Vitamix vs Ninja Blenders: How Do They Compare Against One Another?
Vitamix and Ninja are two popular brands of blenders, but when you have two such sterling competitors in the same industry, it inevitably leads to one question, how do they compare against one another? It is perfectly reasonable to ask this because, after all, you are going to be spending a reasonable amount of money on the purchase of a blender and clearly, you want to know that you are making the correct choice.
Now, each of these companies does have a range of blenders that you can choose from. So, what we are going to do is look at the main features to ultimately decide which one is best.
Note:
- Vitamix 5300 Improved 5200 More Powerful, Fits Under Cabinet Model
Lets compare the Ninja Ultima (Left) and the Vitamix 5300 (upgrade of the Vitamix 5200) (Right)
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How Do They Compare With Power?
Power is a big thing when it comes to a blender because you need to have more power for it to really smash through those tough ingredients or ice. The weaker a blender is, then the more it will struggle.It has to be said that neither of these product range is lacking in the power department.
Both brands are capable of doing so much as you need. For example, with Vitamix, their 5200 model comes with a 2 horsepower engine whilst others in its range have a total of 1,380 watts. This is certainly enough to crush ice and blend anything that you want it to.
With the Ninja range, if you buy the Professional NJ600, you will be getting a blender with 1000 watts, whilst the Ninja Ultima is their most powerful at 1500 watts. The Vitamix is however faster and stronger as seen on the video.
To be honest, either of them is going to be more than suitable for the majority of tasks that it will be asked to perform, although the Ninja Ultima is slightly more expensive and would perhaps be best for people that plan on using it for making iced drinks on a more regular basis. It is commercial grade.
Overall, when we are looking at power, then the 2 brands are pretty even. The decision on which to buy comes down to other key factors with how well they can both perform. At least with the power you are not paying extra money for anything more.
How Do They Compare With The Speed?
When it comes to the speed, then the Vitamix 5200 provides you with the ability to vary it from anywhere between 500 rpm to 37,000 rpm. This in itself is pretty amazing because it does mean that you are able to do a variety of things. Setting the speed is also nice and easy. If we compare Vitamix to the Ninja model range, then we see that across the board they have just three settings. This allows you to vary between a slow speed for jobs such as making dough, to blending at moderate speed, to crushing ice with their top setting of 24,000 rpm. In other words, the Vitamix range has a faster speed, but then you could argue that this is to be expected when you consider that it is more expensive.
How Do Their Blades Compare?
This is an area where there are some real differences, and of course, it is also an area where you are going to be paying particular attention. What we see when we compare both brands is that they do tackle the blade issue in completely different ways.
With Vitamix, you are looking at their product range having a four prong blade that is made from stainless steel. The four blades are actually split up into two different types; two blades are specifically for cutting whilst, the other two are for blending.
This allows you to use the blender for a variety of jobs. However, the most important part is that these blades are not going to lose their edge even after extensive use. They are of top quality manufacture.
When we move to the Ninja brand, we see that they have adopted a different way of manufacturing their blades. Their version is longer and has 6 blades alternating on the side of the blade.
It has to be said that they are extremely sharp, but they are all designed for the same purpose unlike the Vitamix range. Clearly, this can have an impact on how well the blade will perform different tasks.
So, in terms blades, both are good for cutting but Vitamix does give you more options even though it has two fewer blades.
How Easy Are They To Use?
To be perfectly honest, this is one area where they are both equal. We are hardly talking about rocket science here. Both are very easy to use and there is next to no chance of you getting confused or not being able to get the blender to do what you want it to.
We are only talking about a few buttons and dials to turn and both companies could have hardly made it any easier if they tried. Both Ninja and Vitamix should be applauded here.
How They Compare With The Build Quality.
Let’s begin by looking at how they compare when it comes to the way in which they are manufactured. You need to remember that you will be using your blender to deal with frozen ice, raw ingredients, and other tough items, so you want it to be of strong built.
There are some marked differences between the two brand names. First, when you look at them side by side, it is clear to the naked eye that the Ninja range has not been manufactured to the same high standards as Vitamix.
The ninja models come across as being quite cheaply made, which is actually reflected in their lower price, and your initial thoughts will tend to be that it is just not as sturdy as it should be.
The base is plastic and even the feet seem to be cheap whereas the Vitamix range appears to be built to last. It is sturdy, it feels almost industrial, and you just have more confidence in its ability to blend pretty much continuously for years to come. At this point, Vitamix has to be seen as being the best blender out of the two.
How Do They Compare With What They Can Do?
The quality of the product is one thing, but we are all interested in what they are capable of doing before we are able to decide which one to buy.
If we look at the Vitamix range, no matter which one you want to buy, you will it can do pretty much anything that you want it to do. We are talking about it being used to crush ice, make dough, blend either fruit or vegetables, and even grind grains and make hot soup.
This is seriously impressive and it shows how a Vitamix blender really is a multi-purpose kitchen utensil even though it is more expensive than the Ninja range.
Speaking of the Ninja blenders, they are capable of doing pretty much everything that the Vitamix blenders can do with the exception of dealing with grains and making hot soup.
However, it is generally accepted that even though it can blend a variety of ingredients and crush ice, it does not do it to the same level as Vitamix.
However, as long as you are quite content with not having everything as smooth as possible, then this might not be as big a problem as you initially thought.
So, when it comes to what the blenders can do and as you may have expected, it is certainly the case that Vitamix blender is better. However, if you do not intend to make soup or crush grains, the Ninja range is also a good option to consider.
What About The Containers And Quantity?
So, we have looked at what both brands are capable of doing, but how about the quantity and the containers?
Well, both companies produce containers from the same material. So, there really should not be much of a difference at least in the quality of the product.
However, you do get more options with Vitamix as you will have the choice between a 64oz container, including a low-profile option, a 48oz container, and finally a 32oz container which is perfect for dried grains. Compare this to the Ninja range where you have 72 oz pitcher, a 40oz bowl, and a single cup.
What is interesting is that both companies have decided to tackle the issue of containers from completely different angles. With the Ninja range, it is good to see that they provide a bowl option as this does make it easier to blend certain ingredients, especially if you are making dough, and the single cup option is great if you are looking to make a smoothie.
Perhaps the conclusion that we can reach when it comes to the containers is that, in actual fact, even though they have less options, the containers that come with the Ninja blender tend to be more useful.
After all, it is very easy to just change your measurements in the 72oz pitcher, but it is the bowl and cup option that is the real winner. In an ideal world, Vitamix would introduce these kinds of options especially as a much cheaper competitor is already doing it.
What about Their Warranty?
This is where Vitamix really does run away with the competition because when you purchase this US made product you, get a 7 year long warranty that basically covers you for everything you could imagine.
This is far superior to the standard one year warranty that you will get if you purchase a Ninja blender, although some do argue that there is a longer warranty available, but this is not made clear enough for customers.
Now, if you are going to be using your blender extensively, clearly, a 7 year warranty is far superior in every conceivable way especially as every part of it is covered. There is basically no need for you to worry about anything going wrong as you know you are going to be covered.
How Do They Compare On Price?
Considering the differences that exist between the two, it is no surprise to hear that the Ninja range is a fraction of the price when compared to Vitamix blenders.
It all comes down to the budget that you have available as well as how often you plan on using your blender. If you intend to use it less, you cannot justify be spending around the $500 mark for a Vitamix?
But if you are the type of person that loves blending, then it will work out cheaper in the long term. Vitamix blenders are like a work horse for years.
So, when it comes to comparing price, then it all depends on the budget you have, what you want to use the blender for, and how often you intend to use it.
They both offer value for money in their own way, although we do admit that Vitamix is more to the top end of the market and may be out of reach for a lot of people.
Our Overall Conclusion
Overall, the 2 blenders are a prime example of “you get what you pay for’, because the Vitamix range is superior to the Ninja range of blenders in pretty much every way you can imagine, apart from price and, surprisingly, the container aspect.
They may also be equal when it comes to the power that they offer, but perhaps the overriding factor is that Vitamix produce blenders that are of a superior quality and will last for longer.
This is not to say that the Ninja blenders are at the bottom end of the market, but they are generally half the price of Vitamix and this is something that should be taken into consideration when looking to buying one.
Of course, we have previously argued that Vitamix will last you longer if you are serious with blending, but if you only planning on using it infrequently, perhaps, spending as much is not a good idea.
However, if price is not a concern and you are only looking for a quality product, then it is difficult to see past a blender from Vitamix. It will blend, it will crush, and it will mix things perfectly. It may get a bit noisy when it is working at its optimum level, but that will all be forgotten when you see the end results.
