What Every Man Cave Kitchen Needs: A Ninja

Published by PolisPandit on November 25, 2020

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I was often left asking myself – what should I do with fruits and vegetables that are going bad? The Ninja blender and food processor provided the solution. For a price less than $200, it is well worth the investment given its versatility, sturdy design (stainless steel), and power (110 volts). In my view, there is no need to shell out a couple hundred dollars more for the Vitamix version, which doesn’t even come with the extra containers provided by Ninja. Simply put, Ninja arguably provides more, while doing effectively the same work at a fraction of the price.

If you are someone as crazed about smoothies and protein shakes as me, the Ninja is an essential appliance for any man cave kitchen. It can also mix mean daiquiris, margaritas, or any frozen adult beverage of your choice. The smoothie setting takes 60 seconds and can easily chop apart everything from ice to frozen fruit. And don’t just take it from me, read the Consumer Reports review as well, where they face off the Ninja v. Vitamix. Spoiler alert – the Ninja wins.

That’s because aside from pureeing or mixing soups, the Ninja is either neck-and-neck with Vitamix or better. It beats Vitamix in the convenience category as the Ninja has a more inviting user interface and simpler instructions. Also, when it comes to pureeing, the Ninja performs above average when compared to the rest of the competition. If you require perfectly pristine purees from Vitamix, you need to reassess your man cave anyways.

Did I mention containers? The Ninja comes equipped with two 24oz. single-serve cups, along with the 72oz. blender/food processor (which holds up to 64oz. of liquid). The single-serve cups are perfect for protein shakes before or after workouts, or if you don’t want the hassle of cleaning a giant blender. But not to worry either – all parts are dishwasher safe!

Some reviews complained about the noise, but have you ever found a blender that didn’t make noise? Compared to the competition, the Ninja is above average in this department as well. With almost 1,000 ratings as of the time of this writing that give the Ninja a 4.8 out of 5 rating on Amazon, there is no reason to pay more for another blender that delivers the same results. Do not let the Vitamix cult following fool you.

Below are a few other Ninja alternatives, along with my favorite Ninja-made smoothie recipes. So when you have those older fruits or vegetables laying around, don’t throw them away, blend them up and enjoy!

Ninja Alternatives

Favorite Ninja-Made Smoothie Recipes

Enter the ingredients in the Ninja in the order they appear.

• Strawberry Banana.
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1-2 bananas depending on size and taste
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1/2 cup of ice (the key is to make it perfectly chilled, but not crunchy)
• Pineapple Banana.*
  • 1 cup freshly cut pineapple
  • 1-2 bananas depending on size and taste
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1/2 cup of ice
  • *optional – add one jalapeño for a bit of kick! Remove the seeds first!
• Avocado Almond. (for a healthy jolt)
  • 1 avocado (ripened)
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 scoop almond butter