As a smoothie lover, I have used my fair share of blenders. Most recently I have settled on the Ninja and the Nutribullet as my faves. And the best part is both are budget friendly blenders compared to many others on the market.  But which is better? I am sharing all the details to help you decide which blender will work best for you.

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A good blender is a necessity in my kitchen!  If you have one that works well it really can make life so much easier.  I find smoothies for me are an easy way to get in a nutrient dense meal in minutes!  I have a whole smoothie post I did on what I put in my smoothies and why here, plus recipes!

I realized though that blenders can be used for SO many things and really are a game changing kitchen gadget when making real, whole food.  

I have a lot of experience with several blender brands but have settled on the Ninja and the Nutribullet for many reasons.

If it’s anything I’ve learned in my years of testing out different kinds of blenders it’s that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a good blender!  Both the Ninja and the Nutribullet are more budget friendly options.

What to Consider When Purchasing A Blender

Before you purchase a blender you will want to consider a few things to help you narrow down which blender will work best for you.  This can be different from person to person.  Obviously what I may love, may not be best for you.  Here are my top considerations before purchasing your blender!

1) Size

When looking at different blenders you need to consider the size of not only the blender pitcher but also the entire blender.  This is important because depending on what you have available for storage in your home this may make or break your choice.  If you want to leave the blender on the countertop, will the height allow it to fit under your cupboards?  If you plan to put it away in a cupboard between uses, what available space do you have and will the blender fit?

2) Capacity

Different blenders allow for different capacities for their blender pitchers.  If you plan to only use it for single serve, it may not be wise to splurge on a typically more costly full size blender.  But if you have a family or make larger quantities at one time, you may want a larger pitcher size.  An even better option for some is a blender that can come with both options!

3) Accessories Included

Like I mentioned above, you may want more then just the standard blender.  Different brands come with different accessories.  This can include single serve cups and a separate food processor amongst others.  Decide what you need and stick with that.  You will have less extra ‘stuff’ to find a storage spot for! 

4)  Price 

Just like most things in life, price needs to be a considering factor when deciding on the blender that you will purchase.  Price can vary immensely.  But the great thing is that even the more budget friendly blenders can function quite well!  You can save money by not purchasing extra accessories too if they aren’t needed.  

5) Ease of Use

Again depending on what you are going to use your blender for you may need very little as far as different speeds and settings go.  If one blender looks too complicated, pick a different one that is more streamlined.  Along with ease of use, I would consider if it looks like it will be easily cleaned up.  Specifically, being able to remove the blade to get it clean helps so much and it takes so much less time too!

6) Power

The power of your blender will be measured in watts.  Higher watts equals more power.  Again, depending on what you plan to use your blender for you may not need to purchase the blender with the most power, however you want to make sure you have enough.      

Nutribullet

The Nutribullet has been a great addition for my hubs so he can get his smoothie in at work. When we first got it, he had been wanting to take a blender to his work to blend up his smoothies.  He does intermittent fasting and doesn’t eat until 10.  He makes his smoothie at home in the single serve cups and then brings it to work, sticks it in the fridge and then blends it when he’s ready to eat.  I wanted to find a relatively inexpensive blender since it was just going to be used for blending smoothies.  I read about Nutribullet online and then discovered they had them at Costco!  For $100 you get the Blender base, large pitcher and two single serve to go cups.   Super convenient, cost effective and functional!

Nutribullet Blender Combo Specifics (Model NBF70500)

• Motor Strength- 1200 Watts. Has 3 speeds with a pulse function.
• Noise- It is pretty loud.  It isn’t unusually loud but still loud like any other blender.  
• Design- The actual blender doesn’t feel as hefty as other blenders.  It comes with a large 64 ounces pitcher and then two single serve blending cups.  One is 32 ounces and one is 24 ounces.  Also, one of the single serve cups has a handle and the other doesn’t.  It also comes with two lids and 3 stainless steel straws.  The actual blender base offers 4 buttons, Extract, Low, Medium, High and Pulse. It’s a lot more simplified compared to the Ninja when it comes to buttons.  
• Safety and Ease Of Use- It feels very safe using it.  I love that it has a vented lid on the large pitcher if you want to make soups or hot things.  This ensures it doesn’t overheat.  The ease of use is great as well.  I love that I can pop all my ingredients into the single serve blender and then attach the blade and put it on the base and let it blend away.  Then take it to go in the same cup!  Makes it easy and quick.  Also, the simplified buttons really streamline the process. It doesn’t feel overwhelming.  
• Care & Maintenance- Whenever I’m done using it I just rinse out the residue and can pop the cups in the dishwasher.  The base is easy to clean, especially if you clean it right after you make something.  I will add a drop of dish soap to the blenders and add water.  Then attach to the base and give it a good blend to remove any unwanted residue.
• Warranty- 1 year limited warranty when purchased at Costco like I did. But I checked the Nutribullet website and they also offer a 1 year limited warranty. This doesn’t cover normal wear and tear. You can find all the details here.
• Price- The price of this model is still $99.99 at Costco! We bought ours a year ago at the same price. And, if you purchase now through July 24th, they are offering $20 off. It is a steal!
• Customer Reviews- It was the customer reviews that originally sold me on this blender. It has an average customer rating of 4.7/5 stars.  A few things that are being said about the Nutribullet Blender include:
  • Easy, quick clean up
  • Great quality at a lower price
  • “Extract” button is a great feature that senses when to shut off the blender
  • Built in blade so you don’t have multiple pieces of the blender to wash
  • Great customer service if you need to use the warranty
  • Some complaints of leaking
  • Not great at blending up frozen fruit – even with the use of the “extract button”
  • Noise of the blender is louder than other blenders

 Check out Nutribullet here!

Ninja

The Ninja truly has so much to offer!  From choices of accessories, to high power to super easy to clean, I really think the Ninja has it all.  Not to mention all of this and you can get it for an affordable price! 

After I had multiple people recommend the Ninja blender to me I had to try it out.  First, my brother and sister-in-law recommended it to me over their Vitamix. Which was crazy to me. Then, my VA told me that she loved hers still after 5 years of use and was able to easily replace the blade for just $30 so it was performing like new again. They definitely sparked my interest  after I was having trouble with my Blendtec.  It was SO hard to clean and it just got annoying.  There is a red rubber ring around the base of the Blendtec GO cup and it was always coming out and impossible to keep clean.  I’ve soaked it in everything I can think of, scrubbed it with a bristle pad, run it through the dishwasher and it still has black crud stuck to it.  So, I broke down and got a Ninja blender for myself and wasn’t disappointed. 

Check out 10 Healthy & Tasty Ninja Creami Recipes here!

Ninja Foodi Power Blender & Processor System Specifics (Model C0351B)

• Motor Strength: 1200 watts. There are 6 preset Auto IQ programs you can choose from, as well as a pulse button.  You can also vary the speed on the button settings as well or just run it manually adjusting the speed.
• Noise- It seems the same as other blenders.  I’ve found it really depends on what you’re making too.  If I’m making a smoothie with frozen fruit and ice it’s going to be loud but if I’m just blending up something that isn’t as hard it blends up not as loud.  From the research I’ve done, Ninja is actually quieter than other high speed blenders on the market. 
• Design- I love the base and the extra single serve cups that come with it.  Plus, it also comes with a dough hook too for making breads. The large pitcher is 72 ounces which is even larger than the Nutribullet.  It also feels more sturdy than the Nutribullet.  I like the lid on the large pitcher.  It has a small cap you can open for the spout to easily pour out your ingredients, making for a lot less mess overall.  There is a 24 ounce and an 18 ounce single serve cup.  I use the 24 ounce once the most!  It can easily fit all the ingredients for most things.  The 18 ounce is great too.  I like that it has the twist top on it.  It helps to really make the perfect smoothie bowl by being able to twist the ingredients if they get stuck. You also get several different lids for the blender as well.
• Safety and Ease Of Use- It feels very safe, never had any issue.  The ease of use is really great.  I’ve blended so many things and never had any issues and I’ve had mine for over a year. Plus, it suctions to the counter, so you don’t have to worry about your blender moving around- it stays put.
• Care and Maintenance- You can put the blades and pitchers in the dishwasher!  I also will add a drop of dish soap to the blender and water and then just blend it to help remove any unwanted debris and to give it a good clean.
• Warranty- I purchased my Ninja through Costco. Ninja gives a 1 year limited warranty if purchased through an authorized dealer. They also offer a 1 year warranty if bought directly through Ninja. Check out all the details here.
• Price- $99.95 on Amazon and 129.99 at Costco (When I purchased through Costco I did get it for $99.99, so they definitely run sales!)
• Customer Reviews- It has an average customer rating of 4.6/5 stars. This is just slightly lower than the Nutribullet.  A few things that are being said about the Ninja Blender include:
  • Makes great smoothies – lots of power
  • One appliance that can replace multiple other appliances
  • Easy ‘set and forget’ programming
  • Easy to clean
  • Multi-level blade is a game changer for blending
  • Not a traditional food processor as far as no chopping, slicing, or grating plates included
  • Blender seems louder than other blenders (although many also commented it isn’t as loud as older Ninja blender models)
  • Base of blender fell apart due to the suction cups not releasing from the counter top

Check out Ninja here!

Conclusion: Is the Nutribullet or Ninja better?

I prefer the Ninja over the Nutribullet. I really feel like there is nothing it can’t do!  It’s sturdier overall than the nutribullet and offers more settings which I like.  It also comes with a few more bells and whistles like the dough hook or the easy pour spout on the large pitcher.   It blends up everything so well too! Never had an issue with getting my smoothie perfectly smooth and creamy. I’ve used it to make pancakes, cookies- it really can do so much.  The Nutribullet is great if you’re just wanting to make smoothies with it, but the Ninja is my top pick if you’re wanting to use it for much more and really get more bang for your buck.  

If you liked this smoothie post, check out past posts below:

• How To Make The Best Green Smoothie
• My Favorite Protein Powder – It is Pregnancy Safe Too!
• Smoothies For Glowing Skin