Ninja Anti-Spill Programmable Blender, 400-Watt

Maintaining your health is crucial, and it all starts in the kitchen. Through food, you can easily add beneficial nutrients to your diet, no matter what your health or fitness goals may be. Whether you want to bulk up, lose weight or just prioritize health, it all begins with food.

Perhaps the most efficient way to add a variety of nutrients to your diet is through smoothies. You can combine different fruits, vegetables (green smoothie, anyone?) or even seeds with liquid to make an exceedingly nourishing beverage, condensing a huge amount of essential vitamins into a snack-sized portion.

Ready to make one? You’ll need a blender first. Blenders utilize a motor and blade to blend solids together to create a drinkable beverage.

The appliance is held down by a base that contains an electric motor. On top of the base sits a container, typically made from plastic as in all Ninja models reviewed here, with a sharp metal blade inside. The motor on the base powers this blade, sending it spinning continuously when the blender is turned on. A lid sits on top to keep things in place. All components can be separated for easier cleaning and maintenance.

While making smoothies may be the most popular at-home use for blenders, they have a number of applications. You can make a number of blended beverages with ice, like frozen cocktails, and some models even allow cooks to make piping hot blended soups.

What you can whip up with a blender depends on how it’s built. Ultra-sharp blades, a powerful motorized base and a durable container are essential to a quality blender.

The brand Ninja makes high-quality blenders while maintaining affordability, making them a good choice for home cooks on a budget. Their models vary, so it’s important to compare them before making your choice.

The Ninja Auto-iQ Personal Blender, 1000-Watt is powered by a 1000-watt motor while the brand’s Ninja Foodi Nonstick Cold & Hot Blender, 1500-Watt has an 1500-watt motor. Those wattage numbers are all on par with high-end, more expensive models. It’s enough to grind ice cubes into soft snow in seconds.

When searching for the perfect blender for your countertop, you must also consider size, weight and durability. Powerful blenders can be heavy and bulky, making them difficult to store. If you plan to use your blender to make a variety of things, like nut butter and flours, then you do need a big, powerful model (consider the Ninja Auto-iQ Mega Kitchen System, 1500-Watt). But if you plan to stick to making relatively simple smoothies with your blender, you may need a smaller machine that’s both easier to use and suitable for storing.

Some Ninja blenders come with the brand’s signature interchangeable components. For example, the Pro Blender comes with 16-ounce cups that can attach to the machine’s base for quick, grab-and-go smoothies. The Ninja Auto-iQ Mega Kitchen System, 1500-Watt comes with an array of containers — a large pitcher for blending large items, a food processor great for precise chopping and a blender cup for smoothies. The added components may help you decide which blender model is right for you.

• Always keep the lid on your blender when blending. Otherwise, the contents may very well splatter out, making a huge mess of your kitchen. Make sure your lid is secured tightly whenever the blender is powered on. When blending hot foods, steam will build up, which could blow the lid off. It’s important to release the steam when the blender is off, but always hold down the lid with your hands to help it stay on when blending.
• Smoothies are a tasty and healthy snack for all ages. Not only do they pack a big nutritional punch, but they’re also fun to make. With the right ingredients, anyone and everyone can make a smoothie. Making smoothies is a fun way for kids to get involved with making their own food, too. Grab a variety of fruits (fresh or frozen), greens, yogurt and more and turn smoothie-making and snack time into family fun.
• Before you make hot soup in your blender, be sure the machine is equipped for it. Not all models can handle the heat. If you want to make hot foods in your blender, look for ones with a vented lid that allows steam to escape and read the product’s instructions before use.
• Make sure your blender gets squeaky clean between uses to avoid mold or debris build-up that prevent your machine from working smoothly. Blenders will usually come with maintenance instructions, but there’s an easy cleaning hack many pamphlets leave out. Fill your blender halfway with warm water, add a few drops of dish soap and blend away. This will help clean all those hard-to-reach spots in and around the blade.