I Never Knew At-Home Juicing Could Be Affordable Until I Tried the Magic Bullet Mini

I’m a firm believer that any food or drink bought at a restaurant is worth learning how to make yourself. This has rung true for my morning cup of joe (coffee shops have nothing on my at-home barista skills). And I’ve learned to experiment with my favorite restaurant dishes and cocktails.

When I finally invested in one of the best blenders (hi, Vitamix) my smoothie game reached peak performance. The one thing I haven’t perfected, however, is a smooth, fresh juice. You probably already know that at-home juicing is near impossible with just a blender. And juicers tend to be large, bulky and expensive appliances.

As an apartment dweller with little storage, investing in a cumbersome juicer isn’t a priority. Until I discovered the Magic Bullet mini juicer. This nifty gadget is compact, affordable and turns my favorite fruits and veggies into drinkable juice in minutes. I can’t stop experimenting with juices thanks to this mini-but-mighty appliance.

What is the Magic Bullet mini juicer?

Madi Koetting/Taste of Home

It’s the pint-sized kitchen appliance we’ve been waiting for our entire lives! At seven inches tall, the Magic Bullet mini juicer is a compact yet powerful appliance. It boasts a 400W motor base and 52-ounce pulp bin perfect for juicing one healthy serving of juice at a time (16-ounces to be exact). Just like all the best juicers, it chops, grinds and extracts every bit of juice from your favorite produce.

How We Tested It

Unboxing the Magic Bullet mini juicer, it included all the bells and whistles of traditional juicers. It arrived pre-assembled, but I took it apart to clean it before getting started. Everything from the pulp bin, stainless steel sieve and cleaning brush, juice spout, food pusher and portable cup is included. Plus, a scannable code for recipes.

Next, I prepped my ingredients. I love a good juice with ginger (gotta look after that gut health), so I opted for an apple, carrot and ginger concoction. Knowing it takes a generous amount of ingredients to make one cup of juice, I started with five whole carrots, two red apples and an inch of peeled ginger root. I wasn’t quite sure how small to chop my ingredients. The mini juicer says it fits large chunks, so I ran with it by cutting the five carrots into slightly smaller slices and slicing the two red apples as normal. Time to juice!

I followed the directions to a tee, making sure not to turn the machine on until the first ingredient was in the chute. Turning it on, I grabbed the food pusher to, well, push the food down the chute. One by one, juice began to pour out the spout. I followed this process until my carrot, apple and ginger slices were gone. Surprisingly, my eye balled ingredients made exactly one, 16-ounce cup of fresh juice. The bin was filled to the brim with pulp, too. The true test, however, was the taste test.

There was a thin layer of foam on the top and some pulp escaped into the cup, which I expected. Still, upon tasting my concoction I was impressed. It went down smooth (read: no chewing chunks that escaped), and tasted so fresh. Nothing compares to a fresh juice with no added sugars, and I was ecstatic about the juicing opportunities that awaited.

However, my Magic Bullet mini juicer test wasn’t complete without attempting to turn my favorite green smoothie into a juice. Reese Witherspoon’s green smoothie recipe is my go-to. I go back and forth from drinking it religiously for weeks then taking a two-month break…it’s a process. The recipe calls for one head of romaine, half a cup of spinach, one apple, one lemon, one pear and one banana (celery is optional).

I prepped the ingredients as I would if I were blending them into a smoothie. One by one, I shot the ingredients down the food chute. As expected, the romaine and spinach produced hardly any juice. The apple, pear and lemon, on the other hand, were successful. After every ingredient made it down the juicer, I threw the green mixture into my Vitamix, added a banana, almond butter, a splash of coconut water and got to blending.

Funny enough, the green juice smoothie hybrid tasted better than the original smoothie recipe. Likely because the apple, pear and lemon overpowered the romaine and spinach, which hardly produced juice. Though it’s not efficient (or cost-effective) to juice romaine and spinach for a green juice, I was impressed with my experiment.

Magic Bullet Mini Juicer Features

Madi Koetting/Taste of Home

The Magic Bullet mini juicer includes everything you need for efficient, at-home juicing. Every single item assembles together—no need to store extra parts in a random drawer. The cherry on top is the portable cup. Just juice and go!

Pros

• Compact
• Easy to assemble
• Affordable price point
• Includes food pusher
• 16-ounce juice cup with lid
• Only weighs 3.5 pounds
• Seven-inches tall (shorter than a standard coffee maker)
• Large, 52-ounce pulp bin

Cons

• Layer of foam on juice
• Noise level is comparable to a blender
• Not ideal for big-batch juicing

FAQ

What are the differences between a “smoothie” and a “juice”?

Unlike juices, a smoothie includes all the fiber and pulp from the blended ingredients. You consume every last bit of blended fruits and veggies in a smoothie, whereas a juice quite literally extracts all the juice inside fruits and veggies. Juicers separate the pulp, skin and fiber into the pulp bin. Have you tried the best smoothie delivery services?

Do I need to add water or liquid to create a juice?

Nope! Since the juicer extracts juice from ingredients, no liquid is necessary to push them through the juicer.

How do I care for my Magic Bullet mini juicer?

When you’re done juicing, turn off the mini juicer and unplug the machine. Carefully disassemble the juicer, paying close attention to the stainless steel sieve and sharp blade. Clean each part with warm, soapy water after each use. The stainless steel sieve requires some elbow grease to clean. Thoroughly rinse each part with water, set aside and reassemble when parts are dry.

Final Verdict

The words mini and juicer may not sound like they go together. But I’m thoroughly impressed with the power of this mini-but-mighty gadget. It checks all the boxes. It’s compact for countertop storage, it extracts every last bit of juice, it’s easy to assemble—and it’s under $60.

My one pain point—and this goes for all juicers—is that it takes so many ingredients to make just one cup of juice. This is because juicers extract the juicy parts of fruits and veggies, so it’s not quite as potent as mixing them up in a blender.

Still, I love that it’s designed for individual juicing. The included portable cup makes it convenient to whip up a juice on the way to work and go. As if there could be another standout feature, it’s a no-waste machine. The pulp can easily be reused in recipes or composted—the choice is yours! Instead of waiting in line for a fresh concoction, I now spend that time making my own juices at home. I’m never paying for a $13 green juice ever again!

Where to Buy the Magic Bullet Mini Juicer

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The Magic Bullet mini juicer is available for around $60 on NutriBullet’s website. It’s also available at Macy’s and Kohl’s.

Considering a fresh, individual juice can set you back upwards of $13, this mini juicer pays for itself. I’m excited to perfect yet another restaurant-quality drink, and you will be, too. I can’t think of a more delicious way to get my daily dose of fruits and veggies.

By the way, if you’re looking for more affordable options, this $33 Frigidaire blender is the appliance of our dreams.

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