The Ninja DUO is a full-size blender with at least one 20oz personal jar with a vacuum seal to help keep ingredients fresh. It's mainly meant for recipes like smoothies, protein shakes, and frozen drinks, and it performs well for that. It features several blending programs for different recipes. However, it doesn't have many speed presets, can't hot blend, and doesn't do well with thicker recipes, so it's not the most versatile.
Our Verdict
The Ninja DUO blender is decent for multi-purpose uses. This well-built blender can easily make silky smoothies and almond butter. It can also process bar-quality ice in half a minute, which is outstanding for making slushy drinks. However, as it uses a vacuum-seal lid, it isn't for blending hot food; there's nowhere for steam to escape. There are also many places food debris can get into, making cleaning it a bit more difficult. Luckily, you can throw its jars, blades, and lids into your dishwasher's top rack.
-
Great build quality.
-
Processes fibrous ingredients smoothly.
-
Comes with micro-juicer attachment.
-
Somewhat difficult to clean.
-
Can get very loud when blending.
-
Can't blend hot food.
The Ninja DUO blender is excellent for single servings of smoothies. It comes with a pair of 20oz vacuum-seal jars, which are meant to help keep smoothies fresher for longer. It smoothly blends fibrous ingredients like kale and blueberries to produce a silky smoothie with most recipes. The jars are dishwasher-safe and come with to-go lids. However, it's a loud blender and can be tedious to clean by hand.
-
Great build quality.
-
Processes fibrous ingredients smoothly.
-
Comes with micro-juicer attachment.
-
Somewhat difficult to clean.
-
Can get very loud when blending.
The Ninja DUO is superb for multiple servings of smoothies. It has a big main jar, so you can blend enough in one batch to serve a crowd. It easily crushes ice and makes a mostly smooth blend with fibrous ingredients like kale or blueberries. There are automatic blending programs for people who prefer to multitask while the blender runs. However, some blenders process smoothie ingredients more quickly and produce a smoother result.
-
Great build quality.
-
Processes fibrous ingredients smoothly.
-
Can get very loud when blending.
The Ninja DUO blender is outstanding at crushing ice. It can easily make bar-quality ice in half a minute when using its 'Frozen Drink' preset, although, for best results, you need to stop the blender partway through the program. It's also very sturdy, which is especially important if you use your blender often for crushing ice.
-
Great build quality.
-
Can get very loud when blending.
The Ninja DUO blender isn't safe to blend hot food as its vacuum-seal lid has no air vent to allow steam to escape. However, if your ingredients cool first, it can make a smooth blend with common soup ingredients like broccoli and kale. The large-capacity jar can fit most recipes in one batch.
-
Great build quality.
-
Processes fibrous ingredients smoothly.
-
Can get very loud when blending.
The Ninja DUO blender is decent for professional use. It has a sturdy build quality and is well-suited for big batches of smoothies and frozen drinks. However, it's not that versatile since it can't hot blend, and using it for something like nut butter or hummus is time-consuming. It's also loud, even compared to other full-size blenders, and it's annoying to clean by hand. However, all of its components are dishwasher-safe.
-
Great build quality.
-
Processes fibrous ingredients smoothly.
-
Vacuum pump feature available.
-
Somewhat difficult to clean.
-
Can get very loud when blending.
-
Can't blend hot food.
- 7.2 Multi-Purpose
- 8.9 Smoothies (Single Serving)
- 9.3 Smoothies (Multiple Servings)
- 9.5 Ice Crushing
- 5.3 Soups
- 7.4 Professional Use
- Updated May 15, 2023: Updated text to match Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Aug 25, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Nov 06, 2020: We've retested the power wattage, blade count, and noise at max speed.
- Updated Sep 08, 2020: Review published.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Ninja DUO comes in three variants with different combinations of additional features. We tested one version of the IV107 variant, which comes fully loaded and includes two 20 oz beakers. The IV107 normally only comes with one 20 oz beaker, but we expect it to perform similarly.
| Ninja DUO IV107 (2 beakers included) | NINJA DUO IV107 | Ninja DUO BL641C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blender |
1x Motor base |
1x Motor base |
1x Motor base |
| Personal Jar | 2x 20 oz beaker | 1x 20 oz beaker | 1x 24 oz beaker 1x 32 oz beaker |
| Attachments |
1x Micro-juicer attachment |
None |
None |
Compared To Other Blenders
The Ninja DUO is a well-built full-size blender geared toward making smoothies. It comes with a micro-juicer and vacuum-sealed personal jars meant to help keep your drinks fresh. It's well-suited for processing small and big batches of common smoothie ingredients like kale and fruits. However, if you're looking for a multi-purpose blender, note that it can't blend hot food and struggles with thick mixtures like nut butter.
For other options, check out our lists of the best blenders, the best smoothie blenders, and the best Ninja blenders.
The Vitamix Explorian E310 is better than the Ninja DUO. The Vitamix has a significantly better build quality. It makes a smoother puree with large batches of fibrous ingredients and can hot blend, so it's much better for recipes like soup. It's more suitable for blending hard ingredients like nuts and is easier to clean by hand. The Ninja DUO's main pitcher has a bigger 72-ounce capacity and comes with a pair of 20-ounce jars for making single-serve smoothies.
The Ninja DUO and the Ninja Blender Duo with Auto-iQ BL642 are full-size blenders with personal jars for smoothies and have different strengths. The DUO makes a smoother blend with fibrous ingredients and has a juicer attachment. On the other hand, the BL642 is much quieter when running and also makes well-blended smoothies if you use its personal jars.
The Ninja DUO is a better full-size blender than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. The DUO does better to process fibrous ingredients in its main jar and 20-ounce personal jars. It has a different blade design from most Ninja blenders, making it easier to clean by hand. On the other hand, the Professional Plus is a little better for crushing ice and much quieter when it's running.
The Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System is a better full-sized blender than the Ninja DUO. The Foodi Power Pitcher System comes with three jars, including one that has manually rotating arms to help get food stuck on the jar's sides back into the blade's vortex, and it's easier to clean. It has a speed dial and can make better almond butter and smoothies with its jars. However, the DUO comes with a juicer attachment and a vacuum pump.
The Ninja DUO and the Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ have different strengths. The DUO is better for smoothies since it makes a smoother blend with fibrous ingredients in its personal jars and main pitcher. On the other hand, the Kitchen System is much quieter and comes with a food processor.
The Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender is more versatile than the Ninja DUO. The Foodi has a better build quality and can hot blend and heat ingredients. On the other hand, the DUO comes with a pair of personal jars meant for single-serve drinks. It makes a silkier blend with ingredients like kale, so it makes a better-blended smoothie, too.
The Ninja DUO is a better blender than the Ninja Smart Screen. The DUO creates a much more enjoyable smoothie than the Smart Screen and has a micro-juicer attachment. On the other hand, the Smart Screen is much easier to clean and crushes ice better than the DUO.
The Ninja DUO is better than the NutriBullet Blender Combo for most purposes. The Ninja is better built, can crush ice, and does a better job processing hard ingredients like nuts. On the other hand, the NutriBullet can hot blend, so it's much better for recipes like soup. It's also easier to clean by hand.
The Ninja Mega Kitchen System and the Ninja DUO perform fairly similarly. The DUO makes a smoother blend with fibrous ingredients, which makes it better for smoothies. Its blade design makes it easier to clean. On the other hand, the Kitchen System comes with a food processing bowl and an additional blade assembly for forming dough.
The Vitamix 5200 is a better blender than the Ninja DUO. It's better built and offers a more versatile performance. It can hot blend, makes a smoother blend with big batches of fibrous ingredients, and is easier to use for recipes like nut butter. It's easier to clean by hand and quieter when it's running. However, the Ninja DUO comes with personal jars with to-go lids for making single-serve smoothies. Its jars, lids, and blades are also dishwasher-safe.
The Ninja DUO is a better full-size blender than the Hamilton Beach Power Elite Multi-Function. The Ninja outperforms the Hamilton Beach in pretty much every way as it has a better build quality, better blending performance, comes with a personal jar, and offers more speed settings. However, the Hamilton Beach can be used for hot blending. It's quieter and easier to clean by hand.
For most uses, the Breville The Q is a better blender than the Ninja DUO. The Breville is quieter when running and much easier to clean by hand. It's also much easier to use for thick recipes like nut butter and hummus. However, the DUO comes with personal jars for single-serve smoothies and its main pitcher, allowing it to blend small volumes of ingredients more efficiently.
The Ninja DUO and the Blendtec Chef 600 have different strengths, and you may prefer either, depending on your usage. The Ninja has a significantly better build quality and comes with a pair of 20-ounce personal jars and matching lids that you can use to make single-serve drinks to-go. However, the Βlendtec Chef 600 is much easier to clean by hand, and it's safe to use for hot blending, so it's much better for recipes like soups and sauces.
Test Results
Although slightly smaller than the Ninja Mega Kitchen System BL770, the Ninja DUO is a fairly bulky blender. If you want to store it on your counter or in a cupboard, you must ensure you have room for it.
The Ninja DUO has great build quality. Although most of the blender, including the transmission gear, is made from cheap-feeling plastic, it still seems pretty solid. The main blending jar also has sturdy metal blades fixed directly to the bottom of the jar. While the blades can't be removed for easier cleaning by hand, the combined jar and blade assembly can be washed is top-rack dishwasher safe.
Unfortunately, the main container doesn't seem to be shatter-proof, and it could crack if you drop it. Water and other liquid can also get stuck in places like inside the main jar's handle or inside the vacuum seal area of both the main and additional jar, which is a little annoying.
The main jar has a big 72oz capacity (64oz liquid capacity), so it's ideal for big batches of recipes like frozen drinks. There's also a pair of 20oz personal jars more suitable for single-serves.
The jars, lids, and blades are all made of plastic and are dishwasher-safe. The manufacturer says to remove the lids and blades from the jars before putting them in the dishwasher.
The Ninja DUO blender has sharp blades. While they're attached to the bottom of the jar and you can't remove them, you can put them into the dishwasher's top rack as long as you separate the lid from the jar.
This lid locks into place to keep your food from spilling out of the jar. It has a vacuum seal release as well as a section of the lid that needs to be opened to fully clean this part.
The power cord is long enough to reach an outlet on your counter. When not in use, the blender has a stowaway compartment for the cable.
- 72 oz blender pitcher and lid
- Motor base
- 2x personal 20oz jars and lids
- Micro-juicer attachment
- User manual
The Ninja DUO is fantastic for small batches of fibrous ingredients. Blending at high speed for around 2 minutes creates a nearly perfectly smooth puree with ingredients like kale. The only downside is that you need to run a couple of blending cycles, and some blenders, like the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO, can blend a single-serve even faster.
It's fantastic for processing ingredients at full capacity. If you fill the main jar to its full 64oz capacity, it doesn't take very long to make a mostly smooth blend with fibrous ingredients. However, you can still see some tiny grains left over in the final blend, so it's not quite as good for this purpose as blenders like the Vitamix Explorian E310.
The Ninja DUO is superb for crushing ice. The 'Frozen Drink' program pulses for about 30 seconds, enough time to crush the ice cubes into bar-quality crushed ice. It's better to stop the blender before it starts blending continuously if you're crushing ice and not blending a frozen drink.
It's good at making nut butter. It easily crushes nuts into a powder, but ingredients get pushed into the corners of the jar and get stuck. Using a lower speed setting helps the blender pull everything into a vortex, but you need to help the blender by removing the lid and scraping the sides of the jar with a spatula when you notice that the ingredients aren't moving. Still, in the end, it makes smooth, spreadable nut butter with just a few unprocessed bits left over.
It's on the loud side for a full-size blender. Compared to quieter models like the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender, the noise is more irritating when running, especially if you need to blend for several minutes.
It doesn't have a very wide range of blending speeds. The high-speed setting is fast enough for smooth purees for smoothies or soups, but you can't start at a low speed to avoid over-blending or help with processing thicker mixtures.
This blender has several modes: 'Extract', 'Smoothie', 'Juice', 'Frozen Drink', 'Puree', 'Ice Cream', 'Dressing', 'Pulse', 'Low', 'High', and 'Drinksaver/Store (vacuum)'. It also has a timer so you know how much time is left when using each of the modes. If you want a blender with dedicated crushed ice and self-clean programs, check out the Breville the Q.