Vitamix vs. Ninja: Our Editors Reviewed Three Popular Blender Models to Find the Best
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Face it: The teeny-tiny blender you’ve been using since college has seen better days. The blades are dull, it smells like smoke if you run it for more than ten seconds and your smoothies are half ice chunks. Before you buy the first one you see (or splurge on the most expensive), you’ll want to read this Vitamix vs. Ninja review, featuring honest feedback from our team about the brands’ performance and capabilities. Our editors tested the Vitamix Ascent A3500 ($667), Vitamix 5200 Standard ($416) and the Ninja Detect Duo ($180) to find out how the popular models compare. Read on for details.
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How We Tested the Vitamix Ascent 3500, Vitamix 5200 Standard and the Ninja Detect Duo
To determine the effectiveness of these three blenders, we tested their abilities to make frozen drinks, crushed ice, purée, nut butter and hot soup (if applicable). We also had our testers try any settings and included accessories.
PureWow’s VP of Editorial Candace Davison and Executive Editor Alexia Dellner have used the Vitamix Ascent 3500 and Vitamix 5200 Standard for years, respectively. They retested the blenders’ abilities according to our testing process for this review. PureWow Assistant Editor Delia Curtis received a new Ninja Detect Duo Power Blender Pro for this review. After completing the tests, all three editors rated their blenders based on the following five factors:
What Sets Vitamix and Ninja Apart?
Both brands are go-tos in the blender world. Vitamix is known for its all-purpose, very powerful appliances that can make a wide range of recipes in minutes (or seconds). Ninja blenders are also known for their sturdiness and power, but none of the current models are designed to make hot soups. They’re also generally much cheaper than Vitamix blenders.
Our Vitamix Blender Review
Candace Davison/Alexia Dellner
*Note: These scores reflect the average scores for both Vitamix blenders.
Value: 18/20
Ease of Use: 19/20
Aesthetics: 17/20
Versatility: 19/20
Noise Level: 18/20
TOTAL: 91/100
Ascent 3500
Davison found it a total breeze to make frozen drinks in this Vitamix model, which she has been using for more than seven years. “Margaritas in less than 30 seconds—honestly,” she explains. “Since I was pulverizing the ice into slush, there was no need to scrape down the sides. Just dump everything in, switch to a medium-high setting (like a 6 out of 10) and in less than 20 seconds, the drink is ready. This machine is a beast.”
Crushing ice is simple too. “If you don’t start on a low speed, you’ll have shaved ice in ten seconds flat. I needed to pause after five seconds and mix it up a bit, just because some cubes were turning into snowflakes while some remained chunky. But it did the job with hardly any effort.”
Candace Davison
Purées are a breeze as well. “I steamed berries, per Vitamix’s recommendation, then put them in the blender on high speed. Within seconds, the purée was ready. No scraping necessary or stops midway; it just pulverized the softened berries, making an easy baby food for my son.”
As for hot soups, they’re a cinch too. “I made a copycat Panera broccoli cheddar soup. Since you sauté the veggies first, everything blends pretty easily. The actual blending takes less than two minutes, and there’s minimal cleanup.”
Candace Davison
Nut butter seemed to be the most challenging task for the Ascent. “It’s definitely powerful enough to make nut butter; there’s even a button that allows you to whip it up in one minute, but you need at least three cups of nuts and some oil to create a creamy consistency. I tried halving the recipe to make snickerdoodle almond butter, but I had to scrape down the sides three times and run it continually to get a decently smooth result. The nuts got stuck under the blades, so I had to use a spoon to scrape them out, and it was definitely the messiest to clean.”
5200 Standard
Dellner had the most success with liquid-based blends. “I made a frozen berry smoothie,” she explains. “It made a puree in no time at all (maybe 10 seconds), so I quickly realized I needed more liquid and added some more milk. After that, it made a smooth drink in another 10 seconds. My kids don’t like clumps, so a smooth consistency is key. I didn’t have to scrape the sides or use the tamper. Sometimes I’ll add more interesting ingredients, like flaxseeds, chia seeds and spinach, and then some scraping is necessary, but very minimal.”
Alexia Dellner
She also uses her blender to make baby food, purées and soups in mere seconds. However, she stresses that adding liquid as you go to achieve your desired texture and loosen the ingredients for the blades is key.
As for crushing ice, this Vitamix model was less successful than the Ascent. “I added the ice, turned on the blender and had what looked like snow!” Dellner explains. “I figured I must’ve taken my eyes off the blender, so I repeated the test and this time kept a close eye on it, turning it off after about 5 seconds or so, and the same thing happened. I had still chunks of ice up top and powder below.”
Alexia Dellner
The same goes for making nut butter. “I’m allergic to nut,s so I made pumpkin seed butter instead, adding canola oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. I had to constantly stop to scrape down the sides (like, every 10 seconds) and still no luck. I read a recipe online that said I should be able to make pumpkin butter without any add-ons, but even with additional ingredients, it was not a success. I gave up after 20 minutes and you can see from the pictures that it’s not so much a butter as it is a grainy paste.”
Both Models
Candace Davison/Alexia Dellner
Both are very easy for newbies to use. The 3500 has button-operated presets, while the 5200 has a no-frills knob that controls speed. Cleaning them is just as simple. “The cleaning function is awesome. With a drop of soap, a little water and the push of a button, the container is gleaming in 30 seconds. I also like that it comes with a hardcover mini cookbook to help you get more out of your blender and learn its functions,” says Davison.
Of the 5200, Dellner advises users to be careful when using the tamper: “Don’t let it touch the blades! Also, the cord coils around the bottom of the blender in a bit of an annoying way. It’s held in place by little plastic bits that we’ve already lost two out of four of.”
Both editors find their blenders a bit clunky. “It does take up quite a bit of precious countertop space, but we use it a few times a week and it makes cooking so much faster and easier,” asserts Dellner of the 5200. “It’s considerably bulky and not so attractive, so I tend to keep it in a cabinet when it’s not in use. It’s not an eyesore; it’s just that if I had to choose between displaying it or my aqua KitchenAid mixer, the mixer wins,” explains Davison of the 3500.
As for noise, these two models vary. “It gets a little noisier than a Roomba, but that’s to be expected when it’s really pushing to make nut butter or crush ice. You can still carry on a conversation, though you may have to raise your voice a bit,” says Davison of the 3500. The 5200 gets loud if used on a high setting, though. “If my kids are napping, I'll take it down to the basement to blend so I don’t wake them up,” says Dellner.
That said, cost will likely be the biggest turnoff for most shoppers. “It’s extremely high quality, but the price is hard to justify unless you’re a smoothie stan or make soups, nut butters or your own baby food on the regular. If you plan on making margaritas once or twice a summer, stick to something more affordable,” recommends Davison.
Buy the Ascent 3500
Buy the 5200 Standard
Our Ninja Detect Duo Blender Review
Delia Curtis
Value: 18/20
Ease of Use: 19/20
Aesthetics: 20/20
Versatility: 19/20
Noise Level: 16/20
TOTAL: 92/100
This powerhouse boasts BlendSense Technology, which automatically adjusts the blend speed and time for impeccably smooth results that require minimal guesswork. When used with the single-serve cup, the blender also alerts you when more liquid is needed, and single-touch presets make it a breeze to use. That said, you’ll still need to mind the blend as it’s happening: “For some of the recipes I made, I stopped the BlendSense a bit early as to not overmix the contents,” explains Curtis. “It does a great job, but you have to keep an eye on it to get the consistency you’re looking for.”
Delia Curtis
Simple tasks like smoothies and cocktails are painless to prepare. “It was incredibly easy to make a frozen drink,” they add. “I decided on frozen strawberry daiquiris, and it took about 45 seconds to blend everything together. The crushed ice took about 60 seconds to turn powdery—no scraping or tampering to get the job done.” Pureeing was similarly easy and low lift.
Even nut butter was relatively simple to pull off. “I figured it might be a challenge, given how the blender needed to grind the nuts finely enough for it to smoothen. Because almonds are naturally oily, I didn’t need to add any additional oil. But I did have to scrape down the sides a couple of times and blend in intervals, just in case the blender got too hot, but the BlendSense feature kicked in and I was able to make the nut butter in about 6 minutes and 45 seconds.”
As for cleaning and ease of use, Curtis says the buttons and settings are very straightforward, and it’s simple to wash the pitcher—albeit harder when it’s covered in nut butter. “Getting the nut butter out of the corners of the pitcher was sort of a challenge and required a bit of elbow grease,” they add. Luckily, the pitcher, blade and lids are dishwasher safe.
The main downsides? Ninja blenders aren’t currently designed to make hot soup (although we bet they can pull off a mean gazpacho), and Curtis notes this model can be pretty noisy when used for a longer period of time. That said, it’s high quality and comparatively inexpensive. “It’s worth the splurge because of the technology alone. I was surprised to find out it was less than $200.”
Vitamix vs. Ninja: What Are the Main Differences?
The Bottom Line
If you’re willing to splurge on a blender that can make just about anything without breaking a sweat, the Vitamix Ascent 3500 is worth every penny. If you want a quality blender, don’t make nut butter or crushed ice too often and don’t mind an older model, save a few hundred with the Vitamix 5200 Standard. If you only need to tackle the basics (or don’t use your blender on the daily), are looking for your first blender or aiming to save as much as possible, the Ninja Detect Duo is your best bet.
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