Ninja Professional Blender (NJ600) (Discontinued)

Love it. Worth it. Recommend it - highly. Pros/cons below, as well as additional information about our experience. (FYI, this blender is also the top-rated blender under $100 on consumer search.)Pros:- Easy to assembly/disassemble (before/after cleaning)- EASY cleaning- Very powerful- Sturdy- DurableCons:- Ours doesn't have suction cups on the bottom (ours is the NJ600), although other models doMy husband and I use this blender *at least* once EVERY SINGLE DAY, often several times a day. We mainly use it for smoothies, but also use it regularly for other food items (sauces, purees, etc.). We have had it for almost 9 months now, and it's still as awesome as the first day. It crushes ice like it's nothing, which is key when you're making smoothies. Clean up is so easy, it's ridiculous. After using it, we rinse it out; then fill it about 1/3 with soapy water and run it for about 30 seconds to a minute; then quickly run a scrub brush over all of the parts. Done. There are no teeny nooks or crannies that you have to try and clean (while trying to not cut yourself with the blades in the process). Clean up of the base is even easier - just a simple swipe of a paper towel; no raised buttons to get in the way. The fact that the blades are (easily) removable makes it better than 99% of the other blenders out there. We also love that there's a pour spout at the top - you can either pour stuff out of it (obviously), or add things to the blender while it's on. There are 3 speeds, and a pulse option (the pulse option is basically high-speed). You can stop the blending option by either pressing the number button again, or just pressing power.The only complaint we have is that it sometimes travels while it's on. Some models have suction cups on the feet to help with this; ours doesn't. But other than that, this is pretty much the perfect blender. I would highly recommend it, especially for the price.Bonus! *EXCELLENT* customer service. The rubber seal around the lid started coming off (it looked/felt like it was melting), and was leaving rubber residue on the inside of the pitcher and on our drying mat (even though we hand-wash it 99% of the time). I called customer service, and they offered to send me a new lid and pitcher at no cost, to arrive in only 3-5 business days. The customer service representative was very polite, professional, and attentive. The call lasted all of 5 minutes. I used to train customer service representatives (in a call center, even), and was highly impressed. Great company. I would definitely purchase other items from them in the future.(Side note: We also own a Ninja stick blender [came with a food processor attachment, as well], and LOVE it.)

I waited about 3 weeks before reviewing the Ninja to put it through its paces. We have been through several so-called 'commercial' $100 blenders, including Kitchen Aid, which we assumed would be a good brand. They have all be a disappointment. So, it was with great skepticism that I ordered the Ninja and I am glad I did. It is by far a superiorly designed machine. In addition to a far better blade design and operation, I like that the lid has to lock in place before it will power up. I can turn my kids loose with it and don't have to worry about injury, or a huge mess. The pouring lid is ingenious!! How many of you have tried to pour a thick smoothy out of a regular blender only to have a clump fall out and splash everywhere? It won't happen with the Ninja. You can clean it in seconds, and you don't have to completely dismantle it. Pop the lid, pull up the blade- thats it. It also attaches and detaches from the base far easier than any blender I have tried- just one quick turn and lift. It crushes hard ice as well as you could expect, and better than any blender I have owned. It will leave a small chunk or two, so if you want true "Slurpee" consistency, you have to start with soft ice (or buy a slurpee machine). Some have complained about the pitcher being plastic...? Crazy, plastic is far better. Not only is it SOOOO much lighter, our last blender pitcher fell to the tile floor. Glass and tile do not mix. If forced to find a negative, it is loud. It will be interesting to see if other manufacturers implement some of the design elements of the Ninja, instead of making the same old crappy blenders they have since the 50's. Well done- buy the Ninja it is well worth the $100.

So far I am loving this blender especially for the price. It is powerful and very easy to clean. I like that it shuts itself off and will not start bending unless the base and lid are on correctly. There are very few times I ever had to scrape down the sides due to the multiple blades that really keep all the ingredients in motion and prevent anything for being able to hide in the corners and remain unblended. I have made a few green smoothies with a lot of fiber and ruffage such as kale and celery and the blender did a great job making it smooth. It does not get you 100% there but if you want a totally smooth green smoothie a quick run through a mesh strainer is all you need. The smallest veg particles are at least a 1/4th the size of my previous kitchen aid blender. My only complaint is the blender has trouble if you want to do a very small amount of something (less than a cup or so) but that's to be expected with this type of machine.