Ninja vs. Vitamix: Which Blender Is the Best?
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When it comes to the best blenders, Ninja and Vitamix are two of the most popular high-performance brands on the market. But if you're trying to figure out which manufacturer's blender to purchase for your own home, you're probably curious to know which comes out on top in terms of performance, ease of use and price.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab, our experts are well-versed in which blenders are the best of the best, having tested over 100 blenders in the past 20+ years, including various Ninja and Vitamix models. To determine how Ninja and Vitamix blenders compare head-to-head, we recently put one of each brand's most popular models through rigorous testing in our Lab. Read on for the results, but first a quick look at how each brand's blenders tend to differ overall.
Ninja vs. Vitamix at a glance:
Vitamix and Ninja each sell over eight different blender models, in varying sizes and with different included accessories, meaning there's a model available for every type of blending need. Both companies sell blenders with variable speeds and presets for everything from making smoothies to dips. But there are some key differences between the brands.
Ninja blenders
"My favorite thing about Ninja is the versatility," says Nicole Papantoniou, director of the Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab. "Ninja offers blenders of all different sizes and types so you can buy the one that works best for you."
Ninja blenders are a fixture in many home kitchens.
Ninja blenders are affordable, at $240 max.
Most Ninja blenders feature removable sharp blade assemblies which make them easier to clean, but require extra care since the blade assembly does not lock in place and could potentially fall out of the blender jar if it is turned upside down.
Ninja makes all types of small-size blending cups as well as personal blenders.
Vitamix blenders
"I like the heft of Vitamix blenders and knowing I can put almost anything in them and get good results," says Papantoniou.
Vitamix blenders are especially popular with professional chefs.
Vitamix blenders can cost as much as $650.
Vitamix blenders are constructed with strong, built-in aircraft-grade blade assemblies that stay in place, but it can be difficult to clean underneath the blades without a bottle brush.
Vitamix blenders primarily feature large blender jars, but you can purchase a personal-size Self-Detect Blending Cup for some models. This technology allows the blender to recognize the smaller cup size and automatically adjusts blend settings.
How we tested Ninja vs. Vitamix blenders:
To determine how Ninja and Vitamix blenders stack up against each other, we selected one of each brand's models with similar sizing and controls that have performed well in past Lab tests. The Ninja SS351 Foodi Power Blender & Processor System and the Vitamix Ascent Series A3500 are both sleek models that we know offer strong performance and ease of use, but how do they compare against each other? Let's break it down.
To mimic how someone would typically use a blender at home, we made strawberry kale smoothies, vanilla milkshakes, frozen margaritas and broccoli-leek soup in each blender.
Take note that both of these blenders are equipped to blend hot ingredients — a blender must have vents in order to safely blend hot ingredients, and you should avoid blending hot liquids in any personal blending cups, since it could potentially cause burns upon opening the lid.
During testing, we weighed all liquids post-blending and strained them through a mesh sieve to evaluate whether or not the ingredients were fully blended and that each grind or puree was uniform. We also evaluated how well each blender could handle hard ingredients by grinding coffee beans, frozen strawberries and ice cubes separately. We also evaluated the owner’s manuals and the noise level while operating, as well as the ease of assembly, use and cleaning.
Here our results of our head-to-head comparisons:
✔️ Strawberry kale smoothie:
Ninja SS351 : The resulting smoothie had a good consistency, but a slight grainy texture. Some bigger pieces of strawberry and kale were pushed up to the top of the blender and therefore were never blended, and so did not go through the sieve.
Vitamix A3500 : The resulting smoothie had a silky smooth consistency with zero flecks of kale visible; it went completely through the sieve.
✔️Frozen margarita:
Ninja SS351 : This produced a thick and smooth margarita without any large pieces of ice remaining, though there was a little grit left over from the super fine sugar used in the recipe. This margarita didn't fully go through the sieve because of its thick, fluffy consistency.
Vitamix A3500 : This blender produced a creamy and fluffy margarita with no grit, meaning all sugar dissolved completely. The final result was restaurant-quality, but it also didn't go through the sieve because of its thick consistency.
✔️ Vanilla milkshake:
Ninja SS351: The Ninja produced a thick and frothy milkshake. While it was not perfectly smooth in consistency, there was zero curdling or separation.
Vitamix A3500: The Vitamix made a creamy milkshake with no lumps or clumps of ice cream.
✔️ Whole coffee beans:
Ninja SS351: After grinding for one minute on the highest setting, some coffee beans remained underneath the blade, unground. While the resulting grind was coarser than the Vitamix's results, 90% of the Ninja's ground coffee passed through the sieve.
Vitamix A3500: After grinding for 30 seconds on the highest setting, the coffee was ground very finely and everything passed through the sieve. No coffee beans got stuck, but we did have to dig near the blades to get the finer grind at the bottom to come out of the blender. The resulting espresso-style grind was very fine and did clump together a lot before passing through the sieve.
Photo credit: Good Housekeeping/Eva Bleyer
✔️ Broccoli-leek soup:
Ninja SS351: Some bigger pieces did fly to the top of the blender and never made their way down into the blades, similar to our smoothie. Still, the pureed soup passed through the sieve easily; while the result was smooth and creamy, it still retained some pleasant texture.
Vitamix A3500: After using the 5:45 minute soup preset on this blender, the soup was almost liquified with bright green color and a very frothy, velvety body. While the results went completely through the sieve, it did not taste good. It reminded our testers more of green juice than soup; to avoid this, we would recommend blending the ingredients on high for one minute instead of using the soup preset.
✔️ Ease of use:
Ninja SS351: This was an easy-to-assemble blender with a blender jar that quickly locked into place. The blade was easy to put on, though very sharp to handle and clean. Markings on the blender jar were easy to read, even when the blender was filled. The blender controls were intuitive and easy to read thanks to the backlit controls. The suction cups on the bottom of the blender base also ensures that the blender stays put no matter how fast it is blending tough ingredients.
Vitamix A3500: We appreciated the LED screen with simple push-button presets and the ability to choose different speeds with the turn of the dial. The blender jar easily sat on top of the base, and thanks to the completely clear blender jar and lid, we could closely monitor the blending process. There is a cleaning function on this model that works well for some ingredients, but with ingredients like sticky peanut butter you have to soak the blender with soap and hot water and scrub it a little yourself.
The bottom line: Ninja or Vitamix?
Across our tests, the resulting scores were surprisingly similar: Ninja and Vitamix both make high-quality, high-performance blenders that are very versatile. While the Vitamix produced blended liquids that were, overall, slightly better, those results came at a higher price point. Given that Ninja's blender performed well across our tests and is more affordable, budget may be the deciding factor for you. In the end, we think you can't go wrong with purchasing either one of these blenders. But bottom line, here's what we determined in our test:
Best Overall: The Vitamix A3500 grinds, purees and blends like a champ, creating super-smooth smoothies, fluffy frozen margaritas and creamy milkshakes quickly. It will also likely remain on your kitchen counter for 10+ years, thanks to its full warranty.
Best Value: At less than $250, the Ninja SS351 blender features a larger blending jar (at 72 ounces) and includes more accessories, like a dough blade and personal blending cups. It also churned out a great frozen margarita and superior broccoli-leek soup.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Eva Bleyer has professionally tested all kinds of kitchen equipment, from oven ranges to juicers to kitchen scales to blenders. In fact, in the past year alone, Eva has rigorously testing over 30 blenders in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab. As a trained chef with a background in health-supportive cooking, she also has years of experience using blenders to make everything from cashew cream sauce to roasted beet hummus.
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