Ninja Professional 72oz Countertop Blender with 1000-Watt Base and Total Crushing Technology for Smoothies, Ice and Frozen Fruit (BL610), Black

To all the people giving this blender a poor review because they were harmed by blades “popping out.” The blender lid locks in and the lid itself has a pouring spout that you are supposed to open to pour the drink or smoothie out with. Personally I like how easy it is to remove the blades. Makes for easy cleaning if you’re making something more than a smoothie where you have to take the entire lid off, you can reach in, grab the head of the blade attachment and just easily pull the blade out. It’s a fantastic product and you can’t blame the product for a “design flaw” when it’s simply OPERATOR ERROR.

I’m a healthcare professional and bought this after researching the competition (i.e., “Vita-Mix). After reading through a gazillion comments and reviews (including CR who rates the Ninja #2) I opted for the lower priced Ninja. I have used mine twice a day for the 6 weeks I have owned it, I use it for making smoothies. I blend for health, I have a morning fruit and berry smoothie and I have an afternoon veggie smoothie. Blending is a really convenient way to get in all your servings of fruit and veggies each day without removing the (very important) fiber. So far, I love my Ninja. I have had stuff made with a Vita Mix in the past, but have never done a side by side comparison, though I can think of a few differences that are meaningful for me. One, the Vita Mix generates heat. They use it as a selling feature, that you can use it to make soups, but I like my smoothies cold, so it’s not something I look for in a blender. Secondly, Vita Mix seems to win in all the comparisons with Ninja on smoothness, or thoroughness of blending. The only reason I knocked one star off the Ninja is because I have noticed that my smoothies are a bit chewier after several weeks of blender use. I attribute that to the fact that Ninja relies (apparently) on their sharp blades, which naturally dull with use-especially when blending frozen berries or ice (which both of my smoothies contain). I’ve noticed a subtle change in texture, no chunks, but definitely not a fine blend. My understanding is that Vita Mix has dull blades that work for years, they do not rely so much on sharpness as they do on speed? The other thing (in addition to heat) that you get with a Vita Mix is aeration (foam), which I do not notice with the Ninja. My smoothies are full of fruit and veggies, so they are full of fiber. If you are okay with having some noticeable fiber in your blend over time, the Ninja is a great deal at about 1/5 the cost. If that matters to you, expect that you will have it in time (I started to notice it after about 25 blends). The blender cleans very easily and is simple to use. I’ve never had to remove the top to tamp stuff down and I use 3 cups of leafy greens like kale and arugula, as well as whole carrots, celery, apples, and never have chunks. Overall it’s a great machine. I cannot rate longevity since I’ve only had it 6 weeks, but so far I’m very pleased.
Update: It’s January 2018, I owned the Ninja about 3 months and ended up getting a Vita Mix. I still stand by my original review, but there is a difference. The Ninja starts out pretty great, but then over time things do no blend as well. I drink 2 smoothies a day (one veggie, one fruit), so I use it a minimum of 2x a day. Over time I started calling my Ninja smoothies: “grainies.” The blades start out very sharp, and the technology depends on that, but they dull with use and it shows in the results. The Vita Mix does not depend on blade sharpness, but power, it pummels everything to pieces (itty bitty pieces). I am amazed at the flour I can make with it. Also, the heat i mentioned is not a factor but a feature. Most things are blended in less than a minute (35 seconds often), so nothing really gets warm unless you leave it on in order to generate heat. The Ninja is a good blender, especially for the cost, but I don’t think one can fairly compare it to a Vita Mix, it’s like comparing apples and oranges.

My mom had got one of these blenders and it had gotten four symmetrical cracks in all four bottom of the plastic container causing it to leak, thinking we stored it wrong causing the cracks we bought another. Not more than the two weeks we had the new one simply crushing ice had put the same identical four cracks in the new blender. I’m disappointed because because we cant seem to ave the option to return either blenders, which are now useless. its a shame because the blenders worked great other than the cracking feature.
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I was concerned buying this blender because of some of the reviews about blades popping out. So when the blender came, I was sure to be very careful with the insides…To my relief there are many safety precautions on this blender to make sure that the blades stay on the inside, and once reading the instructions all my concerns went away. The locking lid and easy pour top make it so I don’t need to remove the top when pouring smoothies. And when making salsa, the first thing I do when the top is removed is to take the blades out (easy to clean, and remove). I would purchase this again.

I purchased the Ninja last week when I remembered I didn’t have a blender at our vacation home. I needed something in a hurry and didn’t have time to shop. I am using it for my green smoothies (spinach/kale, water, and some frozen fruit). I put the spinach/kale and water in the Ninja then liquify before adding the frozen fruit, ending up with a grainy drink with a shake-like thickness. I can temporarily live with the graininess, though this may be a problem for some. The blender container is large enough that I can make a double serving with no problem. The blade is scary, but I handle it with the utmost care and so far there have been no mishaps. The lid, container, and blade are extremely lightweight plastic and do not seem sturdy. They ARE dishwasher safe, making clean up quick and easy, but I’ve noticed the hollow handle retains internal moisture that does not dry in the course of the day (might lead to bacterial growth!). Overall this does not come anywhere close to the high end blender I have at home. I don’t expect this blender to last very long. It arrived within 48 hours through Amazon Prime, was safely packaged, and as described. I feel I received what I would expect at this price point, but have already decided to purchase a nicer blender before our next visit.