You expect your Nutribullet blender to make nutritious, delicious smoothies. What you don’t expect is to suddenly see smoke and smell something burning. What’s going on?
If your Nutribullet blender is smoking, something has gone wrong with the motor or other mechanical parts. You might have overloaded the food cup or run the blender too long, causing the motor to become overworked. Or, if your blender is older, parts such as the gasket, blades, or bearings could be worn down.
To the user, a Nutribullet blender is a fairly simple machine, consisting of a food cup, a button to push, and a blade. Just fill the cup with fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients, add liquid, push the button, and the blade goes to work rendering it all into a tasty drink.
The blade is the crucial part of the process because it comes in contact with both the food and the motor assembly, which contains several mechanical parts such as bearings and brushes.
The Nutribullet is designed to handle a lot, but there are some things that can cause too much stress on the blade and consequently, the motor.
For example, coffee beans, cereal, or grains may be too hard for the regular blade, also called the extractor blade. When the blade tries to grind foods like these, the motor could become damaged.
A special blade called a milling blade is supposed to be used with hard ingredients like nuts.
The Nutribullet user manual also advises that you should not use the blender as an ice crusher or blend without liquids. It also recommends that you should not blend ingredients for more than one minute at a time because of the risk of friction on the blade.
The stress put on the motor may cause motor parts to rub against one another. This friction can cause smoke.
Another cause of motor deterioration is age. The moving parts of the blender will wear out with time and repeated use, even if you have been using the Nutribullet as directed.
Whatever the circumstances, the Nutribullet should not be emitting smoke. If the appliance is new, it should be under warranty. A one-year limited warranty covers manufacturing defects and defects in material.
If your Nutribullet is old and it smokes, you should quit using it because it needs to be repaired or replaced.
What Do You Do When Your Blender Starts Smoking?
If there’s smoke coming from your Nutribullet, don’t panic. It probably won’t catch on fire, but there could be some dangers.
If you see or smell smoke, turn off or unplug the Nutribullet immediately. The Nutribullet is equipped with a thermal breaker that shuts down the motor if it starts to overheat, so there’s little risk of fire. Nevertheless, removing the blender from its power source is the safest action to take.
After it’s safely unplugged, inspect your blender for damage. You can easily take off the blade component and the food cup and take a close look at them.
Make sure the blade is clean and free from any debris. If the blade looks worn or dull, it’s time to replace it.
Inspect the gasket, which is a rubber ring attached to the inside of the plastic extractor blade component. If it is worn down, that could be the source of the smoke.
The gasket on the Nutribullet blade assembly is not designed to be removable. If you try to take it out, you could cause permanent damage that will cause leaks.
The Nutribullet manual recommends that you wash the gasket with a solution of 10% vinegar mixed with water, or use lemon juice. If the gasket is loose, damaged, or worn out, you must replace the entire extractor blade assembly.
Although it is possible to take apart the power base and inspect the motor, it is not recommended. The motor and other parts are packed tightly together, and unless you know what you’re doing, you could make the problem worse.
Also, if the appliance is still under warranty, taking it apart may void the warranty.
If the motor or any of its parts are damaged, that also could be the source of the smoke.
Why Does My Nutribullet Smell Like Its Burning?
Maybe you haven’t seen any smoke, but when you use your Nutribullet, it smells like it’s burning. What’s going on?
A burning smell coming from your Nutribullet may indicate a problem with the gasket. If you blend for too long or you don’t add enough liquid, it puts too much stress on the gasket. It will get hot and start to smell like burning rubber.
Nutribullet’s user manual gives instructions for blending that include the following:
- Fill the cup to the max line or no more than 2/3 full
- Do not use hot or very warm liquids
- Do not use carbonated beverages
- Do not blend for more than 1 minute at time
- Do not blend for more than three consecutive 1-minute sessions
- After three sessions, stop blending and allow contents to cool
If you smell burning during the blending process, release the button immediately and allow everything to cool off.
Can A Smoking Nutribullet Be Repaired?
The Nutribullet is an expensive appliance, and you might want to try to repair it before throwing it away. A web search will bring up several videos and websites that give do-it-yourself instructions for how to repair a smoking Nutribullet. But is DYI a good idea?
You can try to repair a Nutribullet if you know something about small appliances and electric motors. The Nutribullet company does not sell official motor parts, but you can buy similar parts online. You can easily replace the blades if they are worn out.
The extractor blade lasts an average of 6 months with moderately heavy use. The blades will wear down and you may notice it’s not working as efficiently as it used to.
This is an easy fix. You can buy Nutribullet extractor blades online from several retailers or from the Nutribullet company itself. They cost anywhere from $15-$20.
The blade assembly includes the gasket, so if the gasket is worn, a blade replacement is also the solution.
Buying replacement parts for the motor will be more difficult. There are no official Nutribullet replacement parts for the motor. You may be able to find compatible ones, but you will be using these at your own risk.
Using anything but official Nutribullet parts will void your warranty.
What Should I Do If My Nutribullet Stops Working?
There may come a time when you load up the food cup and push the button—and nothing happens. Your Nutribullet blender has stopped working.
If your Nutribullet doesn’t run anymore or stops suddenly, you may have a faulty power cord, a broken cup or blade, or an overheated motor. It’s also possible that it food has become stuck at the bottom of the cup and the blade has jammed.
If your Nutribullet doesn’t turn on at all, you might have an electrical problem. Inspect the power cord and plug for any signs of wearing or cracking, or if it feels loose. A wiring problem could be internal.
The cord of a Nutribullet is not replaceable. Trying to attach a new cord on your own could be dangerous and lead to shocks or fire. You’ll have to buy a new blender.
Another less serious problem involves the food cup. The food cup has plastic tabs on the bottom that connect with activators on the top of the power base.
The tabs must push down on the activators in order for the blender to work.
With repeated use, the plastic tabs on the cups wear down and could break off. If the tabs are broken, they won’t make contact with the blade and the blender won’t run. You’ll have to buy a new food cup.
Sometimes the problem is with the activators, not the cup. Liquids can leak into them and make them sticky, so they won’t push down anymore. Just clean them gently with a damp rag.
If you’re in the middle of blending and the Nutribullet stops and won’t continue, your cup is either overloaded or you’ve been blending for too long a time.
The Nutribullet has a sensor that makes the blender stop if it starts to overheat. You may not see smoke or smell anything burning, but it’s still overheating.
If that happens, just stop blending and wait for a few minutes while the motor cools down. Then, you can continue blending.
It’s also possible that something has become jammed up in the blades. Just turn the blender off and use a spoon to dislodge the jam.
Cutting your food in small pieces can prevent jamming.