You’re standing in the kitchen aisle, staring at a wall of silver and grey plastic. It’s overwhelming. You see the standard 600-watt model, then the massive full-sized blenders that look like they could mix cement, and right in the middle sits the Nutribullet Pro Plus blender. Most people assume it’s just a slightly louder version of the original. They're wrong. Honestly, after years of testing kitchen gear and watching how these motors actually hold up under the stress of frozen kale and rock-hard almond butter, the Pro Plus is a weirdly specific beast that bridges a gap most people don't even know exists.
It’s about power. But not just "number on the box" power.
We’ve all been there. You load up a blender with frozen strawberries, a splash of almond milk, and some protein powder. You hit the button. It screams. Then, that smell—the dreaded "burning electronics" scent—wafts up because the motor is choking on a single ice cube. The Nutribullet Pro Plus blender was basically engineered to stop that from happening without making you buy a $500 Vitamix that takes up half your counter space. It’s 1200 watts of "I don't care how frozen that banana is."
The 1200-Watt Elephant in the Room
Why does the wattage even matter?
Think of it like a car engine. A 600-watt blender is a golf cart. It'll get you across the lawn, but don't try to tow a trailer. The 1200-watt motor in the Pro Plus is a truck. When you’re dealing with fibrous greens—think spinach stems or that woody kale everyone pretends to like—lower wattage blenders "chop" them. You end up chewing your smoothie. Gross. The Pro Plus pulverizes them into a liquid.
The physics are simple. Higher wattage allows the blades to maintain their RPM (revolutions per minute) even when they hit resistance. When a 900-watt Nutribullet Pro hits a chunk of frozen mango, the blades slow down for a millisecond. That friction creates heat. Heat kills motors. The Nutribullet Pro Plus blender just powers through, which actually means the motor stays cooler and likely lasts longer than the cheaper models being pushed to their absolute limit every morning.
Pulse and Pre-Programmed Cycles
One thing that drives me crazy about the base models is the "push and twist" method. You have to stand there, holding the cup down like a sentry, waiting for the chunks to disappear.
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The Pro Plus added buttons.
Specifically, it has a pre-programmed pulse cycle. This is massive for making salsa or something where you don't want a watery puree. If you’ve ever tried to make chunky guacamole in a standard Nutribullet, you know the struggle of accidentally turning it into green soup. The pulse button gives you manual control. Then there’s the "extraction" button. You hit it once, it runs a specific cycle of varying speeds, and it shuts itself off. You can go brush your teeth or find your keys while it does the work.
Durability Realities and the "Leaking" Myth
Let's get real for a second. If you read reviews online, you’ll see people complaining that their Nutribullet Pro Plus blender started leaking or making a sound like a jet engine taking off.
Nine times out of ten, that’s user error, but Nutribullet could also do a better job with their gaskets.
The 1200-watt motor creates a lot of torque. If you overfill the cup—past that "MAX" line that everyone ignores—the pressure builds up. It forces liquid past the seal and into the base. Once liquid gets into the motor housing, it’s a countdown to failure. Also, don't put the blades in the dishwasher. The heat degrades the rubber seal and washes away the internal lubricant in the blade bearing. Hand wash the blade, dishwasher the cup. That’s the secret to making this thing last five years instead of five months.
Comparisons That Actually Matter
Is it better than the 900-watt Pro? Yes. Is it better than the 1000-watt Prime? It’s basically the same, but the Pro Plus feels more rugged.
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- Nutribullet 600: Great for protein shakes. Terrible for frozen fruit.
- Nutribullet Pro 900: The "Goldilocks" for most, but struggles with daily heavy ice use.
- Nutribullet Pro Plus 1200: The sweet spot for people who actually use frozen ingredients every single day.
- Nutribullet Rx: 1700 watts and it can make hot soup. Honestly? It's too big. It doesn't fit under most kitchen cabinets. It’s overkill for a smoothie.
The Pro Plus fits in that "high-performance compact" niche. It uses the same footprint as the original, meaning it won't hog your prep space, but it has the guts of a much larger machine.
What Nobody Tells You About the Suction Cups
One tiny detail that actually changes the experience? The suction cup feet on the bottom of the Nutribullet Pro Plus blender.
Older, lighter models used to "dance" across the counter. You’d turn it on, walk away, and find it hovering near the edge of the sink thirty seconds later. The Pro Plus is heavy, and those suction cups lock it to the granite. It’s a small thing until the day your blender almost falls off the counter because you were busy pouring coffee.
The Blade Geometry
The "Extractor Blade" isn't just a marketing buzzword. Well, it is a buzzword, but the design actually serves a purpose. The blades are offset at specific angles to create a cyclonic action. In a cheap blender, the food often gets stuck at the top while the blades spin uselessly in an air pocket at the bottom. This is called "cavitation." The Pro Plus power level, combined with the cup shape, pulls the ingredients down into the "kill zone" more effectively than the lower-wattage versions.
Health Claims vs. Reality
Nutribullet loves to talk about "nutrient extraction." They claim the 1200-watt motor breaks down cell walls to release more vitamins.
Let's be skeptical. Your teeth and stomach acid are pretty good at breaking down cell walls.
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However, there is a grain of truth here regarding fiber. When you "extract" (aka blend really well) things like blackberry seeds or thick kale ribs, you are making those nutrients more bioavailable simply because you’re actually consuming them instead of picking them out of your teeth or throwing the pulp away like you would with a juicer. If the Nutribullet Pro Plus blender makes a green smoothie taste like a creamy shake instead of a salad in a cup, you’re going to drink it more often. That’s the real health benefit. Consistency over magic "extraction" science.
Noise: The Necessary Evil
Is it loud? Yes.
It’s 1200 watts of power sitting six inches away from your face. It sounds like a shop vac. If you live in a thin-walled apartment and you’re a 5:00 AM gym-goer, your neighbors might not be your biggest fans. But because it's so powerful, it blends in about 30 to 45 seconds. The 600-watt model might take two minutes to get the same consistency. I’d rather have 45 seconds of loud noise than two minutes of medium noise.
Practical Maintenance and Longevity
If you want to get the most out of this investment, you have to treat it like a piece of machinery, not a plastic toy.
- The "Twist" Test: Periodically check the underside of your blade attachment. If you see a grey, greasy residue or any brown spots, your bearing seal is failing. Stop using it and get a replacement blade. Using a failing blade can burn out the motor.
- Ice First or Last?: Put your greens in first, then fruit, then powder, then liquid, and then ice. This ensures the blades hit the soft stuff first and create a liquid vortex that sucks the ice down.
- The Soap Trick: After you’re done, fill the cup halfway with warm water and one drop of dish soap. Run it for 10 seconds. It cleans the areas under the blades that a sponge can't reach.
The Nutribullet Pro Plus blender is a workhorse for the person who is tired of "entry-level" appliances failing them. It isn't a professional culinary tool for a Michelin-star kitchen, but for a Monday morning when you're late for work and need 30 grams of protein and a handful of spinach turned into liquid in under a minute? It’s hard to beat.
Actionable Next Steps
To ensure you get the longest life and best performance out of your Nutribullet Pro Plus:
- Avoid the "Dry Blend": Never run the blender without at least a half-cup of liquid. These motors rely on the resistance of liquid to stay within their intended RPM range; running them dry can cause them to over-spin and damage the internal components.
- Inspect the Gasket Monthly: Remove the grey rubber ring inside the blade base (carefully, using a dull knife or pick) and clean underneath it. Mold loves to grow there, and a clean gasket ensures a tighter, leak-proof seal.
- Replace Blades Every 6 Months: If you use the blender daily, the friction dulls the blades and wears the internal plastic gears. Replacing the blade assembly twice a year is a $20 "insurance policy" for the $100+ motor base.