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Nutribullet Flip: The Portable Blender That Keeps Your Smoothie Cold
by Suzanne Kantra on July 31, 2024
The appeal of a portable blender is the ability to consume smoothies and other blended foods on the go. However, if you don't have access to ice, you'll need to blend and consume your smoothie before your ingredients warm up. The $99 Nutribullet Flip solves this problem with an insulated blending cup that keeps your ingredients chilled for up to 24 hours.
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The Flip has an innovative design that enables you to blend and drink right from the blender. Like other blenders, you load your ingredients in, and the press start button to turn it on. But then you flip it over so the blending blades are on the bottom. The top, which houses the blades, has a large sipping spout for on-the-go drinking (see below). I found the container to be a little top-heavy and awkward to drink from directly, but the spout easily accommodates a straw. (A reusable metal straw and cleaning pipe are included in the box.)
At two pounds, the Flip is heavy compared to competitors like the 1.34-pound BlendJet 2 ($49) or even the 1.74-pound Ninja Blast ($59). However, most of the weight is in the Flip's blending top and there's no need use it as your to-go top if you blend at home. You can use the included travel lid, which has a spout and straw port. In my testing, smoothies remained frozen for hours, so there was no need to acquire ice and blend later.
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The Flip has a powerful 11.1-volt motor, a significant step up from the 7.4-volt systems common in most portable blenders. This extra juice translates to superior blending performance, especially with tougher ingredients. In my experience, fibrous items like fresh ginger may require two 30-second cycles for optimal results.
Like all portable blenders, using ice requires some compromises with the Flip. While it can handle regular ice cubes, they shouldn't exceed 25% of the cup's blending volume for optimal performance. I noticed that going even slightly over the 4-ounce mark resulted in a couple of unblended ice cubes (see below), though running the cycle twice took care of the small lumps.
Battery life is another industry-leading feature. The Flip delivers 14+ 30-second blending cycles per charge, about 50% more than the average portable blender. And powering up is via USB-C, so you don't have to worry about losing a proprietary charger. When you screw on the top, you'll see the ring around the start button change from a blinking light to a solid light. It's purple when there's plenty of juice and yellow when you have about five cycles left.
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Like most portable blenders, cleaning is easy. A quick blend with a drop of dish soap makes cleanup a breeze. I appreciate the blender element's IPX6 rating, which means you can clean it without fear of water damage – a notable advantage over many portable blenders. While the blending top isn't dishwasher safe, the blending cup and travel lid are dishwasher-friendly on the top rack.
At $99, the Nutribullet Flip is at the high end of the portable blender market. However, its power, battery life, and insulated cup make it a compelling choice if you want flexibility on when and where you consume your smoothies.
[Image credit: Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious]
For the past 20+ years, Techlicious founder Suzanne Kantra has been exploring and writing about the world’s most exciting and important science and technology issues. Prior to Techlicious, Suzanne was the Technology Editor for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and the Senior Technology Editor for Popular Science. Suzanne has been featured on CNN, CBS, and NBC.
