One-minute review
Nutribullet has made a name for itself as one of the go-to brands for personal blenders that allow you to blitz fruit and vegetables into a smooth drink you can take away.
Now it’s built on that success with the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express, which is a blender and food processor in one. It comes with two 16fl oz / 470ml single-serve cups, and a 0.2 gallon /830ml food processor bowl with a 1.4 inch / 3.6cm-wide feed chute, both of which fit onto the base that houses the motor.
Alongside personal blenders, Nutribullet has also branched out into other kitchen appliances and currently features on our list of the best juicers on the market.
The Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express is powered by a 250W motor and has one speed setting and a pulse function. It also comes with a chopping blade and reversible slice-and-shred disc to be used with the food processor bowl, allowing you to grate carrots, slice cucumber, chop onions, or even make breadcrumbs with ease.
Combining two appliances in one, it offers great value for money for those who want to make individual smoothies, and have occasional need for a food processor for small quantities. However, it wasn’t as efficient as the Ninja Smoothie Maker for pulverizing nuts and ice.
Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express price and availability
- List price: $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$129.95
The Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express is priced at $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$129.95 and is available from Nutribullet’s website, as well as online retailers including Amazon.
Nutribullet also offers the Magic Bullet, which is a personal blender with the same 250W motor but comes with one 16fl oz / 470ml cup and a smaller cup with a handle, for $39.99 / £39.99. This model isn’t currently available in the UK.
Design
- Compact and lightweight
- Continuous blending and pulse function
- Includes two single-serve cups
Measuring 6.4 x 13.6 x 4.1 inches / 16.3 x 34.5 x 10.5cm (w x h x d), the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express is a compact and lightweight kitchen appliance that won’t take up much space on a kitchen countertop. However, it comes with an array of accessories including two 16fl oz / 470ml blending cups, a 0.2 gallon / 830ml food processor bowl with lid and food pusher, a slice and grate disc, a chopping blade, and a to-go lid – all of which will need to be stored when not in use.
The to-go lid replaces the blade assembly once ingredients have been blended, so you don’t need to decant your drink before enjoying it.
With a 250W motor, this is one of the least powerful blending appliances we’ve tested – and that was evident in the time it took to blitz ingredients, as well as the lack of consistency when pulverizing nuts and ice.
The Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express works in the same way as other personal blenders. Just place your ingredients in the single-serve cup, then screw on the cross-blade assembly. Turn the cup upside down and fit it onto the motor base. Then use the dial on the front, either to select continuous blending or the pulse action. It isn’t possible to add ingredients to the cup while the blades are spinning in the blender, but you can when using the food processor bowl. This means you can whip up condiments such as mayonnaise in the latter. Four suction pads on the bottom of the motor base keep the personal blender secure during use.
The cups, lid, blades, and food processor bowl are all dishwasher-safe, which makes for easy cleaning. However, we were disappointed that there was no recipe booklet included for inspiration.
Performance
- Can chop, slice and grate as well as blend
- Evenly chopped ice and nuts
- Ingredients can’t be added to the blender while blades are spinning
The Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express is simple to use. Our first task was to combine banana, pineapple and spinach with greek yoghurt and apple juice into a smoothie in one of the single-serve cups. While the personal blender was able to blitz the fibrous pineapple and blend it into the other ingredients to create a well-aerated drink, we found it didn’t completely break down the leafy spinach, even after 80 seconds, producing a smoothie with a slight gritty texture. During this process our decibel meter registered a maximum of 93db, which is equivalent to the noise level a lawn mower produces and certainly makes it one of the louder blenders we’ve tested.
Similarly, when pulverizing whole hazelnuts and ice, we found the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express was unable to achieve a uniform consistency. Blitzing nuts was also the loudest task we performed in the blender, with our decibel meter hitting 97.4db. This is similar to the sound of using a power tool; however, since the blending process lasts only a short period of time, we think it’s acceptable.
Thankfully, when we filled the blender with water to its maximum capacity, there was no leakage. However, we did note that the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express shook vigorously during blending. Nevertheless, the sucker pads on its base ensured it remained still on the kitchen countertop.
We used the food processor bowl and attachments to grate carrot, slice cucumber, chop onions and make breadcrumbs. While we found the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express grated, sliced and chopped evenly, the 1.4 inch / 3.6cm-wide feed chute meant we had to cut the vegetables into chunks before adding them to the chute. As such, we were unable to get whole slices of cucumber.
We also attempted to make mayonnaise in the food processor. Unfortunately, since the chopping blade doesn’t sit close enough to the bottom of the food processor bowl, the eggs, oil and mustard didn’t emulsify properly. This resulted in a thin, curdled liquid instead of a thick, glossy sauce.
We were also disappointed to learn that the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express only comes with one to-go lid, but two cups, which means you can only use one cup on-the-go at any one time.
Should I buy the Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express?
Buy it if…
You want a blender and a food processor
The Nutribullet Magic Bullet Kitchen Express doubles as a food processor as well as a personal blender, making it a great choice for whom space is tight.
You’re on a budget
At $$69.99 / £59.99 / AU$129.95, this is one of the most affordable personal blenders on the market, especially since it doubles as a food processor, too.
You want a simple-to-use blender
Coming with the option of continuous blending or pulse, this is one of the most simple blenders we’ve tested.
Don’t buy it if…
You want to blend large quantities
The Nutribullet Magic Bullet blender cups and food processor bowl can only hold a small quantity of ingredients. If you’re looking to blend enough for several people, we’d give this one a miss.
You want completely smooth drinks
With only a 250W motor, this blender struggles to create completely smooth drinks, particularly when blending leafy greens. It’s best avoided if you don’t like your drinks with ‘bits’.
You want to make mayonnaise
Like other personal blenders, you can’t add ingredients while the blades are spinning, which means you can’t create smooth condiments such as mayonnaise. Even the food processor function couldn’t create a thick, glossy dip for our chips. If this is a priority, then consider a full-sized blender.
First reviewed: July 2021
