Ninja Smart Screen Blender (CT650)

After years of using inexpensive bottom blade blenders I finally took advantage of Black Friday and purchased the Ninja on sale. I could not be more pleased! It makes GREAT smoothies and ice cream drinks. It easily cracks ice and frozen fruit into smooth small crystals which are a pleasure to drink. Ice cream drinks (I add crushed ice) are smooth and velvety. I also use it for vegetables. Blends them up well. The blade design ensures an even blend. Some of the reviews referenced safety issues with the blade. I found them to be unfounded. Anyone with basic common sense will be able to handle it easily. The blade pulls out easily making the entire unit easy to clean. There is only ONE way to replace it and the blender will not operate unless it is in the correct position and the lid is fastened securely. There were also complaints of contents being thrown to the top of the blender. This does happen a little when blending a carrot or an onion. Pieces can stick to the sides of the blender, however the vast majority of (dry) ingredients are blended evenly and wind up at the bottom due to gravity. If a small amount of liquid is added there are NO issues at all. I read many reviews of blenders. The Vitamix brand is probably the best, however it is also pricey. This blender is a great bargain. I have only owned it since November of 2018 so I can not yet comment on durability, however it seems very powerful, the blade shows no wear, and the jar, even though not glass, is very sturdy.

My last blender was a very nice blender-- it was a Breville that my parents commandeered and ended up keeping. It was heavy, had a glass jar and was well made. It had a removeable blade (the bottom of the jar would come out) but it was hard work and took a tool. Fast forward several weeks and I decided it was time to replace my gifted blender. This is the one I chose after a LOT of research, reading of reviews, consumer reports and more. I'm very pleased with this blender. SAFE: I was shocked at how much safety is built into this blender compared to my last one. How? 1. Jar has a line to show you where to place it, and clear turn to latch. No uncertainty as no round bottom. 2. Jar lid locks on, and it will only go on one way. You can't do it the wrong way. 3. Machine will not "TURN ON" if the jar is not in place, and lid properly attached/locked on. 4. The blade has a top track in the lid that keeps it from getting it out of balance, bending too far to one side or another GREAT BLENDING: It makes such buttery smooth blends of smoothies. It's almost shocking. Ice, fruit, milk, powder and you get this product that could almost be spread like butter. It's really shockingly good. EASY CLEANING: This blender is super easy to clean. The jar can go in the dishwasher and lid & blade are top rack safe. There don't seem to be any sort of cracks or crevices that absorb blended material that may spill, and clean up has been very easy. Blending with clean water after making something has been enough to totally clean it, even though I run it through the dishwasher afterward anyway. The jar, when put in the dishwasher upside down, has drains so the bottom doesn't fill up with water! So well designed! EASY USE: The touch screen is just beautiful. It is not a 3 prong power plug (just to note). You don't have to read the directions to figure it out first time-- I don't condone not reading the directions but just saying it's intuitive. It's ergonomic to handle, the handle is big and easy to use, the pour spout does "NOT" click snap seal which is GREAT because that helps you avoid unexpected pressure splashes, but it does have a seal that keeps it from leaking. The jar is plastic, so it's lightweight. I love the pre-programmed sets like smoothie and this was a big reason I chose this model. VALUE: This model is a super value, and while I almost bought the NJ600 refurbished, the extra bit more in money was worth it for the the touch screen and new vs refurbished. It's well reviewed at Consumer Reports as well, and while I thought my Breville was well made and with a glass jar, this one is light years better and safer. EXCITEMENT: It's been a long time since I bought a new product that actually made me feel more excited AFTER I started using it! That's delivering on consumer expectations, and this is my first NINJA project, so I'm really thrilled by this! WHAT'S BAD? The noise. This unit is a loud mama jama. While I remarked on the safety aspects, if you stood near this or with your head close to it on a regular basis, you should definitely wear ear plugs. One time I accidentally tried to reach to turn off my garbage disposal because of the noise while I was using the sink, just being used to that being the main sound causer in my kitchen. OTHER THOUGHTS: It's kind of "part-ish". Lots of pieces put together, molded plastic. I hope that it holds up in the long term. I know that plastics these days can be hit with hammers and put in blast ovens and not deform or break so I'm not worried about it being plastic but I would like fewer assembled pieces. The unit is bigger than I expected, though I saw the dimensions, its markedly larger than the last blenders I've had. I want something bigger than a bullet style but smaller than this jar, for the next one. CONCLUSION: I was living in the dark ages of blenders, thinking that I had a really nice one. It was time to move on. I'm glad my parents commandeered my glass jar Breville and I'm really pleased with this one, especially the ease of use, the safety and ease of cleaning. I am now a NINJA!

Gift for my hubby. He loves smoothies and this blender does the trick. He takes ice cubes, FROZEN strawberries and a small amount of smoothie mix and touches the "smoothie" button, stands back and waits for the blender to finish. No holding a button, turning it off or on. The smoothie is perfect, no lumps of ice or strawberries. I love the fact that he can clean it by putting water (only about 1/3 full of water) and a small amount of dish detergent in it, turning it on for a few seconds and then rinses it. Pretty much cleans itself. The touch screen cleans with a swipe of a microfiber cloth. Best blender I have ever purchased.

Is think it could probably blend up your sleeping bag and tent on 5 minutes. But with all all seriousness... I think this blender is great and built very solid (should last for many, many years). You need to flip a small handle like leaver on the lid to get the top off but once you figure that out (which is a couple of seconds) it's easy and just great all the way around. I had a cheap blender before this and this is like a Hi-Tech rocket ship. Definite Good buy;I would recommend For sure!!!!!!

All in all it's a great product. easy to clean, very powerful with some smart programming to help automate things I was doing manually in the past. I only have two complaints. Number one, it is extremely loud. If I lived in an apartment building and had to be concerned about neighbors I probably wouldn't use this one. Also the mechanism with the blades on it doesn't lock down or attach so one time I was pouring the drink out and it fell out onto the counter and almost landed on my foot. Could have been very bloody. you either have to hold that piece in while you pour or take it out before you pour.

Con la version smoothie queda un licuado cremosito y riquisimo. Hago un jugo que incluye un trocito de jengibre y con la licuadora normal batallaba mucho para que quedara molido, normalmente despues de muchos intentos lograba triturarlo pero con la Ninja se tritura en segundos. Vale mucho la pena y aun me faltan muchas recetas por probar.

I am pleasantly surprised! This blender is the first blender I've owned that exceeds my expectations. I hope it lasts, because the design is superb. The blades go all the way up providing an even blend and don't get "stuck" like a bottom-only blade blender. I love the touch screen (easy to wipe) and the automatic functions work great! Despite having a small and lightweight base, the motor is powerful and loud, so wear ear plugs! The lid has a handle and release button for easy removal and a handy pour spout. Overall a great buy. I'm glad I didn't spend more, as this blender meets all my needs!

This is much bigger than expected - especially the base of the unit. I expected the top part to be glass but is actually plastic. Which is not ideal for dishwashers. The unit has a lot of power and it does its job pretty fast and smart!

A mi mamá le gustó, si es grande y vale la pena.

This is the best blender I’ve ever owned. No matter what I’m using it for, smoothies or ice cream or hummus etc, it works great.