Can this CHEAP Ninja Blender Beat My Vitamix?

🔪MY GEAR:

**As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases**

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro and why I chose these blenders
1:16 Tech specs and features
3:53 Test 1 Pureed soup
6:58 Test 2 Frozen margaritas
8:49 Next test, but first Coffee (ad)
9:52 Test 3 Green smoothie
12:30 Test 4 peanut butter
15:05 Final thoughts and score

#blenderreview #vitamix #ninjablender

[ClayDaddy]

I would be interested in the cleaning process for each blender. Cleaning our kitchen gadgets plays a big part in how often we use them.

[MrMdprosser]

The reason your margarita separates is because it's over-blended and the ice is starting to melt from the heat of the blender. Try blending at a lower speed in 5 second intervals just until it reaches the consistency you want.

[slw]

I bought my Ninja more than a decade ago. It was $150 for the pro level, but it came with the blender pitcher, a more "food processor" shaped bowl, and an attachment for individual-size cups (meant for smoothies, etc.). All of the attachments use the same base.

Interesting to note that the blending mechanism for the individual attachment is like the Vitamix, with the metal, four-blade spinner at the bottom, and it makes a better smoothie, milk shake, frappuccino, etc. than the big blender 100% of the time. So much so that I will take the time to make four individuals than try to save time by makine more than one in the big blender. Has to have something to do with the type of and placement of the blade.

At the time, the $150 was a BIG spend on a kitchen gadget for my family and I certainly couldn't afford a bunch of other tools, so it was great for what I was able to justify spending... none of the components were the best, but very good in a world where it was my blender AND food processor. As times have changed, and I have upgraded to a good food processor, I find myself using it less amd less. But I still use the individual part almost daily for my frozen coffee concoction.

So all of that is the long way of saying I bought that thing more than a decade ago, I used the crap out of it as a multifunction tool for years, and it still works well to this day. When it finally bites the bullet or my daughter moves out on her own & I give it her (whichever comes first), I will upgrade to the Vitamix, but for my, at the time, broke family that had neither the money nor the kitchen space for a bunch of different machines, the Ninja was a great investment.

[denys-p]

One important note about Ninja:
DO NOT blend very hot soup straight from heat, because blending jar might get cracks (mine did). Give it to cool down a bit before pouring to the blender

[anthonygilbert]

Frozen alcoholic drinks tend to separate unless some type of stabilizer is added. Starbucks' frappucinos don't separate because they have a base which contains xantham gum or some other stabilizing ingredient to keep the ice and other ingredients together. Try adding ~1/8 to 1/4 tsp of xantham gum directly into the blender as the ingredients are spinning. Has usually worked for me!

[wolfingitdown]

-me sweating while watching this after buying a vitamix

[themagicindian]

The Ninja blender isn't really a blender; more of a tall food processor. A blender's blending power comes from the small blades and the RPMs creating a cavitation bubble at the bottom which annihilates most everything you throw into it. The Ninja's tall blender column just cannot accomplish this because of the design. Hence, I use the standard blending column as a first pass in my morning smoothies but then pour the resultant liquids into a smaller blending cup with a proper blender blade (came as part of the Ninja Blender package) and THAT is what makes the whole thing much, much more smooth.

Hope this helps for anyone looking.

[colina]

I used to work in a kitchen where I would make soup at least every other day. The day we got a Vitamix was like Christmas morning. I stopped straining my pureed soups because there was nothing left in the mesh strainer when it passed through. Such a time saver. You could drop your phone into one of those things while you were blending something and there'd be no trace of it. If you use a blender a lot, it's 100 percent worth it.

[SoCalSoNice]

Some Ninja Professional models come with single serving, smoothie cups that have blade attachment lids. Setting aside that they are single serving, they totally overcome the grainy smoothie problem. Raspberries and Blackberrys don't stand a chance. It makes more dishes, but works great for quick grab and go drinks in the morning.

[DONE]

One thing I’ve found with my Ninja when making hot sauce. Blend longer than you think, and it will eventually hit that “pro” level consistency. Maybe 1.5X the blend time, and you should be good.

[foodeattechnology]

I bought my Vitamix in 1994 and it still does what is says. I got it with two blender containers: dry and wet. I love it! Yes, the best investment of my life. Yes, I’ve blended everything in it.

[juststeveb]

An important economic consideration: I've been using my Vitamix regularly since the early 90s. Same unit. No maintenance. No problems. There aren't many appliances you can count on that sort of longevity from — but from all I hear, over the decades Vitamix has stuck to that level of quality and folks can expect that sort of longevity. I'm not sure that can be expected from the Ninja with the plastic drive...

[Wingman]

I bought a Ninja to make smoothies with (labeled "total texture control") for about $100. My previous blender was (operative word) an old Hamilton Beach I've had for decades that basically self-destructed trying to blend frozen fruit into a smoothie. The Ninja came with 3 sizes of containers: a single portion (approx. 12 oz) with a drinkable spout, a double portion (bigger) also with a drinkable spout, and a normal pitcher size container. I typically use the small one. The base has 3 "drinkable" options: extract, smoothie and frozen, and 2 "spoonable" options: spread and bowl. So far I've just used the smoothie option. As you said it seems these options are just to vary time. The smoothie option runs about 60 secs with the small container which is way more than what's necessary. It makes perfect smoothies. If you push the pulse button first it pulses the contents repeatedly, automatically stopping an restarting to allow the contents to settle to the bottom over the pre-programmed time. The large container also has a feature that allows you to stir the contents from the top while the machine is running forcing stuff down onto the blades (of which 4 are med size, 2 are larger, and 2 are much smaller. I've only had this thing a few weeks and made smoothies with it maybe a dozen times and it works perfectly (for smoothies). I can't imagine spending over 4x as much for something else. I was wondering in your tests if you had allowed the Ninja another 15 seconds say for the soup whether results would have been more comparable in terms of smoothness... for $375 I think I'd be OK with allowing it a little more time.

[Will_JJHP]

Had my Vitamix 5200 from 2003-2020. Would still be going strong if not for dropping it on concrete while moving. Absolutely worth the extra $$$

[strangelove]

I've had a Ninja for years, and I echo a lot of these sentiments and plan to upgrade to a Vitamix whenever this thing finally breaks. For the smoothie issue, Ninja makes this cheap add-on accessory that's screw-on blender blade that attaches to these single serving smoothie cups. You just cram everything you want in your smoothie into one of those cups, screw on the top, pop it on the blender, and it's ready in 15-20 seconds. Beats the hell out of using the big main blender pitcher for smoothies 100%...been using that setup for smoothies as long as I've had this blender and I'm happy with it, also way easier to clean than the main pitcher/blade combo so it's preferable if you're just trying to make a quick smoothie after the gym on your way back to your desk or whatever.

[suzu]

I invested in a BlendTec years ago, which was comparable in price with Vitamix - worth the money after burning out 2-3 cheaper blenders.

[denoftools]

Our local Steakhouse uses the ninja pro in their bar. Talking with the bartenders, they hate it, they keep hoping it will die for good, but the manager just keeps running down to the local store and buying a new one they used to use the vita mix, but the new manager decided to cheap out. We have that same vita mix at home and I’ve had it for years. The motor did burn out once, but Vitamix replaced it. The only thing I will say that the ninja wins on is that locking cap

[evrypixelcounts]

I have a similar ninja blender, and I find that the smaller personal cups are better for smoother purees, and better blended drinks. The bigger jar is serviceable, but makes for a less consistent texture.

[mlgymrat]

I do love these comparisons but I think it would be good to compare high, mid, and low cost options to see their differences.

[HaddaClu]

When I worked in a smoothe shop after school we had 2 BlendTec blenders and they were absolute beasts! I made a point a few years ago to go buy one for myself now that I have my own home.