Ninja Professional Plus

I almost bought a Vitamix but my wife convinced me to try the Ninja first. One year later, I have zero desire to upgrade. It makes my daily protein smoothie perfectly, crushes ice for margaritas on weekends, and the Auto-iQ button means I just press and walk away. Is it as silky as a Vitamix? Probably not. Do I care when I saved $500? Absolutely not. For 95% of home users, this is all the blender you need.

If you mostly make frozen fruit smoothies or icy drinks, this blender is fantastic. But I switched to green smoothies with kale and spinach and the results are disappointing. Even after 60 seconds of blending, I get tiny flecks of greens throughout. The Vitamix at the office blends greens to complete silk. Also, the lid leaks almost every time I pour — I've learned to use a separate cup to transfer. For the price it's good, but manage your expectations for leafy greens.

I call this the 'gateway blender' — it's perfect for figuring out if blending will become a habit before investing in a Vitamix. Three months in, I blend daily and I'm glad I started here. The 72-oz pitcher is huge for my single servings but I've started making batches for the week. When this eventually dies, I'll upgrade to a Vitamix knowing I'll use it. For now, it does everything I need at a price that doesn't sting.