Magic Bullet

[JMD]

Hi,

I just got one of these little handy machines. My ? is does anyone have one and what can I easily make raw in it. I am sensitive to salt, dried fruits and nuts--just fyi....
I am working really really hard at staying 100% raw for at least a week....

Thanks everyone.
Jen

[Sharon in Colorado]

I use it all the time. You can grind things (flax seeds, nuts, coffee, etc) with the flat blades and whip up all kinds of stuff with the other blade. I've made salad dressings, carob sauce, you can do smoothies, my husband even uses it to make scrambled eggs.

If you want to make an individual smoothie, the mugs are perfect.

[JMD]

Thanks, I was hoping to use it to make sauces---esp the pizza sauce.

I also have a ton of unhulled sesame seeds I want to try to make something with...:)

[mandarin honey]

Do either of you have the juicer attachment? If so does it work well?

[juliebove]

I got one as a gift, but so far haven't had any luck with it whatever. I get either a mushy mess (okay if you're making a sauce, I guess), or 1/2 mushy mess and 1/2 unchopped pieces. I also dislike that you have to chop the pieces small to fit in there. If I'm going to do that, I might as well just chop them to the size I want by hand. My sister in law uses hers to make fresh salsa. I haven't tried mine for that yet.

[Shivananda]

I get either a mushy mess (okay if you're making a sauce, I guess), or 1/2 mushy mess and 1/2 unchopped pieces.

Actually, I hear that complaint about food processors of all makes. Using short pulses, and scraping down the sides frequently with a spatula will help correct that. So will having the correct quantity of food in the machine, ideally about 1/2 full. Too little is as bad as too much.

BUT, the Magic Bullet is not a food processor, not matter what they say in the commercials. It's a little blender, pure and simple, and as I've said elsewhere, blenders are primarily designed for the job of mixing liquids, or chopping up solids (ice, food) that are ADDED TO LIQUID. Use it for smoothies, not for salsas, and you may find it acceptable. You are right, though, with a good sharp knife I find I can chop all the ingredients for a salsa faster than it would take to assemble and use the MB and then clean it.

And to the question about the juicer attachment, it is a joke. Don't even bother.

If you can find one for $29.99 at Walgreens or Wal-Mart or Walls & Beyond it's a decent buy, but at $59.99 + shipping on tv it's a ripoff. They cost maybe $5 tops to manufacture.

But wait, there is hope yet... I'm testing a $19.99 blender I found the other day that actually seems to show some promise for a cheeeep blender. Film at 11.

[mandarin honey]

...And to the question about the juicer attachment, it is a joke. Don't even bother....

Thank you.

[Free Energy]

I love my magic bullet and use it to make my morning smoothies. It chops up frozen fruit really well. I also use it to make salad dressings. Just be careful not to let it process things for too long, it will burn out. But no worries if it does. Just let it rest and it should work later on or the next day. :)

[jorjeni]

I bought one and I hate it it's only good for grinding up nuts and seeds.

[Vandy]

does grinding nuts and seeds work well or so so??? What nuts and seeds does it do best? Does it make them into a nut butter or does it make them into a powder? I have never used the plat blad before, but maybe I should give it a try..hmmm

[jorjeni]

I have used it to grind nuts into powder and sunflower seeds into powder. I haven't tried to make butters and won't try to with it . I tried to make the pudding with it and it was a big mess. If I hadn't already thrown the box out I would have taken it back.

[Shivananda]

Here's why I would never try to use a blender to try to make nut butters... first, because a blender is not designed to be a dry food grinder, so you can easily burn out the motor.

But more importantly, trying to grind seeds and nuts this way, using whirling blades, actually generates a lot of heat and literally cooks the food in fairly short order. Run a Vitamix filled with vegetables long enough and it will turn them into hot soup. And that's why food processors need to be used gingerly, too, using short pulses rather than the continuous on switch for most purposes, because the whirling blades (and the heat of the motor itself) quickly heat the contents of the bowl.

Using a grinder designed for nuts and seeds, or grinding in a slow speed auger type juicer with a blank plate, like the Omega 8005 or the GreenStar or the Samson, etc. is really the best way to grind nuts and seeds at home.

I mean, unless you really dig using a mortar and pestle. :)

[Sillybloss]

I'm taking a big trip in June and thought it would be good to travel with (trying to keep the food bill down). Would it be a good investment for that purpose, or is something else better? I just need something small to fit in a suitcase and allow some variance from cut up fruit and salad.

[RawTruth]

Hi over there in Temecula!

I have a raw friend who travels a lot and she takes her Magic Bullet with her. If you'd like me to, I'll ask her for you what exactly she uses it for. She's really good about finding raw and raw-friendly restaurants wherever she is, but she also takes stuff, I know.

Let me know ...

p.s. Where are you going? For how long?