NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender Combo

The NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender Combo is designed to make your kitchen tasks easier and more efficient. With its intuitive digital display, automatic programs, and dishwasher-safe parts, it brings convenience and power to your countertop. However, like any appliance, it has its pros and cons, especially when handling thicker blends like nut butter. In this review, we’ll dive into the performance, ease of use, and overall functionality of the NutriBullet Smart Touch, so you can decide if it’s the right fit for your kitchen.

Overall Design and Size

The Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender Combo is a full-size blender that's on the bulkier side. If you're looking for a blender to keep on your counter, you'll want to consider its size. Standing at 17.2 inches tall (43.6 cm), it's taller than some other models, including the NutriBullet Combo Blender. This extra height might make it difficult to fit under certain kitchen cabinets. You’ll want to check the space between your countertop and cabinets to be sure it fits.

At 10.7 inches wide (27.4 cm), the motor base is fairly broad. It takes up a decent amount of counter space, so if you have a smaller kitchen, it might feel a bit large. The depth is 8.2 inches (20.6 cm), which adds to its footprint. You’ll need a good amount of space to keep it on the counter without feeling crowded. That said, it’s also light for its size. Weighing in at 8.6 pounds (3.9 kg), it’s easy to move if you decide to store it in a cupboard when not in use.

The sturdy motor base adds to the blender's overall bulk, but it also means more stability. It won’t wobble or move around much during blending, which is a plus for heavy-duty tasks. This blender doesn’t come with an immersion shaft, which might be a downside for some. If you’re hoping for a more compact, handheld blending option, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Jar Material & Capacity

The Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender Combo comes with two jar options, which adds to its versatility. The main jar has a generous capacity of 64 ounces (1,893 ml). This size is perfect for larger batches, whether you're making smoothies for the whole family, blending up soups, or preparing sauces in bulk. You won’t have to worry about constantly stopping to refill, which is a huge time-saver if you're blending for multiple people or making big portions.

In addition to the large jar, there's also a smaller, 32-ounce (946 ml) personal jar included. This is ideal for single-serve drinks like smoothies, protein shakes, or quick morning blends. If you live alone or just need something on the go, this smaller jar will come in handy. It’s the perfect size for making a single portion without having to use the bulkier main jar. Plus, it helps cut down on cleaning since you're using a more compact container.

Both jars are made from BPA-free plastic, which is great for peace of mind. You won't have to worry about harmful chemicals seeping into your drinks or food over time. While plastic may not have the same feel as glass, it’s far more lightweight and durable, which is a plus if you plan to handle the jars frequently. The lighter material makes it easier to pour, move, and clean, without the risk of shattering.

Speaking of cleaning, both jars are dishwasher safe. This is a huge convenience, especially if you use your blender regularly. Instead of scrubbing it by hand, you can simply pop the jars in the dishwasher and get on with your day. The fact that the jars can handle the dishwasher's heat and intensity without degrading or warping speaks to their durability.

Lid Material and Shape

The NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender Combo features a practical two-part lid that offers both security and convenience. The lid stays in place using friction, and it’s reinforced with two clips, similar to the NutriBullet Triple Prep System. For safety, the blender won’t start unless the safety pin aligns properly with the jar, preventing accidental starts.

The lid also includes a handy pouring spout for easy serving and a removable center piece, which doubles as a two-ounce measuring cup. You can remove this piece to add ingredients mid-blend or use the tamper. Plus, removing the lid is simple—you just push up on the back, and it pops off easily. Overall, the lid design makes blending more secure, functional, and user-friendly.

Blade Shape and Speed

The NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender Combo features a blade system that's designed for durability and ease of use. The main jar comes with six fixed blades that are built into the jar itself like Vitamix 5200. Unlike models like the Ninja Foodi Power Blender Ultimate System and Ninja BN805A, where the blades can be removed for cleaning or replacement, these blades are not removable like.

While this might seem less convenient, the fixed blade design ensures that the blades stay securely in place and are always ready for action. The blades themselves aren’t razor-sharp like typical knives, but they have a dull edge that works well for pulverizing ingredients. It's similar to a dull knife—safe to touch but still effective when it comes to blending.

In addition to the fixed blades in the main jar, NutriBullet NBF50520 includes an "Easy Twist" blade assembly for the additional jars, like the 32-ounce personal jar. This assembly is designed to be easily screwed on and off, giving you flexibility with smaller blends or single-serve smoothies. While the main jar can go straight into your dishwasher, the "Easy Twist" blade assembly should be washed by hand to maintain its integrity and avoid wear.

When it comes to speed, the NutriBullet NBF50520 Touch combo blender delivers solid performance but with fewer options for fine-tuning. Its minimum speed is 12,400 RPM, and it can reach a maximum speed of 18,100 RPM, powered by a 1,500-watt motor. This gives it plenty of strength for tackling everything from smoothies to frozen drinks.

However, the blender doesn’t offer a wide range of speed settings. You won’t have much control over gradual adjustments, and it doesn’t really allow you to start blending at a very low speed like some other models do. It’s more of an "all-in" approach, which works fine for most tasks but might feel limiting for those who like to have precise control over their blending.

One feature that adds some versatility is the speed adjustment based on the jar type. The blender automatically detects which jar you're using and adjusts its speed accordingly. This is a convenient feature if you're switching between larger and smaller jars, as it optimizes performance without you needing to fiddle with settings. It’s a bit of a trade-off—while you don’t get a lot of manual control, the blender’s smart system does the thinking for you, adjusting speed based on the task at hand.

Performance

Crushing Ice

According to the manufacturer, the NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender Combo isn’t specifically designed to crush ice without liquid. They recommend adding liquid to the jar whenever you’re blending harder ingredients, such as ice cubes. This precaution helps protect the motor and blades from unnecessary strain, ensuring a longer lifespan for your blender. But in the name of testing, we decided to push it a little further to see just how well it could handle ice on its own.

We placed eight ice cubes in the jar without adding any liquid, and with just five to six short presses of the pulse button, the results were impressive. The NutriBullet Smart Touch quickly transformed the ice into a snow-like powder, finely crushed and perfect for slushies or icy drinks. The pulse function gave us control over the process, breaking down the cubes in stages, which ensured the motor didn’t overheat or struggle.

It’s worth noting that even though the NutriBullet handled the task remarkably well, it's best to follow the manufacturer’s advice for regular use. Using it without liquid on a frequent basis could put extra wear on the blades and motor, potentially reducing the overall lifespan of the blender. However, in our test, it performed above expectations, delivering finely crushed ice with minimal effort.

If you’re someone who enjoys frozen drinks or needs finely crushed ice for recipes, the NutriBullet Smart Touch can get the job done efficiently. Just be mindful of the liquid recommendation to keep your blender running smoothly over time. The ability to turn ice cubes into a smooth, snow-like consistency with just a few pulses shows that this blender is powerful and versatile, capable of handling more than just soft ingredients.

Fibrous ingredients Blending

The NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender Combo is a top performer when it comes to processing fibrous ingredients, whether you're working with large or small batches. For larger batches, the main 64-ounce jar is ideal.

When we tested it with fibrous ingredients like kale, it delivered outstanding results. It quickly and effortlessly blended tough, leafy greens into a nearly perfectly smooth texture. Kale, spinach, or other dense greens that can often leave gritty bits in other blenders were no match for the NutriBullet Smart Touch.

After blending, the texture was incredibly smooth, making it perfect for green smoothies, soups, or any dish where you want a velvety consistency. Its ability to handle fibrous ingredients with such ease and efficiency makes it a standout for anyone who regularly works with tough vegetables or leafy greens in their recipes.

Switching to the additional 32-ounce personal jar, the NutriBullet Smart Touch continues to impress, especially with smaller batches of fibrous ingredients. The personal jar is perfect for single-serve portions, and even though it's smaller, it doesn't compromise on performance. We tested it with fibrous ingredients like kale again, and the result was an extremely smooth puree.

The personal jar's performance is nearly on par with the main jar, processing ingredients with just a slight difference in speed. While some blenders, like the NutriBullet Combo, might complete the task a bit faster, the Smart Touch still produces excellent results. In fact, its consistency and texture quality are second to none, and it easily matches the high standards expected from premium blenders.

One thing that stood out was the texture quality after blending. The Smart Touch excels at breaking down fibrous ingredients into a completely smooth blend without leaving any stringy or chunky bits. Whether you're making a nutritious smoothie with fibrous greens or blending tougher ingredients like celery or ginger, this blender ensures a well-blended texture that’s both smooth and easy to drink or incorporate into recipes. It eliminates the need for extra straining or re-blending, which saves time and effort.

For those who enjoy blending fibrous ingredients on a daily basis, the NutriBullet Smart Touch is a great choice. It handles both large and small batches with ease, and the smooth texture it produces is perfect for health-conscious users who want to get the most out of their greens. Whether you're using the main jar for big batches or the personal jar for single servings, the blender's ability to process fibrous ingredients smoothly and efficiently sets it apart.

Nut Butter

The NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender Combo isn’t the best option when it comes to making nut butter. While it can technically get the job done, it requires quite a bit of manual effort and patience, making it less than ideal for this task. When we tested it for nut butter preparation, we found that you need to constantly use the tamper to keep the nuts moving. Unlike some high-powered blenders that can handle this process more seamlessly, the Smart Touch struggles a bit, especially with thicker blends like nut butters.

The manufacturer recommends stopping the blender after every minute of blending to allow the motor to rest. This is especially important when making something like nut butter, which puts a lot of strain on the motor. During these breaks, you're advised to undock the jar and let it rest for about a minute before continuing. This step is essential to prevent the motor from overheating, but it also adds more time to an already lengthy process.

Another critical step is scraping the sides of the jar during these breaks. Nut butter tends to stick to the jar's sides, and without scraping, you'll end up with unevenly processed butter. While the tamper helps keep things moving during blending, it doesn’t entirely eliminate the need for scraping. You’ll need to take breaks frequently, open the lid, and use a spatula to push the nut mixture back down toward the blades.

In terms of texture, the NutriBullet Smart Touch delivers a decent result, but it’s far from perfect. The final nut butter isn't as smooth as what you’d get from a high-end blender specifically designed for heavy-duty tasks like this. The texture we achieved was fairly gritty and slightly chunky, scoring around 68 out of 100. While it’s passable for homemade nut butter, it lacks the creaminess and smooth consistency you’d expect from store-bought varieties or from other blenders that excel in this area.

User Interface

The NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender Combo offers a variety of settings that make blending both simple and customizable for different tasks. One of the key features is its three speed presets, which allow you to easily switch between low, medium, and high speeds, depending on what you're blending. Whether you're making a delicate smoothie or blending tougher ingredients, these presets give you just enough control to get the job done without overwhelming you with too many options. If you're looking for a quick burst of power, the pulse mode is a handy addition, letting you tackle tougher ingredients or quickly break up chunks without running the blender for too long at one speed.

One of the standout features is the digital display, which counts up in real-time as the blender is running. This blending time indicator is great if you like to keep an eye on how long your ingredients have been blending. It’s a simple but effective tool that helps ensure consistency, especially if you’re trying to replicate a recipe with precise blending times.

The NutriBullet Smart Touch also comes with four automatic blending programs, which are designed to make common tasks like smoothies, frozen drinks, purees, and soups even easier. These programs are accessible regardless of which jar you're using, although the blending times vary depending on whether you're working with the main jar or the smaller personal jars. For instance, the smoothie program runs for 50 seconds with the main jar but extends to a full minute when you're using the personal jars. This slight adjustment helps ensure that you get the same smooth consistency regardless of the jar size, which is a nice touch.

For frozen drinks, the program takes just 23 seconds with the main jar, but if you're using a personal jar, it stretches to 40 seconds. Again, this ensures that no matter the jar size, the ice and other ingredients are blended evenly. The puree program runs for a minute when using the main jar and only 30 seconds with the personal jar, offering just the right amount of time to create smooth, consistent purees without over-blending.

If you're someone who enjoys hot blending, like making soups or sauces, the NutriBullet Smart Touch has you covered. The soup program runs for 55 seconds when using the main jar, which is designed to handle larger, hot liquid blends. However, it's important to note that the soup program isn't available when using the personal jars, which makes sense given the smaller size and the fact that they aren’t built to handle hot ingredients as safely as the main jar.

Though the blender doesn’t offer a programmable timer, it still provides enough flexibility through its speed presets and programs to cover most blending tasks. The absence of a speed dial isn't a huge drawback, as the preset speeds and programs give you a good balance between control and convenience. For most users, these settings should be more than sufficient for daily blending needs.

Easy to Clean 

After putting the NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender through all our tests, we decided to see how easy it is to clean. Cleaning a blender is an essential factor, especially if you plan to use it regularly for various tasks.

When it comes to this model, cleaning is relatively straightforward for the most part. The main jar, additional jars, and lids are all dishwasher-safe, which is a big plus. For those who prefer to hand wash, it's also fairly simple when you're dealing with smoothies, shakes, or any liquid-based blends. A quick rinse and a gentle scrub, and you're done. The smooth surfaces of the jars make it easy to clean without much effort.

However, things get a bit trickier when you’ve made something thicker or stickier, like almond butter. Cleaning up after making nut butter or any similar paste-like blend takes more effort. You might have to run the blender with some soapy water to loosen the residue and then follow up with a sponge to scrub out the more stubborn spots. Unfortunately, some food tends to get stuck in the ridges inside the jar, and cleaning the underside of the lid can be a bit of a hassle. The ridged areas are tight, and it’s easy for small bits of food to hide in those crevices.

For general day-to-day blending tasks, it's fairly easy to clean, but when you’re making thicker or tougher blends, expect to spend a bit more time getting everything spotless. Still, the dishwasher-safe parts make life easier for those who don’t want to hand wash every time. Overall, while it isn’t the easiest blender to clean after every task, it’s manageable for most uses.

Noise Level

When testing the NutriBullet Smart Touch at max speed, it measured 93 dB. That’s not too loud for a full-size blender. It’s quieter than models like the Oster Pro 1200 or Vitamix 5300. Many other blenders we’ve tested make more noise.

However, like most blenders, it's still not silent. You won’t want to stand right next to it for long. The motor and blending jar together produce enough sound to be a bit annoying, especially if you’re sensitive to noise. But for short tasks, like making smoothies, it’s tolerable.

Overall, while the NutriBullet Smart Touch isn't the quietest, it's more manageable than many similar models. It’s a decent option if you need power without excessive noise.

Final Verdict

Overall, the NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender Combo is a dependable kitchen companion for a variety of tasks. It excels in blending smoothies, handling fibrous ingredients, and even crushing ice with ease. The intuitive digital display, simple speed presets, and automatic programs make it user-friendly, while the dishwasher-safe jars add convenience for quick cleanups. However, it does have some shortcomings when it comes to handling thicker blends like nut butters, requiring more hands-on effort and time for both blending and cleaning.

The noise level at maximum speed, while not extreme, is noticeable but still more tolerable than many other full-size blenders in its class. While it might not offer the fine-tuned control or quiet operation of higher-end models, it performs well for daily blending needs and strikes a good balance between power and convenience.

If you're looking for a reliable blender for smoothies, soups, and general kitchen tasks, the NutriBullet Smart Touch is a great choice. But if you regularly make thick, stubborn blends like nut butters, you may want to consider a blender with more power and easier cleanup options. For those sensitive to noise, opting for a quieter model might be a better long-term solution.