The Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ is a full-size model with a 72-ounce main jar. Unlike the Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ, it doesn't come with extra accessories like a food processor or personal jars. Its blade design makes it tricky to clean by hand, like most Ninja blenders, but the jar, lid, and blades are top-rack dishwasher-safe.
Our Verdict
The Ninja Professional Plus Blender isn't bad for multi-purpose use. It has a durable build and a large capacity, 72-ounce main jar. While it's incredible at crushing ice and produces smooth nut butter, it struggles to fully blend fibrous ingredients. It also can't hot blend ingredients. It's tricky to clean by hand, but the jar, lid, and blades are dishwasher-safe.
-
Top-rack dishwasher safe.
-
Several preset modes and preset speeds.
-
Struggles to fully blend fibrous ingredients like kale.
-
Tricky to clean by hand.
The Ninja Professional Plus Blender is decent for single-serve smoothies. It only comes with a 72oz jar, and you have to use a spatula to scrape the walls of the jar to get the best results when working with small batches. It doesn't make a completely smooth blend with fibrous additions like leafy greens or fruit. On the plus side, it has no problem crushing ice.
-
Top-rack dishwasher safe.
-
Struggles to fully blend fibrous ingredients like kale.
-
Tricky to clean by hand.
The Ninja Professional Plus Blender is very good for multiple batches of smoothies. Its main jar has a big 72-ounce capacity, meaning you can make a big batch of smoothies, but it makes a grainy puree with fibrous ingredients like kale. You also have to blend for quite a while to get the best results. The blade design makes it tricky to clean the jar by hand, but the jar, lid, and blades are all dishwasher-safe.
-
Top-rack dishwasher safe.
-
72-ounce main jar.
-
Struggles to fully blend fibrous ingredients like kale.
-
Tricky to clean by hand.
The Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ is remarkable for crushing ice. Thanks to the 'Ice Crush' preset, it can make snow-like crushed ice quickly, which is ideal for making frozen drinks on a hot day.
-
Top-rack dishwasher safe.
-
Several preset modes and preset speeds.
-
Tricky to clean by hand.
The Ninja Professional Plus Blender isn't safe for hot blending, so you need to let your ingredients cool down first if you want to use it to make soup. It does a mediocre job of processing fibrous ingredients, so it's not ideal for making silky-smooth soups. That said, its 72-ounce main jar can hold a big recipe.
-
Top-rack dishwasher safe.
-
Struggles to fully blend fibrous ingredients like kale.
-
Can't hot blend.
-
Tricky to clean by hand.
The Ninja Professional Plus Blender is decent for professional use. It's very well-built, and its 72-ounce pitcher is ideal for crushing ice. It also makes fantastic nut butter but struggles to make a smooth blend of fibrous ingredients like kale, and you can't use it for hot blending. It's also hard to clean by hand.
-
Top-rack dishwasher safe.
-
Several preset modes and preset speeds.
-
Struggles to fully blend fibrous ingredients like kale.
-
Tricky to clean by hand.
- 6.5 Multi-Purpose
- 7.1 Smoothies (Single Serving)
- 7.9 Smoothies (Multiple Servings)
- 9.7 Ice Crushing
- 4.8 Soups
- 7.3 Professional Use
-
Updated Oct 22, 2024:
We've updated the results to more accurately reflect the blender's performance. The score for Fibrous Ingredients (Small Batches) processing changed from 7.0 to 5.0 because of the blending time and the need to use a spatula. The texture score changed from 6.0 to 7.0. The texture score for Fibrous Ingredients (Full Capacity) also changed from 6.0 to 7.0.
- Updated Dec 02, 2022: Added a note that the Ninja Professional Plus Blender DUO with Auto-iQ is a similar blender that comes with a personal jar.
- Updated Sep 23, 2022: Revised text to match results updated to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Aug 29, 2022: Compared its performance for small batches of fibrous ingredients with the Ninja Professional Blender NJ601AMZ's.
- Updated Aug 25, 2022: The 'Texture' score for 'Fibrous Ingredients (Full Capacity)' changed from 5.5 to 6.0 because we could achieve a better texture with a longer blending time. The 'Processing' score changed from 8.0 to 6.0 because of the extra time required.
- Updated Jul 28, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Oct 06, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Sep 25, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Sep 17, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Sep 11, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Ninja BN701 is pretty much the same blender as the Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ. However, the Kitchen System has more accessories, including a food processor attachment, compatible blades, and two 24-oz personal jars. It also has a few more preset modes for the attachments. As it comes with a few more preset modes for the attachments, we don't know if its performance is similar to our test unit. You can see the label for the model we tested here. If you come across a variant that's different from our test unit, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Blenders
This blender is a straightforward full-size model with a 72-oz main jar and a few preset modes and speeds. It's well-built and fantastic for crushing ice, but it doesn't make a silky blend with fibrous ingredients like kale. It also can't hot blend.
If you're looking for more, check out our recommendations for the best Ninja blenders, the best blenders, and the best blenders for smoothies.
The main difference between the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ and the Ninja Professional Plus Blender DUO with Auto-iQ is that the DUO comes with a 24-ounce personal jar, along with a matching to-go lid and blade assembly. If you use the personal jar, it's much better for making single-serve smoothies. Otherwise, they perform quite similarly.
The Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ and the NutriBullet Blender Combo have different strengths. The Ninja is better built and is good for making nut butter, and it can crush ice, unlike the NutriBullet. However, the NutriBullet model is much better for processing fibrous ingredients for recipes like smoothies. You can use it to process hot ingredients, and it's easier to clean by hand.
The Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System with Auto-iQ is better for multi-purpose use than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. While the blenders are similar, the Kitchen System has more attachments, including a food processor and personal jars. It also produces much better-blended smoothies in its 24-ounce personal jars. It has a few more preset modes and a digital blending time indicator, unlike the Auto-iQ.
The KitchenAid K400 is better than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. The KitchenAid makes a much smoother puree of fibrous ingredients like kale. It can hot blend, offers many more speed settings, and is easier to clean by hand. On the other hand, the Ninja has a bigger capacity, and it's a little better for crushing ice. It's also easier to use to blend hard ingredients like nut butter.
The KitchenAid K150 is better than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. It's better for processing small and big batches of fibrous ingredients for silky smoothies and soups. It can hot blend, is easier to clean by hand, and is much quieter. On the other hand, the Ninja's jar is bigger and has the edge when it comes to crushing ice.
The Ninja Professional Blender 1000 is slightly better than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ, mainly because it makes a smoother blend with fibrous ingredients like kale. Otherwise, the blenders perform similarly. However, some may prefer the Auto-iQ because it's sturdier and has a few automatic blending programs.
The Ninja Blender Duo with Auto-iQ BL642 and the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ have a similar design and a similar performance in their 72-ounce main jars. However, the BL642 is better for making single-serve smoothies because it comes with three personal jars that you can use to make a well-blended smoothie with fibrous ingredients like kale. It's also somewhat quieter when it's running.
The Ninja Detect Power Blender Pro is better than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ for most uses. It makes a smoother blend with fibrous ingredients, whether you're working with small batches or filling the jar to full capacity. It's also easier to use for recipes like nut butter since you don't have to stop the blender to stir. They're both fantastic for crushing ice, and the Professional is quieter and sturdier.
The Ninja Mega Kitchen System is better than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. The Kitchen System comes with personal jars that you can use to make silky smoothies. It's also better at processing big batches of fibrous ingredients in its main jar. The Professional is quieter when it's running, though.
The Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher System is better for most purposes than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. The Foodi comes with a personal jar for smoothies and a 'Smoothie Bowl Maker' jar, making it better for single-serve smoothies and thicker recipes like nut butter. It also comes with a few extra blade assemblies, including a dough blade. On the other hand, the Professional Plus is just as good for ice-crushing. It's also sturdier and quieter when it's running.
The Ninja Foodi Power Pitcher SS201 and the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ perform similarly, so which you prefer depends on what you're looking for. The SS201 comes with an extra blade for forming dough. It has more speed presets, more automatic blending programs, and a digital blending time indicator. If you don't mind the Professional Plus' simpler design, it's sturdier and quieter when running.
The Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ and the NutriBullet Smart Touch Blender Combo have different strengths, and you may prefer either one. The NutriBullet can hot blend and does a better job of processing fibrous ingredients, so it's better suited for making soup and smoothies with ingredients like kale. It comes with personal jars with to-go lids, so it's a better choice for single-serve smoothies as well as bigger batches. The Ninja can crush ice without liquid in the jar and does a better job of processing hard ingredients like nuts.
The Oster Pro 1200 is a bit better than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. The Oster Pro 1200 does a better job of processing fibrous ingredients like kale, which is important if you want to make silky smoothies and pureed soups. It comes with a 24-ounce personal jar for single-serves, and it's easier to clean by hand. However, the Ninja is sturdier, quieter, and better for crushing ice, so it's the better choice if you often make drinks like slushies and blended cocktails.
The Beautiful High Performance Blender with Touch-Activated Display is better than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. It makes a smoother blend with fibrous ingredients, so it's better for recipes like smoothies. It's easier to clean by hand. However, the Ninja has a bigger jar. It's also quieter when it's running.
The Hamilton Beach Professional Quiet Blender and the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ have different strengths, and you may prefer either. The Ninja has a much bigger, 72-ounce capacity and makes a smoother blend with hard ingredients like nuts. On the other hand, the Hamilton Beach can hot blend and make a much smoother puree with fibrous ingredients. It's quieter as well, but its 32-ounce capacity is very small for a full-size blender.
The Vitamix Explorian E310 is better for most purposes than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. The Vitamix has a much better build quality and performs better for most uses, including processing fibrous ingredients and hard food like nuts. You can also use it to blend hot ingredients. On the other hand, the Ninja is a little better for crushing ice and comes with a bigger 72-ounce pitcher.
The Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender is better than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ for most purposes. The Foodi can hot blend and make a much smoother blend with fibrous ingredients like kale, so it's a better choice for making smoothies and soup. It has a better build quality and a greater number of automatic blending programs. The Professional is quieter when it's running and has a somewhat bigger capacity.
The Ninja DUO is a better full-size blender than the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ. The DUO does better in processing 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 Smart Screen and the Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ perform similarly, so you may prefer either. The biggest difference is that the Smart Screen is easier to use to process hard ingredients like nuts and makes a smoother nut butter. It also has a digital blending time indicator. On the other hand, the Professional is much quieter when it's running.
Test Results
It's a large blender, so it takes up a lot of room on your counter. You can store it on your kitchen counter or in a large cupboard, and you can remove the main jar for easier storage.
It has an impressive build quality. The body of the motor base and the transmission are made of plastic, which feels solid. The main jar is also made of plastic, and it has a durable feel. There are two suction cups on the bottom of the blender to help keep it in place; however, there's still a bit of movement when blending.
It comes with a 72-ounce pitcher. If you're looking for a blender that also comes with a personal jar, check out the Ninja Professional Plus Blender DUO with Auto-iQ.
It comes with the same 72-ounce pitcher as the Ninja Mega Kitchen System BL770 and the Ninja Smart Screen. The maximum liquid capacity is 64 ounces. It's made of plastic and is dishwasher-safe, along with its lid and blades.
The blade assembly has six very sharp blades, and you can remove them for cleaning. You can wash the blades in the top rack of your dishwasher, but you should remove them from the jar and wash them separately.
The lid is made of plastic and has a small, window-like spout. It clicks into place, but only if it's in the proper orientation with the triangle symbol on the lid aligned with the triangle symbol on the handle. However, it isn't a two-part lid, so you can't add ingredients mid-blend without stopping the blender and removing the lid entirely.
The power cord is long enough to reach most outlets. You can wrap the cord on a stowaway unit on the back of the blender when it's not in use.
It's okay for processing small batches of fibrous ingredients. If you use it to process something like kale, the result has a lot of small grains left over. You need to run the blender for more than four minutes and use a spatula to push the ingredients toward the blades to get this result. If you want a blender that does a better job with recipes like single-serve smoothies, check out the Ninja Professional Blender NJ601AMZ.
It does an okay job of processing large batches of fibrous ingredients. If you fill the jar to its full capacity, it produces a grainy blend with ingredients like kale. However, you also need to run the blender for more than 10 minutes for the best results, so it's very slow.
It's fantastic for crushing ice. It can easily make snow-like ice using the 'Ice Crush' preset.
It's great for nut butter. It's not the easiest process since it takes a while, and you need to stop the blender a few times to scrape the sides of the jar with a spoon or spatula. Ηowever, in the end it produces fantastic, smooth nut butter.
It's quiet for a full-size blender, so you may find it less irritating to use than louder models like the Ninja Mega Kitchen System BL770.
There's not a big difference between the lowest and highest speed settings, so it's not ideal if you want to fine-tune the speed to suit different recipes.
It has three speed presets to choose from for manual blending. There are also three automatic blending programs: 'Smoothie', 'Ice Crush', and 'Ice Cream'. The power button acts as an on/off toggle and has to be set to 'On' before the blender will run.
The jar is tricky to clean by hand because of the very sharp blades. Even though you can remove them from the jar, you have to be careful not to cut yourself during the process. Also, even though running the blender with soap and water can remove a lot of residue from the jar and blades, food can get caught inside the blade assembly column where it connects to the jar.
