I have a confession to make. The only blender I’ve ever had in my home has been a cheap $15 one that we actually picked up to do a homeschool science experiment a number of years ago. I never really felt that I needed one before, until I started making smoothies, iced coffee drinks, shakes and the like. Only to find out that cheap blenders just don’t do well with the cups of ice. At least not in a short amount of time and not without that smell of thinking that the motor is going to burn up on you.
But thanks to a relationship that I formed at Type A conference with EuroPro, they kindly sent me their newest Nutri Ninja | Ninja Blender® Systemt that has their Auto-iQ™ Technology. And today I want to share a bit about that system with you and a tasty meal replacement protein shake.
I actually wanted to make smoothies and shakes quite a bit, especially in summer. But like I said above, using either my cheap blender or my really underpowered Coffee Frappé machine makes it tedious. Not only do I have to stop the machines a lot to ensure I don’t surge out the motor, there are so many parts to them that cleaning up after making a smoothie or ice drink seems not worth it. A good blender like the Nutri Ninja makes a huge difference, and clean up with it is a breeze.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can do with the touch of a button using the Nutri Ninja | Ninja Blender® System with Auto-iQ™ Technology.
The Auto-iQ™ series comes in a few different configurations. The one I received to review comes with a pitcher, a processor bowl and 3 different sizes of Nutri Ninja Cups with on the go lids (18, 24 and 32 oz.). The blades included are the Pro Extractor Blades, the Crushing Blades, a Dough Blade and a Chopping Blade, and of course the base with the Auto-iQ™ programming. There are 5 Auto-iQ™ settings, and 3 manual speed ones. With a 1500 watt motor, you have no worries of it burning out making frozen drinks! Ninja® Blender System With Auto-iQ™ also comes with an Inspiration Guide, the Rachel Beller 3-Day Jump-Start Plan and Rachel Beller’s Best Selling Book Eat to Lose, Eat to Win.
You’ll notice far and away that EuroPro was very conscious of putting together a system that is easy to use. From the Auto-iQ™ Technology to the markings on the blender cups so you don’t have to measure your ingredients in something else. The Auto-iQ features make it simple as the programs that work with the particular features of the container you have on the base light up. If you try and choose something different, the machine will throw up the error. That way you know you have the correct blades and container for blending vs. puréeing or frozen drinks, etc.
One of the issues I’ve always had with my other blenders is that nuts don’t get blended well enough into anything I’ve made. Not a problem with the Ninja Blender. I was so impressed with the first thing I made with this new Ninja Blender System, which is a recipe I adapted from the included Inspiration Guide.
- ½ cup vanilla almond milk, protein & fiber variety
- ⅓ cup walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup lite vanilla yogurt
- 1½ cups ice
- Place all of the ingredients into the 24 ounce Nutri Ninja® Cup in the order listed above, starting with the milk.
- Attach blade lid to cup, and then attach it to the blender base. Turn Unit ON and select the Nutri Ninja® Auto-iQ™ ULTRA BLEND Program
The shake came out in the perfect consistency. Just a bit thicker than a smoothie, but still I was able to suck it up with a straw. The walnut flavoring was all there, but no tiny pieces were left in the shake to get stuck in my straw 😉 (like what would happen with my cheap blending units).
NINJA BLENDER WITH AUTO-IQ TECHNOLOGY from Tammy Litke on Vimeo.
The countdown timer after you’ve chosen your Auto-iQ™ program is a nice touch. I like knowing it’s only 55 seconds until my drink is ready (under a minute I know right?! Crazy!). Technology is so awesome, I actually felt a bit futuristic as I just hit the button and watched the Ninja Blender® do its thing.
The base is solid, and I think one of my favorite features are the suction cups at the bottom. It doesn’t even move when you’re blending things up. I bet some of you know the feeling of having to hold your blender down in the fear that it might ‘walk away’ on you 😉 With as powerful as the 1500 watt motor on the Ninja Blender® is the suction cups and base keep it very stable.
It is loud (as you can hear in the short video above that I created), but I honestly have no problem putting up with the volume, knowing that I have a properly blended/puréed/chopped mixture when I’m done.
When you’re making large batches of smoothies or frozen drinks. The pitcher is fabulous! It has a spout that you can pour your beverage directly from with a no spills, making it easy to serve with no extra containers to have to clean up later.
Clean up is simple just take apart the lid from the container and all parts are dishwasher safe. No O-Rings, no separate tiny parts to put back together. Everything just locks into each part nicely and you get the audible “clicks” to know that it’s all put together properly when you’re ready to press the power button on.
The Nutri Ninja | Ninja Blender® System with Auto-iQ™ Technology has replaced three (count them three!) other small appliances in my home now. Two blending units and a food processor. I’m pretty sure once I get my groove on and use it to its full capacity, I may be getting rid of a few other gadgets in my kitchen too!
I’m looking forward to sharing more recipes with you using the Ninja Blender® on my blog in the future.
Granted it comes with a price tag (this particular model is $239, they start at $149), but in this case it is definitely a ‘get what you pay for’ deal. This is a workhouse blender and it’s going to make you change your thoughts on what to use a blender for. I had no idea what I was missing out on before I received this for review.
This is definitely something that would be useful for holiday preparation and/or would make a great gift for someone that loves to spend time in their kitchen and appreciates quality items to assist them in their culinary tasks. But this would also make a great wedding gift or housewarming present, especially for the novices in the kitchen because of the Auto-iQ™ settings since it takes the guess work out of how long one needs to blend/chop/purée.
To learn more about the Nutri Ninja® Auto-iQ™ lineup visit ninjakitchen.com.
What would you use the Nutri Ninja | Ninja Blender System with Auto-iQ™ Technology for?
Tammy Litke is a Dallas blogger, blogging since 2008. She loves to watch movies, play video games, spend time in the kitchen, and travel. Between recipes and reviews you’ll find many helpful and some just plain funny posts on her blog. Welcome, pull up a chair and stay for a while!
I've learned my lesson about blenders over the years. If you want them to REALLY blend, you need to ante up for a good one. Clearly this is top notch!
I never like it when they have tiny parts to clean, that is usually what prevents me from getting a blender…this sounds so easy!
My poor blender is stained red from blending tomatoes for spaghetti sauce. I could use a new one.
Wow, thanks for sharing this. Aside from the recipe you shared I learned that I need more attachments for my blender! LOL
Looks like a high tech blender. I love that it helps you know which blades to use and the different programs.
That looks like an amazing blender! I've always been a fan of Ninja as their products always deliver.
I love my Ninja! I used it to make baby food for Lola but yes it was super loud haha
Talk about state of the art! I need one of these to make my sauces and smoothies.
I definitely need to get back into the habit of making daily protein shakes and the Ninja blender would be just the motivation I need.