The battle of the processors comes full force between the two most popular blenders: Vitamix vs Ninja. For many years, Vitamix has been at the top of the line blenders on the market, and every professional chef has been yearning to get one in their kitchen. You can create soups, sauces, juices, and purees using the Vitamix, which makes it a valuable asset to any kitchen. However, prices have come down on Vitamix, and there are new competitors like Ninja. In recent years, more home cooks have bought the Ninja as it is lower-priced and offers some of the same functions as the Vitamix. Which should you buy? Here is a breakdown of which one is currently winning the blender battle.
Ninja Blender vs Vitamix: Advantages and Value
Before you start looking at these blenders, it’s important to understand why you are looking to buy a blender in the first place. Some of the features that Vitamix offers may go above and beyond what you are looking for, which would make Ninja a great option if you are on a budget. Here are some things to think about before you decide:
- How frequently will you be blending?
- What types of recipes and blends do you want to create? Are you interested in smoothies, milling, nut butters, pastas, etc.?
- How much do you want to create? Do you want more containers?
- How much time do you have to blend every day?
- Is there enough space in your kitchen for a larger blender?
- What is your budget?
Based on the answers to these questions, you’ll start to see some features on this list that may be out of range for what you are wanting to do. In addition, if you don’t have time to blend on a large scale, then you may want to pick an even cheaper option that will let you create smoothies when you want them, instead of being able to create hundreds of different recipes.
If we just looked at the price, Ninja would beat Vitamix with every model. Not only is Ninja cheaper, but it seems to do much of the same functions as the Vitamix. However, if you dig a bit deeper, you see that there are some issues with Ninja blenders that haven’t been addressed since they came to market in the US in 2013.
For one, Ninja blenders are made with cheaper blades and don’t really achieve the same smooth blending as the Vitamix can. This comes down to speed and blade quality. Ninja models typically have just three-speed options with a pulse switch. Even in the Auto-iQ version, you can set up different programs with different speeds, but it doesn’t have as many speeds as the Vitamix. This leads to creating smoothies, juicers, and frozen desserts pretty well, but there are a number of other recipes that you can create with blenders such as bread, pasta, soups, and other purees.
The Vitamix’s blades have a guarantee to last over 1,000 blends. They are strong, laser-cut blades that work together to create smooth soups that are already cooked and heated inside of the Vitamix. That’s something that Ninja will never be able to do with any of its current models.
Side-by-Side Smoothie Comparison: Vitamix vs Ninja
One of the most important blends that these machines can make is a green smoothie. These are difficult to create as it can involve crushing and juicing things like kale, cucumber, carrots, celery, ginger, lemons, and/or apples. You could also throw in flax seeds, chia seeds, or any variety of nut to add a little healthy fat to help the body absorb more nutrients.
Nuts are difficult to blend. But using the tamper included with the Vitamix, makes it’s easier to get the nuts blended on their own or with the other ingredients.
With Ninja, you will have to turn off the machine and scrape the sides, then start blending again before you can get the right consistency. Based on my experience, the Vitamix is also likely to create a creamier nut butter or cashew cream than the Ninja.
How to Choose: Ninja vs Vitamix
Both of these blenders were made to be an aid to the chef, but is it necessary to have all the features the Vitamix provides? For home chefs, Ninja blenders provide a simple set of functions that do just about everything you need to get a smoothie or a puree. However, if you want to use smart features or have the ultimate soup-making machine, Vitamix has some advantages. The question is whether those features are worth the price you pay.
This guide goes through every feature of each blender and compares what makes one better or worse than the other, while also keeping in mind the value point toward the home chef.
Power and Speed
The most important aspect of any blender is how fast and well does it do what you want. With the Vitamix, you constantly get a high wattage 2 HP motor that puts out around 1380 watts. Ninja models vary, but for the lower-priced models, you only get about 1000 watts. However, Ninja blenders do have models that go up to 1500 watts.
Which Blender Blends the Best
Based on power and speed, the Vitamix is probably the better blender if you want to get smooth soups, creamy sauces, silky smoothies, and purees. In terms of power, Vitamix will always beat out Ninja on the ability to crush and liquefy solid objects.
In addition, Vitamix has more speed settings, meaning that you can get up to 37,000 RPMs with some of the different speeds. However, the unit does get a bit loud at these higher RPMs.
Ninja models have only three-set speeds. Speed one is a good setting for kneading dough, while speed two is the average setting for blending. Three is best for crushing ice and creating smoothies. However, it only goes up to 24,000 RPMs.
While Vitamix and Ninja are both capable of making dough, you will have to purchase separate attachments and blades to use Ninja efficiently for dough.
Driver Socket Material
This is a really important piece as it will keep your blender going for a longer time. All Vitamix blenders use a metal socket to spin and puree as it blends. However, Ninja uses all plastic pieces for the driver socket, which means that it will eventually wear out and need to be replaced.
In addition, there is a piece that mounts and connects the container to the driver socket, which is made from an elastic rubber piece in the Vitamix. Unfortunately, again, Ninja uses plastic for this piece, which goes back to the quality of construction.
Only the Ninja Ultima blender model now comes with metal components in the driver socket. This was a recent adjustment, as all of the other models still have plastic pieces.
Blades
Both blenders have a set of decent blades in terms of what you need for blending. The Vitamix has four steel blades, two of which are cutting blades, while the other two are made for blunt hammer and mill types. The Vitamix guarantees that the blades won’t lose their edge, even after a thousand blends. Customer ratings have generally backed up this claim.
Ninja takes a different approach to blades. Instead of four laser-cut blades, it uses six inside of a tower. This makes them easy to remove and clean, which is a considerable benefit over the Vitamix. They do the same job as Vitamix for the most part, but you can easily cut your hand on the blades while cleaning when not paying attention.
Warranties
Both blenders come with warranties. However, Vitamix’s warranty can’t be beaten. Depending on which Vitamix you choose, warranties can range from 5 to 10 years.
Easy to Clean
One thing the Ninja does better than Vitamix is the ability to clean every part of the blender thoroughly. You can’t get that thorough of a clean on the Vitamix because you have to take apart the entire blender. Ninja’s design lets you pull out the tower so that you can easily clean inside and wipe off all of the blades.
Ease of Use
This is a matter of user knowledge and preference, but in general, the Ninja has fewer settings and is capable of just working off three settings. The Vitamix has way more speed functions and abilities, including smart features that have changed the way you can blend. Vitamix is made for a professional-grade kitchen as well, which means that you have a lot more capabilities in what you can make on the fly.
Smart Features
In recent years, Vitamix came out with “Smart System Blenders.” These are state-of-the-art blenders that have WiFi capabilities and automated features that let you do more high-performance blending when you want it. The containers used with this system are also safer with SELF-DETECT technology that can shut off a blender if it gets too hot. In addition, you have a 1 to 10-speed dial, pulse switch, and digital timer.
The Ninja is not as smart as the Vitamix. While it does have different speeds, it doesn’t have the safety features or smart features of the Vitamix’s new blenders. You can set up different programs, and it can automatically detect different containers, but it isn’t able to sync up to an app and connect to 500 or more recipes as the Vitamix can.
In addition, you can set up the smart programs on a Vitamix to automatically prepare certain recipes according to a timer with a simple press of your finger on the app.
Noise Control
For noise control, we looked at the Vitamix Ascent and Ninja Auto-iQ series. The Vitamix is made to be a quieter operation at lower speeds, but it does tend to get louder as you get into higher speed settings. Similarly, the Ninja is also quieter at lower speeds and gets progressively louder at higher speed settings. However, the Ninja isn’t quite as loud as the Vitamix. It’s worth mentioning, though, that the Vitamix offers The Quiet One. The Quiet One Vitamix blender was designed to be used in quiet commercial spaces like coffee shops. It comes equipped with a magnetically secured sound enclosure to help dramatically reduce the noise.
Nutrition and Taste
You can create a number of different things with blenders. In fact, there are entire articles about the recipes you can make just using a Vitamix. Some of them include peanut butter, almond butter, almond milk, homemade dips, and soups. Check out the Vitamix recipe page here.
These aren’t necessarily unique to Vitamix, and you can certainly make some of these recipes with Ninja blenders. In fact, there is an entire site by Ninja, similar to Vitamix, to help you make different recipes using the blender. You can check it out here.
The recipes included with Ninja products are not as in-depth or as versatile as Vitamix’s guide. You can get 500 or more recipes using the apps with Vitamix, whereas Ninja only includes a 30-recipe guide in its latest Auto-iQ series that it released in the past year.
This would suggest that Vitamix is constantly looking forward to new ways to use the blender and give more value to its users than Ninja.
What Customers are Saying About Vitamix and Ninja
Most customers believe that the Vitamix is worth the price because of the different functions and smart technology. However, the worth is mostly in how often you use the blender. If you don’t think you will use it every day to make juices, breads, pastas, and other recipes, then you are better off going with a lower-priced option that still has very strong blades and can make many of the same recipes.
In terms of price, Ninja has beaten Vitamix year after year. While it can’t compete on features, it is a well-designed blender that offers simplicity instead.
Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ vs. Vitamix S30
If you’re a techie like me, then the Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ might be of interest to you. The Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ lets you create different drinks and blends with the press of a smart button. The Auto-iQ has 2 pre-programmed iQ settings that try to take the guesswork out of blending. The one-touch intelligence is designed to let you hit a button, step back, and let the machine do the thinking and blending for you through its special timed pulsing, pausing, and blending patterns. The Auto iQ’s LED timer calculates how long it will take to create your perfect smoothie. The goal is to automate the process and give you a consistently yummy smoothie every time. There are also 2 manual settings that let you take control. You can create most smoothies and juices with this blender, and it also crushes ice, frozen ingredients, and seeds with just a single touch. And did we mention it also has 1000 watts of unadulterated power? To put that in perspective, the classic Nutri Ninja has a 600-watt motor. Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ (BL482 model) also comes with 18 oz, 24 oz, and 32 oz Titran containers with sip and seal lids. The cups are BPA free and dishwasher safe.
In comparison, you can create just about everything with the Vitamix S30 — thanks to its high-performance speed options. The S30’s variable speed control dial lets you blend salsas, smoothies, desserts, sauces, soups, and much more. This blender gives you more control. The Vitamix S30 also includes a 20 oz personal container and a very cool 40 oz compact container for small family meals and a 2-part ventilated lid. The vented lid is important because it allows you to release steam while blending hot soups. You can’t blend hot stuff with Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ. On top of all that, the Vitamix S30 also comes with the tamper! However, it doesn’t have the same techy auto-program features as the Ninja Auto-iQ and only has a 790-watt motor.
Pros:
- Auto-iQ adds a layer of convenience so you can quickly make your favorite types of smoothies and juices with the touch a smart button.
- Auto-iQ comes with a 1000-watt motor.
- Vitamix S30 comes with larger 40 oz container, vented lid, and tamper, making this an almost perfect hybrid between a personal and traditional blender.
Cons:
- Auto-iQ is limited to a personal smoothie blender, whereas the Vitamix S30 is a little more versatile. The S30 has similar features to a traditional Vitamix blender with the 40 oz container, vented lid, and tamper.
- Vitamix doesn’t have smart capabilities for the S30 model.
- Vitamix S30 comes with a 790-watt motor.
Ninja Intelli-Sense vs. Vitamix Ascent
The Intelli-Sense offers a great option to those who are looking for a cheaper alternative to a Vitamix Ascent. The Intelli-Sense is a smart blender system. The Ninja Intelli-Sense CT68S2SP model comes with the Total Crushing Pitcher, 24 oz Single-Serve Blender Cup, 8-cup Precision Processor Bowel, Auto Spiralizer, and recipe book. There are 12 smart programs that, oh you almost guessed it, take the guesswork out of not only blending but also food processing and spiralizing. The programs are specifically calibrated to create anything from the perfect salsa to ice cream just by hitting a button. It also responds to touch and recognizes attachments so that it will automatically change settings to create a puree or dough. It comes with a 1200-watt motor.
The Ascent series is one of Vitamix’s most advanced yet. The Ascent doesn’t come with a spiralizer or food processor. However, it does come with a 10-year warranty, a clear ventilated lid for hot stuff, tamper, and pretty darn cool smart technology. You can buy separate containers created for the Ascent, such as the 48-ounce dry grains container, designed specifically to grind whole-grain or gluten-free flour or knead dough for bread or pretzels. The Vitamix A3500 Ascent Series model includes up to 10 different speeds and 5 program settings. Older Ascent models (A2300, A2500) come with physical switches, dials, and digital timers while the newer Ascent models are equipped with touchscreens, dial, and programmable timers (A3300, A3500). There is built-in wireless technology that will automatically adjust blending times depending on which Vitamix container you are using. The SELF-Detect Technology allows you to easily make your favorite blends based on the attachment that you place on the blender. The Ascent models pair with the Vitamix Perfect Blend app that not only has over 500 recipes but a range of automated blending programs designed for the blender. You can even sync the app with other fitness tracker apps.
Pros:
- Overall, the Ninja Intelli-Sense has more programs and a lower price for all of the different speed settings offered.
- Vitamix offers more power and options for different types of blending as well as a digital timer.
Cons:
- Vitamix’s cost overshadows the different speed settings and power in comparison to Ninja’s Intelli-Sense line.
Ninja Professional vs. Vitamix 5200
The Ninja Professional Blender is a 1000-watt blender that has three speeds and a pulse option for a very simplified blending experience. While high-powered for the at-home chef, it seems to lack some of the power of the other models under Ninja’s line and doesn’t have the same blending power as its competitors. However, if you want to create simple smoothies and purees in seconds, you can do so for a rather low cost.
In comparison, the Vitamix 5200 comes with everything you need to make entire meals or just a smoothie. The 5200 is a powerful blender that can pulverize any item you put inside of the blender. It uses laser-cut, steel hammer cutting blades and comes with an entire guide on recipes you can create using the blender’s different speeds and options.
Pros:
- For simple smoothie creation and low-key blending, Ninja Professional is a moderately priced yet high-powered blender that can crush most of the items you put in the container.
- Vitamix has higher-powered options and a complete guide to making entire meals within the blender.
Cons:
- Ninja Professional doesn’t have higher power settings or different speed options.
- Blades are not laser-cut nor as powerful as Vitamix’s for the 5200 design.
Best Budget Option
In terms of budget, it really depends on long-term blending and what you plan to do with your blender. If you plan to create meals every day using the recipes available, then there is a lot of value in a Vitamix blender. However, there are some models under the Ninja brand that are going to do just what you want: create a smoothie every other day or a frozen treat when you want one.
For the price, you can’t go wrong with Ninja Intelli-Sense blender because it has most of the features that you want in a blender while also providing some of the higher speed options like a Vitamix. It also uses Auto-iQ technology, which can instantly detect what you want to create based on the attachments that you place on the blender.
In comparison, a smart blender from Vitamix under the Ascent line will cost you more. However, it is a more powerful blender. If you are thinking of getting a budget blender under the Vitamix brand, then you may want to consider a refurbished 5300. While it doesn’t have the same smart features, it has more speed options and powerful blades.
Takeaway:
- More speed options for the price when purchasing an Intelli-Sense from Ninja.
- More power may be best if wanting a Vitamix, and you can pick a refurbished unit to save some money.
Top Vitamix Blender Pick
The ultimate setup for a Vitamix combines the Ascent A3500 and an additional 48 oz wet container. This offers the most features and a modern smart blender. This Ascent offers five programmable settings with 10 different speeds, including a touch pulse option and tough programmable timer. It also comes in a classic brushed metal finish or five other colors to choose from.
The settings allow you to set which types of food you would like to create on the fly, such as smoothies, hot soups, sips, spreads, and frozen treats. The A3500 is also quite prized for its self-cleaning options, which allow you to easily get rid of leftover juice and puree inside of the blender.
The A3500 is also unique in that it will adjust to the container size that you’ve selected, process any recipes that you like, and stop the blender automatically when completed. With the latest wireless connectivity built-in, you can also connect to the blender to automatically program different settings as well.
Most of the programmable features on the A3500 make it the most convenient option, especially if you want to create recipes while you’re remote. You can use the built-in timer to process your recipes automatically, and it will turn off the machine automatically. This blender also comes with 500 recipes that are synced up to iOS and Android apps as well.
Pros:
- Fully smart blender with 500+ recipes available on iOS and Android
- Built-in programmable settings
- Touch-screen and convenience
- Self-cleaning
- Five programmable settings for everything you want to create
- Self-Detect Technology containers
Cons:
- Not enough program speeds and automatic settings
Top Ninja Blender Pick
Ninja came onto the market in 2013 and has been competing with Vitamix ever since as the “more budget-friendly” option. Recently, Ninja came out with a smart blender to rival Vitamix’s ultra-modern blenders.
The Ninja Auto-iQ BL680A model is the latest from the blender manufacturer that promises a whole lot more power than its previous models. For one, it provides higher speeds with a powerful 1500-Watt motor, and the package includes all of the different containers and blades to be able to make hundreds of new recipes.
Auto-iQ is a new smart technology that detects the attachment and automatically sets the Ninja to the right processor speed to create your juice, smoothie, or another recipe. It also comes with a variety of different pitchers, bowls, and other containers. The main pitcher is a 72 oz total crushing pitcher that has a lid. You also get a 64 food processor bowl with a lid. There are two Nutri Ninja cups and one Tritan Nutri Ninja cup.
Ninja also makes it easy to clean out the processor by lifting the blades from the base. You also get a whole different set of blades just for chopping and dough. With pro extractor blades assembly and total crushing stacked blades, it’s easy to crush and pulverize anything you want to put in the blender.
Pros:
- High-powered blending for a great price, typically under $300
- Comes with all of the attachments and bowls you could ever want
- Powerful 1500-Watt motor
- Includes 30-recipe inspiration guide
Cons:
- Not as smart as other models such as the Ascent series from Vitamix
- Blades are not as high quality as Vitamix’s latest Ascent models
Conclusion
Both of these blenders have high-powered functions and more settings than most other blenders on the market. They are constantly competing and changing the models to provide a better product as well. Vitamix is the historic juicer brand that has created a name for itself in the blender market for high-quality, speed, power, and the ability to blend almost anything.
Ninja is still working on its reputation of being a home cook’s blender machine. While all of the pieces are there to make it a great product, it’s still missing some of the value that you find in Vitamix. However, Ninja does make a more cost-effective product. If you want to do some simple blending and get mostly similar results to Vitamix, then you should pick the Ninja blender for its cost.
However, there is no beating Vitamix on its quality results. The blades are simply sharper, and the motor is capable of running faster than the Ninja, even within its Ultima model. In comparison to Ultima, the Ascent 3500 just seems more convenient with the ability to set different programs from your phone so that you can automatically come home to a hot meal.
Ultimately, the best blender on the market has to go to Vitamix. Even with higher prices, the quality of construction and speeds puts it far ahead of Ninja.
