Ninja Ultima Blender Smoothie Perfection + 3-2-1 Immune Boost Recipe

I received a Ninja Ultima Blender in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are my own, based on personal experiences with the product. 

My family bought our first Ninja blender several years ago so we could make smoothies. The word “Ninja” quickly took on a new meaning at our house. All my husband had to do was ask, “Who’s ready to Ninja?” and the kids would all come running to the kitchen so we could make smoothies together. Fun times!

Based on that positive experience with the Ninja brand, I started recommending Ninja blenders to my family and friends. Ninja blenders are able to make smoothies just as well as other high end blenders and they are much more affordably priced.

I recently received the new Ninja Ultima Blender (MSRP $199.99) to test out at home. Of course, I was thrilled because this is Ninja Kitchen’s #1 most powerful blender. It is definitely an upgrade from my basic Ninja blender. I really love the professional look of this blender. It looks very nice sitting on the kitchen counter.

I’d have to say one of my favorite parts about the Ultima Blender are the 16 ounce Single Serve cups with Sip & Seal™ to-go lids. They really make it easy to blend individual smoothies that you can enjoy right out of the cup. Less dirty dishes means the less clean-up we have to do.

If everyone wants a different kind of smoothie, it’s not a hassle to make individual smoothies like it was when we’d make one big smoothie in the pitcher. You put the Single Serve cups on the same blender base as you’d put the full size pitcher. We end up wasting less ingredients using the single serve cups.

The blender kit does include an extra-large, 72 ounce multi-tasking pitcher. This pitcher is HUGE and can accommodate a lot of ingredients. It’s one of the largest capacity blender pitchers you can buy. I like the built-in pour spout. That comes in really handy when we use the pitcher to make our smoothies. Mess-free pouring!

This stain resistant, BPA-free pitcher is also easy to remove and clean. In fact, all detachable Ninja Ultima Blender pieces are dishwasher safe.

The blades on the Ninja really do an awesome job at crushing frozen fruits and ice into a perfectly smooth smoothie. There are no chunks of ice or fruit floating around, ever. However, an important tip about those blades. I have learned that those powerful blades can be dangerous. They are super sharp and you should take extra care whenever you are putting them in and out of the blender pitcher. I wish I didn’t have to deal with the sharp blades so much – but that is just part of the design.

One thing I can say with 100% surety about the blender: If you want to make smoothies at home, the Ninja Ultima Blender is the one for you. It’s the most powerful blender you can buy at this price point. There is no reason to pay double or triple the money for a blender you plan to use for smoothies.

But what about making things besides smoothies?  I decided to put my Ninja Ultima Blender to the test by using it to make nut butter. It takes several minutes of constant, intense grinding to make a nut butter. I felt like the motor was pushed to its limit by the time the nut butter was ready. I could smell the blender getting hot after it had been going for a few minutes. Although I love the idea of making my own nut butters, I’m not sure I want to push the blender like that again.

I have also used the Ninja Ultima Blender to make bread dough, cookie dough, and salsa with no complaints. The large pitcher size lets me dump all the ingredients in at once. The Ninja was easily able to blend these things and did not require me to stop the blender, remove the lid, and scrape the sides to make sure everything got blended evenly.

The Ninja Kitchen website lists other things this blender can do, too, like make ice cream, juice, grate cheese, grind meat and grain, and more. The Ninja Ultima blender can do many different tasks, so it takes the place of other small household appliances.

Other technical features are listed like the 1500W/2.5 peak horsepower and 10 speed Variable Dial. The dial controls the wide range of speeds from 3,700 to 24,000 RPM.

I said it once and I’ll say it again: If you want to make smoothies at home, the Ninja Ultima Blender is the one for you. You can use fresh or frozen fruits and veggies plus ice and it will come out a smooth consistency every time.

We love to Ninja at our house, and think you will, too! Try a fresh fruit smoothie recipe from the Ninja website, like the one found below for 3-2-1 Immune Boost. Serves 1-2. 

Ingredients:

• 3 tangerines, peeled
• 2 kiwis, peeled and halved
• 1 grapefruit, peeled and halved
• 1 tablespoon dried goji berries
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup ice cubes

Directions: 

1. Place the Top Blades in the Pitcher and add all of the ingredients in the order listed.*
2. Select Speed 1 and flip the switch to START. Slowly increase to Speed 8 and blend until smooth.

Learn more about the Ninja Ultima Blender and accessories when you visit NinjaUltimaBlender.com.

Do you make smoothies at home? What is your favorite kind of smoothie?