Ninja Master Prep
September 16, 2009
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What it is: A kitchen appliance to take the place of a blender and food processor
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Bonnie: “Rule the kitchen with this new Ninja Master Prep,” boasts the makers of this new kitchen appliance.
They claim that this under-$50 Ninja could dice more evenly than my expensive food processor and chop ice better than blenders.
“Skeptical,” is an understatement.
So, when asked, I agreed to test this as a possible FeaturedBite on Bite of the Best.
The Ninja came with a “Master Pod” containing the motor, which fits atop the two containers to power the machine. One use is on the “Mini Master Prep” a 2-cup quasi-food processor for chopping; the other is on the “Master Prep Pitcher,” a 48-ounce blender for making frozen drinks and smoothies.
The removable blades (notice the plural!) sit inside the containers, each of which has a pour spout and comes with a blue (my favorite color) storage lid.
But, does the Ninja work?
I first tested it on an onion. I followed the instructions’ suggestion to pulse the motor until the onion was the consistency I wanted. When done, I removed the top expecting to see different size pieces. Wrong. I found no chunks, just evenly chopped onion pieces. Same results with a ripe tomato.
Next test was the blender. The Ninja folks boast that this “blasts ice into…fluffy snow to make restaurant-style drinks in just seconds.” It does just that. Think frozen margaritas or daiquiris, yogurt smoothies or any slushie drinks.
Before making drinks, I suggest making ice cubes from whatever liquid ingredients you’re planning to use so you don’t dilute your drinks.
They suggest you serve, seal and store in the same container. That’s where I no longer follow their suggestions. I prefer to serve in nonplastic containers.
I like this product so much that one of my talent agency clients is now representing the Ninja.
Bryan: Ok, so I’m not going to lie. I definitely felt a little twinge of “infomercial” when first seeing my Ninja Master Prep. I mean, it slices, it dices… Don’t look at it the wrong way or it’ll kick your a$$! I heard the voice of kitchen gadget guru, Ron Popeil echoing in my head: “It’ll solve all your kitchen needs,” he whispered. “But I’ve heard that all before,” I answered.
Could it be true this time?
I have to say that part of my review of this product is unfortunately going to involve bashing another, similar product. While I don’t like pointing fingers, I had been promised this same litany of abilities from another company once, though my immersion blender/chopper from the Bistro collection truly failed to deliver on any of its boasts. My milkshake maker was a bust and impossibly hard to use, while the mini food processor accessory couldn’t even make its way through an already pre-chopped onion. I was promised everything and I got nothing. It was simply useless. (Sorry Wolfgang, you still make great pizza. We’re cool, I promise!)
When the Ninja arrived, I readied myself for disappointment again, but this time found none. The Ninja not only delivered on its promises, it exceeded every one of my expectations! This is two kitchen devices in one, and each of them actually works! Taking into account all the additional accessories, the Ninja is phenomenally useful.
The Ninja is quite a powerful and unique blender and food processor. I realized why this kitchen gadget got its name as soon as I started using it. While most other blenders and choppers have a single, bottom-dwelling blade, the Ninja has dual blades. This unique, if not revolutionary, adaptation allows the gadget to transform ice cubes into perfect, creamy frozen drinks in just seconds. Many blenders will leave chunks or transform cubed ice into a watery mess. There is something special though about the dual blades, creating the perfect consistency for shakes, smoothies and frozen cocktails.
The mini food processor is equally as powerful (both blades use the same interchangeable, top-driven motor). The chopper perfectly produces diced or minced vegetables; onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, and the like all passed with flying colors! The Ninja is also perfect for any of your salsa or dips. The pulse control makes it easy to avoid turning your entire creation into mush.
The “Master Pod” easily switches from the Mini Prep to the Prep Pitcher. I was worried, as I’ve sometimes seen TV personalities make this type of switch with ease, only to be confounded by my own, at-home try. I like things that are idiot-proof and the Ninja passed its tests with flying colors. The pod only fits on in one way, and the blades can only connect in one way. Utility is further compounded, as the set includes two storage lids, allowing your Ninja creations to last in the fridge without the need of an additional storage container.
The blender pitcher is generously sized, ideally designed for parties with a large 48-oz pitcher. It’s perfect for making several drinks at a time, and features an easy flip pour spout and no-slip bottom. The Ninja pieces are also dishwasher and microwave safe. It’s not going to make your dinner for you, but the Ninja will certainly multitask at your behest.
Eric: To explain this in modern written language, OMG this product is not a WTF. The Ninja, or as I like to refer to it, “the little infomercial product that could,” is an appliance designed for the modern kitchen as well as for the fast-paced lifestyle many of us live. Similar to its infomercial nemesis, “The Bullet,” the Ninja is designed for two specific reasons – crafting great ice-based drinks and prepping the otherwise tedious mise en place.
326 Comments on “Ninja Master Prep”
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good
Excellent product. I tried it against the cusinart mini prep and because it had four blades it did a more consistent job of chopping. It also evenly chopped garlic into tiny pieces…a new addition to food processors in my opinion does a great job.,
You’ve got my attention. I hate the Cuisinart mini-prep for reasons too numerous to mention. So can this replace it?
Will it do a better job of chopping and pureeing of small amounts of fruit, veg and herbs than the Cuisinart.
Can it replace a bullet-style blender, too.
Honestly??
Dana
We’ve found that the Ninja can replace both your mini-prep and a regular blender.
It does not replace the immersion blender.
I just purchased mine from Sears after checking that Wal-Mart did not have it on their shelves yet, but it was more expensive (of course). I love the 4-blade configuration and look forward to some high-grade chopping and blending. It doesn’t say in any of the narratives but the pitcher “is” for more than just beverages, as evidenced by a couple Chicken Salad recipes done in the pitcher.
Product is made from a clear, thick, molded plastic with a Royal Blue trim. My only concern is the “Master Pod” is heavy and has no edges to grab on to, except for two flat spots at the top. Slippery or weak hands will probably need both hands to safely handle it.
Definitely a worthwhile purchase and my old blender and chopper will go out to a garage sale.
[...] to “perfect.” As we speak, I’m about ten minutes from going online and buying the Ninja. Have you seen the Ninja?! “Hello Onion, and then Hi-ya! Chop!” That’s what I [...]
where can i purchase this?? zip 15601
Ginny, I asked the company to respond! So stay tuned; in the meantime you could purchase one by calling 1.800.255.9765 or by visiting at NinjaKitchen.com
Kmart just got it in in our area.
I am thinking of purchasing a vita-mix for heavy duty vegetable and fruit drinks. Will the Ninja do the job? job?
I would not compare a Vita-Mix with a blender/food processor, which is basically what the Ninja is. They are different machines for different purposes. Differences in price too.
Bed Bath & Beyond sells this product for 20% less ($39.99) with one of their (easy to get) coupons. But on the infomercial, $59.97 buys you two of them. Plus all the shipping, of course.
will the ninja shred cheese?
Gosh, you don’t know how happy I was to see the ninja and now to read all these great reviews. I’ve had my “ultimate chopper” for years, and was totally happy with it, until it broke the other day. Then I saw the new montel william thingy…”healthmaster” and it promised this and that, when it arrived, the thing is a giant and hard to use, the hot soups it claims to make came out nasty, at at $266, I’m so returning it and getting me a Ninja! thanks!
It is said the Ninja does not replace an “immersion blender”. What is an immersion blender?
Thank you.
An immersion blender is a hand blender that you use in the pot as you would a whisk. Long slender with a blade on the bottom. Great item to have in addition to your Ninja.
As for shredding cheese, there is no shredder attachment or a feeder tube with a the Ninja, but it might do a good job of mincing it.
I use my KitchenAid food processor with the cheese shredder blade for shredding cheese. However, If I’m not shredding a “mountain” of cheese, I’ll just use my trusty old hand grater.
To Ginny: The Ninja Master Prep can be purchased at the Bed Bath and Beyond in Monroeville, Pa. It can also be purchased online!
I’ll having trouble going to the Ninja special web site etc/ and to get their mailing address, for more information ? whom can help me? with the information?
Good letter, Laura. I wrote to CVS and Price Chopper (NY market) I will also copy your letter and send it to Kellogg’s even though they keep blaming the stores for the discontinuance of this product. I plan on sending a letter to Rite Aid, Wal-Greens and Wal-Mart. If everyone who likes this product does the same thing, perhaps our voices will be heard and something positive will come of it.
oops posted this in the wrong spot!
where and what is the complete mailing address that I can buy online the Ninja prep? thanks
To Deborah – here is a link where you can buy one Master Prep and get one free. Or, you can purchase the product online at Bed, Bath and Beyond: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=16787868. Thank you!
Buy one get one free link: http://www.ninjakitchen.com/offer1.shtml
Looks impressive, but also seems to be a knock-off of my Braun MR5550 MultiQuick Hand immersion blender/chopper set, which has a 400 watt power unit that easily handles anything I throw at it. The only distinction is the dual-blade design, which I find interesting.
I just purchased the Ninja, on their web site with free shipping. That’s about a 21.00 savings. I think I heard that was available until Friday.
Since it’s a new product, does anyone know how long the product/blades would last? because it should be powerful but i would assume that it’ll depend on what you put in there. I just heard about this product today so although it looks great, guaranteeing a replacement sounds like good but also makes me question..any insight?
If I want to make a simple salad dressing with olive oil, lime juice and a serrano pepper will it blend it all or leave the serrano pepper in big pieces like my cheap blender I have now? It’s a small amount so I’m wondering if it will blend the stuff that settles on the bottom.
How do you get the free shipping?
The website to get the free shipping is ninjafreeship.com. Enjoy!
That’s http://www.ninjafreeship.com/ if you are looking for the hyperlink.
oh I see, so is either buy one get one free and pay for shipping or buy one and get shipping for free, but there is no option for buy one get one free AND free shipping, thanks all!
Okay, I’ve heard all that it can do and my mom is dying to buy it soon. I’ve told her that if it pulverizes fruit into juices like Jack and Montel’s devices are supposed to, then I’ll happily take the second one that comes free when you buy the first one. The only thing I want to know now is, is it silent like ninjas are supposed to be? I hope it is, otherwise I won’t be as happy with it as I could be.
Twinwillow — how can i get a hold of the coupon that takes $10 off the price at bed bath and beyond?
After reading these comments, I wish onecould have ordered buy one and get one free. I would have done that when I ordered mine yesterday. I am wondering if the extra containers contain the blades as well so we could go from one to the other without rewashing the blades. I had one years ago and used it quite a bit–slightly different though.I am sure I will like it..hope it isn’t too heavy for my hands. I also ordered the cookbook plus extra containers. Joanne..
I don’t understand why we can’t get the buy one get one with free shipping. Bed, Bath and Beyond is selling the Ninja for $39.95 with a $10.00 off coupon. If you purchase 2 that comes to just shy of $80.00. Buying the Ninja on-line: buy 1 get 1 free with $29.90 s/h fees comes to $89.85 I believe. This doesn’t really seem fair. I’m on a very fixed income and so are many people and I’m to have major surgery within the next month with severe diet requirements. This machine would be ideal for me since I’m wheelchair bound. I can’t afford the price for one with shipping hardly let alone the other. I really do need 2 of them to prepare my meal easier due to the difficulty of reaching the sink to wash it from a wheelchair. If those in my situation could receive help in getting this product a little cheapier it would be greatly appreciated and a real God send. Thank you.
Has anyone compared this to the “Magic Bullet”??????
Attention customer service.I placed an order for your ninja today on the computer. I did not get notice that order had been placed . My phone number is 1 630 406 0778. Please advise. Date Purchased 10-12-2009. Thank you;
Ive seen your add on tv and I would like to send for the Ninja but I can’t do it until the frist becouse I’m on a VA pinion Do you except checks and money orders if you do please let me know but you do well I get everything that they show’d on tv if I do get everything they show’d on tv that comes with the ninja let me know as soon as you can please.
Thank you for time.
John
This device is terrific. Reviews are good as well. That’s why I bought mine at Wal-Mart for $49.99. What I can’t understand is why no one mentions how totally misleading the entire infomercial is. What? Yeah, think about it. Virtually every example demonstrating ease of use using multiple ingredients, the pizza, the desserts with toppings, the salads, they are all prepared with multiple containers. One scene for making 2 effortless and differently seasoned pizzas has no less than five, count em’ five [2] cup containers on the counter at once all with different ingredients. You must have figured out by now that you only get ONE [2]cupper. Imagine recreating the chocolate mousse with the chocolate crumble topping with one container. There’s a whole lotta washin’ and rinsin’ and reprepping goin’ on in your own kitchen to do anything in the infomercial. The Ninja MP is cool alright. Just don’t think that like they say many times in the infomercial, you can make all these complete dishes in minutes, or seconds! Not. The all ingredients all together pitcher is the only one of the portrayals that’s accurate in time expenditure and effort.
I would like to recieve information on who the manufature company of your product. Your time and help is appreciated.
This is a follow-up comment on my infomercial entry of Oct 15th. The manufacturer, Euro-Pro, told me an additional [2] cup bowl with a lid is $19.90. Shipping cost is $5.95. Bowl does not include blades or mixing top. Blade set is $18.95. Company website: euro-pro.com
Jimmy Bulger – the manufacturer of the Ninja Master Prep is Euro-Pro. Euro-Pro is a provider of small household appliances (kitchen and cleaning products) that make busy people’s lives easier!
QVC will be selling this as the Today’s Special Value. You get the Ninja with two pitchers and two bowls for under $54. The link allows you to order in advance of the show airing.
Sorry, here’s the link.
http://services.qvcemail.com/l.asp?t=H4&e=xvz_tvo~zfa.pbz&c=80155784a64268c85
Kimberly – sounds like a good deal but the link didn’t work for me
I’m not sure why the link doesn’t work, but it will be the Today’s Special Value on QVC for $53.12 on Sunday Oct. 18th.
Someone wanted a comparison between the Ninja & the Magic Bullet. Well, I own neither, but have read many reviews online at various websites. You can get many extensive reviews on the Magic Bullet from buyers at Amazon.com. As for the Ninja, google “Ninja Master Prep reviews” and you’ll get links to many different websites, such as this one, providing reviews for it. From what I’ve read so far, the Ninja is an apparent favorite. I’m thinking of getting one for my mother from QVC. Thanks Kimberly for the link.
I’ve never had an interest in the Magic Bullet since I can duplicate it by using my existing blender and a small mason jar (Blade & blender base fits most).
The Ninja Master Prep, however, caught my eye immediately because of the quad blades and dual containers. The 6-cup size container allows for much more flexibility and I tend to use them both equally. I love using them to blend spice mixes.
I JUST ORDERED OFF OF THE QVC http://services.qvcemail.com/l.asp?t=H4&e=xvz_tvo~zfa.pbz&c=80155784a64268c85
I GOT 2 PITCHERS/LIDS, 2 BOWLS/LIDS, 1 SET OF BLADES PER PITCHER/BOWL SET FOR ONLY $53.12 PLUS $7.72 FOR SHIPPING/HANDLING, PLUS TAX.
I ONLY SPENT A TOTAL OF $65.10 {TAX INCLUDED}!!!! THAT’S A REAL BARGAIN COMPARED TO EVERY SITE I’VE CHECKED INCLUDING NINJA MASTER PREP.
GOOD LUCK—-IF YOU CAN’T ACCESS THAT SITE TYPE IN QVC–I DID.
You can buy this on QVC…. I just heard it will be their “Today’s Special Value” on Sunday 10/18 (which starts and ends midnight ET daily), and will be a deluxe set for under $60 and will involve an EZPay option. That’s how I stumbled across this thread – was searching the web to do some research on this product. I have a feeling they could go fast and end up waitlisting by Sunday night.
Does anyone have the Bullet Express? Does it work as well as it does on the informercial?
QVC Todays Special also offers it in two colors, the blue or a platinum.
moonraker – Yes, the Ninja does a great job of grating cheese!
Will it grind coffee beans?
Yes – grinds coffee beans as well!
QVC has them with extra bowl, pitcher and 2 lids. 64.00. Its todays special value at 54.00
@Brenda who asked about the Magic Bullet Express the answer is NO!
I have the Magic Bullet Express and it’s just ok. I like the shredding and slicing blade but both the slicing blade and the food processing blade have a problem with hard veggy like carrots and potatoes. And it’s kind of bulky to leave on the counter all the time. Truth be told I hardly use it any more. Honestly my little Magic Bullet cut carrots better than the Express model – that’s a shame.
@Chuck You can go on the http://www.ninjakitchen.com website and order parts, including the motor, separately.
When you purchase the Ninja at a retail store does is come with the recipe book and all?
ninjafreeship.com offers free shipping + about 100 recipes in a recipe book BUT the qvc website that has been listed comes out to cost the same despite paying shipping; however, they also provide about 20 recipes AND the thing that mattered more to me is the extra pitcher bowl & processor cup so i ordered it on QVC
Bob Warden on QVC has a recipe book for $16+ for today only. It is currently on waitlist( if it comes in stock in 45 days it will auto ship)
Is this similar to the Bravetti food processor that used to be sold on HSN? This “quad-blade” technology really isn’t new.
You can buy the Ninja Master at Sam’s Club for $49.95 and it comes with 1 pitcher and 3 processor cups.
Saw the infomercial this am, got my 20% off coupon and hit Bed Bath and Beyond and picked up the Ninja. $43 after tax, and if your coupon is expired they tend not to check dates. Really like it pretty easy to use, caution blades are sharp do not pull food back out, cut finger that way on blades. Pre cutting helps, made salsa and I did not cut uniform so I had to pulse a bit more but made a great salsa. At retailers it has 2 cup and 1.5 liter containers, with lids, 2 sets of blades, power motor and a small recipe book, not a huge selection in the book but bet you can find more on line. Seems pretty powerful and you could easily make mush if you hold it too long or over pusle. Enjoy!!
where did you get your 20% off coupon?
I went out yesterday to Bed Bath & Beyond also with 20% off coupon and bought the Ninja. I just made a cappucino smoothie this morning and it was perfectly blended, not one errant chunk of ice left.
@ rachel the Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupons are sent via mass mailings pretty much on a monthly basis. You can go on http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com and get on the mailing list. The cashier at the store told me that since the coupons are for 20% off just one item and not your total bill that you can use as many at a time as you want.
The buy one get one free on the website sounds good until you look at the shipping and handling which is just under $30. By the time you are finished, its almost $90. If you had two Bed, Bath, & Beyond coupons, two would cost $80. It’s definitely the best deal.
Rachel, I googled Bed bath and beyond 20%coupon discount, and I got one the same day,Good luck but before you do that please check out the Qvc special that was offered yest. you can still order it:http://services.qvcemail.com/l.asp?t=H4&e=xvz_tvo~zfa.pbz&c=80155784a64268c85
You get two each of pitchers with lids and bowls with lids and 1 set of blades for $53.12 plus $7.72 s/h plus your sales tax. You don’t get the cookbook but you can use your own.
Rachel, I googled Bed bath and beyond 20%coupon discount, and I got one the same day,Good luck but before you do that please check out the Qvc special that was offered yest. you can still order it:http://services.qvcemail.com/l.asp?t=H4&e=xvz_tvo~zfa.pbz&c=80155784a64268c85
Ordered my Ninja on QVC after midnight Saturday night it was th special value and it was delivered today in Calabash N.C ,,HOWS THAT FOR EXCELLENT SERVICE
I GOT THE Platinum ,i think its exclusive to QVC,,BEAUTIFUL COLOUR
i saw the ninja master on the tv n i would love to get one but i dont have a crited card ,can i get it in store
I’m loving my Master Prep. Like a lot of people have said, there are a few drawbacks, but overall I’m more than pleased. I’m enjoying it way more than my Slap Chop.
Just found the offer on the QVC website, but noticed that the warranty listed there is a 1-year limited warranty, not the lifetime limited warranty listed on the Ninja Master Prep website. Does anyone know if that is a mistake, or if they do not offer the same guarantee?
Bite of the Best has asked Ninja for a response to your query about the warranty. Stay tuned for their answer.
I’m not aware of what’s involved in “making baby food”, but if you use a blender then, yes, the Ninja Master Prep would be quite nice since it uses 4 blades instead of 2.
I ordered mine from QVC, it came with 2 pitchers, and 2 prep cups for 58.98.
I can’t wait to use it, just got it today.
Regarding baby food, they did show water and carrots being blended for babyfood. I think you just add water to veggies and fruits to make it pureed.
I got my Ninja on QVC’s Special and have been using it since last week. I think it’s becoming one of my best friends. It is really a powerful machine.
My wife & I haven’t purchased one yet, but plan to. I’ve seen these at Bed Bath & Beyond. I’ve also seen them at Kohls & at qvc.com. QVC seem to have the best price. $58.46 plus $7.72 shipping. This includes two of the pitchers & two of the chopping bowls. They also have over 50 people who have reviewed this item. The main complaint a few people have is that the gear mechanism at the top of the blades can strip out while using the ninja. I guess it’s made out of plastic instead of metal.
Me again ,i got mine as a qvc special ,about $65.58 with shipping and tax , havent used it yet but will soon ,,,Sams Club have the same Ninja with extra bowl and jug in blue for same as QVC, I GOT THE PLATINUM ,,, when you consider no shippig ,a great bargain indeed ,check it out
Forgot to mention Sams Club price is $49.99 plus tax and you get o use it same day ,no waiting
If the Ninja Master Prep is purchased in a store or on QVC, it comes with a one year warranty. The lifetime warranty is a special offer for the infomercial only. Thank you!
Sam’s??
Have many people seen the Ninja at Sam’s? I checked online and mine doesn’t seem to have it. Is it just mine?
I ordered my from QVC. I haven’t received it yet, but am encouraged by all the reviews. On QVC you get two pitchers and two mini choppers with one set of blades and one master pod for $58.46 plus $7.72 shipping and handling for a total of $66.18. I bought it while is was a Today’s Special Value and it was even cheaper. Go to http://www.QVC.com. They even have two colors and you can also order a separate cookbook.
I understand that this Ninja blender will work very well. My question is … How DURABLE is it? It may blend and chop great today, but how quickly will it fall apart and quit working? Anyone had one long enough to know?
Since it is a brand new product, nobody has owned it long enough to determine a lifespan, but I’m impressed with the quality of the machine, especially the containers.
Could I get a little more details about comparing this with a vita-mixer. mcnerd says that these machines are for a different purpose. I would like to make veggie smoothies. My current blender can almost do it. What would happen if I tried to make one in the ninja? Thanks for your help.
Thanks, McNerd!
My apologies if I laugh on the desire to compare a $500 Vita-Mix with a $50 Ninja blender. For the price the Ninja does its blending well and if one reads the information about it smoothies are one of the main things it does well because it can crush ice to a fine texture. The Ninja also just has one big button.
This is a warning to those of you who want to buy this product form TV ads
I bought my Ninja form the TV advertisement for $59.99 (paid in 3 installments)with free shipping. The order supposed to come with 2 bowls and 2 pitchers, however only 1 bowl and 1 picher were included in the package. I was very dissapointed, because Bed & Bath and Beyong selling the same product for $49.99. I called to cust. service to request authorization number for my return, and the rep. told me that I have to pay for the shipping and plus they will deduct their shipping and handling charges from my refund amount plus I should write a letter why I’m sending back this product. When I was trying to tell the guy that I paid for 2 bowls and 2 pitchers, he was very rude and told me that this is a company’s return policy and hanged off on me.
I never had such a terrible experince and would never buy anything form TV in future
I Laykto nov mor enformeytion abaut blender & woranty I liykto bay sam
why can’t I find the ninja special.com website. I’m interested in purchasing this machine–the tv special included 2 sets for 3 payments of 19.95. I would appreciate any help you can give me
You can get their recipes from their website http://www.ninjakitchen.com/nav/recipes.shtml
The 2 for 1 offer on the ninjaspecial.com is 29.90 Shipping!!! You can get a better deal at Bed Bath and Beyond with the 20% off coupon. Or if you need extra bowls..QVC.
Best deal of all is at Sams club if theres one near you ,its$49.95 ,put it in your wagon pay for it plus tax and Home ,it has the two extra BOWLS plus lids just like QVC ,SANS SHIPPING ,, best deal of all but i saw it too late had mine delivered already ,,good luck it is terrific ,and a lot of fun for the family
when I first tried my ninja I was in love and I told everybody about it. I had given up on finding a machine that could grind ice to the consistancy of new fallen snow…..the best I could hope for with a home appliance was those miniscuel ice pieces…….but no…..then came the ninja……last chance then I give up…..after all there really is no perfect…….is there ……The I got the ninja home and use it ….and used it………and mmmmmmmmm ….it was perfect. Then I put the motor on the small container and It didn’t catch just right…..I pulsed and heard the ugly sound of gears grinding….. …….. …….. That was the end. Fifty bucks down the drain and no matter how perfect the ice was and how much I loved it I’m sorry my pocket doesn’t hold an extra $50 for a food processor. Make those parts out of metal and I’ll be back……or tell me where I can get them right now….lol…..ok so I’m being dramatic but so were the results of the ….NINJA……to. lol Becky
@Judy
If you get rid of the space between ninja and special you’ll be all set. Should look like ninjaspecial.com (internet addresses don’t have spaces).
Becky Ivey….the gear socket seems to be just screwed on and should be easy to replace, though I have not taken it apart to verify. I would contact the company about it. Should be under warranty.
I finally bought the ninja. The ice cubes that our freezer makes are huge & I was skeptical about how well it would perform… It crushed the large ice cubes into snow. I was very impressed. I have heard other people having problems with the gears stripping out. If they made these parts out of metal the machine would be worth it’s weight in gold. (Well maybe not.) If enough people email the manufacturer, maybe they’ll correct this problem.
I went to the website again and the ninja tv special never came up. I would like to purchase the tv special of 2 machines but cannot find the site. Maybe you have the phone number. I know that you have to go with ninjaspecial.com burt the site comes up with everything but the machine. Thanks
Judy, I saw the infomercial on the two for one special in the “wee small hours of the morning”. If I see it again I will put the number on a review for you..This was Friday or early Sat am the 31st. You never know what you will find on tv at those hours..Good Luck…Joanne Olsen
I don’t know what they cost on the infomercial but you can go to qvc.com type in ninja master prep & purchase the ninja with two pitchers & two chopping bowls for $58.46 plus 7.72 shipping.
Just checking reviews on the Ninja and it sounds like I’ll be hitting Bed,Bath & Bey tomorrow. I have a Magic Bullet and have burned out my second base. Not a good product.
All very interesting/helpful etc., but what is the wattage? Don
400W
Why do you insist my zip code is wrong? It is 986315806.It is the correct one for Long Beach, Washington. I have tried to order the Ninja Prep and am not able to complete registering. jameslc@charter.net
“I” have no complaints about your zip code and this is not the place for ordering the Ninja, so who are you complaining to? Wherever you entered your zipcode have you tried just entering the first 5 numbers?]
the NINJA is available at SAM’S CLUB for 49.99 and it comes with the pitcher and NOT 2,BUT 3 small master preps. Anything goes wrong with it? Sam’s has a decent return policy
We just got back from the BB&B store with a Ninja. If you don’t have a 20% off coupon, go to Bed Bath & Beyond’s website, click “Email Signup” at the very top and put in your email. You will instantly receive a printable 20% off coupon.
So got home and immediately tried it. Put in some apples, bananas and some orange juice and some ice cubes. Since this is my very first blender, I didn’t want to “over do it” – ya know what I mean? Anyhow, it blended all the items as if they weren’t even there. Ice cubes got smashed instantly! Very nice!!
The bases have rubber rings so it literally sticks to the kitchen counter top. Very easy to operate. The top part (where the motor is) is not slippery at all.
Hope it will last for a long time. Very happy with it!
The little crowns (for rating) don’t seem to work. In case they show up incorrectly, FIVE (5) stars!!!
AFTER READING REVIEWS FROM QVC,AND HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE GEARS STRIPPING, HOPEFULLY THEY WILL MAKE IT WITH STEEL GEARS SO THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN. THINK I’LL WAIT ON THAT BEFORE I BUY MINE.
The comments are very impressive, but I agree, wait for metal gears. Nothing, obviously an over statement, is more frustrating than purchaing an appliance that works only to have it fail. Don
The Ninja is cheap, plastic gears do not hold up. This thing is brand new and the marketing is way too gimmicky–$29.90 S&H is ridiculous. Betcha money in 6 months everybody’s Ninja will be gathering dust in the closet. Plastic is not fantastic.
I just purchased the Ninja (actually told my husband to get it for me) He bought it at Sam’s Club kind of like Cosco Warehouse for $50.00. I went ahead and tried it right away and made a smoothie with frozen strawberries and bananas. Really liked it, it did “chop” the ice to look like a snow cone. We also did just ice and fruit juice which turned out good also. Looking forward to try to make some guacamole and other things.
I RECENTLY PURCHASED MY NINJA MASTER PREP AND I LOVE!!!!!IT. I HAD A DIFFERENT BRAND AND IN NO TIME THE PITCHER CRACKED WHILE CHOPPING ICE. THIS IS MUCH STRONGER AND EASIET CLEAN UP.THANKS. I WOULD RATE THIS WITH THE HIGHEST GRADE. THANKS AGAIN NINJA
NINJA MASTER DESERVES!!!THE FIVE CROWN RATING AND THE WARRANTEE IS UNBEATABLE. CHECK IT OUT.
Are the blades for the Ninja plastic or metal?
Quad blades are metal and very sharp.
I ordered the ninja duel machines off an infomercial on Friday the 13th – didn’t get an order # or confirmation email from anyone. I couldn’t get customer service on the phone and emailing them they want an order # HELP
What is going on with the product I ordered. My credit card has been charged but I need assurance that I will receive the Ninja Package
I just bought the Ninja from BB & Beyond. I have a coupon now that I’ve sign up to be on their mailing list. I will print out the coupon and bring it to the store along with my receipt for an adjustment. I’ve used coupons before from BB & Beyond and didn’t have to bring back the item.
I’m concerned about the gear stripping. I’m using it every day. So if they wear out, I’ll take it back to the store. BB & Beyond is good about binging things back as long as you have your receipt. One other thing I love about the Ninja, is how silent it is. I was considering using ear plugs with the Montel blender because it’s that loud. The Montel, lasted about 2 months and it started leaking from the bottom. I returned it and got my money back.
I like the Ninja a lot, and truly appreciate what little noise it makes. The double blade along with a base that doesn’t accumulate bacteria sold me on it. The blades are sharp and I have a paper cut on one finger. So be careful when handling the blades. Tonight I made some bean soup and had celery, onions, and peppers to slice and dice. I cut the vegetables to fit into the Ninja and it did a better job than any other blender I’ve ever had, bar none.
I love the Ninja. My husband had lapband surgery and I like to make him a real nutritional smoothie. However at 6am, the roar of the blender was enough to wake up the entire bldg. The Ninja is quiet and does an amazing job whipping through frozen fruit, protein power, yogurt, milk and I sometimes add a pkg of oatmeal. It comes out sooooo smooth and I know he is starting the day off with a nutrient packed breakfast. Ninja—you are a great product.
Will the Ninja make peanut or almond butter?
Do be careful when washing the blades…I got a nice cut when I forget blades were in soapy water and plunged my hand in. I really like how great things chop..my meat looked like it just came from the market,..it made a beautiful hamburger. Thanks Ninja..
You would probably burn out the motor on the Ninja by doing continuous grinding action necessary for making peanut or almond butters….but otherwise it would probable do a good job.
november 22nd.
Finally got the ninja I ordered from the infocommercial and it is great. So far I only tried the smaller grinder to chop celery and onions for meatloaf and it was very easy to use.
Thanks for your help!
the niga seams like the coolest thing ever
I don’t know about its coolness, but it is very efficient for the job it does compared to its cousins. The name is appropriate.
It looks amazing, but does it froth milk for coffee drinks? And does it make cole slaw, or chop too fine? Thanks
If you do those things already in a Blender, then yes, but it is not a food processor nor a salad shredder, though it does do some things quite well.
I have a Bullet blender that I mostly use with my protein shakes. I only fill it 1/2 full of ice water with 1 large scoop of powder. It makes a great foamy shake, but if I overfill it a bit or churn it too long, it leaks around the lids rim and shaft due to the foaming pressure! The Ninja would be better at controling leaks since the lid and shaft are on the top instead of the bottom.
i saw this product on the bed bath and beyond site and watched the mini video.. I really want to get it to make frozen drinks. I’ve bought other margarita makers claiming to make amazing frozen drinks but none of them work.. Is this product true to its word or will I just end up having another appliance to add to my storage?!
So far this appliance lives up to the hype, especially on its ability to uniformly grind ice. I like it for how it evenly grinds/chops everything else. The quad blade really makes a difference.
i just went to target and purchased the ”ninja master”…i made the very very best salsa i ever ate in my life last night, ”restraunt style salsa”….crushed ice into snow,and put together a real fast tuna salad,all in less than 25 minutes time..the thing does live up top the hype,its awesome!
be very careful when cleaning this ninja,those blades are crazy sharp! but i love the ninja master for sure,i can see myself enjoying lots of smoothies,salsa,skakes,etc…
i was very skeptical myself,have bought many things only to be dissapointed,this was truly the one thing that lives up to the advertisement,i purchased the bullet a few years ago to only be dissapopinted in cup size,power,etc..the recipe book is kind of small,not tons of recipres like i would hope for…so if anybody has some fancy smoothies,etc. ,please share em so i cam make in my ninja,thanks..
the salsa was so easy to make,i put in 5 tomatoes (medium size) 3/4 of an onion,4 sticks of celery,1/2 a hot pepper,some salsa season,and a squezze of lime,and ninja did the rest in a few seconds…
Had it for less than a month. Had trouble aligning motor into blade on smaller container. Tonight it just stopped working. Returning it to QVC.
All I have to say is I threw out my old blender. I have made spectacular smoothies, milkshakes, frozen mocha concoctions, and more. The recipe book basically gave me A general idea how to make stuff, but with a little creativity, I have made some awesome stuff. I can practically turn my kitchen into Dairy Queen with the Ninja. Love it!!!
My wife ordered the Montel Williams HealthMaster two weeks ago and it has yet to arrive. I have viewed his infomercial as well as Ninja’s. The Healthmaster will have to be on the counter as it can’t fit in our cupboards. My first test will be to chop ice. If it doesn’t do that as the Ninja apparently does, back it will go.
The soup making feature of the HealthMaster or bigger blenders seems to be an inefficient method of applying heat.
I purchased my Ninja on 11/29 at BJ’s Wholesale Club for $44.98 including two xtra containers AND for an additional $6, I purchased an extended warranty which allows me to replace the product for any reason at all (even if it is dropped) for 24 months. That is the best deal!
I have been a chef for over fifty years, and normally ignore “gadgets” as seen soo often on TV. A fellow chef presented me with my new Ninja (He knew I would never purchase one, even if prompted to do so). After using the Ninja for two months,,,,, I have purchased several for friends and family, as Christmas presents; I love it!
the ninja is awesome,i love it way better than the money i wasted for the bullet blender!!!! hands down a lot better!!!! this is one of the very few as seen on tv products i ever seen that lives up to the hype!
i purchased the ab circle pro right after the ninja also,thats not to bad of a product neither,i was really worried until i physically used it…..i’m running a steep bridge,using ninja to boost my health/diet,and ab pro circle to tone,and also herbal life meal replacements,and i’m seeing great success fast!!!
i did not see a huge savings on buying one and supposebly getting one free gimmick,time you get ripped for excess shipping and handling,your almost at same price you get two at the store for…i paid the extra couple dollars so i could use it right away,instead of wait 10-14 business days…i say go to the store so you can open the box and see what your getting,and take it home right away…
I am worried about the plastic gear issue, and asked the online customer support at Ninjakitchen.com about this. Here is the chat:
You are now chatting with ‘Jake’
Jake: Good Afternoon, how may I assist you?
you: Hi, Jake, I’m Jennifer
you: I’d like to know if the problem I’ve seen online about the gears stripping in the Ninja is as serious as people say.
Jake: they have since fixed this problem and anyone that does call with this item receives a free replacement no questions asked
you: Oh, really? Good. Are the gears still plastic or did they go to metal? I’ve heard really nice things about the unit in general.
Jake: the gears are still plastic just they have been re-inforced
So apparently they have addressed the problem now to the point where they think they should hold up better. Thought others might be interested in knowing this.
My dad asked me last week what I would like for Christmas. We live several states away and he wanted to ship me something.
The Ninja is not something I would have ever purchased for myself but the wife and I have seen the commercial a few times for it on television. I figured a good gift would be something I would never buy but be interested in owning.
It arrived yesterday (surprisingly quick, Dad must have had it shipped to him overnight as it was shipped from his house).
I have only had a chance to use it once. I diced some onions last night with the small cup. It did a great job, I was expecting to see the usual undiced pieces stuck to the sides like you do in most food processors, I didn’t. It did a fantastic job.
The quality of the product is high compared to the cost. I was surprised at the thickness of the pitcher and the bowl. The no skid feet was another impressive bit I noticed. Also the lids seal super nice.
I don’t see why people are so worried about the plastic gears, take a moment and make sure that the motor is engaged properly to the base before you start pressing the big button and it should never be an issue, unless the previous ones were cheaper and did not line up properly.
My only complaint is how they packaged it. I cut the crap out of my finger just trying to get the blades out of the pitcher to get the cardboard off of it. WOW these blades are sharp…be careful.
As for the mention above about peanut butter and grinding peanuts wearing it out….ummmm it is designed to turn ICE into snow, most ice is harder than peanuts.
I’M A SERVICE TECH. FOR A WORLD WIDE POWER TRANSMISSION Co. I WAS ABOUT TO BUY THIS “NINJA” FOOD PROSSESOR, UNTIL HEARING ” P L A S T I C G E A R S ” NOT A CHANGE WOULD I BUY IT NOW. PLASTIC GEARS ARE FOR KIDS TOYS, NOT FOR A MIXING OR GRINDING MACHINE YOUR SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO USE DAILY….. NOT A CHANCE, DON’T BUY IT!!!!
AGAIN,AGAIN AND AGAIN >>>> NOT A CHANCE, DON’T BUY IT!!!!
I bought a DeLonghi mini processor (310 watt)several years ago which operates on the same principle as the Ninja. It works great for fresh salsa and the plastic gears have held up so far.
I would like to see a head to head test against the big boys and see them make a green smoothie using reasonable leafy vegetables.
Bob, do you by any chance work for a competitor company? Your distaste for plastic is noted but unrealistic since most things are made from plastic today and are stronger than steel in some cases. Ninja admitted there is an issue with the small gear if the unit is not handled correctly, but they came up with a solution. Better than your spam.
I tend to agree with Bob to an extent, and if the reviews of how the unit works weren’t as stellar as they are, I wouldn’t have bothered with it simply because of the gears. But I did buy it from Ninja Kitchen because of the lifetime warrenty on it. You will pay $15 a pop to replace anything with them each time you use the warrenty, but I’d rather do that than 18 months down the road be throwing something out because it failed after use. I really hate throwing things away! I thought it encouraging that they have addressed the issue, as well. Makes it seem like something that will be around for awhile.
I am thinking about buying the Ninja, You guys have good reviews. I am going to get it at Bed Bath and Beyond. I have a 20% off and $10.00 off coupon. That makes it $30.00 buck. Good deal
Can the Ninja replace a coffee grinder? Can it grind hard spices?
Replace a coffee grinder? I wouldn’t unless you are wanting to grind pound of coffee at a time.
This beats the Bullet, hands down. Read the reviews, if you’re skeptical. It does exactly what the infomercial says. But when I called, they wouldn’t give me two for the price on the infomercial.(like it says) I argued, because I was sitting on the couch talking to them as I was watching the infomercial, but they wouldn’t budge. They said I would only get one. SO….I bought one from Bed, Bath and Beyond with a 20% off discount coupon, and only paid $42.88. Regular price of $49.99. Great Product!!
[...] for reviews…. and it looks to pass the test pretty well. Anyone have one? Review below… Food and Product Reviews – Ninja Master Prep – Food Blog | Bite of the Best __________________ The years teach much which the days never [...]
I received the Ninja as a gift from parents who purchased it at Sam’s Club, included pitcher and three containers for $49.95, my parents and I both have used the Bullet for quite some time, sorry but the Bullet does not even compare to the Ninja. I love this product but I came across a problem, was using the pitcher to crush ice, which I have done before and had no problem, but today it was not chopping all the ice. Moved the remaining ice to small container and worked fine. While cleaning out the pitcher and blades for the pitcher, where the blades connect into each other was stripped. I did not use too much ice, did not pulse too long… I did receive an extra 2 year warranty with the Sam’s Club purchase so will be calling on Monday to Sam’s and to Ninja to see who will replace the pitcher blades for no cost. The plastic does make me nervous, but I still love this product.
I SAW THESE AT SAM’S CLUB !!
And I just noticed it’s also available at amazon..
I cannot get through to the phone number Ninja has listed, this is ridiculous, I have a one year warranty and would like to have my blender blades replaced and how can I do that if the number they have listed is impossible to get through to. I have tried for three days and no success. Had to go through email, wonder if and when they will respond??
I love the Ninja, but I have to admit that I have had my Bullet for over 3 years and have never had a problem with it, the Euro Pro company is someone I am not happy with right now.
How does it do with frozen bananas?
Interesting question. I’ve never known anyone (else) or would want to put a whole frozen banana into a blender, but I’m sure it would eventually turn it to banana mush.
I purchased a package of Dole Frozen banana slices, added some heavy cream and a frozen Reese’s peanut butter cup and made ice cream. It turned out perfect! I also used my Ninja to make homemade potato pancakes. Although it did not shred the potatoes, there was absolutely no difference in the way the pancakes tasted and my elbow did not hurt from the grating. I love this machine!
First off I am 52 yrs old and have been “testing” these so called “gagets” since the days of Ron Popeel. I can honestly say that the Ninja REALLY WORKS!!
I bought mine at Target and after a week of trial and error I have it mastered. It is the ONLY machine that really ‘chops’ onion/garlic,tomatoes,the list goes on and on. I even grated cheese and it turned out perfect!
What I found works best is Ice Cube trays.I freeze Milk,all my juices,fruit ect. I dont use Ice except for my Ice coffee.Try using it for ANY baked goods. Cake,biscuits,pie dough,you will be amazed at how it changes the texture to “Pastry Chef perfection”!! I have $7000.00 Hobart industrial mixer and it works even better than that. I made a comparison on the hobart VS the Ninja and everything I have made is 10 times better! The reason Im sure is that it blends it to the max. I still have to use the hobart at work but I am buying another to take to work,I dont care if I have to make several batches to make up for the portions, I just hope it lasts, but with the lifetime guarantee Im not worried about it. I recommend this little work horse to everyone. Im not kidding, and I am a chef and am in no way affiliated with the Ninja company..
Who is Chef Michael? When I googled him I came up with a fictional person involved with dog food.
Chef Michael is a chef at a Hotel in Portland Oregon
Has anyone else had problems with the motor. Mine stays on even when im not pushing the button and i can’t get it to turn off. I have to unplug it from the wall in order to take it off. This is the second Ninja that this happened to. The first one lasted about a month, the second one lasted only a week or so.
I use mine almost daily and never had a problem with the switch sticking in the on position. I assume you have contacted the company about the issue.
We just bought this yesterday and love it already! We have a Magic Bullet already and although I love it and it comes in very handy, it’s not very good at crushing up real ice, it only seems to work good with the store bought softer ice. However, for the Ninja it is no problem. The first thing we tried when we opened it is fill it up with ice cubes (and rather large ice cubes at that) and it only took about 5 seconds for the Ninja to turn the ice into snow! I can’t wait to see what else this thing can do!
Here is the breakdown..Sam’s Club has the Ninja for $49.00 and it includes 2 pitchers and 2 cups! Bj’s has the Ninja for $49.00 with 1 pitcher and 3 cups, Bed, Bath and Beyond and it for $49.00 (but with their easily obtained 20% off coupons it comes to about $39.00) and theirs has only 1 pitcher and 1 cup, Kohl’s has it also for $49.00 with 1 pitcher and 1 cup (and they also have coupons for up to 30% off as well as “Kohl’s Cash” credit back so you’d get $10 back), Walmart also has it for $49.00 for the same set of only 1 pitcher and 1 cup. Bottom line, if cost is the biggest issue, the least expensive option would be Bed, Bath and Beyond for $39 for the basic set, or if you have the 30% off coupon for Kohl’s (like I did) you get it for only $35, however, if you think you may need the extra cups for pitchers, Sam’s Club and Bj’s have a good deal for the $49.00 with the extra accessories. I just got mine last night and am going to try it this morning. Happy to read all of the positive reviews. But I did bargain shop for this unit so I hope I saved someone some time in looking for the best deal..Merry Christmas!
Well, I burned out my Montel Healthmaster blender motor yesterday after 3 weeks. I was mashing potatoes and it started smoking. Now DEAD.
I bought a Ninja and used it this morning. My fruit smoothie was more of a slushie compared to the big machine but sometimes chunky is better.
The trick to the Ninja is to make everything with Ice cube trays that uses liquid. I now have frozen Milk,juices, fresh fruit. I add about 1/4 cup milk for my Ice Cream, any fruit will do and I add about 2 tbs sugar. I will turn out like Ice Cream once you get it down… I LOVE THIS MACHINE!!
I love my Ninja!!! Only had it about 10 days and have made the most fabulous drinks. Is there a site where people have entered recipies that they have made? I can’t purchase the recipie book as I am travelling and cannot have a book shipped to my home address. At the moment I am living in a hotel room for 2 months with a hot plate, micro and my Ninja. My little Ninja has made my stay here so much easier for food prep.
I haven’t read any questions about the sharpness of the blades holding up over time. I know of no cutting surface that doesn’t dull after a certain amount of use. If the “snow” is dependent on the blades’ sharpness, will the “snow” eventually turn into “sleet” when the blades grind down a bit?
i have had mine two months now,fitting the ninja motor part on top of the two containers is sometimes a lil head ache,other than that it cleans up easy and nice,makes snow ice in a few seconds,very nice and well worth it so far after a few months…way way way better than the bullet junk,i lost money on that bullet wanna be blender before…..ninja is fun..
ninja only needs a much bigger recipe book for sure for more smoothies and deserts,meals,etc…..
please enter some nice smoothie and desert recipes please,you ladys are better in the kitchen at mixing some goodies up,thanks a lot,marko
something is wrong with my chopper, it wont chop any thing i only used it one time. it started out great,help if you can.(order from tv)
Tillie–Read the directions. Get the little white thingy on the lid lined up perfectly with the white thingy on the motor. I found that paying close attention to getting the lid on perfectly helps. (the lid and pitcher lips perfectly aligned.
Brooks is exactly right. you have to have everything – top and bottom – lined up and seated snugly before you hit the big blue button or you’ll run the risk of the unit just not working properly and/or stripping the gears.
to Tillie Jackson, Make sure the blades are assembled correctly, they kind of lock together but the main stem on the bottom wobbles.
I love the ninja, I just got it last night for christmas and it it AWESOME!!! I made my frist smoothie last night and it tasted so well no chunks or ice pieces smooth..
VERY SATISFIED CUSTOMER
Sonshine7488, Sam’s Club version has 1 pitcher and 3 mini-prep cups (not 2 pitchers and 2 cups as you indicate). At my local Sams it was just $44. QVC has the 2 pitcher/2 cup version for (I think) $58 + $7 shipping. Of all the deals, I think the Sam’s version is the best deal. If you don’t need the 2 extra mini-prep cups then the Bed Bath Beyond $40 deal is next best deal.
Is the Ninja available in Canada yet and what is the price? Thank you. Pat
I really want this Ninja Blender, But i be DAMN if i pay $29.95 for Shipping and handling, Are they Crazy, Do they think we are that stupid, It does not cost $29.95 to ship a item like this, I will continue using my wal-mart Black and decker blender, I can wait till this item is in store’s
Shipping and handling is way to HIGH, $29.95 are they crazy ???
If you by from the infomercials and it sounds like too good, expect to get ripped on the S&H!
My wife bought a “two for” deal on a drill-weed auger. The S&H was incredible–a genuine rip!
The Ninja is great! It does everything the infomercial says, and it’s a must have whether you’re a star cook or just like to dabble a little.
I got mine on Christmas Eve, and I’ve already used it three times!
This morning (Saturday) I made a smoothie. Then just now, I made a delicious choco-banana frosty.
Tonight I’m going to use the mini cup to make guacamole.
Get the Ninja!!! You will love it!
Choco-banana Frosty
1 ripe banana (any size will do)
8-10 ice cubes, or about 1 3/4 cup
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1/2 cup milk
Blend ice to “snow”-like texture, then combine all other ingredients in the large Ninja pitcher. Pulse for about 15-30 seconds, or until ingredients are well blended. Pour in cup or glass and enjoy!
Makes 1-3 servings.
Just wanted to add that I got mine from Bed, Bath and Beyond and used a 20% coupon, so with tax, I only paid $41.
The reviews, so many happy people praising this blender. All I want is to make vegetable and fruit smoothies, that’s all. Every blender I’ve tried, died. I would like to make smoothies everyday;one for breakfast and one for lunch, while at work. I do not have a lot of time in the mornings for fighting with a blender trying to line the top with the bottom perfectly. Is there a way to align the Ninja without getting frustrated. Why is it so hard to make a blender that has a powerful motor, durable and at a great price? I hope the Ninja Blender is the last blender for awhile that I will have to buy!
Off to Sam’s Club I go!
Diana,
I found that if you get the top cover and the lip of the pitcher lined up exactly the motor will drop on.
This is absolutely the best thing in my kitchen! It is so fabulous and does everything it says. I love making smoothies for family and friends and they love my creations! I love making fruity concoctions and also guacamole! We just bought the ingredients for tzatziki sauce and can’t wait to try it! You will definitely love the Ninja!!! My friends are jealous
I found out that if you have some apples that are getting soft you can make a raw applesauce out of them. I didn’t peel the apples, just chunked them up and let the Ninja do the rest in the cup. I did need to do about 4 apples to make sure there was enough volume for the blades to get a good crack at the apples. If there were liquid in there it wouldn’t have needed that much, but being as dry as they were there wasn’t any “suck” into the blades without a good volume of the apples. The applesauce turned out really nice, quite dark, but with all the value of the peels in there that you don’t get with normal applesauce.
I have a $325 Blendtec blender that I use for fruit smoothies. There is nothing better than this blender to make the best smoothies in the world. But I need another one to bring to work, so if a $40 Ninja comes close to doing the same thing, that’s okay. The question is, how close can it come?
Here’s what I put in mine: 7 ripe bananas plus one frozen, 5 frozen strawberries, and 2/3 cup frozen blueberries. (I also add other fresh fruit, but let’s ignore that for now.) NOTHING ELSE … NO ICE … NO LIQUID. I don’t want a slushie; I want a smoothie that is totally homogenized and that I can drink without using a spoon. I would appreciate it if someone could try this recipe and tell me how creamy the Ninja makes it (and how long it takes to make it). I realize the Blendtec is 3 HP (1500 watts) vs. 400 Ninja watts, but that’s why no liquid is needed.
Since you are willing to spend $325 for a commercial blender, buying a Ninja would seem a minor expense to get the answer(s) you want directly. If the household blender doesn’t stand up to your $325 one then just give the Ninja to an appreciative relative or friend.
However, the Ninja likes chopping ice so perhaps you need a more expensive one.
Here is my response: Hey Dufus,,,,,,there is nothing advertised `bout the Ninja that I have found wrong. You must line the components correctly,,that is most people`s first error. And then remember,,,it is not for a ( forgive me,,,how many types of fruit and how much ice ) huge gathering. It is as advertised,,,just that. I posted here once before,,,and I`ll say it again! I will put my 50+ years of culinary experience against you. It is not how much you paid,,it is simply, did it do what it said it would do? I have no dog in this fight,,,,but let`s be fair?
I am still staying in a hotel room, another month to go, and trying to save a little money by cooking some of my own meals. I had a hot plate and a microwave until I purchased a Ninja. It has been a lifesaver, not to mention the money I have saved by not having to eat in restaurants all the time. I think that I have already paid for it with the money I have saved.
Last night I needed to have some grated cheese so I cut up some Pecorino Romano into approximately 1 inch squares, pulsed it a few times and had PERFECT grated cheese. I removed the cheese and put in one garlic clove, pulsed it only two times, added 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, about a cup of whole tiny tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar, salt and peppar (measurements approximate as I don’t have a measuring cup), pulsed it a few times to a ‘rough’ consistency. In the meantime I had my pasta cooking on the hotplate. When cooked I emptied almost all of the water from the pot, I left about 1/4 cup of the hot pasta water in with the pasta and added the sauce and a bit of the cheese that I hade made in my Ninja, put it on a plate and topped it with a bit more of the cheese. This was one of the easiest to make and most delicious pastas that I have ever had.
Try the recipie and let me know what you think. I would appreciate seeing any recipies that anyone else has come up with. PMC
I bought my ninja about 3 weeks ago & I loved it. This morning I went to make a smoothie & the motor was dead. Anybody else have this problem? Not sure if I should just return it or get a replacement.
Make sure your motor is properly seated in order to engage the safety switch. Very hard to burn out the motor unless you ran it nonstop for a long period and I think you would know instantly if that happened.
KAREN- If your motor is indeed dead make sure you registared your Ninja and then call them and they will replace it.
I got my Ninja for Christmas I love making Mixed Drinks I used it yesterday(New Years Eve) for the 1st time it worked very well but how will it work for long period of time does it work as good as the Magic Bullet?
I am an International Yacht Chef, known as the Guilt Free Gourmet and author of 2 Guilt Free Gourmet Cookbooks. I am not going to bore you with repeats of everything already said. Just go buy it and you won’t be disappointed. REALLLLLLY. I would put my name on it any day.
THIS IS THE BEST! My husband and I are both in the Army and our ninja has put our blender to shame in the name of fitness! We use this everyday and when our daughter is napping or sleeping in in the morning we can make our drinks and she doesnt wake up or move its so quiet!
Bought my Ninja at Kohl’s last night and have used it 3 times already and think it’s great! I was googling to find some soup recipes when I came across this site. I do wish it had a bigger recipe book. Does anyone know where to find more recipes?
Hi Stacy:
I also have asked where we can find more recipies. You would think that with all the requests for more recipies that the company who sells these magical Ninja’s would be generous and put a few more from their cookbook on-line. It can only sell more Ninja’s for them. Last night I made the guacamole exactly as the recipie in their booklet instructed and it was truly the best that I have ever tasted. If you look back to Dec. 27th you will see a pasta recipie that I made with my Ninja that is truly one of the most delicious pastas that I have ever made. Good Luck and enjoy your Ninja.
All you need to do is Google search for “Blender Recipes” and you will find thousands. Remember the Ninja is first of all a blender. It just does it better.
I ordered a recipe book from QVC when I got my Ninja written by Bob Warden called “Bob Warden’s Ninja Master Prep Cookbook”. It has 150 great recipes for the machine and all that I’ve tried are great. I love my Ninja.
I have read most of the comments here but wonder if they are biased in favor of the Ninja?
Does this mixer work with 240 Volts in Eurpoean standards. I saw the specifications which says 120 Volts which is a US standard. May be i need to use a converter !! Any idea ?
Stephen — of course this is biased in favor of the Ninja. It is a blog to rate and review the product by people that bought/own one.
Sam — it is a USA appliance only, meaning 120 Volt 60/cycle and plug, but you can always contact the company and ask if they have plans to make a 240V International version someday.
I’m so thrilled to read a positive review for the Ninja blender! I’ve seen the infomercial twice (a bit of a “made for TV” junkie, I must admit) and was really surprised to find it on the shelf last night at Target. I’m more of a microwave cook than anything else, but I love making shakes and smoothies and my regular blender fails miserably at crushing ice. If it works as well as reported here, I’ll be a very happy Ninja master!
I have had the Ninja for just over 2 weeks and have used it maybe 4 times. It was great until the one time the plastic gears on the drive head did not fit just ever so perfect onto the blade stem….1 push and 2 seconds of weird sound and now the entire thing is worthless. Plastic gears are stripped will not even stir anything…no replacement parts either!!!!!. I am totally disatisfied. I work with alot of tools in the construction industry and realize when things dont fit just right you can have problems….But no warning no way to know it had not seated just right and in less than 2 seconds…or before you realize something is wrong…ruined machine and a bunch of unblended smoothie ingredients into the trash….WHAT A POOR DESIGN….what a bummer…now I have to go buy a real blender.
What do you mean “no replacement parts either!!!” Did you contact the company? As reported earlier they actually have designed a replacement gear that is stronger than the original and will send it out.
I disagree that there is no warning that the motor is not seated, but it is much easier to blame the product that the person using it.
Yeah I am sure it was operator error judging by the many positive reviews…Problem lies with…it broke after the 4th time of useing it…i did not abuse it …did not load it incorrectly…just tried to use it and it broke! A good design would make it use friendly enough to avoid this problem…it does not. As far as contacting the company for the stronger replacement gear….umm maybe others had same problem???? well after 10 min of talking to recordings I finally left a message on some machine….we will see how quick I get a call back…If they know there is a problem why would they not give a direct # to order replacement part ot make it even a little bit easyier to fix the problem????….
I have to agree with Paul. The Ninja design needs to be made foolproof to avoid gear stripping. Being aware of the problem I am ultra careful when placing the head onto to the prep bowl and haven’t had a stripped gear yet…but I can see how it would be easy to do so.
So far I’m impressed with the Ninja’s abilities. I’ve used it to expertly chop up left over roast beast to mix in with my dog’s food (a chore to do by hand as he’s a small dog and the pieces need to be small but not so small as to be dust). Tonight I used it to grate swiss cheese deli slices, cheddar cheese from a brick of cheddar and make crumbs out of cheezits (my own horrible mac and cheese recipe). WHile I didn’t like the mac and cheese it wasn’t the ninja’s fault…it performed great.
I picked up some chocolate syrup and ovaltine to make some choclate malts/shakes this weekend. I will also try to replicate some frozen coffee drinks a la Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts.
Charlie, send those recipes if they work out for you! I love making the banana and strawberry smoothie. I make at least one a day, it’s filling and so good for you!!
okay i got my ninja for Christmas my daughter bought it for me and she is ten she knows how much i love to cook. i watch the tv show about the ninja and it showed how to make strawberry ice cream in 3 minutes we i opened it and discovered that the recipe is not on there. i am very disappointment does anyone or can anyone tell me what the inexpedience was for that ice cream? thanks a whole lot Martha Bonine
Martha,you will need 1 and half cups of milk,,,, one quarter cup of heavy whipping cream,,, one quarter cup of sugar ,,, one cup of frozen Strawberries ,,, i tablespoon of Strawberry Syrup,,,one quarter spoon of vanilla extract ,,, then ,,,thats your shopping list ,,,, then you combine the milk cream and sugar stir to disolve the sugar fill one ice cube tray (16cube)with the mixture freeze for 3 hours until solid ,,,, place the ice cream cubes in the master prep mixture then add the frozen Strawberries syrup extract plus another half cup of Milk OVER THE TOP,,, secure the pitcher’s top and pulse for 10/15 seconds until smooth and creamy ,,serve with a drizzle of Strawberry syrup or fresh Strawberries ,,,i copied this recipe from the Ninga Cook-Book, any way i can help ,please just ask ,,and enjoy ,,,, it will become simple second time you use it as you will have stocked up on ingredients ,,,,,HAVE FUN
Martha ,pick up a couple of ice trays for further use and play Loose just switch fruits around ,RASPBERIES ,BLUEBERRIES ETC,, It will be so much fun for you and your Daughter,,Ei
Sorry forgot to mention ,,Strawberry Syrup in the squeeze bottle ,the one you use for Strawberry milk ,,
I am considering buying the HealthMaster for the benefit of putting veggies with fruits and my 3 boys loving it. I’ve read everyone’s comments on the Ninja vs. the Bullet vs. the HealthMaster. Sounds like any of them could have a potential issue, but can the Ninja emulsify veggies and fruits together like the HealthMaster claims?
V Harris
Absolutely yes. P:
I love trying to justify a $50 appliance being compared to a $200 machine. No, the Ninja is not equivalent to the $200 HealthMaster, but for a $50 appliance the Ninja I think will give you more than get your money’s worth.
I had both the Healthmaster and the Ninja. The Healthmaster motor burned out within 3 weeks while mashing boiled potatoes and went back last week. I called them and they took it back postage paid. Really,that was first class service.
The Healthmaster probably made a smoother green smoothie, if that’s important.
The Healthmaster cannot chop a nice chunky salsa like the Ninja.
I then bought a $99 KitchenAid-20% coupon at BBBY and have the best of both worlds. The KitchenAid seems to be able to do everything the Healthmaster can do (0.9 HP vs 1.75 HP) and is smaller and more manageable. I am not interested in milling flour or emulsifying avacado pits.
can anyone tell me how loud the Ninja is as noise is an issue for me. Other blenders have sounded like an airplane taking off.
How do i make ice cream with the ninja because the directions only allow me to make a smoothie.
Rishell,go back a few posts to no 219 plus the following two posts the recipe is right there for the Ice Cream,,, the recipe book is well worth the buying its very good ,Ei
I asked for this for Christmas! One day I was making a wrapped chicken breast meal and thought ‘this would be good in stuffed shells’. So then I made 2″ raw chicken cubes and filled up the large container. I did about 6 pulses and my chicken was in canned tuna consistency.. I added in spinach, spices and cream cheese and stuffed my shells. I made too many as always. This gave me the opportunity to share them for reviews and they were loved! I had some kids here and made snow cones in seconds for them. When my kids were younger snow cones were time consuming and messy. This is a totally easy prep and clean up! My fave gadget! LOVE IT! Brag on it!
I got a 20% off coupon for Bed, Bath & Beyond. Where do you obtain the $10.00 coupon to save more money plus I thought someone mentioned you got more than the 2 containers with lids but on Bed, Bath & Beyond’s website, it listed only one each. Thanks.
Where do I get recipes? There were none with the Ninja.
Does the ninja grind meat? If not can any of you suggest a really good meat grinder than I could buy. Thanks.
The Ninja is a blender, not a meat grinder, though I guess it could make a good mess of some meat.
If you want a meat grinder, get one like your grandmother had. Do a Google search for ‘meat grinder’.
I got out of bed to order this from qvc and thought I would check out the reviews first. I was so excited until I heard about the plastic gears…I’ll keep using my food processor until they come up with metal blades.
Regular blenders have plastic gears also and one can easily strip those too if you are careless. Metal gears will also strip, again if one is careless. Don’t be careless and the appliances are fine.
I agree with you Sandi. I was prepared to make the purchase until I read reviews from other sites regarding the plastic gears. Yes other blenders may have plastic gears, but the complaints were not about stripped gears.
During the Ninja demo today on QVC, Bob Warden, the demonstrator, stripped the gear on the Ninja pod. He had it on the mini prep and he was attempting to turn apricot ice cubes into ’snow’ for a fruity concoction. He didn’t have the lid or the pod seated correctly. The pod stripped ultra-fast…less than a second on two burst. They moved on real fast without mentioning the stripped gears but it was obvious this is what happened.
I look at it this way: be VERY careful to seat the pod properly. Use two hands while using the Ninja…one to pulse the other to hold the pod firmly on the mini-prep bowl or master prep pitcher. If the pod kicks off the container STOP immediately. Remove some ice (or whatever else your blending) if the unit is kicking back too much.
It’s kind of interesting to see all these complaints.
We have had our Ninja for almost 2 months now, we use it frequently.
I have not had a single problem with it.
I suspect the stripped gears things is mostly due to impatience and not putting the motor onto the lid correctly.
If you take 3 seconds to ensure it is seated properly I don’t see how the gears could strip.
It is a shame that USER ERROR is giving this product a bad rep.
I wouldn’t trade mine for anything.
I am not affiliated with Ninja Master Prep in any way. I just have been getting these email comments in my mailbox since I left my first comment and had to say something.
The quality of this machine versus the cost really was surprising to me. I thought it was going to feel and act cheap…it is far better quality than I expected.
I am totally impressed and would recommend it to anyone and just add one bit of advice, make sure the motor is seated properly on the lid BEFORE you hit the button, not WHILE you hit the button.
That’s all,
Scott
Re: Scott’s Comments.
I totally agree with Scott. For the cost of this machine I think it is the best value for money that I have ever spent. i love using my Ninja. You just need to take time to make sure that the lid is on tight and that the motor is on nice and tight BEFORE you pulse. Hold onto the machine to steady it with one hand and pulse with it with the other hand. If the gears strip the company realizes that they did have a problem with the first units that they shipped and will replace with stronger gears at no cost. If your gears have stripped, DO NOT throw the unit out. Get in touch with the company and let them know. Happy Ninjaing!!! Pat
I broke a plastic piece that fits over the blade spindle. The part couldn’t cost $0.25. I called and talked to a pleasant girl in India whose accent was too thick for me and we were not communicating well. Anyway they are sending me an brand new power pod!
If it breaks, they will send you a new one—go for it. The fresh salsa is worth it.
I just purchased the 2 for 1. 3 payments of 19.99, BUT I chose to pay all at once and I got 2 for a total of 89.75. That’s a better deal than QVC. That makes each blender approx. $45 each with shipping included.
If you use the 20% off coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond, you can get 2 for about the same price and not have to wait for shipping. My husband went in and bought one with one coupon and I did the same with another coupon:-)
Thanks Neeker…..great idea!
Can the ninja blend whole fruits and veggies or do they have to be peeled and sliced before putting in ninja?
I’ve discovered that things dice and slice equally when cut into 1-2 inch portions. This allows compilation of the items to be chopped by all four blades at the same time instead of the blades having to redistribute in the container and then chop.
Stumbled here by accident. I want to know what is it that the magic bullet or the healthmaster does that the ninja bullet cannot do. In otherwords, can one of them do what the others can’t. I am trying to decide which to get.
Stormrider,
My wife bought the Healthmaster several weeks before about the Ninja. Healthmaster started smoking and failed while I was trying to mash potatoes which is probably a bad idea. They took it back no questions asked as it was within the 60 day trial and there is a warranty on the motor anyway.
I did not try to make soup with the Healthmaster as I think that’s an inefficient way to heat food. I’m sure you would not want to do that with the Ninja. Both chop ice very efficiently. The ninja chops a nice salsa without making pulp. The health master may make a smoothie a bit smoother. I bought a KitchenAid blender which seems to be able to do nearly as much as the Healthmaster so now I have the best of both worlds. the Kitchen Aid is much easier to manage than the bigger health master machine.
Brooks what model number kithcenAid did you get. I have a ninja (haven’t used it yet) but will be looking for a good blender to, Thanks
Ben,
The KitchenAid blender is a KSB 5600—it works well and will crush ice and make a good fruit or green smoothie. I would recommend keeping the carafe out of the dish washer. Parts are readily available and you can buy a return or referb from KitchenAid on ebay for $55 plus s&h.
$80 with 20% off coupon from BBBY.
Does it really chop and dice? Green peppers or cucumbers for example..without turning it into mush? Say it is so, and I will buy!
Hi Elizabeth:
It definitely chops and dices to any size that you want. It is the dual blades that make it so successful at chopping. You can keep it going to make “mush” if you have a need to. The Ninja makes the best guacamole ever. I also use it all the time to grate my cheeze for topping pastas etc. I cut the cheese into approx. 1 inch cubes and then process it as course or as fine as I want. You will never regret purchasing a Ninja, just do not order it off line, too expensive when shipping added. Download a coupon from Bed Bath and Beyond and get it there. Cheers! Pat
Just bought my Ninja and on the 3rd use the plastic part of the motor that fits onto the plastic part of the blades decided to melt or chop into their own lil pieces which I came upon in my smoothie. I wouldn’t pulse over the 20 seconds as suggested. I actually wouldn’t go over 10 seconds as it wasn’t needed. I thought this was going to be the best thing ever but now I just want to take it back being I don’t like eating plastic and I’m sure it’s going to continue until it doesn’t work anymore. I’m so disheartened being it seemed like it would be the perfect addition to any kitchen.
D.
Look at comment #240. I think I have figured out a solution to the problem. If the power pod doesn’t drop right on, give the blade spindle a little twist and line up the gears.
I received the Ninja as a Christmas gift. Used it once for a smoothie – it was great. Used it a second time for a smoothie and the plastic gear stripped out. I will be returning it. You get what you pay for! Never buy anything with plastic gears.
Wow, all these stripped gears…a running theme here.
If you don’t seat the Ninja Pod on the pitcher or mini-prep IT WILL STRIP! If you use the Ninja properly it won’t strip.
This is user error causing the gear stipping.
To all those looking for metal gears…do you realize both the Ninja pod and where it mates onto the blades would need to be metal for it to make a difference? I doubt that’s going to happen.
What’s more likely is for the Ninja to be redsigned so that it won’t operate unless seated properly on the blade assembly.
This is a great unit if used correctly.
Sorry Charlie but you weren’t here to see that the unit was used properly. Brooks you’re a nice helpful person and I thank you very much. It’s nice to see there are so many kind people in the world.
D, just how do you think your Ninja’s gears got stipped? I haven’t seen any other theories or explanations other than poorly mated pods to base/blade assembly.
Well Charlie I don’t know about others but me personally couldn’t work the unit unless it was fitted in properly to begin with. As to why or how it happened I don’t know. All I know is that it was quite frustrating being I love the ability that it has.
I didn’t see where anyone answered the question about the comparision between the Magic Bullet and the Ninja. I had always wanted a Magic Bullet & just hadn’t bought one yet. Thanks.
I don’t consider the “magic bullet” to be comparable to the Ninja since they aren’t the same size. I think one person commented they didn’t like the MB because its seals leaked after awhile since the jars are upside down.
My friend has the Magic Bullet..I brought my Ninja over last weekend and we had a showdown. First, we blended blending a strawberry daquiri-type smoothy, then diced tomatoes, spinach, onions and garlic for a dip, then did the snowcone (which is especially yummy with Kalhua and cream!! Anyways, when it was all said and done, all in good fun of course, she and I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and got her a Ninja the next day to be on the safe side:-) This was a very informal, but effective side by side comparison and all items from my Ninja were done exceptionally more efficiently and in more uniform consistency than the MB.
Neeker, thanks so much for the info. I have researched prices, etc. and think that Sam’s Club at $49.84 plus you get 3 instead of 1 16oz processor is a good buy. The reason I was questioning about the Magic Bullett was you get a blender and juicer with it but there’s a lot of stuff to store when if the Ninja is just as good or better, I would rather go that route.
Oh, yes, if you need a second one for a gift, on their official website, you can buy 1 get one free at $59.85 plus P&H $29.90 for a total of $89.75. They also have an upgrade with 2 add’l pitchers & choppers with lids for an add’l $39.90.
Maggie;
Thanks for the pricing info. I had thought the Sams Club version was the best value but seeing as buying direct gets you 2 complete Ninja’s for $90 that’s pretty good too considering by buying ‘direct’ you get the lifetime warranty (I think). The Sams and other retail versions have a one year warranty.
Well, I don’t see the lifetime warranty claim on the Ninjakitchen.com website so perhaps it only applies to the infomercial version. I did find this buried url on a google search: http://www.ninjakitchen.com/ninjawarranty.htm
Well here’s the deal! I love your product soooo much that i wrote a little song type deal about it.. Some think it sounds corney some think it sounds awsome.. i’d like for you to write to me and tell me what you think.. ok here goes.. Please don’t laugh ok..
Twas the day after Christmas
and my blender was broke
so i bought me a Ninja
and thought “is this a joke?”
I plugged it into the wall
and got a big suprise
that sucker blended my ice
right before my eyes
so buy you a blender
a Ninja my friend
and you’ll never ever ever
buy another blender again
ok ya’ll that’s it.. word for word something i came up with in about an hour.. I think it sounds cool… Use it as you wish..
Have a great day and God Bless!
I bot the ninja and it is a piece of crap. It is impossible to line up and when it does chop, it chops all different sizes AND mine just broke after only about four uses and a lot of aggrivation. Don’t waste your money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, now there is someone who holds back on her opinion and her ability to use simple mechanical kitchen appliances. Of course if the appliance is not being used correctly it is a good probability that the chopping results would be bad too.
Now I will go back to making beautiful bread crumbs.
I’ve never used a faster product than the ninja ever! It’s wholly fully the most best processor that i’ve ever even tried!!
90 percent of the comments were clearly written by the people selling this product!
I can assure you skeptics out there, that I do not sell the product, merely use it correctly. I bought mine 2 months ago and one time I was in a super hurry and didn’t place the motor on correctly and heard a funny noise. I immediately lifted it and did it CORRECTLY and it works fine. Stop the paranoid talk people. It makes you sound very silly.
90% really?? Do you sell the product, since you gave a glowing review?
I love my Ninja. I’ve had it for 3 months and I use it daily and have had no problems with it what so ever.
Buy it – don’t buy it who cares.
I think think Stephen misquoted. It should have read 90% of these people have ‘bought’ a Ninja and used it quite successfully.
Do you know how powerful the motor is? Horsepower? Watts?
Product Details
* 48-ounce blender and 2-cup food processor with interchangeable power pod
* 400-watt motor head with one-touch pulsing for maximum control and consistant results
* Quad blade technology for uniform cutting and ice crushing action
* Splashguard and non-slip bases
* Removable parts are dishwasher-safe
Here’s the deal. This product works pretty darn good. The main problem I have is cleaning(drying) the lid. And beleive me it’s not that big of a deal. As far as line up goes, well, you have to use your head a bit. Unless your a child you should not have any problems. Ok back to the line up…..if you fill it with frozen chunks and then try to put the top on properly, it may or may not go on. If it doesn’t, rotate the blades a small ammount. SMALL AMMOUNT. And try again. It’ll work. Read the instructions. Understand the instructions. Follow the instructions. Use logic and common sense. I have read most of the comments here and quite honestly, some of you folks should not try to use anything that has a blade or otherwise sharp component. Stick to lego’s.
i love this product cause when i was hammered i tried green olives and vodka and made the best drink ever
577el7l5
I just ordered the Montel Williams – Health Master yesterday and then I saw the ninja commericial. Im having second thought but I want to make sure the ninja can stand up to chopping & blending a whole picture full of veggies. Someone let me know so I can cancel HM before it is shipped.
Mary, take a look at post 139. The motor on my Healthmaster burned out after three weeks and I sent it back. the ninja has a 0.6 hp motor and healthmaster’s motor is rated at about 1.75 hp. I think the ninja probably will do 90% of what you need unless you’re going to be milling rice flour or chopping up avocado pits. I bought a kitchenaid blender for about $100 minus $20 coupon and it seems to make a smoothie just as well as the healthmaster and I don’t have to use the pusher. Neither machine chop like the Ninja.
My daughter was using the smaller unit of the Ninja(which I gave her for Christmas) and the unit malfunctioned. The “bullet”(the top part with the motor, got stuck to the plastic piece that goes under it and it all came up together, the bullet, the plastic cover and the blades came up all attached. Since this never happens she didn’t realize it until it was too late. She was holding the top piece and inadvertently pressed the button that makes it go and since the blades were ’stuck’ to the top got badly cut cause the blades turned on. She had to go to the emergency room and had LOTS of stitches on both hands! We were told that she needs to report this or to sue the company cause the product was defective. She is not a child. She is 29 yrs old and will have to miss work now because of it. She cannot use her hands and was lucky that it didn’t take one of her fingers off or cut a nerve leaving her hand damaged. We still don’t know the extent of it until a couple of weeks go by and she gets the stitches removed. When it starts to heal we will find out if she has any trouble using the fingers. This is serious and she already posted pictures on Facebook and I will be posting them on myspace and other social network sites.
Now on my unit, I have stopped using the small one because when I put the ‘bullet’ on top of the plastic cover it is ripping up the top of the plastic and eating it away. So I am getting plastic shavings on it when I remove it. So I stopped using it. Maybe this is what happened with hers. I was lucky I stopped using it. We are going to talk to a lawyer tomorrow. I tried to attach the pictures but it wouldn’t work. If you email me I will send them to you. Allarah LaVelle
voiceofspirit11@aol.com
I truly am sorry to hear about the accident; however, I do not feel there is a need to post any pxs of her injuries on this site, or anywhere, but it is the 21st century where everything needs to be posted somewhere to give someone validity I guess. I do have a comment or two. I understand she is 29, but the fact remains, that whenever something is wrong with an appliance of ANY kind and you are going to try to fix it, the first thing you do is UNPLUG the darn thing. Had she done that, there would have been no power to the motor. I personally, ALWAYS think twice and even three times about sticking my hand into something, especially when anything sharp is involved…duhhh comes to mind. The sad thing is, is she will probably win any lawsuit regarding this because we are in America, where ludicrously obvious errors in human judgement get rewarded via law suits…It could have been prevented. It’s not rocket science people. Motor + sharp blades + malfunction = UNPLUG THE DAMN THING FIRST!I am a mom of 3 and I would feel horrible if this happened to one of my GROWN children…but I like to think I taught them better. If this happened to them, I would sue myself. Your post makes you look like an ambulance-chasing, lawsuit hungry, can’t take responsibility for my actions individual…it ain’t pretty man.
Oh yeah, and I DO NOT have any affiliations with the company that makes the Ninja, just in case some of those paranoid commentors are wondering:-)
To Neeker. Obviously you have not seen a picture of the Ninja or you would know that normally there would be no need to unplug anything because the top portion of the Ninja is the part that turns it on. And it is like a “bullet” that has NO BLADES attached to it at all. It sits on top of a plastic cover and the blades are INSIDE the plastic container that holds the food you are trying to cut up. Normally you have to pull hard to get plastic top off and the “bullet” never gets stuck to the plastic cover and the blades certainly do not attach to the top at all. So there is normally NO way you can get cut at all. This time however, the bullet got stuck to the plastic top that it sits on and even the blades came up. But you would have no way to understand that unless you know what the Ninja looks like. Go to Ninja Master Prep and take a look at a Ninja and you will understand what I am talking about.. But if you were reading this that tells me that you know what a Ninja is or you would not have been on this website. So why would you say that she would have to unplug it or worry about the blades at all. If it was not defective it could never have gotten stuck for it to come up all together. So before you comment you should read more carefully in order to understand what actually took place.
Neeker: You don’t know what you are talking about. Read the description of what happened again and you would know that the product malfunctioned. The top got stuck to the plastic lid of the container and normally that never happens so there is no way to get cut. It all came up as one piece with the blade attached. And if she loses work and has to pay for hospital bills due to a malfunction they need to pay for that.
Please re-read the description of what happened. There is no reason to unplug anything normally. The thing malfunctioned and she should be paid for time she loses from work and her doctors bills
Allarah, I guess your saying your daughter didn’t realize the unit malfunctioned until the mini-prep lid with blades still attached came off when she was removing the master pod and the thing just went off in her hands.
I’m usually not one to abide frivilous lawsuits but I think you may have a genuine case here.
If you looked at recent posts, I have owned my Ninja for several months and have had great success, with the exception of my error on placing the motor (which is by the way the top portion that will engage the blades and pulgs into the electrical outlet)a bit off center and it made a funny noise for a split second when I realized I had not aligned it properly. It still works fine as I didn’t insist on keeping it running. All things man-made have the potential of “malfunctioning”. It’s a fact of life. In this case, see the Owner’s Manual for the Ninja Master Prep. On Page 1 (Important Safety Instructions) it has 21 points, many of which reiterate the fact that the motor is connected to electricity and to unplug it first in the event of a malfunction. #18 specifically states: Immediately release the On/Off button on the motor head in the event that the appliance malfunctions during use. On Page 3 of the Owners Manual, under CAUTION, it reads: Make sure that the power head is unplugged from the electrical outlet and that the blades have stopped turning before attaching or removing any accessory.
As you mentioned, the fact that your daughter “accidentally” hit the power button on the motor head after the splash guard and blades were still attached and out of the canister screams of improper handling, regardless if the unit malfunctioned. She accidentally turned the power ON.
When my toaster malfunctions, I unplug it first, then dig out the toast; again, it’s not rocket science or even highschool science. It’s common sense, much of what we are losing as a society, in blaming everyone and everything else for our own negligence, but quick to beat down the doors of the closest attorney who will, for a fee of course, represent and perpetuate this kind of behavior. Oh yes, good luck posting on the social websites…nothing like drawing sharks to chum, you will get the attention you crave.
Charlie, check out the first post, that states, “She was holding the top piece and inadvertently pressed the button that makes it go”. That is my point about this. If the unit was turned off, and she pressed the on button accidentally, it would not have run.
Thank you Charlie. That was my point. These things happen fast and if you are not expecting it to come out stuck to the lid and blades you would not think to unplug anything. Anyway, we are not the sort of people that try to sue anyone. But it is only fair that she get paid for her loss wages and for the hospital bill. My friend who is a lawyer here in Tucson, where I live(my daughter lives in Tampa, FL) says to definitely contact a Personal Liability Lawyer/Personal Injury lawyer and they will help her. It is only fair. Thanks for your comment.
That’s whats wrong with the world today. Accidents happen and the first thing anyone wants to do is sue. That’s why there are so many attorneys and they sure aren’t cheap. Most are better off trying to get things done first without an attorney and as a last resort, get an attorney.
I still don’t understand why the lady didn’t see the blades come up with the top and how she accidentally pushed the button down to start it and got both hands. If I saw the blades, I wouldn’t get anywhere near them as everyone has said time & again how sharp the blades are and to be very, very careful.
I want a Ninja and waiting for my son’s to give me as a gift. One of my son’s got me one for Christmas but I took it back as you could tell it was used plus didn’t have instructions or recipe book. The store didn’t have any more so I just got a refund. Can’t wait to get one.
One problem I’ve noticed with the Ninja is the fact that it’s a bit awkward when you are handling the motor head: You have to be very aware of huge button on it that turns it on. To me it was pretty natural to unplug it before taking it out of the pitcher and small chopping container. But I’ve worked around dangerous machinery my whole life, too, and you learn early on the only one who keeps you safe is YOU.
To me what happened to Allarha’s daughter falls a bit into poor design and a lot into “should have known better” about handling something as sharp as these cutters are. But it’s certainly too bad that it happened. I’m glad she wasn’t hurt worse than she was.
Dear Allarah I truly hope your daughter heals perfectly and am sorry to hear of this happening. Don’t take any of what these people say to heart. You did the right thing by making people aware to be cautious. Some people have nothing better to do with their lives than beat others down to make themselves feel better than others. You know what’s true and what happened and that’s all that really matters. Thanks for the info and best of luck.
Thanks D. I appreciate the comment. Allarah
HELP – I loved the damn thing but stripped the gear after 4 weeks of daily use….after reading this thread I decided to contact them for a replacement gear. The Ninja website doesn’t work, the 1=800 number is no longer a working number, the Euro-pro website doesn’t recognize the model number!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Anyone know how to contact them for real??????
Hi Marisa. When you say you stripped the gear do you mean that the plastic cover for the small container was stripping when you used it? That is what was happening to mine. The plastic was getting stripped and I would find pieces of plastic strips on the top when I removed the motor piece that sits on top. I stopped using the small container because of that and was going to contact the company and then my daughter was injured. I asked her tonight if hers was stripping too and she said yes. So I am guessing after a while if you keep using it, it fuses together. So you were smart to stop using it. I will be calling the company about mine too. I am not sure what number you are using but they are still on tv so I can’t understand how the 800 could no longer be a working number. The number on the owners manual is the Euro pro number and you say they don’t recognize the model #? That is weird. Mine is a QB900v 54. Is that what yours is? Allarah
My product number is QB950 30 and the only number I have is 1-800-798-7398 If you try and call you get a recording saying that it is no longer a working number and to hang up to avoid getting charged! It’s the same number plastered all over their website. Most of the areas of the website don’t work but I sampled the link to place an order and that still works! What a surprise! (I’m very disappointed) Any advice??????????????????
WoW!You are right! I called the number and got a message saying you have to call (702)589-9300 and that it is a $3.79 dollar call and that “other charges may apply”!!!
The only thing I can think of is to call the number to place an order and talk to them and see if they can give me a working number that doesn’t cost so much to call. This is ridiculous! I am also going to send your comment to my daughter to give to her lawyer. She wants to get reimbursed for her hospital bill and lost wages and the lawyer said there is a case there.
the number you have 1-800-798-7398 is the right one and it works as I called them in the past to order some parts, I don’t know which number you are calling to get refer to 702-589-9300 but it ain’t 800-798-7398.
Also, by doing a little searching on the Internet, I found 1-800-798-7395, it also works.
The Ninja sounds like a great appliance if only it were a little sturdier and safer. It looks like a variation on the food processor. The blades seem similar. Perhaps one of the smaller food processors will perform similarly without the problems.
Can you chop ice in a food processor, like the Ninja does?
The food processors I’ve seen have tended to be much quieter than blenders as the Ninja is reported to be.
After a little research, it appears that food processors will chop in a similar fashion to the Ninja. The smaller 3 and 4 cup models from reputable brands like KitchenAid and Cuisinart on run about $30 or $40. They sound like they’re very similar in operation to the Ninja, and the newer ones are apparently fairly easy to clean.
Now to see what Consumers Reports says are the best ones …
Richard
My local Sams Club (Franklin Mills, Philadelphia) had their version of the Ninja marked down to $40 yesterday (2/13/2010). I think it is their new regular price. I guess they are trying to sell through their stock. It had been $44 since introduced 2 months ago.
Hi Richard:
I purchased my Ninja while vacationing in Hawaii and was in a hotel room for 2 months so I found it the most useful tool that I had to prepare food. They make the best smoothies ever, however I have stopped doing that due to the high sugar content. I am conscious of this after I purchased the book “The Belly Fat Cure”. However it makes the best quacamole, chicken salad ever, also I now grate all my cheeze with it. Only takes seconds. The secret is the double blade which even the most expensive machines have. I am sure that these other manufacturers will be coming out with the double blade system. Due to the low cost of the Ninja, I will never be without one. A caution though. When using it, it is imperative that the top of the container turned until it sits (seats) on the top at the lowest level and more importantly that the Ninja power head is “seated” straight. This sometimes takes a bit of getting used to, but once mastered and care taken each time, you should not strip the gears as so many have by incorrect placement of the container lid and the power head. Hope this helps. Pat
Well – I had filed on the website customer service and in an email they replied with the same customer service number I had tried before. Good news is now it works, bad news is they didn’t have my model number in their system. They then gave me the headquarters customer service number of 800-361-4639. In a matter of minutes (since I already had a customer number setup on the original call) they promised to ship out new blades and power head. I should receive them within 10 days and there was NO COST to me. I’m very satisfied with them standing behind the product! I can’t wait to shelf the old bullet again.
I really don’t get where all of you are getting all these positive spins on this machine. Well I guess what my father said is very true, “SOMETHINGS IN LIVE SOME PEOPLE WILL SWEAR BY AND SOME PEOPLE WILL SWEAR AT.” Well, I guess this one I will swear at. I tried for 15 minutes to blend some defrosted frozen veggies to make a soup stock, after my hand got tired, I thought, I should suggest to this company to make the next GENERATION of this machine with an optional hands free button for the drive head. I was stopping stirring, shaking, pulsing, pulsing, pulsing, oh did i mention PULSING!!! FOR EVER. If I only need a machine like this to make smoothies and beat up ice for an alcoholic beverage, maybe I could agree with this, however, for me to limit the use of this machine only for that would be likened to me buying a car to back up to the end of my drive way 30ft to go to the mail box.
So much money for such simple task isn’t really worth it. I’m sending mine back.
Good luck to those of you whom have had good luck with them.
P.S. They also want me to pay to return them. $59.95 plus $29.95 shipping, they will give me $59.95 back, (Not the shipping and handling) ir will cost me $11.95 to return then.$59.95 minus $11.95, I’ll get back $48.00 after a total expenditure of $101.85. Just think, Go to a local store to buy this product, not mail order.
Can anyone tell me please the name of the company that makes this device? Or has the rights for it?
Thank You
Euro-Pro
Cheers everyone, I was spending the early morning hours with my normal insomnia when I saw a infomercial at 3:00 am on the Ninja. I do not work for Euro-Pro or any other promotional company. I have never had any problems with my Ninja…I love it!!! We have used it for several different things, often forgeting to pulse (my husband makes the BEST chocolate malts) in it. We haven’t used it for cheese yet but he will be making pimento cheese soon so will have him try it. Yes, I do cook but the day before Thanksgiving I fell and fractured both ankles and am looking forward to being released from this recliner soon. Needless to say, we love the Ninja, have one for backup and if Sam’s club marks them down again, we will buy another one. I won’t be caught without one again. I watched a friend burn up the motor in her 2 week old bullet. The Ninja is a fabulous item and wish they would have more live demos…
i am trying to order this product, but cannot get past the block that asks for a discount/promo code. i don’t have one! would, however love to have one in order to get a little more knocked off as i’d like to upgrade to get the extra containers, but won’t up it unless i can find a discount/promo number. can anybody help on this matter? oh and would somebody please tell me what a “green smoothie” consists of, as i am blonde…clueless, in other words!!
Michele,
I was at Sam’s Club this week and they knocked the price down to $38. This is about what you can buy it for with a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond.
A green smoothie is made with fruit such as banana,apple,orange plus greens such as kale, collard etc. You can drink your green vegetables for breakfast. I never had kale to my knowledge–a dark green leafy veg. before trying a smoothie.
The Cadillac blenders cost $350-$400 (Vitamix and Blendtec). They will probably emulsify better or mill grains better. The Ninja will chop onions and tomato salsa better.
I received my replacement parts yesterday. In order to fix the stripped gear. They send you a new power unit and both blade fixtures. They redesigned the head of blades so everything just pops into place. All this happened with one phone call, no cost to me and in only 10 days. I’m very impressed with the customer service of Euro-Pro -I love the upgraded unit and would buy a product from them again with no hesitation.
ik love this peoduct i got it a few days ago and it it great
I just purchased the Ninja at Sam’s Club. After checking prices at Walmart, and Kohl’s, Sam’s had a better price, of $39.99. It also includes 2 extra small prep containers.
I can’t wait to try it.
Are you freakin kidding me? I just got this thing off QVC for like $100.09 bucks and I am seeing all great prices you all are paying…MAN I was DUPED!!! I think I am sending this puppy back in the mail!!! I can’t believe that!!!
I got mine from QVC in Cinnamon! I’m looking forward to using it. After reading the many comments on this site, I will be sure to use care when using it – make sure it is lined up correctly before pressing the switch and such.
i got mine at sams for 39.99 and it came with 3 small cups a big one. i love it
got mine yesterday at bed bath and beyond paid 32 with coupon i love it it does turn ice into snow. great thing is, if u buy it there, u can take it back a year or more later if u want and get your money back, no questions asked!
After much research I purchased the ninja prep 3/3/2010 at Khol’s. They had it on sale for 39.95 using my Khol’s charge with 30% off it cost about $28.00 plus I got $10.00 Khol’s cash that day for every $50.00 I spent
the ninja prep works just great Just wish the QVC and As seen on tv reveiws were more helpfull with recipes
James,
Try this fresh salsa: Do some prep cutting up. Do tomatoes then onions etc. Leave it somewhat chunky. Makes about 2 qt.
1/3 bag Roma tomatoes
2 medium onions
2 cucumbers
2 tbs chopped garlic
1 mango
2 bell peppers
1 medium habenero or 2 jalepeno peppers
cilantro–fresh or dried
1 Tbs. salt or salt to taste
lime juice
Yum! that sounds great, thanks!!
Very interesting to see so many reviews. There are a lot at QVC also. A friend of mine bought this from QVC and I noticed that they mention 3 times in the instruction booklet that you shouldn’t run the motor for more than 20 seconds at a time, with no mention of how long you should rest it before continuing. I believe the QVC demos showed it running longer than that and recommended longer continuous operation for one or two recipes. Also, somewhere (I forget if in the Euro-Pro literature or the Ninja web site) it is mentioned that their “free replacement” if something breaks, has close to a $15 shipping charge, after you pay to ship the damaged item back. Shipment on their recent company infomercial for two systems is about $30. Many of these companies probably make more on the “shipping & handling” than on the product, so try to buy at a local store. I purchased two other Euro-Pro products within the past six years and returned them…one small vacuum cleaner from HSN that didn’t work well and one steam cleaner from Target that spit out steam & water that only reached about 150 degrees. I noticed on an infomercial for one of their steam cleaners, probably their first, several years ago, the company’s president hit some “dirt” with steam but missed part of it, and when he wiped the area, the dirt that he missed disappeared along with the dirt that he hit with the steam. So, I must admit to not trusting this company, but maybe this time they have something that works fairly well. It will be interesting to see how well this mixer holds up under long term use. It looks like a significant number of purchasers run into problems with the plastic parts stripping. This needs to be addressed by some design changes. Perhaps one-piece blades rather than two-piece, or stronger plastic, or plastic replaced by metal, or the motor should perhaps (for some uses) start a bit slower than the full-power start it has now.
Hi SteveF.
You are correct, any of these companies that advertise over the television make their money on their shipping and handling chargesm, plus the upselling that they do when you call in. If anything goes wrong, you are stuck with the shipping charges. From reading the comments on this site I have seen that the Ninja has gone through several improvements. Read Marisa’s comment on Feb. 26th for the latest. If something goes wrong with a store bought Ninja, it appears that you simply call Ninja company and they replace the head with the new improved one. I have had mine since January and use it almost every day and each time I use it I make sure that the lid has slipped down into place and that the head is also securely in place. I never run it for more than 10 seconds just to be safe. I make my own Almond Milk every other day with it. I soak the almonds in water in the fridge overnight, rinse well the next morning. Add water, 3 pars water to 1 of almonds. It is fresh and extremely inexpensive compared to buying a quart in the store. I buy my almonds at Costco. I have tried to make the Almond Milk in my $400 Vita Mix machine and it does not make the milk anywhere near what my Ninja does. I just keep pulsing it until it is the almonds are almost pulverized. I save the almond granules left over and use them in my porridge or make cookies. This may be more information than you need Steve, but hopefully someone can use it. I would recommend that you buy local. P.
just wanted to let people know that I purchased my ninja prep master for 59.95 and the next day I walked into walmart and it was 38.88 regular price. Should have checked around more.
I just wanted to reiterate that I paid no shipping and handling – I dealt direct with Euro-Pro Headquarters. All I had to do was tell them what wasn’t working, where I purchased my unit, the model number and the date of purchase. I did not have to return anything and within a week I had a new power unit and both blade units. It works great – no way you can misalign it with the modifications they made to the unit and blades. I use it multiple times a day and love it!
Yup, just happened to walk down the appliance isle in walmart and there it was! My ninja for $38.88. Im very happy with the design of it and Im hoping the head wont strip, but Im very careful when i place it on the blades to make sure it engages properly (which I would suspect some people aren’t). I also feel the heavy use of it for shaving ice may be too much for the unit to handle.
The product seems very well made and I love it for making my salad dressing… chop garlic and then mix in the cup… very slick design.