Ninja Master Prep Review

When I first set to review the Ninja Master Prep, I got so excited that I almost went and bought one. Most of what I read was positive. The blender is so easy to use, and so different to what a normal blender is.

As I went on with reading people’s reviews, I realized that every product has their advantages and disadvantages and not every product is for everyone. There are some disadvantages to it, that will discuss in this review.
As I always said in my reviews, before buying a blender you need to know what you want to get out of it.

This is a nice countertop blender/chopper that you can easily store, assemble and disassemble. It is easy to use, no complicated buttons to remember, it is just one huge pulse button. The blades are also quite different from a traditional blender, and they have their plusses and minuses, but in general I think they can work quite well.

The Ninja Master Prep is good for making snow out of ice, making fruit and green smoothies, chopping vegetables, like onion, tomatoes. It is great for making blended soups, sauces and dips.  It will not make the soup warm, but if you start with warm ingredients you can make warm soups. Otherwise, just make cold soup and warm it in the microwave.

Read the Rest of the Review Below:

The good part about the Ninja Master Prep is that is very affordable, and easy to use. It is also quite easy to store, as you can store the motor section separate.
Here is a list of what comes in the box:

• Interchangeable 400 Watt Power Pod,
•  48 Pitcher with non slip base 
• 4-blade set (upper and lower blade) The professional version has 6
• Pitcher Splash Guard,  
• Pitcher Storage Lid,
•  16 Chopper Bowl with non slip base
•  4- blade setupper and lower blade) 
•  Chopper Splash Guard, 
•  Chopper Storage Lid

 

Versatility / Functionality

 

The Ninja Master Prep is quite simple to operate as it only has one button for one  function: Pulse.  Having said that it is also quite versatile.

This blender is good for:

 

•  Making snow out of ice
•  Making Margaritas – not my choice, but many people enjoy this.
•  Frozen drinks
•  Fruit smoothies
•  Green smoothies. This is also what I would do. Although there are mixed feelings as to the ability of blending greens. I have read reviews saying that it does a great job, and other people have said that it does not completely blend the greens, so you still feel the bit of pieces of the green.
•  Blending soups. It will do cold soups. To make hot soups you need to add warm ingredients or heat your soup afterwards. It does not heat the ingredients, but you can place the pitcher with the lid in the microwave.
•  Dips- like guacamole or hummus.
•  Salsa
•  Sauces like pasta, pesto and others
•  Chopping vegetables, like onions, tomato, peppers,
• pancakes
• muffins
• . I have seen traditional omelettes prepared in this, but most probably it will work to prepare a vegan chickpea flour omelette.

 

I am sure there are other uses you could give to this blender. The Professional version would be even more versatile.

This blender works a bit different than traditional blenders.

In traditional blenders, you have the motor under the jar. The blades are introduced in the jar from the bottom. The jar then has the lid, from where you can add more ingredients while blending.

The Ninja Master Prep works differently. There are good and bad points for it. The jar or pitcher goes at the bottom. The blades are introduced from the top of the jar. The motor goes on top of the jar.

To operate the blender, you need to push down the pulse button and continuously blender you can leave it running and go and fetch something from the fridge. When using the Ninja Master prep you need to be constantly by the blender.

The advantage of having the motor on top is that the motor does not get dirty. With the traditional blenders, when you stir the contents with a spoon and then remove the spoon you may drop some food on the motor. If the blender leaks for some reason, then it will dirty the base. With the Ninja, there is no risk of dirtying the motor, unless you touch the motor pod with dirty hands.

The problem with having the motor on top is that if you want to add more ingredients, you need to stop the blender, remove the motor, remove the lid, and add ingredients. Then you need to place the motor back and start pulsing again.

With regards to making smoothies and green smoothies, there have been mixed opinions on how good of a job it does. Sometimes it will produce a smooth drink and sometimes it will leave pieces of greens unblended, small enough that will get in between your teeth. It is important to remember that the results will be influenced by the amount of liquids you add to the blender and by how long you pulse.

There are some mixed nuts it would be beneficial to pre-soak the nuts before blending them. Otherwise the blending process might not work as well and the motor might overheat. The chopping of nuts seems to work well.

When it comes to grinding, it will not grind coffee beans. It will not grind seeds to a powder level. You might be better off buying a grinder. The Ninja Master will chop seeds, though, and it will do a better job for larger seeds than smaller seeds.
To get the best results with this pulsing for longer periods, but do not go over 10 seconds at a time. If you go longer the motor might overheat.

When Yes it might be a bit of a hassle to stop and stir, but you will get the best results.

Another tip is to avoid filling the jar to the top. If you do, the smoothie will splash into the lid and motor component making it difficult to clean.

This is a great blender to use when you are in a hurry, because it is quick to set and quick to use. If you only use your blender a couple of times a week, then this one is perfect. It is affordable and very versatile.

The Ninja Master Prep also comes in a Professional version.  Click here to learn more about the Ninja Master Prep Professional.

Ninja Master Prep Jar

The Ninja Master Prep comes with two jars or pitchers.

The largest pitcher is 48oz (1.41 liters/six cups).

The containers are BPA free. The jars and lids can be placed in the microwave and dishwasher. It can also be stored in the fridge and freezer. This is very convenient – , remove the motor, put the lid on and warm the soup in the microwave.

The box includes one splashguard for the pitcher and one for the chopping bowl. It also includes one lid for each of them.

The splashguard is what you use when you are blending or chopping.
So you got the pitcher or bowl, place the splashguard on top and then the motor on top of it. .
The larger pitcher splashguard has a seal. This seal with time might split. If it breaks, it is difficult to get a replacement part. You will need to get one from the manufacturer.

In addition the blender comes with two lids to use when you are storing the pitcher in the fridge, freezer, or when you are popping the pitcher in the microwave.

The pitcher splashguard has a pouring spout which is very convenient to pour the smoothies or drinks.
I mentioned that the unit was very versatile. If you want to just do a single smoothie, then you could use the smaller bowl for it.

Do not overfill containers as it may splash and it will dirty the tooth pick, which is a hassle and very time consuming.

The same happens with the pitcher handle. It has a hole and the food gets in there and it is impossible to clean it.

 Motor Power

The blender is suited to be used with 120v-60 HZ. Do not attempt to use unit with other voltage.

The Ninja Master Prep comes with a 400 Watt power motor. The professional version comes with a 450Watt motor. I believe the combination of the motor and the blades makes it quite powerful.

It is a bit noisy, but nothing out of the ordinary and it is actually quite bearable.

As opposed to other traditional blenders, the Ninja Master splashguard and then the motor.

When placing the motor over the splashguard you need to be careful that they are properly aligned. If you do not properly align it you may damage the unit. In actual fact, the motor should not work if it is not properly aligned, but I read reviews of people that had damaged the unit by not aligning it properly. That same review said that it took a while to get the motor aligned. From my point of view and the research I have done, it is quite simple, so I cannot say a few folks had a problem with this step.

The motor can get very hot when blending or processing hard ingredients like nuts. Make sure that you stop for a while to avoid damaging the motor.

 

Blender Controls

The Ninja Master Prep has a unique one-speed pulsing system which is quite simple.

The button is huge, and easy to push down. The problem is that the blender will not work unless you keep pressing the pulse button. Yes, unfortunately you cannot leave the blender running and go to the fridge. You will need to be there. After the novelty of the blender has worn off, this can become frustrating, but it is a matter of being patient.

Blades

The blades of the Ninja Master Prep are different than normal blenders. It has a pair of blades at different heights and they all come out of a center pillar. So you have two blades at a level and then two other ones at another level.

The blades come separate, so for the pitcher the two lower blades come separate than the two upper blades. When assembling it, you need to put first the lower blades and then the upper blades on top. The same applies to the chopper.

The blades in the professional version work a bit different. To avoid confusion read about it here.
Because the blades do not centrifugate then they do not pull the ingredients down. The blades just keep cutting at a certain level. So you need to pulse quite a number of times to ensure you get to all the contents.
The blades are made of steel and they are very sharp. The blades can be removed from the top of the pitcher, as opposed to traditional blenders.

Be extra cautious as the blades are very, very sharp.
With time and use the blades lose their sharpness.

To clean the blades, you need to pull the upper blades apart from the lower blades. You need to twist the upper blades and pull them apart. Be very careful when doing this as you might cut yourself. Perhaps, this is the reason why they changed it in the professional version. I think it would be a great idea to do all the blades, even for the chopper work the same as they’ve done with the Ninja Master Prep professional.

The Professional version has three sets of blades which helps when reaching to the higher part of the pitcher.

Be also mindful when inserting the blades into the pitcher. Make sure the blades are secured so that they do not come off and cut the jar. They also need to be aligned with the splashguard and the motor.

Before adding ingredients  ensure that the blades are properly placed in the pitcher.

Ease of Cleaning

Cleaning of the Ninja Master Prep is quite easy except for when it comes to the splashguard and the larger jar handle.

To clean just pull parts apart, including blades and throw it in the dishwasher. Everything goes in the dishwasher except for the motor.

The tooth picks but even so, I am not sure you will get everything perfectly cleaned. With time it will start getting ugly. It is too time consuming.

The same happens with the larger jar handle. It has a hole and the food gets into it and it is impossible to clean it.

To conclude, even though it is easy to clean, you will have these areas develop over time that will never get totally clean. Perhaps using the dishwasher could help to clean those small areas.

To clean between batches you can add water and a drop of dishwashing liquid to the pitcher. Pulse it clean and rinse.

 

Attachments

There is no other attachment that comes with the Ninja Master Prep. But the Ninja Master Prep Professional has an additional bowl or food processor.

The Ninja Master Prep Professional QB1004 is an improved version of the Ninja Master Prep QB900B. The difference is that the motor is 450 watts. It also comes with a 48oz pitcher, a 40 oz chopper bowl.

The professional version has also 3 sets of blades for the pitcher and two sets of blades for the chopper and food processor. The three sets of blades will ensure that the blender performs a great and even job when blending ingredients.

The largest pitcher in the professional version has six blades. The blades for the larger pitcher work differently. The six blades come all together, still at different levels, but you do not need to superimpose one on top of the other one. This facilitates the removal of blades from the pitcher.

This is what it comes in the box of the Ninja Master Prep Professional
Here is a list of what comes in the box:

 

• Interchangeable 450 Watt Power Pod,
•  48 oz Pitcher with non slip base
•  6-blade set
•  40 oz Pitcher with non slip base
•  4-blade set (upper and lower blade)
•  Pitcher Splash Guard,
•  2x Pitcher Storage Lid,
•  16 oz Chopper Bowl with non slip base
•  4- blade set(upper and lower blade)
•  Chopper Splash Guard,
•  Chopper Storage Lid

 

Ninja Master Prep Dimensions and Storage

The dimensions for this blender are not specified in the manual.
Amazon and Walmart measurements but I am not sure how accurate they are.

Length: 10.6 inches (26.92 cm)
Width: 11.8 inches (29.97 cm)
Height: 11.8 inches (29.97 cm)
Weight: 5.4 pounds (2.45kg)

 

Storage is easy. You can remove the motor and store it separate from the pitchers, or store it all together.
Pitchers can be stored in fridge/freezer and used in microwave.

 

Features:

The unit is to be used with 120 volts
The product carries a one year warranty.

Accessories

There is no other accessory for this blender.

Pros

•  Low Price
•  Very versatile.
•  Good blending performance, especially for soft ingredients and liquids.
•  Good looking
•  Large pitchers
•  It does not leak
•  Efficient pouring spout
•  Pitcher and bowl can be stored in fridge/freezer
•  Simple to assemble
•  Simple to use, just one function
•  Ease of cleaning, except for splashguard and handle
•  Blades can be removed easily, though need to be cautious
•  Food chopper included
•  Dishwasher safe
•  Microwave Safe

Cons

There is too much plastic that can easily break

•  Poor quality, it starts wearing off within a year
•  The seal of splashguard splits very easily.
•  Blades go blunt quite soon
•  Need to stay next to blender when in operation
•  Splashguard and handle are difficult to clean
•  Blades can damage the jar if not properly in place
•  The motor sometimes smells like burning .
•  The motor can get really hot when blending hard ingredients.
•  It does not puree things easily. It takes time and does not do a great job
•  It does not grind seeds to powder
•  To add ingredients or liquid while blending, you need to stop, remove splashguard, add ingredients and assemble it again.
•  No consistent results. Sometimes it will process food quite well and other times it will leave chunks of food or ice.

Ninja Master Prep Consumer Ratings

This product is very popular with a rating of 4.4. 84% of the ratings were 4 and 5 stars. This indicates that people are very happy with it.

Having said that many people have changed their mind after they had used this for a while. They first seem very happy with it, but with time the satisfaction levels seem to decrease.

Ninja Master Prep Price

The price of this unit is really low. With what you get you cannot beat the price. Like always you need to consider what you want to get out of a blender against how much you prepared to invest.
https://youtu.be/thEVN8Gd6IQ

My overall opinion

Remember when appliances used to last you for years? My mother still has her blender after 40 years. Okay, she had it repaired a couple of are not made to last forever. And the Ninja prep is one of those.
The performance of the Ninja Master Prep seems to decrease with time as the blades get worn off. The material is plastic, even the joints between the blades and motor is plastic. The plastic will wear off with time. Depending on how much you use it, it may last you for a year, or perhaps more. Still, taking into account the price I believe it is a good value for the money.
On the other hand if you want something that will last longer, then I would suggest you invest more for another model.

This will be a great blender for you if:

• You currently do not have a good blender and do not want to pay a high price for one.
•  If you do not mind staying next to the blender when operating
•  If you are actually going to use the blender pitcher and the chopper bowl. If you are not planning to use one of them then there is no point in getting this blender.
•  If you prepare dips, salsas, sauces often.
•  If you hate chopping vegetables by hand (This comes very handy to chop onions and any other veggie).

My opinion is that this is a good blender for certain tasks and there are many customers who are very satisfied, but you need to be aware that this blender may degrade over time.

Overall, I believe is a great place to start if you do not have anything.

There are other similar blenders like the Nutri Bullet and Magic Bullet which I will be reviewing next, so stay tuned.