Ninja BL642 Nutri Ninja Personal Countertop Blender with 1200W Auto-iQ Base 72 oz Pitcher and 18 24 32

First, I have never owned a blender. But I introduced my wife to smoothies (from a shop) and we were spending $20/day for us both to have one. After a week of that, I knew I had to do something! I searched the web for the one that did outstanding for blending frozen fruit and ice. I read tons of customer reviews and then settled on this model BL642 Nutri Ninja / Ninja Blender Duo with Auto IQ (note the owner's manual has BL640). We cleaned everything and started it up right away. We use the blender cups because we like different fruits, and I like to add protein powder (I am a vegetarian, plus we use these smoothies as our breakfast meal replacements). I love how you can choose the pre-programmed blends! It has never failed to make the perfect consistency (if you put the correct amount of liquid). If you see that it's not blending well, then you just need to remove (following safety precautions, like turning it off) the blender cup, add more liquid (we use either juice or almond milk) and blend again. Some recipes I use Greek yogurt and other times I use protein powder or chia seeds for that extra protein. I knew there would be trial and error for creating recipes, but so far, no errors! Everything just tastes delicious. 8 days to the shop and this pays for itself (but you can get it cheaper on Ninja's website). Plus I can choose the quantities of fruit combinations (my wife likes more banana than strawberries in hers) and use the vegan unflavored protein powder brand that I want. It's only been a week and we've used it 6/7 days. I can't wait to try more recipes!! If you love smoothies, don't hesitate on this blender duo. Yes, it's a little more than the others, but the accessories and amazing ice crushing blades make it worth it! Read more

The Ninja Battle: A Smoothie Showdown with a Sonic Boom The 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. Read more

I have been loving this! I have used it almost daily since getting it, works great for my almost daily smoothie and everything else I've used it for so far. The noise complaint of other reviewers, I don't get. It's barely louder if at all louder than every other blender I've ever used. The blades are sharp and can be scary to clean, yes. If you let the stuff sit on there and dry on there. Just rinse right after you use and you won't have this issue. Better to have sharp blades that work than dull blades that are "easy to clean" and don't do the job. I love this blender and the capability of large batches of things or single batches. I definitely use the single serve the most and it is great! Love just taking it off the blender base and sticking the lid on and drinking straight out of it. So much nicer and cleaner than transferring to another drinking container. Some functions won't work with the single serve containers, like the "smoothie" button, which is a little misleading considering the most typical use for the small containers are probably "smoothies", but I'm not knocking a star off because it doesn't affect how well it actually works. I just use the medium button and it blends my smoothie very smoothly. I use a combo of frozen fruit and fresh fruit for my smoothies, no ice. So if you're wanting a smoothie with ice, I would bet the large container will work better for that that gives you the "smoothie" option. But really, this blender is great and I would recommend it to anyone! Read more