I’ve had my Magic Bullet for over ten years now, which is how long I’ve lived in New York City. It has moved with me from apartment to apartment (four, to be exact), and continues to whir without a hitch, delivering smoothly blended beverages, salad dressings, tahini sauces, and pesto in mere seconds. But the thing I use it for the most is perhaps a little unorthodox. And yet, it is the reason I love it so much.
Every few days, I use it to grind my coffee beans. I take the smaller cup, pour in about four scoops of fresh coffee beans, put on the cross blade attachment, lock it into the high-torque power base, and let it rip. In no time at all, I have perfectly ground coffee for my Hario V60 pour-over. I do this a few times until I have about a week’s worth of coffee grounds that I keep in a canister on my kitchen island cart.
In the decade that I’ve been using the Magic Bullet, the motor has never weakened in power. The blades have never dulled, and the containers look as good as new. When I’m done using it, I simply wrap the cord around the base and put it, along with the container, away. For those with limited counter space, it’s a lifesaver. Because of its multifunctionality and reliability, I don’t really see a reason to buy a dedicated coffee grinder — as much as I would like a fancy one, if only to make me feel like a sophisticated coffee connoisseur.
For comparison’s sake, the Vitamix I got five years ago as a wedding gift is showing signs of wear and is due for a tune up, which is a pain, because, who has time for that? Yes, the Magic Bullet and Vitamix have different functions, but I expect more from a machine that costs ten times as much. The Magic Bullet costs $30 today, 25 percent off its list price as part of Bed Bath and Beyond’s Cyber Monday sale, and I can attest that it’s worth every penny. It comes with three cups in different sizes (mine only came with two back in the day) and a couple of lid accessories.
If you want a little extra power, try Magic Bullet’s souped up cousin, the NutriBullet, a juicing and blending system that claims to break down food for “maximum nutrient extraction.” It’s also on sale.
If you want to go the Vitamix route, this model in the Explorian series is $50 off the list price.
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