One of my favorite post-workout traditions is making a protein shake. I usually use a shaker bottle and add in some protein mix and milk plus maybe some peanut butter. Pretty much without fail though the peanut butter gets stuck in a lump in the shaker. But then I was offered the chance to take a look at the Ninja Ultima to see what all the ‘hub hub’ is about. I’m so glad I gave this blender a chance.

Short & Sweet

While I haven’t used a Vitamix, I’ve heard amazing things. After having a discussion with my coworker Erin from Sweet Sweat Life, my opinion of Ninja has been solidified. The two sound similar enough to me. If you are looking for a powerful, all-in-one blender this is the perfect one for you.

Full Review

You know those blenders they have at Panera and Jamba Juice to mix you up your favorite smoothie or shake? Yeah those hard core looking ones. Well I would say that the Ninja is that for the home. It’s got what they call a “dual blending stage,” where two separate blades (with separate motors) chop the crap out of the stuff you put in. For example, I had a bunch of whole frozen strawberries and within 5 seconds it was pureed!

While the Ninja isn’t a juicer per say, it did a great job with all of my smoothies, even the chunky peanut butter protein ones. The upgraded version of the kitchen system has a food processing cup and tools too! While I haven’t tried it, it looks promising.

When I was taking the blender out of the box, I was so excited to have actual speeds. I have had a blender for so long that just had “chop,” “puree,” and “dice.” Now I had setting and a book that told me depending on what I was making (smoothie, etc) what I would need to use to get the perfect blend. So I grabbed my frozen fruit, yogurt, and almond milk from the fridge and added to the blender. I was super surprised at the noise that came from the blender. This isn’t like my other blenders from the past. It actually blended my smoothie in about 20 seconds.

Generally when I get products like a blender, it’s not used very often but with these single serve cups, it’s easier to grab and go. I love it.

Pros

• Affordable. If you are looking for a top-of-the-line blender but don’t have $400 to get the Vitamix, I would recommend looking at the ninja.
• Two part blending. This blender doesn’t have just one blade like other blenders, it has two, making sure your food and smoothies are adequately chopped. It does this with very VERY quickly.
• Single serve. I must say that the best part of this blender, in my opinion, is the single serve option. The model I got had two single serve cups that I use most regularly. It keeps cleaning easy and the ability to take my smoothie out and about.

Cons

As far as cons go, I haven’t really been able to find many (HONESTLY) so I went to amazon to see reviews. Mostly people just mention that their blender stops working and they give up. No one mentioned calling support to get help or a replacement sent, though.

I will keep you updated in this post if I have any issues but from what I can see is that if you clean it and use it correctly, you will have a life lasting love for this blender!

Overall Feelings

If you are looking for a top-notch, full featured blender this holiday season, the Ninja Ultima is for you (Don’t I sound like the sales guy from a cheesy commercial…maybe but the above statement is true). In fact, I was at Costco today and found that the ninja was being added to carts left and right!  It is a great present for the kitchen gadget nerd on your list.

Smoothie Recipes to Try

• The smoothie to end all sugar cravings
• Green Power Detox Smoothie
• Orange Pom Berry Smoothie
• Chillout Chai Smoothie
• Mud Protein Shake
• Cake Batter Protein Shake