Whether you can blend ice or frozen ingredients depends on your portable blender model. Select your model for its answer.
Take your claim, with your receipt, to the place of purchase (the manufacturer warranty is 12 months from the date of purchase) if the Flip remains locked after cooling.
NutriBullet Portable Blender / Portable Blender McLaren
Yes, blend ice or frozen ingredients with enough cool liquid to circulate, keeping the combined load below MAX and every ingredient at 21°C or cooler.
How do I prepare, blend and clean up?
-
Load ice or frozen ingredients.
- Use refrigerated or frozen ingredients with cool liquid; all ingredients must be 21°C or cooler.
- Add enough liquid for the ingredients to move around the blade, and keep the combined liquid, food and ice below the Cup’s MAX line. Do not pack the Cup with ice.
- Remove stone-fruit pits and seeds before adding the fruit; keep utensils and other non-food objects out of the Cup.
- Align the two dots on the Cup and Motor Base, screw the Lid on and keep the Lid Latch upright in its locked position.
- Press Power once, wait about one second, then press again for a 20-second cycle. Blue lights circulate while blending; press Power again to stop early.
- Keep a continuous run, including consecutive cycles, within one minute. Before repeating, carefully open the Lid to release pressure; do not exceed nine cycles within six minutes.
- Wait for the blades to stop, flip the latch down, then press the Lid button to open the drinking spout.
-
Clean and store it after blending.
- Turn the blender off. Wash the Cup and Lid in warm soapy water, rinse, or use the dishwasher’s top rack without heat or sanitise cycles. Gently rinse only the blade assembly and wipe it with a damp cloth. Do not run the Motor Base under water.
- For a quick Cup clean, add cold water and a drop of soap, close the Lid and blend for one cycle before emptying and rinsing.
- Store upright with the Cup attached to cover the blades, in a safe place with nothing stacked on top.
- Stop using a cracked or cloudy Cup and replace it; stop blending if the blade is bent or damaged and arrange a replacement before further use.
What if ice stops the blade?
- If the ring flashes red, stop and check that the Cup is secured and its dots align with the Motor Base.
- With the blades stopped, add more cool liquid without exceeding MAX. Reclose the Lid, shake or invert the blender to loosen the ingredients, then retry.
- If the blockage remains, turn the blender off, disconnect its charging cable and use a utensil to remove the obstruction, keeping fingers away from blade edges. Reassemble before restarting.
- Alternating top and bottom red lights mean too many blends; solid red means overheating. Stop and let the blender cool before trying again.
- If the Cup itself feels warm or hot, leave it untouched and do not blend again. Allow at least 30 minutes to cool, longer if needed; only when cool, slowly open the Lid away from your face and pour into a separate vessel.
The NutriBullet Portable Blender can crush ice as part of a smoothie, but should not be used only as an ice crusher.
NutriBullet Flip Stainless
Yes, blend ice in a smoothie up to 25% of the Cup’s total volume, with liquid at the minimum-liquid mark and everything below MAX.
How much ice can I use, and which way up do I start?
- Keep ice to no more than 25% of the Cup’s total volume. Add enough liquid to meet the minimum-liquid mark, with all ingredients below MAX.
- Twist the Motor Base, Blade, and Lid securely onto the Blending Cup and snap the Flip-Top Lid closed.
- Start with the Motor Base, Blade, and Lid on top. Press Power once and wait about one second: the ring should turn white. If it flashes yellow, tighten the Cup until white appears.
- Press Power again to start a 30-second cycle, then turn the blender upside down so ingredients meet the blade. Set it on a clean, dry, level surface; press Power during the cycle if you need to stop early.
- Do not run consecutive cycles totalling more than one minute. When the blades stop, turn the blender right-side-up, switch the power off and slowly open the Flip-Top Lid away from your face.
What if the ice blocks the blades?
- Stop and let the blades finish moving before opening anything. Dislodge trapped ingredients carefully, reduce the load if necessary and add sufficient liquid while staying below MAX; reassemble and begin again with the motor on top.
- If the ring flashes red, stop using the blender and allow it to cool. If it remains locked after 10 minutes, take your claim, with your receipt, to the place of purchase (the manufacturer warranty is 12 months from the date of purchase).
What else matters for an icy drink?
- Use ice as part of a smoothie, rather than running the Flip as a standalone ice crusher.
- Do not put the assembled blender in the freezer or refrigerator. Empty the Cup after use instead of leaving blended food sealed inside for a long time.
- For stubborn residue, let the soap and water sit for a few minutes at each end of the Blending Cup before running the cleaning cycle.
- For a quick clean, rinse the Cup, fill it halfway with water and a drop of dish soap, then run a cycle while flipping and shaking. Open the drinking spout after the blades stop, empty it, and repeat with fresh water only.
- Before taking apart for hand cleaning, disconnect the charger and leave the blender undisturbed for 90 seconds. Point the blade downward and rinse only its area, covering the USB-C port with a finger; use the Cleaning Brush under the blade and in the sip and vent holes. Wipe dry and leave the Flip-Top Lid open to dry.
- To rinse the drinking spout, face the blade upward and use a gentle flow of warm water, keeping a finger over the USB-C port. Use the Cleaning Brush for the straw as well. Pat the USB-C port dry and let it dry completely before charging.
- Only the Blending Cup and To-Go Lid can go in the dishwasher’s top rack. NEVER submerge the entire Motor Base, Blade, and Lid in water. Do not rinse or dishwash the entire Motor Base, Blade, and Lid.
- Store the motor and blades with the Cup or Blade Cover attached, in a dry location, with nothing stacked on top. If you fit the separate To-Go Lid, keep the Cup upright because that lid is not leak-proof.
NutriBullet Flex Portable / Flex Portable McLaren
Yes, blend ice with enough cool liquid to circulate and keep the whole load below MAX.
How do I prepare, blend and clean up?
-
Blend with ice.
- Use enough cool liquid for the ice to circulate, and keep all ingredients below the MAX line. Do not overfill the Cup with ice.
- With the Motor Base detached, make sure the Blade Block is completely dry. Insert it blades-first through the Cup’s bottom opening and twist steadily until the built-in soft-stop.
- Add the ingredients, twist on the Sip Lid with Carry Loop and close and lock its cap. Place the Cup and Blade Block on the Motor Base and gently twist until locked; do not force the fit.
- Press Power to wake the blender; wait about one second for the lights and battery display. Press again for a 30-second cycle; the ring moves clockwise, then turns solid white when finished. Another press stops the cycle early.
- Keep continuous blending, including consecutive cycles, within one minute. Carefully release pressure before a repeat cycle. If the ring turns red, pause and let the motor cool.
- After the blades stop, hold the Cup and Motor Base and gently twist them apart; do not push down or pull by the Sip Lid. Move the Carry Loop away to reveal the button, then press it to open the Sip Spout.
-
Care for the removable parts.
- After switching off, remove the Blade Block with a clockwise twist and the Sip Lid counter-clockwise, avoiding blade edges. Hand-wash the Blade Block in warm soapy water and rinse it clean. Wash the Cup and Sip Lid in warm soapy water or on the dishwasher’s top rack without a heat or sanitise cycle. Dry the parts; if the lid gasket moves, dry its groove and gently guide it back into place.
- Wipe any food from the Motor Base with a damp cloth. Never put the motor base under running water or place the motor base in the dishwasher.
- Store the Flex upright with the Blade Block, Cup and Sip Lid assembled so the blades are covered, with nothing on top.
- Replace a cracked, cloudy or damaged Cup before blending again; stop using a bent or damaged Blade Block and arrange a replacement.
What if the Light Ring flashes orange?
- Three orange flashes mean the Blade Block is not locked correctly. Place the Cup and Blade Block onto the base and gently twist into place; the correct fit produces a white light sequence and two flashes.
- Six orange flashes can mean a blocked blade or an incorrectly attached Cup. Stop, detach the Cup and Blade Block from the Motor Base, gently shake to release trapped food and refit clockwise.
- If it is still blocked, add more liquid within MAX and try again. If necessary, switch off and disconnect the charger, remove the Motor Base and stand the vessel upside down on the flat Sip Lid. Carefully detach the Blade Block to clear the obstruction, then reassemble. Never put a hand or utensil inside the Cup to clear a blockage.
- If the Cup feels hot or warm, do not open it, detach it or blend again. Leave it alone for at least 30 minutes and until cool; slowly open the Sip Lid away from your face and empty into a separate vessel.
NutriBullet GO
No, do not add ice, frozen fruit or frozen vegetables; make a cold drink with chilled liquid and fresh fruit below the 300 mL MAX line instead.
How do I prepare and blend fresh ingredients?
-
Start and stop the prepared drink.
- Invert the Motor Base over the Cup and twist clockwise to secure it. Hold Power for three seconds; a flashing blue light shows the Cup is locked and ready.
- Turn the assembled blender over and place the base on a dry, level surface. Press Power twice quickly to start the 30-second cycle.
- Press Power once to stop; the blue light goes out. Do not exceed two consecutive cycles or one minute continuously. If the Cup feels warm, allow it to cool before slowly opening it away from your body.
- After all movement stops, invert the blender, twist the base counter-clockwise to remove it, then screw the Blade Cover onto the base.
-
Clean and put it away.
- Turn the GO off, then hand-wash the Cup and Lid with warm soapy water or put them on the dishwasher’s top rack. Gently rinse only the blade assembly and wipe it with a damp cloth. Do not dishwash the blade assembly or hold the base under running water.
- Keep all parts together in a safe place, with the blades covered by the Cup or Blade Cover.
What can I use instead of ice or frozen produce?
- Do not put ice, frozen fruit or frozen vegetables in the NutriBullet GO. Use cool or room-temperature food and liquids.
- For a cold smoothie, use chilled liquid and fresh fruit: the guide’s recipes use quartered strawberries, sliced banana or soft kiwi cut into quarters, with liquid added first.
- Remove rinds and peels, and take out stone-fruit pits and seeds before loading.
- Keep solids and liquids together below the 300 mL MAX fill line, leaving space at the top for blending.
What if the food stops moving?
- Ten red flashes indicate food blocking the blades. Switch off, wait for all parts to stop, invert the assembly and detach the Cup; remove excess food and check that the remaining contents sit below MAX before refitting.
- If the light flashes red and blue, keep twisting the Cup onto the blade assembly until it is properly secured.
- Five red flashes indicate overheating: leave the blender off and let it cool before another attempt.
Still need help? Chat with us and give us your model name and product code.
The full steps for this model are in its user guide: Read the NutriBullet Portable Blender / Portable Blender McLaren user guide (PDF)
The full steps for this model are in its user guide: Read the NutriBullet Flip Stainless user guide (PDF)
The full steps for this model are in its user guide: Read the NutriBullet Flex Portable / Flex Portable McLaren user guide (PDF)
The full steps for this model are in its user guide: Read the NutriBullet GO user guide (PDF)