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How to use a Blender for a perfect smoothie
– including Ninja Master Prep Pro review and Breville Blend-Active review
Before we launch into the Blender reviews, let’s quickly jot down how to make the perfect smoothie – you’re going to need this info once you’ve got your Blender (or Juicer, if it has a soft fruit juicing function like The Nutri Juicer’s Froojie Disc – see Part Two for information).
Example ingredients to use for a good, balanced, healthy smoothie:
- liquid – milk, yogurt, ice cream or water
- fruit and/or veg – a selection, chopped up
- good fats – seeds, nuts, nutbutter or avocado
- more fibre – oats are great for filling you up
- herbs and/or spices – for added flavour
- ice – for a chilled smoothie
The key to a perfect smoothie is not to add too much liquid otherwise it becomes like a juice. Ideally, its texture should be like a thick milkshake.
I spotted these delicious smoothie recipes at NinjaKitchen.com and thought you might like them too – I love the bright colours:
The Antioxidant Refresher
Place these items into the Blender and mix together until smooth – you won’t even taste the cabbage:
1/4 cup red cabbage
1 stalk celery, halved
1 apple, halved
3/4 cup blueberries
1/2 cup watermelon
2 cups ice
Berry Healthy
Place these items into the Blender and mix together until smooth:
1 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries, hulled
2 mangoes, peeled and pitted
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup water
1 cup ice cubes
Of course, you don’t have to use so many ingredients when making a smoothie. Even some bananas, milk and ice would make a nice smoothie to quickly fill you up.
– list of differences between a Juicer and a Blender
– whether to use a centrifugal or masticating Juicer
– two brilliant infographics, courtesy of www.rebootwithjoe.com
Read Part Two for a review of The Nutri Juicer Plus, as well as the main features to look out for when choosing a Juicer or Blender.
Turning to the Blenders, I’ll first review the Ninja Master Prep Pro, then the Breville Blend-Active.
The Blender
Ninja® Master Prep® Pro review
Learn more about the Ninja Master Prep Pro – the awesome blender and food processor in one.
SharkNinja (the creators of the Ninja Master Prep Pro) has roots dating back a century in Europe before later settling in Canada. The same family has led the Company for three generations, and prides itself in providing:
“…highly functional, innovative products … [with] ease of use, and competitive pricing” [source: NinjaKitchen.com]
The Ninja Master Prep Pro uses patented Ninja technology to crush, chop, blend, mince, dice and purée fruit, veg and ice twice as fast as most other blenders, and costs between £60.
Once you’ve used the Ninja Master Prep Pro you’ll realise that it dispels the myth that a powerful motor is always needed for an effective blender.
In general, a powerful motor is needed for most blenders to be effective but…
…with just 450 watts, the Ninja Master Prep Pro easily outperforms other blenders with similar wattage, due to the patented stacked blades.
Ninja Master Prep Pro
The Ninja Master Prep Pro includes:
- interchangeable Master Pod with pulse on/off button to activate the blades in each pitcher and bowl
- 48 oz pitcher
- 40 oz processing bowl
- 16 oz processing bowl
- 3 x lids, blades and splash guards
I chose the Ninja Master Prep Pro because it holds its own in the power stakes, compared to more expensive blenders with more powerful motors – the reviews and YouTube videos tell the tale.
The three levels of stacked blades make the blending and processing task amazingly effective and quick.
What’s it like using The Ninja Master Prep Pro?
Smoothies and Food
We mostly use the Ninja Master Prep Pro to make frozen fruit smoothies.
It easily crushes the ice and blends the frozen fruit to make delicious smoothies with added milk, yogurt or ice cream.
As well as processing food (such as creating dips or puréeing baby food), it’s great for dicing meat. You’ve probably heard some stories about shop-bought mince. Whether it’s true, I don’t know, but I’d much rather be certain of what’s in my mince – so we use the Ninja Master Prep Pro to mince all our meat, when needed. It works a treat.
How to use and clean the Ninja Master Prep Pro
– be REALLY careful when washing the blades as they’re super sharp; and
– use a knife with a sponge over it to clean into the narrow areas on the splash guard otherwise it collects food and debris – it’s not the most hygienic design.
If your splash guard is coloured plastic, hopefully it’s an easy-to-clean, new and improved style – mine are clear plastic.
The Ninja Master Prep Pro has only a few parts (it’s pretty much just a Master Pod, a bowl and blades) so it’s quick to set up and use:
- place fruit and/or veg into bowl
- place blades in bowl and splash guard on top
- plug in Master Pod
- place Master Pod on top of splash guard
- pulse Master Pod until required result
All parts can be placed in the dishwasher, except the Master Pod which mustn’t get wet.
Let me know if you have any questions about the Ninja Master Prep Pro or the Breville Blend-Active in the comments below, but for now, on to the next review:
Breville® Blend-Active® review
Learn more about the Breville Blend-Active – the brilliant little blender with a sports bottle.
The Breville Blend-Active is a one-person-portion portable blender (is that a tongue twister?!) perfect for making fruit smoothies, breakfast drinks and iced-juice slushes.
It includes a clear plastic sports bottle rather than a jug or bowl, making it ideal for individual protein and sports nutrition drinks.
Unlike protein shakers, the Breville Blend-Active’s designed to ensure no powder collects around the edges.
The Breville Blend-Active costs between £25 and £35 and includes:
- 2 x clear plastic 600ml sports bottle (lightweight, durable, BPA-free, odour, taste and stain resistant, impact and shatter resistant, includes measuring guide on side, and fits into car/bike cup holders)
- sports-style resealable lid (leak-proof, clicks securely when open and sealed)
- blade assembly (the blender cap which houses the blades)
- 300 watts motor unit (the blender base with pulse button)
- 1 year warranty
Apart from the motor unit, it’s all dishwasher safe.
It’s available with one or more different sized sports bottles, depending on how many people in your family – either a single or family pack.
I chose the Breville Blend-Active as it’s a super little blender which packs-a-punch when it comes to blending fresh or frozen fruit and veg. It’s not as powerful as some of the other Blenders on the market, but its reviews are a.m.a.z.i.n.g – read them and you’ll see. At the time of writing (Sept 2015), it was rated 4.7 out of 5 on Amazon with 3,218 five star reviews.
What’s it like using the Breville Blend-Active?
Using the Breville Blend-Active with fruit and veg
I’ve used the Breville Blend-Active to blend fresh fruit and veg on an almost daily basis to take with me to work. I add water rather than milk, so I guess it’s not a true smoothie-like milkshake – instead, I call it my “Blend”.
When first bought, knowing that it doesn’t have a high wattage motor, I only pressed the Blend button (and, yes, it actually says “Blend” on the button) for a few seconds at a time as I thought it might overheat.
However, I soon realised that although small, it’s very powerful, and can easily handle the fruit and veg in quite large chunks, and deals admirably with ice, frozen food and nuts…. and I can hold the Blend button for quite a while – about 17-20 seconds at a time, which is well within the instruction booklet’s recommended 30 seconds max.
For convenience of use, this Blender’s definitely a great choice
I love using the Breville Blend-Active not because it’s the most powerful, nor because it blends everything perfectly (because sometimes it doesn’t – although it probably would if I pressed the Blend button long enough and chopped the food up a bit smaller!) but because the Breville Blend-Active is the easiest to clean and the most convenient to use.
How to use and clean the Breville Blend-Active
The Breville Blend-Active is the perfect Blender for anyone who’s:
- in a rush
- going to the gym
- out of the house or travelling
- lazy
I know that’s an unusual selection to put together, but let me explain:
- it’s perfect if you’re one of the first three types of people because your drink’s a quick grab-and-go and, in just a couple of minutes, you’ll be out the house with the sports bottle in hand
- it’s perfect if you’re lazy because, after you’ve made your Blender drink, you just have to wash the blade assembly. That’s it. Easy, eh?
Using the Breville Blend-Active is simple:
- chop up your fruit and veg and place it in the bottle
- add liquid – water, yogurt or milk etc
- add ice, if required
- screw the blade assembly to the top of the bottle
- turn the bottle upside down and place on the motor unit – twist the bottle clockwise until it locks in place
- plug in and switch on
- press the Blend button until required result
- – reverse the above steps, remove the blade assembly having turned your bottle right side up, then screw on the lid.
I think that Breville sum it up best:
“…the Breville Blend-Active® is at home in your kitchen but is your best friend as you hit the gym or work” [source: Breville.co.uk]
List of alternative Blender options
I really like the Breville Blend-Active, as the sports bottles are so convenient to use.
The rest of the family enjoy using the Ninja Master Prep Pro which does a great job of making smoothies, preparing mince and other foods.
But, here’s some alternatives if you’d prefer another type of Blender. Realistically, if you’re in the market for a top of the range Blender, I would suggest getting the Vitamix. At the time, it was out of our price range, but the reviews are very positive and it has virtually every function you can think of.
| Product | Approximate Price | Seller | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sage The Kinetix Twist | £90 | John Lewis | 1000 watts jug capacity: 1.5 litres 4 speeds crushes ice 2 year guarantee inc citrus juicer lid |
| Duronic BL1200 | £55 | Tesco | 1200 watts jug capacity: 1.8 litres crushes ice 3 speeds 1 year guarantee |
| Bella Extract-Pro | £60 | Argos | 700 watts jug capacity: 1 litre 10 speeds crushes ice 1 year guarantee |
| Salter Nutri Pro 1000 | £100 (£50 in sale) | Robert Dyas | 1000 watts jug capacity (cups): 1 litre and 0.8 litre 1 speed (no pulse function) 1 year guarantee |
| Nutri Bullet 600 | £90-£100 | Robert Dyas | 600 watts jug capacity (cups): 0.68 litre and 2 x 0.5 litre crushes ice 1 year guarantee |
| Tefal Fruit Sensation BL1424A42 | £25-£40 | Debenhams | 300 watts jug capacity: 0.6 litres 2 speeds 1 year guarantee |
| Magimix BlenderMix 4200XL | £280 | Currys | 950 watts jug capacity: 3 litres 3 year guarantee |
| Vitamix Aspire | £400 | Lakeland | 1000-1200 watts jug capacity: 1.4 litre 10 speeds crushes ice 5 year guarantee Note: over 50 functions inc cooks hot soup, makes ice cream and kneads dough |
Note: this review is a general resource, not intended to be professional advice. 
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