Thank you, Ninja, for providing the Ultima to facilitate this review.

The Ninja Ultima Blender

I’ve had the opportunity to give the Ninja a whirl (literally!) over the past few weeks. This particular configuration comes with both single-serving containers and a full-size container, and the full-size container has two blade assemblies, so that makes for a lot of different combinations to put to use!

Now, most of you have seen my Vitamix at work here before, so the first question you have is, “how does it compare to the Vitamix?” It’s different.  There are a couple of things I knew going in that the Ninja doesn’t do (that the Vitamix does).  It doesn’t knead bread and it doesn’t cook soup.  But so what?  Almost nobody actually does those things, anyway (in a blender, I mean).  I know I have never used my Vitamix for either of these purposes.  (There is actually a Ninja model that has a food processor attachment, and that will knead dough.)

The Vitamix does seem to “power through” things a little better – it can handle apple cores, for instance, and it blends up peels and things finer.  But the Ninja is several hundred dollars less expensive, and if you’d never used a Vitamix, I’m not sure you’d notice the difference.  It’s still quite powerful, and it has a number of perks that definitely put my Vitamix to shame, especially when it comes to the details of everyday use.

Ninja Benefits

First of all, the size!  Here is a side-by-side comparison of the two machines, so you can see how they measure up in terms of size.

It has always driven me bonkers that the Vitamix doesn’t fit under the upper cabinets with the container in place.  That means you have to store the base and the container separately, which takes up a lot more space.  When I got the Ninja, at first I thought it just missed going under the cabinet, too.  See?

But then I realized that upper blade assembly comes off.  If you just detach it first, it will sit in the container at a bit of an angle, and it will fit under the cabinets.  You still have to store the lid separately, but that doesn’t take up much space.  (Don’t ever run the machine like that, though!  Be sure to set the blade in properly before running it.)

It doesn’t really have a notably larger footprint, either.  But the container has a higher capacity: 72 ounces vs. 64.

The other thing that drives me crazy about the Vitamix is that it doesn’t have single-serving containers.  Not only does this mean a larger, more unwieldy container to clean when I just wanted a smoothie for one, it doesn’t manage small quantities very well.  They don’t come up far enough on the blades.

The Ninja does have smaller containers.  The machine only runs at one speed when using the smaller containers, and I’ve not found it to be quite as kick-butt as the “main machine,” but I really appreciate having that option.  A basic smoothie or a milkshake works just fine in this container.

Take a Closer Look

This is what the base of the machine looks like up close.

As you can see, there are ten speeds (plus the single-serving container setting).  The toggle switch moves upward to start or stop the machine; move it downward to pulse.  That little doodad to the upper-right of the switch is a light that flashes to let you know that the container isn’t properly installed (or isn’t installed at all).  The machine won’t run in this case, either, helping keep you safe and avoid burning out the motor.

The lid has a fancy locking mechanism.  Once it’s in place, there’s a handle that you press down to lock it in place.  To open it, press the release button, then lift it off.  If you need to add ingredients in the meantime, the pour spout opens up.

I don’t know how they made the single-serving container lids work, but they’re pretty amazing.  They just screw on, and then the container screws on – by the lid – to the blender base.  You’d think this would result in a loosening of the lid and a huge mess, but it doesn’t.  When you screw on the lid, it sort of “suction seals” itself in place and doesn’t easily come undone.

How it Works

There is a nifty upper blade assembly that spirals down a center post.  This helps “pre-chop” ingredients before they reach the lower blade assembly (which is more like a traditional blender blade).  There is no tamper, because this helps keep things moving.  The upper blade assembly just rests on a little nub in the center of the lower blade assembly.  Then when the lid locks on, it locks this in place, as well.

When you’re done, it’s very easy to clean.  Of course you can just run it with warm soapy water.  But if you need to scrub it, the width of the container makes it very easy to get your hands into.  (And since that upper blade assembly lifts off, you don’t have to worry about its being in the way while you’re washing the container.)

Oh, and there are suction cups on the bottom so it doesn’t slide around while you work.

I used this to make my most recent batch of decongestant, and we wouldn’t have known what machine it was made in.  I cut the onion into several large chunks, and tossed everything else in whole, and it didn’t have any difficulty.

Packaging

Attention was even given to the detail of the package design and how it would impact the customer.  Like the shape of the box.  Isn’t it a pain to get a large, fairly heavy, piece of equipment and have to struggle to get the box out of the shipping carton that fits it like a glove, without dumping the thing out?  Well this box is designed to eliminate that struggle.  A couple of the “corners” are “cut” on an angle, so there’s a finger space for pulling it out of the carton.

And all of the other packing materials that need to be removed are made very obvious and clearly marked, so you don’t miss anything.  (Seriously, I was impressed before I ever even finished unpacking this!)

The Bottom Line

The Ninja is a very good quality blender, but affordable quality.  Yes, it’s still going to run you more than a standard department-store blender, but they’re not worth what you pay for them.  (I actually had one unable to handle a milkshake.  And it was supposedly a pretty good blender.)  This is definitely an option I’d recommend.