Review: Ninja Master Prep

*Update: Hubby wants me to add that the Ninja Master Prep makes the lightest, fluffiest scrambled eggs.*

A couple months ago I was sick and mentioned that I’d really, really like a Diet Coke slushie. My darling husband went to a few gas stations but it seems no one sells Diet Coke slushies anymore :( He really didn’t want to disappoint me (awwwwww) so he ended up bringing home the Ninja Master Prep, with it’s on-box claim to “Transform ice cubes into perfect, creamy frozen drinks and desserts in the blink of an eye!”

The Ninja Master Prep runs about $50 (I’ve seen prices from $40-60) or you can buy a souped up professional model for around $100. With a 400 watt motor the regular old Master Prep will probably suit most home needs.

The Ninja Master Prep (NMP) comes with two bases, a 2 cup base and a 48 ounce pitcher. Each size has it’s own set of two blades that fit into each other and snap together, this helps the food chop and blend more evenly than a traditional blender or food processor. To operate you put the lid on the base of your choice, set the motor on top, and press the large button on the motor. Easy, peasy!

What I LIKE about the NMP:
-I really like the large pitcher, it makes going from blender to drinking glass easy! The large pitcher is perfect for mixing up my drinkable yogurt.

What I DISLIKE about the NMP:
-While the entire unit is dishwasher safe (except the motor!) the lid for the 2 ounce cup has a small lip that makes it difficult to clear debris from, by hand and in the dishwasher. The unit is definitely easier to clean than your typical food processor, however.

-The unit doesn’t do so well with chopping light-weight or drier, soft things. I attempted to make hummus in both the small and large base and the NMP just didn’t cut it (ha ha, see what I did there?) with the chick peas and I ended up using my food processor.

Things the NMP did a good job chopping: onions, tomatoes, peppers, nuts, peeled apples, ice
Things the NMP didn’t do a good job chopping: garbanzo beans, fresh basil, apples with peels

-Each base has two blades. The blades fit onto each other and snap into place. I understand that this is for flexibility in chopping but I’ve always had to use both blades. I’d rather the blades were one piece so I wouldn’t fear losing a blade. As it is, I wash them separately, let them air dry, and replace back in the base for storage. If I had smaller kids this would make me nervous as I store my kitchen equipment in a lower cabinet.

What I LOVE about the NMP:
-The NMP is excellent for making creamy soups! Pour some of the soup into the NMP, blend it up, and pour it right back into the soup pot.

-The NMP is great for making smoothies, even green smoothies if you don’t mind a little “chunk”.

-The NMP is fantastic for mixing salad dressings and the pitcher lid is perfect for pouring the dressing without a mess.

-The NMP is unparalleled in it’s ability to crush ice.

-The NMP blades are sharp enough to do the job but not sharp enough to cut me when I wash them (yet, though honestly I let the dishwasher do most of the cleaning).

I recently made a killer Greek Salad Dressing in my NMP and took some pictures for you.

Here is the NMP all ready to go:

I’ve put the ingredients in the pitcher base and am ready to blend:

And finally, pouring the dressing into a container for storage:

My FINAL verdict:
I love the NMP. The NMP has completely replaced my blender, which was messy to use and had a rubber seal that really didn’t prevent leaks. If you’re in the market for a new blender, I would definately recommend taking a look at the NMP.

*Disclaimer: I received nothing from Ninja/Euro-Pro in exchange for this review. My husband simply purchased a Ninja and I decided to review it. The opinions expressed are solely my own and are based on my operation of the unit*