Ninja is a manufacturer that makes home appliances, including blenders and ovens. Generally, their blenders have impressive build quality, and although they're mostly plastic, they feel solid and durable. Most of their jars, lids, and blade assemblies can go right into the dishwasher for an easy clean. Many Ninja blenders are combined food processors and blenders or come with personal jars for smoothies along with a bigger main pitcher. These accessories can help a lot with certain recipes, but Ninja also makes more conventional full-size blenders without extras, which you might prefer if you're looking for a simple multi-purpose blender without a lot of jars and lids to keep track of.
If you don't find what you're looking for here, our recommendations for the best blender brands might help your search. Our list of the best bullet blenders is a good place to start if you want a blender for small batches, or check out the best budget blenders for more money-saving options.
Updates
- 09/22/2023 Ninja Blast reviewed
- 09/15/2023 Ninja Professional Blender 1000 updated
- 05/29/2023 Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher SS201 updated
- 05/29/2023 Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System [CO351B, SS351] updated
- 05/18/2023 Ninja Smart Screen updated
Best Ninja Blenders
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Best Ninja Blender
Multi-Purpose8.7Smoothies (Single Serving)8.7Smoothies (Multiple Servings)9.0Ice Crushing9.6Soups9.3Professional Use8.7The best Ninja blender we've tested is the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender. Unlike many Ninja blenders, it's a full-size blender with only one jar, so it's best suited for people looking for a conventional blender rather than one with extra jars and accessories. That said, it's one of the few Ninja full-size blenders that can hot blend, and its main jar even has a heating element built into it, meaning it can heat and cook ingredients. The jar is made of glass, which is less prone to scratches and discoloration. There are various blending programs like 'Saute' and 'Smooth Soup', as well as manual 'Blend' and 'Cook' modes.
Despite only coming with one jar, it's fantastic for processing small batches of fibrous ingredients in recipes like single-serve smoothies and bigger batches for soup or sauce. It has no problem crushing ice and is fairly easy to use for dips and spreads like nut butter. Unlike most Ninja blenders, it has a two-part lid and tamper, which makes it easier to adjust your recipe as it blends, so it's a good option for dedicated home cooks. Also, instead of a very sharp blade stack, it has more conventional blades that are easy to clean by hand. However, overall it's not the easiest to clean since the heating element means you can't immerse it in water or put it in the dishwasher.
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Best Mid-Range Ninja Blender
Multi-Purpose7.6Smoothies (Single Serving)8.9Smoothies (Multiple Servings)9.0Ice Crushing9.7Soups5.3Professional Use7.9The best mid-range Ninja blender is the Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System. Compared to the previous pick, its design is more representative of Ninja blenders in general—it doesn't have a heating element, can't be used for hot blending, and has a narrow range of speed settings. Still, it's one of the best Ninja blenders for smoothies that we've tested. It smoothly blends fibrous ingredients like kale and fruit skin using either its 72oz pitcher or 24oz personal jar. Also included is a 'Smoothie Bowl Maker' jar that makes blending recipes like smoothie bowls, hummus, or nut butter easier.
However, although it has ten speed presets, it doesn't offer a wide range of speed settings. You can't start at a low blending speed to avoid splashes or slowly incorporate ingredients. Also, like most Ninja blenders (aside from the Cold & Hot Blender), its blade assembly is a column of very sharp blades, so you must be careful not to cut yourself when cleaning them. On the plus side, all jars, lids, and blades are dishwasher-safe.
Since it's part of the 'Foodi' lineup, it has a dough blade that fits into the main jar. However, if you're looking for a blender to help with food processing, you might prefer the Ninja Mega Kitchen System. It comes with a separate food processing bowl in addition to its 72oz main jar and 16oz personal jars. It's not as good at blending big batches of smoothies with fibrous ingredients, but you can use the bowl for slicing and chopping.
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Best Budget Ninja Blender
Multi-Purpose6.5Smoothies (Single Serving)7.4Smoothies (Multiple Servings)7.6Ice Crushing9.7Soups4.7Professional Use7.2If you're looking for a budget-friendly blender, you might prefer the Ninja Professional Blender 1000. It's a straightforward blender compared to the Foodi, but it's well-built and performs well. It only comes with basic accessories: a 72-ounce main jar, blade stack, and lid with a spout for pouring. While it can't blend hot ingredients, it's just as good as any Ninja blender we've tested for ice crushing, so it can quickly and easily make snow-like crushed ice for cocktails or drinks like slushies. It can also produce fantastic, smooth nut butter, although it's not the easiest process, partly because you need to remove the lid to stir thicker mixtures.
Although it doesn't come with personal jars, it does a good job of processing small batches of fibrous ingredients like kale, meaning it can produce a well-blended single-serve smoothie. Unfortunately, it doesn't perform as well with bigger batches. If you fill the jar with something like broccoli soup, you end up with a fairly grainy puree. It's quiet for a blender, and its jars, lids, and blades are dishwasher-safe. It's not easy to clean by hand because cutting yourself on the very sharp blades is easy.
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Best Personal Ninja Blender
Multi-Purpose7.8Smoothies (Single Serving)9.2Smoothies (Multiple Servings)8.0Ice Crushing7.3Soups3.7Professional Use6.8If you don't need a large-capacity jar, you might prefer the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO, which offers solid multi-purpose performance in a small package. It's arguably the best Ninja blender for smoothies since it quickly blends silky smoothies in its 24oz jars, even if your recipe is packed with ice cubes or fibrous ingredients like leafy greens. There are resealable lids included for each of the personal jars, so you don't need to transfer your smoothie into a separate travel cup.
This blender also comes with a smaller version of the Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System's 'Smoothie Bowl Maker' jar, which makes it very easy to use for small batches of nut butter, hummus, and other thicker dips and spreads. Unlike many personal blenders, it has buttons for automatic blending programs, so you don't need to watch the machine while your smoothie blends. Its components are dishwasher-safe, and its compact design makes it easy to store on your counter or a shelf. However, despite its small size, it's the loudest blender recommended here.
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Best Budget Personal Ninja Blender
Multi-Purpose7.2Smoothies (Single Serving)8.8Smoothies (Multiple Servings)6.9Ice Crushing6.1Soups3.0Professional Use5.7If you're looking for a cheaper blender, the Ninja Fit is the best budget-friendly personal blender that we've tested from Ninja. It doesn't have as many features as the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO, but it's a great cheaper option for people just looking for a simple smoothie or protein shake blender. It's less bulky than the DUO and lighter, so it's easier to store in a cupboard and bring out when needed. There are two 16-ounce jars with to-go lids included. It smoothly blends tough-to-process fibrous ingredients, so smoothies with ingredients like spinach and blueberries won't have leafy bits or flecks of fruit skin left over.
It doesn't come with the 'Smoothie Bowl Maker' jar, so it's more tedious for tough tasks like making nut butter or crushing ice. You need to push down on the jar constantly to blend, which is inconvenient. Still, it produces a fantastic single-serve smoothie or shake in about a minute, so it's not that big of a deal if you're mainly going to use it for drinks. It's not as well-built as the DUO, but it's quieter, similarly easy to clean by hand, and comes with dishwasher-safe jars and lids.
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Best Ninja Immersion Blender
Multi-Purpose7.3Smoothies (Single Serving)7.1Smoothies (Multiple Servings)8.0Ice Crushing5.2Soups9.4Professional Use8.0The Ninja Foodi Power Mixer System is a newer product and, by default, the best immersion blender from Ninja since it's the only one they make. Still, it's worth mentioning because it takes the top spot on our list of the best immersion blenders we've tested. It's very well-built and makes a smoother blend with fibrous ingredients than most hand blenders we've tested, so it's a good choice for fruit smoothies, pureed soups, and sauces with ingredients like kale and broccoli. You can use it to blend directly in a pot or pan, so you don't need to worry about transferring hot ingredients into a blending jar. It comes with a 24oz beaker for blending drinks or smaller batches of sauce or dip. The beaker is also useful for making whipped cream or salad dressing with the whisk attachment.
Aside from its good blending performance, it stands out because it converts into a hand mixer to help with making batter. Switching between the two configurations is easy, and all the blender's components are dishwasher-safe. However, the size and shape of the blade guard make it difficult for the blades to reach the ice cubes or bigger chunks of frozen fruit. It's heavy for a hand blender, so blending a big pot of soup can get tiring.
![Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System [CO351B, SS351] Design Picture](https://i.rtings.com/assets/products/WGjQ9Sr3/ninja-foodi-power-pitcher-system-co351b-ss351/design-small.jpg)
![Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System [CO351B, SS351] In-Test Picture](https://i.rtings.com/assets/products/svrCfmsW/ninja-foodi-power-pitcher-system-co351b-ss351/in-test-small.jpg)
![Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System [CO351B, SS351] Bundle Picture](https://i.rtings.com/assets/products/N7sC3O5A/ninja-foodi-power-pitcher-system-co351b-ss351/in-the-box-small.jpg)
![Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System [CO351B, SS351] Crushed Ice Photo](https://i.rtings.com/assets/products/wWKOd5gT/ninja-foodi-power-pitcher-system-co351b-ss351/crushed-ice-photo-small.jpg)
![Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System [CO351B, SS351] Fibrous Ingredients (Small Batches) Photo](https://i.rtings.com/assets/products/anABIK7N/ninja-foodi-power-pitcher-system-co351b-ss351/fibrous-small-photo-small.jpg)
Compared To Other Brands
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Great build quality.
Most Ninja blenders have a great build that feels sturdy, even though they have plastic transmissions. Thanks to their design, you can easily clean most of them by putting the jar, lid, and blade assembly into the dishwasher. -
Often come with extra jars and attachments.
Many Ninja blenders come with additional attachments that help improve their versatility in the kitchen. These attachments can range from a dough blade to a food processor bowl and lid. Some even have dedicated modes for a specific attachment. -
Fantastic for ice crushing.
Most full-size Ninjas we've tested are fantastic ice crushers with big 72-ounce pitchers ideal for big batches of margaritas or slushies.
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Few speed settings.
Unfortunately, you can't fine-tune most Ninja blenders' speed because they don't have many speed presets. -
No hot blending.
Most Ninja blenders can't hot blend, so you can't puree hot food into soup. -
Very sharp blades.
Most of Ninja's full-size blenders have a distinctive spiral blade assembly with very sharp blades. Unfortunately, it makes them difficult to clean because you need to be careful not to cut yourself. This design also means you can't use a tamper (which most Ninja models don't include).
Ninja vs Vitamix
Vitamix makes a variety of higher-end full-size blenders. Their best blenders are usually more versatile than comparable blenders from Ninja but also more expensive. Many Ninja blenders can't hot blend, don't come with a 2-part lid, and have limited speed settings, so they aren't ideal for soups or home cooks who want a lot of control over their blend. However, Ninja blenders are cheaper and more likely to come with accessories like food processors or personal jars for smoothies.
Ninja vs NutriBullet
NutriBullet and Ninja make various personal blenders intended for single-serve drinks like smoothies. The best NutriBullet blenders are quieter than Ninja's best personal blenders. However, unlike NutriBullet blenders, most Ninja models can crush ice without liquid in the jar. NutriBullet's blade assemblies aren't usually dishwasher-safe, but most Ninja models come with dishwasher-safe jars, lids, and blades. If you're unsure which brand is best for you, check out our more detailed comparison of Ninja and Nutribullet.
Ninja produces a few full-size and personal blenders that excel at making silky smoothies. Most models tend to offer additional jars that are smaller, so you can easily take them on the go. Some of them also have unique attachments like a dough blade or a micro-juicer for more versatility, which sets them apart from most other blenders. However, they have limited speed settings, and most can't hot blend, which is disappointing if you like to make purees or soups.
Lineup
Ninja separates its blenders into 'Systems', which usually come with food processors and personal jars, conventional full-size blenders, and 'single-serve' or personal blenders. They use some naming conventions that can indicate the type of product and what features are included.
Foodi: A line of Ninja products that includes blenders as well as other products like pots and pans aimed at home cooks. Most full-size 'Foodi' blenders come with a dough blade that you can use for forming dough. The brand's only immersion blender, which converts into a hand mixer, is also part of the collection.
System: Blenders that include food processing accessories, personal jars for smoothies, and a full-size blender base and pitcher.
Auto-iQ: Blenders with Ninja's 'auto-iQ' feature can detect the size of the jar you're using (personal or full-size), sometimes changing what automatic blending programs you can use. 'Auto-iQ' blending programs automatically alternate between pulsing and regular blending.
Nutri: Personal blenders meant for single-serves.
Duo: Blenders that come with different types of jars. Usually full-size blenders with personal jars.
The blender names can give you an idea of what kind of blender you're looking at, but some products have unique names, like the Ninja Twisti (a small full-size blender) or the Ninja Chef (a full-size blender that only comes with a main pitcher).
Recent Updates
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Aug 16, 2023: Made the Ninja Mega Kitchen System an alternative to the Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System for those who want food processing accessories.
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Jun 19, 2023: Added the Ninja Foodi Power Mixer System as the 'Best Immersion Blender' pick.
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Apr 21, 2023: Removed the Ninja Foodi Power Blender Ultimate System because the Ninja Mega Kitchen System represents better value for most uses. Added the Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System as the 'Best Mid-Range Ninja Blender'.
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Feb 20, 2023: Separated the 'Best Blender' and 'Best Blender Combo' picks to make it easier to find what you're looking for. Added information about Ninja's blender lineup.
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Dec 22, 2022: Made minor text updates and checked that the products are in stock.
Conclusion
Ninja manufactures a variety of full-size and personal blenders that feel well-built and sturdy. Most come with an additional jar to take your smoothies or other blends with you on the go. Some also come with unique attachments or accessories that give you more versatility when processing food. However, they tend to favor preset speeds rather than a speed dial. Most Ninja blenders can't hot blend, either.