Ninja Professional Plus Blender with Auto-iQ
A comprehensive review of the Ninja Professional Plus. Does this budget-friendly giant deliver on its promises?
High Power on a Budget
Not everyone is ready to drop several hundred dollars on a Vitamix or a Blendtec. Enter the Ninja Professional Plus, a blender that promises massive power and smart technology at a fraction of the price. Ninja has built an empire on offering aggressive styling and high wattage for budget-conscious consumers, and this model is their flagship offering.
The first thing you notice about the Ninja is its unique blade assembly. Instead of a small blade at the bottom of the pitcher, it features a towering central column covered in sharp, staggered blades. This design is highly effective at crushing ice and frozen fruit without everything getting stuck at the bottom.
The Auto-iQ Advantage
The Auto-iQ technology is what makes this blender incredibly user-friendly. It features pre-programmed settings for smoothies, crushed ice, and ice cream. Press a button, and the blender pulses, pauses, and blends in a specific pattern designed to pull ingredients down and process them perfectly without any manual intervention.
- Pros: Excellent at crushing ice, affordable price point, Auto-iQ programs take the guesswork out of blending.
- Cons: The sharp blade column is dangerous to clean, it struggles to achieve perfectly smooth textures with fibrous greens (like kale).
- Best For: Making margaritas, frozen drinks, and basic fruit smoothies on a budget.
However, this unique blade design has a drawback. While it annihilates ice, it doesn't create the same powerful liquid vortex that a traditional blender does. If you try to blend tough, fibrous vegetables, you may end up with a slightly gritty texture rather than a silky puree.
Final Verdict
If your primary goal is making frozen drinks, chunky salsas, or basic fruit smoothies, the Ninja Professional Plus is an unbeatable value. Just don't expect it to perform professional-level pureeing.