- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Test Results
- Differences
- Compared To Others
- Deals
- Discussions
The Ninja Smart Screen is a pretty straightforward blender with a few timed modes. It does an amazing job at crushing ice but isn't the best for single-serve smoothies. It's very well-built and is dishwasher-safe, which is nice if you don't have the time to hand-wash it. This blender does a great job at processing nuts and is great for larger portions thanks to its 72oz jar.
Our Verdict
The Ninja Smart Screen is a decent multi-purpose blender. It's outstanding to crush ice with and is very well-built. It's easy to clean and is dishwasher-safe as well. Unfortunately, it isn't the best for smoothies since there's a lot of oxygen mixed into the drink and it creates a foamy and grainy drink. It also isn't recommended for hot blending, so it isn't suitable for hot mixes like soups.
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Outstanding at crushing ice.
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Very solid build quality.
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Jar and blades are dishwasher safe.
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Has trouble processing fibrous ingredients like kale.
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No single serve jars.
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Foamy and grainy-textured smoothies.
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Can't hot blend.
The Ninja Smart Screen is good enough for smoothies and protein shakes, but won't be ideal for single serves. It blends a very foamy and grainy smoothie. However, if you want to crush ice with it, this blender does an outstanding job and is quite easy to clean after you're done with it.
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Outstanding at crushing ice.
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Very solid build quality.
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Jar and blades are dishwasher safe.
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Has trouble processing fibrous ingredients like kale.
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No single serve jars.
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Foamy and grainy-textured smoothies.
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Can't hot blend.
The Ninja Smart Screen is outstanding at crushing ice. It's a very well-built blender and the blade assembly has no trouble crushing down a lot of ice cubes to snow-like quality in no time.
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Outstanding at crushing ice.
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Very solid build quality.
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Jar and blades are dishwasher safe.
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Can't hot blend.
The Ninja Smart Screen isn't suitable for this use. Hot blends aren't recommended because the heat causes too much of a pressure build-up inside the jar. The user manual specifically advises against hot blending.
The Ninja Smart Screen is a very good blender for professional use thanks to its large jar capacity and its great build quality. It also does exceptionally well when it comes to crushing ice for your favorite cocktails.
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Outstanding at crushing ice.
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Very solid build quality.
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Jar and blades are dishwasher safe.
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High capacity jar.
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Has trouble processing fibrous ingredients like kale.
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No single serve jars.
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Can't hot blend.
- 6.9 Multi-Purpose
- 7.5 Smoothies/Protein Shakes
- 9.7 Ice Crushing
- 7.2 Soups
- 8.5 Professional Use
- Updated Sep 16, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Sep 08, 2020: Early access published.
Test Results
This blender is quite bulky. It has to be stored directly on your kitchen counter or in a very large cupboard. On the upside, you can easily just detach the main jar from the base and store them separately.
This Ninja blender, like most from this brand, is very well-built. Even though the base is made out of plastic, it feels sturdy and solid. The jar might not feel as premium as some others found on Vitamix blenders, but it still feels rigid. Unfortunately, the contact point between the bottom of the jar and the transmission feels cheap.
The Ninja CT650 has a very large 72oz main jar, although the advertised maximum liquid capacity is 64oz. Its handles feel nice and solid, but you need to orient the jar in a certain way for it to clip on the base. On the upside, the jar is dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.
This blender doesn't come with any additional jars. There are other variants of this blender that come with some, but we didn't test those. For a blender that comes with additional jars, see the Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ.
The blade assembly can easily be removed for easy cleaning, and can even go in the dishwasher. The blades are very sharp so you might need to be extra careful when removing them.
The Ninja CT650's lid is a bit annoying to set as it needs to be in a specific orientation in order to be locked. It also doesn't allow you to put in any ingredients while you're mixing, unless it can fit in the small serving beak.
The power cord is long enough to reach nearby outlets, but there isn't any stowaway compartment to hide it if you're storing the blender, which can be annoying for some.
The Ninja CT650 only has two different speeds, and a dedicated pulse button, which is nice. It's quite loud on its max settings, too.
The Ninja Smart Screen is very good for making almond butter. It processes nuts very well, though you might need to stop your blend and mix in some dry bits that made their way to the side of the jar. The result is a bit sticky and grainy and can be fairly well-spread. It also doesn't take too much time to make, which is nice.
When making smoothies with the main large jar, the result is just okay. The Smoothie Mode is a 70-second cycle that starts by three short pulses and then begins to make longer pulses afterward. Lots of ingredients like kale can be pushed to the side and need reprocessing at the end of the cycle. The result is a very oxygenated drink with a foamy, grainy texture. The overall texture is quite sticky and not very pleasant to drink.
This Ninja Smart Screen variant doesn't come with any additional jars. If you're looking for a Ninja blender that can make an excellent smoothie using a smaller, personal-sized jar, check out the Ninja DUO.
This blender is outstanding for crushing ice. It takes no time at all to crush a lot of ice down to snow-like consistency.
This blender seems to have different modes in 'Smoothie', 'Frozen Drink', 'Puree', and 'Ice Cream', but these act more as timed modes. When using both the High and Low speeds, you'll start a stopwatch that lets you know how long you've been blending, but it'll stop if you use the pulse function.
Cleaning this blender is extremely easy. You can easily wash away smoothie and almond butter residue with soapy water, and you can even take out the blade assembly. However, you need to be very careful as the blades are very sharp. You can even put the jar and the blades in the dishwasher if needed.
This blender doesn't have any extra features or accessories. If you want a similar blender that has a heating element to make hot foods, check out the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Ninja Smart Screen is a pretty bare-bones blender on its own, but it has some variants with a lot more accessories like the Ninja Smart Screen DUO or the Ninja Screen Kitchen System with FreshVac Technology. While these products seem to have the same main blender base and jar, we don't expect our review to be valid for those as they come with more blades, jars, and accessories.
Compared To Other Blenders
The Ninja Smart Screen is a rather straightforward blender with four preset timed modes. It's fairly well-built like other Ninja blenders but doesn't quite feel as premium as some Vitamix blenders we've tested. It also doesn't come with single-serve sized jars so it might not be ideal for people looking for a blender to make smoothies.
The Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher SS201 is better than the Ninja Smart Screen for most purposes. The Foodi has a speed dial and a few preset modes, including a self-clean cycle and a crushed ice program. It makes smoother, more spreadable almond butter and better-blended smoothies. On the other hand, the Smart Screen is much easier to clean by hand.
The Vitamix Explorian E310 is a better overall blender than the Ninja Smart Screen. It gives a better smoothie and almond butter but doesn't quite create snow-like ice. However, the Vitamix is much better built and comes with a 2-part lid that allows you to mix in ingredients mid-mix. On the other hand, while both blenders are dishwasher-safe, the Ninja is easier to hand-wash.
The Ninja Mega Kitchen System BL770 is better than the Ninja Smart Screen thanks to its additional accessories. It comes with single-serve personal jars that are great for making smoothies, and it also blends nuts to make smoother almond butter.
The Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ has more attachments than the Ninja Smart Screen. The Professional Plus comes with two additional 24-oz personal jars and a food processor attachment. Thanks to its personal jars, it also makes a better-blended smoothie. That said, the Smart Screen makes a smoother, more spreadable almond butter.
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 comes with 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 Foodi Power Pitcher System is better than the Ninja Smart Screen for most purposes. The Foodi makes smoother, more spreadable almond butter and better-blended smoothies. In addition to its main jar, it comes with two personal jars. There's also a dough blade included that you can use with the main jar, but we don't currently test it. On the other hand, the Smart Screen makes crushed ice with a better texture. It also has a much better build quality.
The Ninja Smart Screen is a better full-size blender than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. Both blenders have a similar main jar and a similar overall performance, however, the Smart Screen makes a better, more spreadable almond butter. It also comes with a timer, unlike the Professional Plus.
The Ninja Foodi Power Nutri DUO is better for most purposes than the Ninja Smart Screen. The Foodi is a personal blender that makes smoother, more spreadable almond butter and better-blended smoothies. It comes with three differently-sized jars, including two with to-go lids. On the other hand, the Smart Screen is a full-size blender with a much bigger capacity. It takes less time to make snow-like crushed ice.
The Blendtec Classic 575 is a better blender than the Ninja Smart Screen if you're looking to do some hot blends. The Blendtec also has a 2-part lid that allows you to add some ingredients mid-mix. On the other hand, if you're looking for a blender for smoothies or almond butter, the Ninja is a better option, even though it's not the best. However, the Ninja is outstanding when it comes to crushing ice down to snow-like quality.
The Ninja Smart Screen and the NutriBullet Blender Combo have different strengths, and you may prefer either one. The Ninja is much better-built and is easier to clean. It makes smoother almond butter as well as crushed ice with a better texture. On the other hand, the NutriBullet make better-blended smoothies in less time. It comes with a tamper, a two-part lid, and two personal jars with matching to-go lids in addition to its main pitcher. You can also use it to blend hot ingredients.