Side by Side Comparison of: Ninja vs Hamilton Beach

When there are 1-2 star reviews stating problems, I hesitate to purchase. Mine arrived NEW, well packaged, and operated as expected making my first protein smoothie. The instructions are clear - I will try to follow them as I imagine one would have issues if assembling the blades, splash guard, etc. incorrectly. (Maybe you are like me and read/follow directions if all else fails, which has caused me problems in the past, so because of problems others had, I was "good" this time & read them first.) I hope the plastic doesn't crack as others wrote - toward that goal I'm not using a whole lot of ice cubes & it doesn't take long to blend the smoothie. The thing I like most is the large pitcher gives me room to use 20 ounces of liquid with the protein powder and still have plenty of room for the pulsing process. Other units I've used have a limited MAX fill line for what I like to use, and even if I used LESS liquid it overflowed easily. So for now, being a new unit, this meets my needs.

I purchased this as a gift. I also own one, I probably use it 3 or 4 times a week. I have had it for a couple of years and am thinking about buying another one in case my breaks, just so I will have it. It is so easy to use and the clean up is amazingly easy. The blades are very sharp but you can pull them out to clean them. Hence not cutting your fingers! I highly recommend this product!!

So now that I've used this blender for 2-3 dozen times. I do believe I can properly review this(ninja master prep professional QB1004)!

#1 Many Complaints about people cutting themselves with this blender....Well....the blades are sharp!! Use common sense!!!! They need to be sharps to cut up leafy vegetables!
#2 Cutting of the outer plastic container. HOW?!? I haven't figured! The only way to do this is if the lid just isn't properly on. Not using common sense.
#3 Blender melting to blades. Well this one had be worried. But after using it. The blades have yet to get hot in that spot. You would literally have to use this blender for 10 minutes non stop to make that happen. If you plan on abusing your blender. This blender probably will not work for you.

Due to my worries. I splurged and spent 4 dollars on the 4 year extended warranty. I understand that 4 dollars on top of the 39.99 for the professional series type blender can break the bank. But I decided to not buy myself a coffee that day and to go for the warranty.

BTW the food processor and chopper both work great. No problems. For blending, I have thrown everything at it, no problems.

I have been using this blender for a couple months now, nearly daily, and it's incredible. I make smoothies every morning with frozen fruits, protein powders, veggies, etc. and I have not been disappointed yet.1) It's powerful enough to really blend that frozen fruit and to throw raw spinach around (that initial jolt is really powerful, so I would suggest to always put looser, lighter ingredients on the bottom). And it's a sort of double-decker blade so it really blends everything, unlike a regular blender that only blends on the bottom.2) It's really easy to use--since the motor is on the top (and not heavy), and the cup is plastic, it's super easy to use.3) It's huge. You can make margaritas for a small-sized party in one batch. I make personal smoothies that fit in my Trimr TRIMR Shaker Bottle Tritan BPA-Free Mint 24 oz with Straw Hydration Shaker Cup For Protein Shakes bottle (also another highly recommended product) and it only takes up maybe a quarter of the thing, if that.4) It comes with a smaller food processor cup, which I didn't even realize.5) It's safe! The motor won't start without the lid in one specific place. It's not hard to do, but I just learned this after the lid was just a millimeter off.6) SO EASY TO CLEAN. This is probably the biggest plus. It's a sturdy plastic cup, and the two blades come apart really easily. The lid has a few more crevices to clean, but it's not impossible.7) Easy to store--since the motor is pretty small. It doesn't need to sit on the counter top, really. But if it did, it's small, and not cumbersome.

I can honestly say that I cannot live without my Ninja! I had bariatric surgery 2 years ago and have to drink a protein shake every morning. My Ninja has been used at least 1-2 times per day for the past 2 years and is just now starting to show a bit of wear. The medium pitcher is starting to show some areas of cracking, probably from the dishwasher, but still holds liquid. It also has some divits around the inside of the pitcher because I use it to blend ice. Overall, I love this product and would definitely buy it again! One caveat though, it works REALLY well in chopping so it is easy to over-process things and make them mushy, especially things like tomatoes or other soft fruits/veggies. Otherwise, you'll love it!

Every now and again you place an order that meets or beats your expectations this item arrived three days ago and I am on my 7th smoothie it is fast efficient not very noisy which I like and I have to say I am in love it's worth every penny thank you Amazon

This blender was purchased to replace a Cuisinart that I bought at Costco that had all the bells and whistles and cost more than double. When it broke down after a few years worth of work (and that was my second), I decided that I would just get a good blender with nothing fancy. I got this and I love it. I use it to make pudding, puree split pea soup, and some drinks and it's really a good blender. It surprised me how much better it does the job than my Cuisinart! I love the pouring spout on top as sometimes it was messy pouring from the corner of my old one. I've owned this for a while now. I don't like reviews from folks that do it right out of the box. I like to use the product for a while to test it out. This one definitely passed.

Beautiful blender buy a rectified and is satisfied with it , I give little use once a day as we are only a couple and is perfect is that last long the master

My older Hamilton Beach blender was dying. I did not like a previous Kitchen Aid blender I owned. The bottom of the line Oster I tried made a viciously ear piercing racket. In my dreams I own a Vitamix. Well..in the meantime I need something NOW. I looked at all the reviews of various strata and then said "just try this one" ..if it sucks well then it's a backup. Because if you are a morning smoothie addict like me you need a backup.

So it shows up. The base is taller than my old Hamilton Beach but the motor is more powerful (700 watts). I like that the buttons face forward and require a bit more of a positive force to engage. I think this is a good thing. You are less likely to accidentally hit them and spray chocolate soymilk or whatever your beverage thing is all over the kitchen by mistake.

This blender has "oomph" as they say. It fearlessly grinds large frozen blueberries to make a puffy aireated (bubbly) chocolate blueberry banana smoothy which is how I get through swallowing all my various vitamins including the "horse pills".

It has a real, high quality glass top. Some of the blenders in this price range don't - they instead use that crappy plastic that discolors and cracks.

They are honest about the buttons. No fancy schmancy: You get LOW, HIGH. PULSE LOW & PULSE HIGH. 4 buttons. I've never needed anything else. The springs on the pulse buttons and the size of the buttons provide a substantial tactile feedback. All those extra buttons - it's just frippery, added cost and more to go wrong. I want either to get started (low) or go all out (high). Why kid myself?

The motor base of the blender is mostly plastic but at this price who's complaining? The styling of the blender is not bad. It doesn't pretend to be something it's not but it's not hard to look at either.

It doesn't "walk" or jump about the counter - it stays put.

I have yet to make Hummous (or hummus) in this blender. Will report back if I have problems with that.

Complaints: I tried making Orange Juice and it got a bit messy. I strongly recommend just using 1 can of water and using Low. Then add the remaining 2 cans into your juice pitcher later. When you pour the blended OJ into the juice pitcher do it over a sink. This may have been user error. : ) I've only had this blender for 2 weeks now.

The blender will not accept my older Hamilton Beach glass blender top from the mid 1990's.

One design decision about the glass blender top on this unit that you may or may not like is ..the inner bottom area (near the blade) has a wider area around the blade..so it needs a bit more liquid (not a ton more) than I was used to with the old blender. Also, I don't know how this wider area around the blade will figure into making hummous. Again I will report back on that later. I have to wait until the hummous making mood strikes.

I do not make vegetable smoothies except for my cucumber tzatziki yogurt sauce on rare occasion. So I can't tell you whether this will blenderize celery or Kale.

All in all, for my specific purpose (soy & fruit smoothies) I am quite satisfied with this blender and feel I paid a fair price for it ($25.71) You could buy 12 of these for the price of a Vitamix and you can be using it NOW! You can always keep it as a backup or make it the vacation place blender.

UPDATE #2 3-30-2013: Still going strong. No hassles. I * did * make hummus (or hummous) recently and found that I had to make a double batch to get it started and get it all blended right - but that's not a big deal in my book. For smoothies the requirements for a good blend are much less demanding. I see some reviews complaining about the motor overheating, or a burning smell. I haven't experienced that. Maybe mine was made on a Wednesday? I just know it works great and continues to do so. Over and out! : )

P.P.S. If you look very carefully at the bottom of the glass blender top right where it tapers to meet the base, you'll see a sort of line in the glass that might "LOOK" like a scratch or break. It's not. It's some kind of little ridge left over from the forming or casting of the glass. I figured this out after much visual inspection as I was initially concerned about it.

Update: August 17th, 2013 Still going strong...

Update #3: Jan 29th, 2014 ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Still going strong...

Update #4 Jan 25th, 2015 TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Still going strong...no issues

Update #5 March 17th, 2016 THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! Still going strong...no issues.

Update #6 July 3rd, 2017 FOUR YEARS PLUS ANNIVERSARY! Still going strong...no issues.

I love this blender very much and I use it almost every day. The only downfall is that the medium sized one really needs some blades that are higher. The only ones it has are very low...which means that I have to push stuff down with a utensil in the middle of my blending. It still works well though and I'm not disappointed!

I previously owned a Ninja Blender years ago prior to relocating twice, losing it, and ended up buying another.I've had this one for over a month now to sufficiently review it with confidence.My main pet peeve is the little nib on the sides meant to help you align the top of the large pitcher and keep you from improperly attaching it prior to blending anything. It drives me BONKERS. I am constantly having to stoop to eyeball the nib and get it in the channel before I do anything. That feature alone made me knock off a star because I have more trouble attaching the lid due to that feature than I've ever had on a Ninja product. Their blenders years ago weren't nearly as cantankerous as they are now.If you ignore this safety feature, the blender itself cleans very well after a rinse, bit of water and soap, blend, then rinse again and set aside to dry. I use it thoroughly to make smoothies rather than anything else. However the smaller one chops vegetables very cleanly for stir fry. If you like making pancakes, this also works when you throw all the ingredients in together. Try to make sure your liquids are at the bottom rather than on top to prevent any powdery residue sticking at the base.The blades are insanely sharp so watch out. There's a reason this blender works so efficiently. I gently knocked my pinky against a blade on the drying rack and it cut very deeply. So make sure you set something on top of the drying blades to prevent any accidents. Remember it's under there too. I recommend a clear plastic storage container.

The blender on the 450 watt power pod had 3 levels of blades on the blender. The 400 watt only has two levels (lower) This still works fine for my needs but if you have plans on filling that pitcher to the top it might be worth the 8 bucks to get the 450 watt and get the extra blade. I paid 28 bucks for this and am happy with the purchase. (I really just needed an extra pitcher)

I kept reading/viewing blender reviews before settling on this one. There are some on Youtube by these two chicks who do the "runny" test. Seriously demanding blender reviews. Anyway. I'm a single guy, I love smoothies and this is probably what I'll use this for. So far it's great. It takes a bit to get used to positioning the parts aligning perfectly --otherwise the motor won't start-- but not much. It crushes ice, it blends great and it gets cleaned very easily. Just handle the blades carefully--they are sharp. The price is certainly right. I don't know how it would hold up long term, but at 30-some bucks I'm not that worried. My only peeve (and hence the four stars) is that the power cords is too short, and since it's pretty portable anyway, I can't easily transport it from one side of the kitchen counter to the other. Otherwise I would gladly recommend this to someone who loves smoothies, a frozen treat, chopping veggies.

There is an undocumented feature I would call a flaw because the instructions make no mention of it. The splash guards are keyed and must be twisted/rotated into place to seal and properly mate with the jar. It would be all too easy for an inattentive user not to realize this and place the splash guard on the jar without it locking it into place and sealing. If the contents are liquid they could leak out and make a terrible mess. Once you figure this out, the jars seal just fine. Figuring it out is the tricky part as the instructions make no mention of it; I would not consider it a flaw if the instructions said something about it. On the small bowl I've found it best to twist the splash guard into place. It then comes off simply by lifting.I bought this thinking I would be able to use the six-leaf blade assembly to chop onions. The six-leaf blade only fits the largest of the three jars, which is way too large unless you're chopping a LOT of onions, and I'm not sure if the motor could handle such a large number of onions. I could probably have gotten by with the "Express Chop" for $25 less but it's a hideous red. The black of this unit is much easier to look at.On the bright side, the small bowl has a four-leaf blade assembly, double the number of my previous chopper, so hopefully it will do a better job of chopping. The bottom-most blade is fairly close to the bottom of the jar so it should have no trouble mincing small items such as garlic cloves.Also, make absolutely sure the blade assembly is properly seated on the spindle before using.[EDIT]After quite a bit of use it has proven to be efficient and durable. The motor is powerful and it does a good job of chopping onions, garlic, what-have-you.I'm adding one star but it still only rates four stars due to the above-mentioned issues which are largely omissions in documentation.

I brought this item as a replacement for my cheap blender that no longer served my purpose of making smoothies. i tried to make a green smoothie and it came out a little chunky and not smooth like the picture is depicting of the strawberry concoction thats depicted in the picture. I am going to try it again to see if maybe i try a different technique to see if the results would be smoother or not but so far with other things that i have blended in this blender its great at quickly chopping and purering things quickly and easily. the parts are very easy to clan and assemble and the best part is the rubber ring around the base that makes it stay in place and not slip slide all over the place. You truly get what you pay for with this blender getting that its a very reasonable purchase and I believe that this is a great blender that will crush and blend your drinks depending on the size of the item being used with this item.

This blender holds up really well, even with viscous material like super frozen ice cream. The only issue I have with it, the lid doesn't pour so well. It leaks from the seal where the blender meets the lid when you pour. It has to be put on a specific way- the lid is shaped exactly like the blender so you have to line everything up- still drips. :P I make sure what I'm making is well mixed and just take the lid off and pour like that.It's not overly loud, makes short work of blending drinks, is compact and easy to store. I like that the blender is glass, it's easy to clean. Doesn't hold odor or wear out over time like plastic blenders. It's a good deal for the price/value.

Very compact, powerful, loud (which was fine) and very inexpensive. I wanted something inexpensive whose motor would not burn out on "high" after running for a few minutes. I ordered this specifically to make almond butter. It did an OK job, but you definitely need the grinder attachment (which although was plastic, is well made). Since this is NOT a large food processor with larger blades, you need to work in small batches (I think 3/4 cup is ideal) to get a creamy consistency. And you need patience. It takes a good 5-7 minutes to get it creamy and although it does try to "churn' the ingredients and pull the top of the mixture downward into the blades, you still need to periodically open it up to mix the contents from the sides so the blades can do their job. Adding a very little liquid (water, honey, oil, whatever...) greatly speeds up the process. I mean, if you truly want to make big batches of nut butters, buy a more expensive high powered (at least 700 watts) food processor or get it ground at the store.For my purposes, this is great

I picked this up after being unable to find a blender under $30 in any local stores that had decent reviews (I always check Amazon.com for pricing and reviews before purchasing anything). I had purchased a VERY similar model (same brand, and similar features) on impulse at a local store for right at $30, but decided not to even take it out of the box after reading the reviews on Amazon (my phone was dead when I purchased it, or I would have checked the reviews before pulling the trigger). After a bit of research I came across this unit which was a few dollars less, and is the same brand with almost identical features - so I was surprised that it had so much better reviews, but I figured it was worth the gamble and I needed a new blender for my morning smoothies ASAP (my old one was not working at-all). I never took the other one out of the box, so I can't compare this one to that one - but I can say that I'm very happy with this blender - it works perfectly for what I need it for, and although I have only had it for a few weeks, I haven't had any problems yet and it seems sturdy enough to last for a while. The problem with my last blender was that the gears the connected the motor in the base to the blades in the pitcher were made of rubber or soft plastic, so over the years they eventually got stripped until they were unable to catch each other enough to make the blades spin. During my search, I came across several models that had metal pieces connecting the blades to the motor which seems like it would be ideal. This model uses plastic, however it seems thick and sturdy enough to last a while. The pitcher is also very wide all the way to the bottom. Many blenders have a 'funnel' shaped pitcher that is smaller at the bottom (by the blades), sometimes causing ice or frozen chunks to get caught in the blades which can cause problems with the motor and/or the gears that connect the blades to the motor. Because the bottom of this is so wide, it seems like this happens less frequently because the blades will simply push the frozen chunks aside rather than getting them stuck between the blades and the glass. I rarely used the lid on my old blender, as I don't usually have issues with the ingredients splashing out - however, the lid of this blender has a couple of features that I really like. One is the spout that allows you to more easily pour your smoothies into your cups with less mess/dripping, and the other is a little 'flap' that allows you to easily pour in ingredients while blending without worrying about splashing.I've only had this for a few weeks, but so-far it is working very well and I feel confident that it will hold up for a good while. I definitely recommended this for anyone looking for a sturdy, powerful blender in this price range. I'm only withholding the 5th star because I would really like to see metal pieces connecting the blades to the motor instead of plastic - but hopefully this won't be an issue.BONUS: DELICIOUS SMOOTHIE RECIPE!1. Optionally put 1/2 or 1 full avocado (removed from the skin and separated from the seed/pit) in the blender (depending on how much you are making and/or how creamy and how much avocado flavor you want.2. Optionally add a banana to help thicken it up a bit and add some more nutrients3. Add 2-3 cups (or your desired amount) of any type of fresh or frozen fruit you like. I especially like peaches, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, mango, and cherries.4. Optionally add a scoop of protein powder to add some more nutrients. I use vanilla flavored powder to add a bit of flavor as well. You can also add powdered vitamins such as Airborne, vitamin C, or fiber.5. Mix in about a cup or so (depending on how thick you want your smoothie) of juice. I personally prefer fresh squeezed orange or apple juice, but use whatever you like or have available.6. Optionally add a half cup or so of GoodBelly, or any other type of probiotic or nutrient rich juice. You can also use wheat grass, or something similar to get some extra nutrients.7. Optionally add a half cup or so of kefir or a few spoonfuls of yogurt. I prefer either vanilla or berry flavored kefir which adds some probiotics to your drink, and a bit of sweetness and flavor. Obviously you can leave this out if you prefer a dairy-free smoothie.8 Start blending the ingredients on low, then turn it up to medium once the big chunks start to break down.9. Optionally add a couple tablespoons of agave nectar, or honey as a natural sweetener. You shouldn't need much, especially if you used sweet juice or flavored yogurt. I prefer raw light agave nectar, and just a couple of squirts is enough.10. Optionally, add a few drops of grapefruit seed extract, or other natural oil or extract for additional nutrients.11. Blend on medium until it begins to 'fold' (you should basically have a smoothie funnel/tornado) - if this doesn't happen within a minute or so, it may be too thick and you may need to add some more juice (or use a thicker straw). Then you are ready to drink. Taste a bit with a spoon or straw first, and add more ingredients as desired to get the perfect texture and taste before pouring.12. Rinse the pitcher and lid with hot water right away to ensure you have a clean blender to use the next morning.This may seem like a lot of steps, but once you do it a few times it takes less than 5 minutes to have a healthy and delicious breakfast that you can drink on your way to work. I always make enough to share with my kids, so I know everyone gets a nice dose of fruit, protein and vitamins each morning. Give it a try, and you will probably be hooked! Enjoy...

Yes, you can make a green smoothie with this. Put water in first. Then Kale, spinach, collards, 1 green apple bite sized chunks , 1 orange, 1 banana, oat meal, whole baby carrots and apple cider vinegar. People act like this thing won't blend but it will. If you put water in first and actually let it blend for 1 minute, that's it! Done! This is why you need to decide things for yourself. I'm glad I didn't buy a $500 blender. What is wrong with people? That is rent money and I just want to blend leaves and soft ass fruit.

We purchased this blender after our old Oster died and our Magic Bullet bit the dust. I agonized over various blenders- all with different features- but mostly, it came down to, "What can I get with the best features and not break the bank?" ($400 for a blender just seems outrageous to me!)Our Hamilton Beach 58149 Blender/Chopper arrived today and we opened it up and put it to use, right out of the box!Likes:-LOVE the easy-pour spout! This spout makes it easy to blend and then serve. No fuss, no muss.-The easy-clean feature is a nice feature that helps loosen bits of food that can get caught in the blades.-Our old Oster had a plastic pitcher and I hated it. It cracked easily and I didn't feel like it was very good quality. I love that this blender has a glass pitcher.Dislikes:-The hinged opening on the top of the blender is kind of small. This makes it difficult to add anything too big while the machine is in operation.-Like other reviewers have commented, you do need to add more-than-you-think-you-need liquid in order to get a smooth, smoothie.-I kind of wish that the chopper had a glass bowl, but it's not a deal breaker since I don't think I've ever seen a chopper with a glass bowl. I just believe that glass lasts longer than plastic.Otherwise, we really like this machine and I'm please with the Hamilton Beach 58149 Blender and Chopper.

I bought this blender primarily for protein and fruit smoothies, crushing ice, and grinding coffee.Out of box experience was good, well packaged, simple. Tested it by using the Easyclean feature, and it worked like a champ. While it is noisy, it is quieter than I expected. Just don't expect to be listening to something on TV in another room if you are blending in the kitchen.The Pros:My first smoothie was done in seconds, no fuss, no muss. A cup of ice, two big scoops of protein powder, fresh strawberries not cut up, and 12 ounces water.I put in the ice and strawberries first, and pulsed about 3 times on ice to get a very nice puree of ice slush and strawberry, only a few seconds each. It's got power to spare. Added the powder and water, hit smoothie, and about 15 seconds later I had very happy happy milk-shaky-like goodness to enjoy.Cleanup and storage could not have been easier.So it's a keeper.The cons:I can see how with so much plastic used, SOMETHING will give out over time and use. HB does not warrant glass breakage, but they say NOTHING about plastics, so if a lid or vent or base go, the 3 year warranty will be worth keeping track of.Summary and impressions:It suits my needs, it meets or exceeds expectations, and it was cheap. So cheap that if it dies after warranty, I won't blink and won't miss it.So after browsing through HUNDREDS of reviews, personal blenders, and Ninja's and such, and nearly going for a Cuisinart personal blender, I figure this one takes up roughly the same amount of space, 700 watts beats 300 any old day, and certainly 185, and why mess around when I don't want to have to worry, I want to blend.Very Worth While. If it had more sturdy and durable looking plastics, or they were some other non-bound-to-fail material, it would get 5 stars. For under $25.00 you can't beat it with a stick.I hope this helps if you're reading this!

It works very well, but it is already cracking after just a few months and it is a pain in the butt to clean. Seriously, so hard to clean. The lids are awkward and there are so many creases that food gets stuck in. I had to buy baby bottle tools to clean it, and there is still food I can't get to. It does blend extremely well though, and for the price, as long as you're willing to work to get it clean, I'd recommend it.

The Ninja Master Prep works great, but it could definitely work better.When I received the blender, I went on a blending-spree for a little over 2 weeks and have used it every other week since then. (I've had it for at least 7 months, now.) The blender blades were sharp, but after some time, I've noticed at the blades aren't as sharp as they used to be. This means that it takes a bit longer to blend things after some use. As far as blending, it leaves more to be desired. The blender will not always blend smoothly the first time - you'll need to scrape the sides down, even if the mixture is fairly liquidy. Blending things like spinach can be a challenge. However, blending ice and frozen fruit works wonderfully as long as pulse. The best thing about the blender is that it is extremely easy to disassemble and clean.

Although this machine lacks some of the versatility of a full size blender, it is extremely easy to clean and still has a lot to offer. From a cost perspective, as the basic model is only about $30, it is also a bargain. Do not expect it to crush ice into micro particles or make you a master chef, but it will do just fine for most tasks, including fruit smoothies, protein shakes and makes great frozen drinks. It also does pudding and whips cream pretty darn good. Yet mine has had one recurring problem which is why it only gets 3 stars: about once every 6 months or so of daily use, the rubber pitcher lid rim gasket wore out whereby the lid would no longer fit secure and leaked. Eventually, the lid will not align to close properly and the motor would not start because the lid was not in a secure closed position causing the safety switch to trip. The first time this occurred, Ninja replaced the entire lid and gasket assembly at no charge. Ninja customer representatives have been quite helpful and professional on the phone, but after a year, I was charged $5.95 for, "shipping" and the last time I called Ninja I was advised the replacement lid and gasket assembly would cost $10.00. My pitcher has never been in a dishwasher, and I only hand wash it with regular dish soap after each use. For an occasional user, this will likely not be a problem, but if you plan on using this device daily, I recommend something more durable.

So I decided to do a pros and cons list for this blender. Background info: I am a frequent user of a blender (to make various things, not just smoothes/milkshakes) and by frequent, I mean daily use. I have had several blenders by brands like Oster and they have not compared to this blender.Pros:The blades really do chop/mince/liquify every last thing.The design and the fact that it comes with essentially 2 blenders in one is nice.The product is very light weight.Assembly is relatively easy.The base has a rubber outline to prevent the product from moving when you are blending.Nice color (mine is gray).Does a really good job of blending-EVERYTHING (depending on how long you pulse it for) comes out very creamy, especially when you make banana ice cream (blended frozen bananas).It gets the job done in a short amount of time compared to typical blenders.The price is right. This is a good deal for this type of blender and for what you get.Cons:Too many awkward crevices that you won't even think about until you have to clean it (just wait...you will miss places and it will still be dirty sometimes, including in the top part where the power comes from-and I consider myself to be a clean freak)!The blades are SO sharp and are difficult to clean without cutting oneself because there are not many places to hold it when you wash it.While assembly is relatively easy, if you don't get the pieces in (like the blades) just right you won't be able to use the blender at all.Sometimes you still have to take the top off of the blender multiple times to push down whatever you are blending because it will just keep rotating on the blade instead of fall in with the rest of the mix.*I haven't used it for mincing anything yet, but when I do I will be sure to submit a review.

I've had this item now for about 2 months. It's ok. I think I'm more of a blender person.Even now, I'm sitting here hungry and wanting to make my morning smoothie but the thought of all the parts and assembling it makes me lazy to do it! Please don't misunderstand -- it is a very good product. But for me, there are just too many parts: the motor; the blade; the pitcher; the rubber thing on the bottom of the pitcher; the lid between the motor and the pitcher; the rubber thing that goes on the lid between the motor and the pitcher.And don't even get me started on cleaning each of the aforementioned parts. I use flax seed and everything has to be rinsed immediately after blending or it will become very difficult to clean. Some of the parts, like the lid, are not easy to clean. It has edges and difficult to reach spots; I have dried flax stuck in some of these spots. I just can't get it out.It grinds up ice beautifully and makes great smoothies BUT I do have to put in each ingredient one at a time and blend it. I cannot just throw everything in and have it all come out smooth and good like with a good blender. Not with this product. I put in the water and greens and blend. Then I put in my fruit and blend. Then powder supplements and blend. And each time, the motor has to come off and then the lid has to come off. One time, early on, I was in a rush getting all my ingredients together and throwing stuff in...only to realize I forgot to put the BLADE in. Aaarrgggghhhh..... It's just the WORK of it all that frustrates me. This is NOT a smoothie on the run kind of machine at all.Again, it does its job well. I recommend it solely on that. But if you don't like dealing with more than 3 parts, this isn't for you. I've used it too often already to bother returning it. Next product I get will most certainly be a nice, sturdy blender.

I bought this because of the Consumer Reports blender comparison that rated it above a Vitamix: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2013/07/cr-best-blenders-100-model-beat-650-one/I didn't test the product or check it out in a store, so I had no idea how it worked. I was disappointed to find that you have to hold down the button on the top the entire time you are using it, which means you can't just flip a button and walk away - you have to stand there the entire time you are blending. It's not that big of a deal, but it's super annoying when I'm preparing a meal and want to be able to take care of other things in the kitchen while it's blending.Otherwise, it does work very well as an every day blender, and I like all the attachments, but I think I might actually spring for the Vitamix, or maybe just get the next model up in the Ninja product line.

I bought this blender because I thought it was newer and an improvement over my older Hamilton Beach blender. I wanted to use it for smoothies and for crushing ice in it. No different than my older mixer. Does the same job. The amount of time to crush ice is a little faster, not much. I probably won't return it because it is so inexpensive, I'll just use it for now. The really good blenders are over $150.

For the price, it's not bad. I like that the container is glass instead of plastic and that it is completely dishwasher safe. On some blenders, the blades need to be hand-washed. However, it is really loud. My ears are always ringing once I'm done using it. It also takes a really long time to blend my smoothies. Now, I do freeze my fruit before making smoothies, so if you are using fresh fruit it is probably fine, but anything frozen it takes a long time before getting any traction. If you can afford it, I would splurge for something a bit more expensive, but if you're one a tight budget, this one will do.

I have only used the smaller "food processor", but it is completely inadequate.I had block cheese to grate; i cut into 1" pieces and filled it halfway up and used the high "pulse" feature; it ground up the two bottom chunks but did not have the power or design to pull down the other pieces.Eventually to complete the job I cut into about half the size of a die/dice. And could only fill up one row of that. I could have grated faster by hand.

You know, I like the heavy glass of this blender and it does a bang-up job. On the other hand, the included chopper thing is anemic and barely chops things at all. I found you have to chop veggies or fruit before you place them into the aforementioned chopper. For that reason I give it three stars.

I bought this for making smoothies out of frozen fruit. I tend to drink smoothies on a rather erratic basis, so fresh fruit tends to spoil on me before I can use it. The blender is an interesting design, as it is very wide as blenders go, apparently to allow room for the optional food processor attachment blade (never used said attachment, so no idea how well it works). The unit is also sturdily build, looks very nice, has a pour spout which is quite handy for pouring without dribbling, and has plenty of power.I would give it five stars, but for two issues.One, it doesn't blend large frozen strawberries or frozen bananas very well compared with other blenders I've used, I wonder if the wide design has something to do with that. The bananas (broken in half before freezing) were especially difficult to process in this thing. They would tend to get stuck on the side and just sit there. If you leave it running for a minute or two (literally, 60-120 seconds) it will eventually pull it in, if you can wait that long. I found myself turning it off two or three times and repositioning the fruit until it took. On the plus side, once it does take, it does a very thorough job of blending in a short time.Two, the lid really needs a redesign. The pour spout, while nice for pouring, is so narrow that it completely fails as a means of adding ingredients during blending. Seriously, when you can't fit a banana through the opening, something is very wrong.On the whole, it's an ok blender. It had potential to be a great one, but just ended up ok.

I purchased this blender to blend my coffee with butter. I can only put in about two cups of coffee to blend (I usually put in 4) because any more and liquid shoots out of the little hole in the top. Its ok. I have to put a paper towel on the top to blend. The glass is a plus. Guess I needed a bigger capacity.

Surper cheap plastic, period. I'm sure there's some teeny-tiny lawyer print somewhere telling you not to use the dishwasher on this junk but how many busy family's have to time to constantly hand wash something like this? And hand washing the blades is frankly dangerous as the blades are wonderfully sharp hence the two rating.My advice is save your money and get something with a strong warranty. As I often say in these reviews things are cheap for a reason and that cheap and high quality NEVER cross paths.I'll add pictures if requested.

So many pieces! I'm disappointed in this, overall. It works fine with smoothies made from fruit and almond milk, but those with yogurt didn't work as well... it clogged the machine. I wish I'd just put the $ spent on this towards a regular blender!

Bought in October and replaced in November. Loved how it works and used it nearly daily. After three weeks the bottom of the small cup cracked. I thought it was because of the dishwasher and using the heat to dry my dishes. So under warranty got another one and did not use the heat dry on the dishwasher. After 6 weeks the bottom of the large cup is cracked and the center post rusting. The food does go up into the lid and makes the driver on the motor dirty and it is a bear to clean! If what you are blending incorporates air, even if you do not overfill it -it overflows. The gasket is going to be an issue, as it is already falling off. This is a once a day use for 6 weeks.This works well, but not for long. I have not contacted the Ninja people yet. My replacement warranty through Amazon has expired. Maybe the motor is too powerful for the design of the bases. Too much money for a 6 week item.

I bought this because Consumers Report rates this mixer high because of how it handles ice. It is a quality product, however, I have also owned a Nutribullet and for day-to-day use it is a much better product. I don't care for the Ninja because - it has a two part blade that must be inserted before adding food which caused me to spill the protein powder ever time I made a drink. I also had to cut up all the fruit etc. in order for it to fit past the blades. Cleanup is also more complicated because it has four parts to take apart and clean.I like the Nutribullet better because it has only two parts to rinse off and the container is wide open which allows you to drop in anything you want without having to get it past the blades. I bought another Nutribullet after getting the Ninja because I use it every day and preparation and cleanup is a snap. I save the Ninja for heavy duty jobs. Like I said, its a good product but more cumbersome to use.

Finally, a blender that is powered from above. Most blenders fit the bowl on top of a motor unit that have the blades screwed into the bottom of the bowl. The bottom screw on blenders usually find a way to leak - worse yet when the contents are boiling. This unit is a solid bowl (3 bowls actually) with a guide rod in the bottom that the blades (choice of 3 different sizes) simply slip down over. The power unit then connects from the top. It is a bit inconvenient to have to lift off the power unit to scrape down the bowl, but since the blades stay in the bowl. there is little mess.Seems to blend powerfully. Has covers for its bowls.March 2015 update. I have lowered my rating from 5 stars to 2 stars. There is no way to add ingredients to the bowl while the motor is running. The is a critical function, for example, when trying to make mayonnaise or gazpacho where the oil has to be added while the motor is running to be properly incorporated. Too bad. I had high hopes for this blender.Recommended.

This is my first ever review which is an indication of how disappointed I was with this item. I have made a lot of smoothies with my 40+ year old Oster blender, then I dropped and broke the glass jar. Looked at and read the reviews of the Chinese made replacement jars, same with the Chinese made Ninja QB1004 which I had heard positively of for the last couple of years. Decided to upgrade, join this century. Made my first fruit smoothie just a couple of hours ago. Put in some ice and frozen strawberries in the smaller pitcher and pulsed first, then added half a banana, 3 ounces yogurt, half cup water, 1/4 cup OJ and one of my hen's eggs, just like I always did with my oldie. Pitcher was filled to the less than the half way mark, 2 cups. Somewhat awkward holding and pulsing, figured that was learning curve stuff, no problem. Smoothie was delicious, smoother than my oldies'. Went to clean it, way more pieces with difficult crevices and the smoothie had wicked it's way up the nipple on the blade assembly into the powerhead nipple receiver. No way would "just wipe with a damp cloth" clean that out! The crevices on the lid were nothing compared to those crevices. Q tip required. No way!!! The gap twixt the nipple and the receiving end was too much, NOT a learning curve issue. It's packed up and a replacement glass jar has been ordered, hopefully it will work. If not, I'll be lookin' for suggestions: makes a good smoothie/frozen drinks, KISS, easy to clean, not a lot of stuff to store. The seller delivered as promised and Prime is great. Thank you Amazon.

This blender is cheap, so if you're broke and need a blender today and won't be able to save up and spend another $20 on a better blender next month, then get this. It's as loud as any other blender (not as loud as the Ninja Professional bullet [900W] which is like an F-16 jet engine). With this blender I have to blend twice as long as my previous cheapo Black & Decker blender (broke the glass unfortunately and the $29 part replacement led me to just get another blender) just to get the same results, and with more blending comes more bubbles/over-aerated protein shakes. Next time I will spend another $20 and get a better blender. At least the pour top on this is an advancement over other blender tops with their annoying removable center clear piece of plastic.

Really disappointed by this product. The blades are really dull and small; so different from other blenders I've used in the past. It certainly sounds like the blender packs enough power to make a smoothie, but ice cubes and large pieces don't get sucked down to the blades. Those pieces just keep getting shot to the top of the liquid and it takes ages to get a chunky 'smoothie'. I don't understand why there are so many good reviews, because my experience was exactly as described by others who gave poor reviews. I'm giving it two stars because I haven't yet tried the food processor it comes with; maybe that item would redeem this product.

I bought this for my 90 year old mother. She has had a stroke and has difficulty swallowing and chewing so her caregivers are blending all of her food. We had an old blender that we were using that worked fine until the rubber seal broke, so I bought this blender based on the reviews I read. I noticed that the caregivers have drug out the old blender and are using it again. Someone found a replacement rubber seal. I asked our main caregiver today why she wasn't using the new blender and she said that the food gets stuck in a weird place and then it won't continue to grind up. She said the old blender works a lot better. So...I should have asked sooner because the window to return this item has now closed. Disappointed.

unfortunately had to return it, due to it did not blend slices of apples or ice cubes. apparently the blades are small; the blades would just spin in the middle, but not blend the whole mixture. also tried by adding water but still did not blend. I really wanted to like it, but did not work for my purpose. buy if you're only blending softer foods/mixtures.

Not good ! SO I got This one ......Oster Pro 1200 Blender 2-in-1 with Food Processor Attachment and XL Personal Blending Cup is far better! Yes its more $ , BUT , it is far better in quality! I am not paid at all to recommend this !

Hamilton Beach Power Elite Multi-Function Blender with Glass Jar and Chopper is fine to use as a blender. BUT THE CHOPPER DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. I have been using this product since November with satisfaction blending soups, etc. However, today I tried to make chicken salad. It does NOTHING but make noise. It doesn't chop and is a big fat disappointment. If you want an inexpensive blender, this is a good choice. But if you want more than that...do not buy this product.

its OK, messy, the blades do NOT stay put in the grooves, they spin out and all you get is the bottom blade doing the work. therefore, its not efficient, you have to keep stopping the motor and 'fix' it, again and again. the motor is slippery when you handle the device.NOT A GOOD PURCHASE.3/7/17 - I added more about this POS - if i could give ZERO stars, I would

I purchased this product because of the great reviews but I have no idea why people like this thing... It has some pretty serious design flaws. Here are a few:1. The blades are removable. Sounds good, right? WRONG. The blades are dangerous to remove and put back on because they are sharp blades! I would much rather have a standard blender where the blades are protected and the user is unlikely to have to ever touch them. In the case of the "Ninja" product, I cut myself trying to put the blades on and bled for HOURS (not kidding). The cut wasn't deep enough to warrant going to the hospital but it was just deep enough to be annoying and really dampen my mood.2. You have to put them blades in first before you put any of your smoothie ingredients in. Doesn't sound like a problem, right? WRONG AGAIN. If you add peanut butter to anything you plan to blend (like a smoothie), it will be a nightmare to get it to go in around the blades. If you get peanut butter on the top of the blade (the shaft that the Ninja uses to spin the blades), you're in bad shape.. The peanut butter will get on the electrical part and it's a nightmare to clean because you can't put that part in the dishwasher (this is the part that is hooked into the wall).3. It has too many pieces and it's hard to keep up with. Piece one: the electrical part (pretty big and has to stay plugged in). Piece two: the big jug you put your ingredients into. Piece three: one part of the blade. Piece four: the other part of the blade. Piece five: the lid to the jug.FIVE pieces to keep up with? Really...?4. Everything has to be situated just right for this to work. (a) one part of the blade has to be on the other part just right so they lock into place (b) the lid has to be on the jug just right or you'll get splashed with your smoothie (c) the top part (electrical part that makes it all spin) has to be on it just right or it won't start.In my opinion, this is a classic example of an over-designed product trying to replace a product that doesn't need innovating (the blender). I really regret spending my money on this product and hope no one cuts themselves worse than I did...

This is the worst blender you can buy! I have always bought the standard oster or kitchenaid blenders to make smoothies, margaritas, etc and it always blended perfectly. I make fruit smoothies on a daily basis so being able to blend frozen fruits was important to me and by the reviews it seemed I shouldn't have problems but I was wrong! This blender does not chop up frozen strawberries very well or even peanut butter. The blender leaves big chunks of strawberries and if I add peanut butter, it leaves chunks of that as well. I even tried to blend oats and it left HUGE chunks. Except from function, the form and everyday use is even worse because if you get something stuck on the tip of the blades where you place the motor, it is very difficult to clean. Overall this blender is a piece of junk and this time Amazon reviews let me down!

For seven years, I had the cheapest blender money could buy that we bought right after we got married. It did everything I needed it to do, but we finally decided we needed something nicer because we wanted to start using it more often. The FIFTH (5th!!!!) time I used the Ninja Master Prep, I was crushing Oreos for a recipe, something I did many, many times in my cheap blender. After about 60 seconds of blending, the motor smoked and the machine died! I had even pre-smashed the cookies so there was very little left for the ninja to do! If it can't smash an already smashed cookie, I can't imagine it could handle ice or anything else! I'm super upset, I was looking forward to using it! I did like how it was set up with the blades though out the machine and how the motor was on top, that was a plus, if only I could have gotten descent use out of it! :(

I've had this just under a year. It's been used less than 15 times. We had smoothies that had some frozen ingredients and ice, so I didn't realize I was ingesting part of the pitcher with my drink until I washed it.See photos.

I loved this product until today. I used it to dice carrots and somehow the blade became welded to the lid and I was picking pieces of plastic out of the carrots. Photo's attached. Ironically, I just recommended this product to someone yesterday.I called the folks at Ninja and their only solution was to sell me a new lid and blade for 34.00. I can get the whole thing brand new for about $50. I understand the warranty is only good for a year through Amazon, but they show lifetime warranty on their site. Catch is you have to buy it directly from Ninja or they won't honor it. This will be my first and last Ninja product.

This is a very LOUD blender. I bought this in April and it is now usable due to the black plastic ring base being cracked. I have tried to find a replacement part and it is impossible. I went to the Hamilton web site and they won't even allow me to contact them. They take you in a circle with poor customer service help. Save your change - you get what you pay for. I gave it 1 star because we did use it daily for 5 months - but I expected at least a year!

Do not purchase this unless you plan on blending water with water. I just purchased this blender to replace a previous Hamilton Beach blender that I have had for over 10 years. I like to make vegetable smoothies, and I was noticing that my previous blender required me to continuously open the lid, mix the ingredients around with a spoon, and throw in ingredients one at a time in order for the blade to not get blocked. I thought that maybe it is not as powerful anymore, and it is time for an upgrade.After reading a majority of the reviews, I decided to order this blender. Today, I attempted to make the same smoothie I was successfully (but not as efficiently) making in my old blender. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING PROCESS. The blender did not want to blend my spinach leaves (with water on the bottom). After spending 15 minutes mixing the spinach leaves, throwing in pieces of fruit and vegetable one by one, and letting everything blend for five minutes, the smoothie was still chunky. The motor started to smell.I am very disappointed with this blender. I guess I will be sticking with my 10+-year-old blender because it works better.

Worked great for about 3 drinks. I didn't even try to grind ice in it and it started mashing bananas. Not blending, it was like globs of phlegm. First time I tried to make some salsa with the attachment. Using a perfectly fresh/ripe tomato, it just smashed it into a pulp. Could not even cut the skin! Do not waste your money on this garbage!!!! It will give you frustration, not a tasty drink or meal!!!!! JUNK!!!

I was able to use it exactly once.When I tried to put it back together, a small piece of the glass at the bottom of the pitcher broke off.Iam not sure how effective the blender is becasue I only blended a mattcha tea, so can't speak to the power of the motor, but there has to have been samething structurally wrong with the glass pitcher becasue my previews blender lasted for 8 years and it never broke when beeing assembled. If it is so weak, that it falls apart with normal use on the first day, it is a big waste of money.If you are looking for a blender, I would say keep looking, because this is not it.

The very first time I tried to use this, it started smoking. I could tell that it wasn't mixing well. The smell and the smoke scared me so I unplugged it. Later, I tried again but it was completely dead. I'm in disbelief at how something could fail so miserably right out of the box.

This blender is the worst. I can't understand how there are rave reviews about it. I have to shake the whole thing to get the ingredients to move around. The blade just spins, it doesn't grab the blendables easily. Also when washed the base retains water. You would be better off putting more money down on a high quality device.