Ninja Ultracrush Professional Blender Kitchen System Review

Ninja Ultracrush Professional Blender Kitchen System Review

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Buy it at Amazon: Ninja Ultracrush Professional Blender Kitchen System [Affiliate Link]

Takeaway: Multi-purpose, powerful motor, smooth results.

You’ll receive a full-sized pitcher, food processing bowl, motor base, personal blender cup, drink lid, a quick start guide, and QR code for Ninja’s online recipes.

The 10-inch tall pitcher is made of heavy duty plastic and weighs a little over 2.5 lbs. If filled to the brim it can hold 72 ounces but the max liquid capacity is 64 oz or 8 cups, which is about 1.9 L. In the corner of the lid opposite the handle is a flip-open cover for the pour spout, and when opened, it stays in the open position while you pour the contents of the pitcher. The release button unlocks the lid and pops up the handle which allows you to lift the lid off and remove the blade assembly. There are 6 very sharp blades across three tiers. If you own another Ninja blender, just note that the blades may be a different length and the spindle a different height, so it won’t be compatible with other models. The inside walls of the square pitcher are completely smooth making it easier to clean.

The food processor bowl is round and its maximum capacity is also 64oz, though the metric markings end at 1.8L.You’ll notice that the lid has no feed chute, although there is a small lid covering a funneled drizzle port which lets you add liquids to the bowl without having to stop the motor to remove the lid. This lid also has a release button that unlocks the handle and the blade assembly for this vessel is a shorter 4-blade spindle. You’ll notice that the bowl has four sloped ridges inside which helps direct ingredients inwards towards the blades as ingredients are chopped and move around the bowl. When replacing the lid, be sure to line of the two arrows before pressing down the handle to lock it in place.

The personal blender cup is the perfect size for small quantity blending like single-serving smoothies, dips, and sauces. The max liquid amount for this vessel is 16oz or 476 mL though it can hold a couple ounces more after blending. The blade assembly simply twists off and consists of small but sharp blades of various shapes and sizes. During operation, the motor is quite loud and the gear assembly that turns the blades on mine squeaks a bit, so expect it to make a bunch of noise. The suction cups under the base are quite strong and keep the base firmly planted on my countertop while the machine is operating, but still easy enough to un-stick when I need to move it.

The plastic drink lid should be used after blending for on-the-go use or storage. It features a leak-free cap over the pour spout that folds flat and stays in place with you pour or sip from the cup. When the blades are installed, it is leak-proof and airtight, so for this reason you should not put hot food or carbonated liquid in it as this can cause dangerous excess pressure to build-up inside. You’ll also want to avoid blending very hard, dry ingredients like grains and spices without adding liquid first.

This is the 1500 Watt motor base. It measures 7” wide, 9.5” tall, and 7.5” deep. On the front control panel you have the power buttons, low, medium, and high modes, automated Max mode, as well as pulse button. You’ll notice that the mode lights are flashing here because no vessel in installed. Each container is twist-to-lock by turning clockwise. When a vessel is installed, all the available modes will stay a solid white. Pressing the button starts the mode immediately and the bar above indicates the blender's total crushing power. Main modes run for a maximum of 60 seconds before stopping automatically to prevent motor burnout, though can be stopped manually at any time by pressing power or the selected mode’s button a second time. The function of Max mode varies by the vessel installed, for example for the cup, it is pulses the blades in short bursts with increasing power over the course of 30 seconds.

The large 72 oz pitcher is great for blending a large amount of ingredients completely smooth. It was the perfect tool for breaking down cooked and cooled fresh pumpkin into puree for pie filling. The Max mode for the pitcher is a 1-minute automated program that starts off with several pulses to pre-grind ingredients before switching to a constant high powered blend for super smooth results.

It also is powerful enough to grind ice cubes into fine, snowy powder that you can use in drinks and shakes. If your final product is thin enough to pour, you can simply pop open the lid over the pour spout. If you remove the lid prior to pouring out its contents, you’ll need to take the blade out first; otherwise it will fall out when you pour.

The food processor bowl does not come with a disc blade for shredding and slicing, so you’ll be limited to chopping, dicing, mincing, and pulverizing foods. There is no Max mode available for this vessel. Here I’m blending up some chickpeas and tahini to make hummus, but you can tell that it’s a little bit too dry to blend smoothly. So while the motor is still running, I can open the drizzle door on top and add some water. Take care not to add a lot at once because the air inside the bowl will bubble out if it overflows. Pouring slowly a little at a time works fine though. For super smooth results that aren’t runny, you’ll likely have to scrap down the sides of the bowl a couple times. And the hummus turns out great, not too thin and very smooth in texture.

Overall, the Ninja Ultracrush Professional Kitchen System meets the needs of a full-size blender, chopping food processor, and single-serve personal blender with just one appliance. It doesn’t take up much space on my counter and even fits under my kitchen cabinets with the tall pitcher installed. It has a powerful motor that can crush and blend down ingredients like ice and vegetables smoothly and quickly. All removable parts are easy to clean as they are top-rack dishwasher safe, and oftentimes, simply running the blender with a bit of warm soapy water inside is enough to get everything mostly clean without scrubbing.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned
Buy it at Amazon: Ninja Ultracrush Professional Blender Kitchen System [Affiliate Link]