Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender: The frozen drink enjoyer's dream appliance

In a Brooklyn kitchen with approximately one square foot of counter space, it can be hard to justify the purchase of a new appliance. However, when Nutribullet reached out with the offer to review their Smart Touch Blender, I thought: "Well, we are spending a lot on frozen drinks this summer, and I have been wanting to try some new recipes of my own..." and agreed to a review sample. And let me tell you: I'm very glad I did!

The Smart Touch arrived quickly in a plain brown box with the full product box tucked safely inside. I ripped it open to find a handful of simple parts that even a child could assemble, and after less than three minutes of configuration, I stopped to take the following notes:

–this is a bit bigger than I expected, but I'm excited for a powerful (1500 watts!), large-capacity (64 ounces!) blender for making multiple servings at once

–the outside appearance is sleek and lovely, with all black and stainless accents and a touch screen that's easy to clean

–the touch screen only lights up when you are locked into position with the lid firmly in place, preventing any liquid explosions or grating on the blades like I remember happening with older blenders

–the settings are basic but easy to read, with Smoothies, Frozen Drinks, Purées, and Soups listed as one-touch options in addition to your standard pulse, low, medium, and high

I started out simply enough with a smoothie. At first, I added too much ice and not enough emulsifier and liquid in the form of bananas and almond milk, but that was easy to remedy by opening the top vent and pouring in a few splashes of milk at a time.

The pour spot on the pitcher is a godsend: Instead of attempting to fill my glass with the extra-thick concocation and having it slop out all over my counter, it was neatly contained in a one-inch stream - anyone with a penchant for making a mess will love this.

I next attempted a frozen drink, which followed the basic rules of my smoothie but with added alcohol in the form of Aperol (my favorite liqeur, and what I had on hand). I added canned peaches in juice, a heavy splash of the spirit, hard seltzer, and ice to fill to the top of the liquid. It whirredup beautifully and while my flavor profile needs some work, the consistency was spot-on and got there in under 15 seconds – all it needs next time is an extra shot of vodka. That drink started the gears turning in my head for what other recipes I could invent using different mixers and booze, and that's what I think a great appliance really does for a chef of any caliber: It inspires you to move out of your ruts and into a creative zone with food and beverages.

While I haven't tried hot items yet, I plan to start with some soup-making once the weather cools and bit and will be updating this review with how that goes. Reviews on the Amazon page all note that warm foods become hot quickly thanks to the friction caused by the strong blades, so I plan to start with soups and dips a bit cooler than I want them to turn out.

Cleaning is shockingly simple with this blender. I simply rinsed the pitcher, lid, and vent, and used a light soapy water to rub down the stickiest bits, but it was easy to get around the moving parts and make it look brand new.

As for things to consider before buying:

–it has a significant countertop footprint, but is easily disassembled for easy storage in a standard cabinet space

–the motor is so powerful you might find your self liquefying things too quickly at first, but you'll get a feel for how much ice to add, how long to blend, etc. very quickly

–it's heavy! 12.8 pounds to be precise, so it stays put while you're using it but it could be a bit cumbersome for folks who can't easily move objects of that weight

Overall, this is the best blender I've used. I feel inspired to try new food and drink combinations, to make healthy smoothies for breakfast, to stay in and have fancy frozen cocktails at home rather than go out and drop $15 a piece at a bar, and I'm motivated to plan out an experimental autumnal menu that allows for plenty of soups and spreads I wouldn't otherwise have been able to make. Try one for yourself to experience the hype and see what you can dream up with the Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender.

Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender™ 1500W

Nutribullet

Smart Touch Blender™ 1500W

Nutribullet

$149.99 $112.44

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