TechRadar Verdict
The Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender is the latest and greatest full-size blender from this well-respected brand. It features a large-capacity BPA-free plastic pitcher with a safety locking lid, which sits on a sleek black base. With four auto programs as well as three speeds it offers just enough settings without getting complicated. It’s pricier than Nutribullet’s other full-size blender, but it performs much better, so we think it’s worth the extra.
Pros
- +
Dishwasher-safe pitcher
- +
Excellent performance
- +
Won’t switch on if lid not in place
Cons
- -
Lid is awkward to remove
- -
Noisy
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One-minute review
If you’re looking to whizz up super-smooth soups, purees, and smoothies, one of the best blenders is an essential bit of kit to have in your kitchen. Nutribullet is a brand with a reputation for creating powerful blenders that will pulverize even the toughest ingredients into smooth liquids.
The Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender is Nutribullet’s best full-size blender to-date. It builds on the more basic features of the original Nutribullet blender (read our Nutribullet Blender Combo review). It features a similarly large 64 oz/ 1.85-liter pitcher, but this model has a lockable lid and won’t operate until this is in position – a welcome safety upgrade.
The smart black base houses 1500W of power, which is 300W more than the cheaper Nutribullet blender. And this model features a sleek touch-control panel that offers four smart blending programs in addition to the three manual speeds and pulse button. Overall, we’d say the Smart Touch Blender looks and feels more premium, but it is quite a chunky appliance.
We found it effortlessly easy to operate, but the locking lid can be tricky to remove. We can’t fault its blending power though; it pretty much aced all of our tests, and we were particularly impressed with its ability to create a lump-free smoothie. Price-wise it’s more expensive than budget blenders, but much cheaper than many of the top-end models, so it’ll suit someone looking for a mid-range model that still offers impressive performance.
Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender price and availability
- Blender on its own available in US and UK for $145 / £199
- Combo bundle available in US and AU for $209 / AU$329.95
The Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender is available directly from Nutribullet, and from Amazon and other large retailers.
In Australia it’s only available as the Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender Combo, and comes with two personal cup accessories with to-go lids and an accompanying blade. The main full-size blender is the exact same model though.
The Combo model is also available in the US for $209, but it’s not available in the UK.
Price and availability score: 4.5/5
Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender design
- Can blend hot or cold ingredients
- Touch-sensitive control panel
- Three speeds, pulse button and four smart programs
The Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender isn’t exactly petite, measuring 17 x 10.7 x 8.1 inches / 44 x 27.5 x 21cm (h x w x d). That said, the black base is understated, and looks more premium than previous full-size blenders we’ve seen from Nutribullet. And we like that the touchscreen controls go completely black when it’s switched off, giving the appliance it a streamlined appearance.
Once switched on, you’ll see three speed options as well as a pulse button. There are four auto programs to choose from, for purees, soups, frozen drinks, and smoothies. In the center there’s a clock that counts down for the duration of the auto program, or counts up when you’re using the manual speeds.
The large 64oz / 1.85-liter pitcher can be twisted onto the base with the handle to either the left or the right side, making it comfortable for both left and right-handed users. It’s made of BPA-free plastic with a large handle, and is lightweight and easy to lift.
The lid locks onto the pitcher via two side clips as well as a metal pin that plugs into the pitcher. For safety, the blender won’t switch on until these are all locked into position. In fact, it won’t even illuminate the speeds or auto programs on the display until everything is correctly positioned.
The blender lid has a pouring spout with a flip-up lid, which means you don’t need to fully remove the lid when pouring out drinks. There’s also a removable insert in the center of the lid so you can pour in extra ingredients, or insert the tamper to help move around tricky mixtures while blending.
The pitcher is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning, though the manual makes no mention of whether the lid can be cleaned in the dishwasher.
Design score: 4/5
Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender performance
- Buttons are responsive
- Loud
- Very effective smoothie program
We decided to start with something simple, so we used the Nutribullet Smart Touch to crush some ice cubes. With just five short presses of the pulse button, it turned six ice cubes into a snow-like powder. The process was loud though, and hit 87dB on our noise meter, which is a typical noise level for a blender, although there are other models that are quieter. Thankfully we didn’t have to put up with the noise for too long.
We chose the 50-second smoothie program to blend yogurt, spinach, pineapple, and banana with apple juice. Again it was loud; it wasn't quite as loud as when crushing the ice, but the sound was piercing, and we had to walk away from it because it wasn’t pleasant to stand next to. The smoothie, however, was an absolute triumph. The ingredients were all completely liquidized, and it had a silky-smooth mouthfeel. There wasn’t a hint of fiber from the pineapple or even any tiny flecks of spinach in the drink; it was as smooth as it could possibly be.
To crush hazelnuts we chose the pulse button again. It took 10 presses of the pulse button before the biggest of the chunks were chopped down. The result was a slightly uneven combination of chopped nut and powder, which is a typical result when trying to chop nuts in a blender. The noise level in this case was the same as when crushing ice.
Finally, we used the low speed setting to make fresh homemade mayonnaise. At the beginning, when there were just two egg yolks and two teaspoons of vinegar in the blender, the quanity was too small for the blades to mix it. We slowly poured the oil in through the center of the lid, and in a little over two minutes the Nutribullet Smart Touch emulsified the ingredients into a thick, glossy, homemade mayo. Even on the low speed setting, though, it was loud, and we didn't have the option to walk away from the appliance this time.
The strong suction cups on the base keep the Nutribullet Smart Touch firmly in place while blending. If you're washing the blender by hand, it’s best cleaned with a brush so you can keep your fingers away from the blades. It is dishwasher safe, though frustratingly the underside of the pitcher fills with water, so when you open the dishwasher you’re faced with a pool of mucky water to deal with.
Performance score: 4.5/5
Nutribullet Smart Touch Blender score card
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price & availability | Reasonably priced mid-range blender. | 4.5 / 5 |
| Design score | Intuitive to use and thoughtfully designed, but the lid can be tricky to remove. | 4 / 5 |
| Performance score | Excellent results across the board, but it’s noisy. | 4.5 / 5 |
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- First reviewed: December 2022
