fruits and veggies with a high water content, soft texture, and naturally pulpy flesh are best. The NutriBullet can easily extract their juices. Try to avoid hard, stringy, or leafy produce as they’re more difficult to fully juice.
Tips for Juicing with the NutriBullet
Follow these tips to get the most out of juicing with your NutriBullet blender:
- Cut produce into small, 1-2 inch pieces so it blends easier.
- Blend in small batches, filling the cup no more than 2/3 full.
- Blend hard ingredients like carrots and beets with something juicy like oranges.
- For leafy greens like kale, roll leaves and pack tightly into cup.
- Strain pulp through a nut milk bag or fine mesh strainer if desired.
- Drink juice immediately for best flavor and nutrition.
- Store leftover juice in airtight container in fridge up to 24-48 hours.
- Rinse blade and cup right after use to prevent staining.
Cutting produce into small pieces allows the NutriBullet blades to work most efficiently. Don’t overfill the cup so the ingredients can move and blend properly. Adding watery fruits and veggies helps “juice” harder items like carrots or beets. For leafy greens, rolling the leaves helps compact them into the cup.
Straining the juice through a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or fine mesh strainer removes some of the fiber pulp, making the consistency thinner. But this step is optional if you want to retain all the pulp in your juice.
Drink juices immediately after making them for the freshest taste and highest vitamin content. If saving leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 24-48 hours before degradation occurs.
NutriBullet Juicing Recipes
Here are a few tasty juice recipes to try in the NutriBullet:
Citrus Carrot Juice
- 2 oranges, peeled
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1-inch ginger, peeled
- 1⁄2 lemon, peeled
Green Apple Juice
- 2 green apples, cored and chopped
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- Handful spinach
- 1⁄2 lemon, peeled
Tropical Fruit Juice
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 1 orange, peeled
- 1⁄2 cup mango chunks
- 1⁄2 cup coconut water
Get creative and try out different fruit and vegetable combinations! Almost any produce can be juiced in the NutriBullet.
Should You Buy a Separate Juicer?
Given the advantages and disadvantages of the NutriBullet for juicing, should you buy a dedicated juicer machine? Here are some things to consider:
Pros of using only the NutriBullet:
- Saves money and counter space
- Makes smoothies, juices, and more
- Super fast and easy to use
- Easy cleanup
Pros of buying a juicer:
- Maximizes juice yields
- Produces smooth, pulp-free juice
- Juices leafy greens and wheatgrass more efficiently
- Allows juicing in larger batches
- Juice lasts longer refrigerated
For most people, the NutriBullet is sufficient for making juices to go along with smoothies and other blended drinks. Dedicated juicers have some advantages but take up more space and require more prep and cleaning. The NutriBullet offers convenience and versatility in a compact machine.
Serious juicing enthusiasts may want a separate juicer in addition to the NutriBullet to maximize juice extraction. But the NutriBullet works well for basic juice recipes using pulpy fruits and veggies.
Conclusion
While not a true juicer, the NutriBullet blender can make simple juices, especially from soft fruits and vegetables. Its fast speed and strong blades pulverize produce into a nourishing juice containing all the fiber and nutrients. It’s extremely quick and convenient to use. The downside is it won’t fully extract juices from produce and has a shorter shelf life compared to a slow juicer.
The NutriBullet works best for juicing pulpy fruits like oranges, apples, melons, pineapple and thicker veggies like tomatoes and carrots. Leafy greens don’t juice as well. Overall, the NutriBullet is a great option for juices to go along with smoothies for the average person looking for speed and convenience. Serious juicing enthusiasts may still want a separate dedicated juicer in their kitchen arsenal.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Convenient and fast | Doesn’t fully extract juices |
| Easy to clean | Shorter shelf life |
| Retains nutrients | Small batch size |
| Versatile | Thick, pulpy texture |
| Compact size | Not great for leafy greens |
