Ninja BL642 Nutri Ninja Personal & Countertop Blender with 1200W Auto-iQ Base, 72 oz. Pitcher, and 18, 24, & 32 oz. To-Go Cups with Spout Lids, For Smoothies, Shakes & More, Dishwasher Safe, Black

The Ninja Battle: A Smoothie Showdown with a Sonic BoomThe mornings began peacefully. Birds chirped, sunlight peeked through the curtains, and I dreamt of delicious, healthy smoothies. But that dream quickly turned into a full-blown battle when the new arrival entered the kitchen – the Ninja BL642 Nutri Ninja.This sleek, black machine promised creamy smoothies and nutrient-packed concoctions. I eagerly prepped my ingredients – frozen berries, spinach, almond milk – and hit the power button. The blender roared to life, a sound that could only be described as a dragon awakening in my kitchen. Conversation ceased. The cat bolted. My peaceful morning vanished faster than a banana into the blades.The battle raged on. The Auto-IQ setting, a supposed convenience, felt more like a taunt. Each pre-programmed cycle seemed to relish in building suspense, the motor whirring louder with each passing second, before finally reaching a deafening crescendo and then, blessed silence. My smoothie was ready, perfectly smooth and delicious, but at what cost? My ears were ringing, and a thin sheen of sweat had formed on my brow.Now, don't get me wrong, the Ninja is a champion. Those blades are samurai sharp, conquering ice and pulverizing greens with ease. The personal cups are fantastic for grabbing a smoothie on the go, and the pitcher tackles family-sized creations in seconds. Cleaning is a breeze, a welcome respite after the sonic assault.But be warned, bringing the Ninja into your kitchen is like inviting a rock band to live in your blender. If you crave a silent symphony while you sip your morning greens, this might not be your warrior. But for those who value power and speed, and maybe enjoy a little heavy metal with their breakfast prep, the Ninja BL642 is the ultimate champion. Just remember, this battle might be won with delicious smoothies, but your ears might take a few rounds to recover.

We knew we wanted to get more vegetables and fruits into our diet, and were close to getting a juicer. Infomercials on the Nutribullet changed our mind about that - it became pretty clear that the quantity of fruits/vegetables to make juice equated to a whole lot of clean up, a whole lot of wasted nutrients, and a whole lot of calories.When I started researching the Nutribullet, I ran into Consumer Report reviews that talked about parts breaking for that product. They recommended the Ninja. I am very happy I went with that recommendation.We use ours primarily for smoothies and protein drinks. It is possible to adjust the consistency from super thick to very liquid, just by adding some ice or fruits or vegetables with a lot of water in them. The recipe and instruction books are easy to follow and have good hints and suggestions so in no time, we have found ourselves making up our own combinations.Now we keep protein powder, a bag or two of frozen fruit, some pineapple coconut water and then add in whatever fresh fruits & veggies look good at the farmers market.My particular favorite is a kale tonic. This was based on a juice I have at my favorite breakfast place, and it was super easy to figure out proportions. One fuji apple, one handful of kale, one lemon and half a cucumber with some shaved ice make a great drink that I am not worried about having from a diet/calorie perspective.And more from a diet perspective, my husband and I both find ourselves using this rather than reaching for something else with more calories and less nutrients. If it wasn't easy to use and clean up, we would be back to our evil ways when it comes to snacking.I am very liberal about what I put into the mixer including seeds and skin, though I do take off the lemon peel. I have found that chopping it into chunks makes it easier to fit everything in the container, but you don't need to worry about the blades cutting stuff up and pulverizing it.I bought the large blender but have not used it yet, indeed we almost exclusively use the largest "cup" and the smaller blade assembly pictured. It is ridiculously easy to clean up. It could go in the dishwasher, but you can also handwash it easily, there is nothing and nowhere for food particles to hide. Just be very careful around the blades.I would be remiss not to mention the Auto IQ feature. This is really a set it and forget it feature that takes all the guesswork out of how long to blend or at what speed. My husband likes to experiment with the other settings, but this button makes smoothies as easy as put the ingredients in, turn it on and walk away. There are industrial strength suction cups on the bottom of the unit that keep the unit from traveling.It's loud, but so what. You have to be careful not to overfill, the unit will leak a little in that case. There are also a few lessons to learn about what should be on the bottom and top to keep it mixing smoothly, but its not a big deal to make a mistake or two with this and figure it out. These are all common sense things.Highly, highly recommended.

I had one of these for over 10 years before I burnt it out with regular rigorous daily use. Bought another one of the same model immediately. (Seriously, immediately)The auto blend settings work really well, I like that I can put nuts, seeds, raspberries, kale, and oats in my smoothies without them being gritty or leaving whole seeds in there. I mostly use the blender cups because they are the perfect serving sizes and super easy to clean, rinse off, and put back. The blender part it’s also easy to clean but it’s, you know, bigger. Lol.Blades stayed sharp through over a decade of use- I hardly notice a difference in performance between my old one and the brand new one which says a lot. And the old one didn’t even fully “burn out” as it worked again after the safety switch reset. I gave it to my sister and she is in love with it. It is loud, but thats never been a make or break quality for me.Tl;dr: good, long lasting blender that pulverizes even the most fibrous food matter. Big fan