Ninja Chef Professional 1500 W High Speed Blender Food Processor Duo w/Cup CT810

tl;dr;Ninja Chef is a great value. BL610 isn't worth price difference between it and CT805/CT810/CT815A. If you really want to save go with QB900B chopper at $27 or other brand with conventional (bottom mounted) blades if you need it rather for cocktails/juices than chopping.Chef series blenders are much louder but superior in every other way.--I was never happy with Ninja's BL610 and in holiday season was shopping for a blender. I was going to jump into $500-600 price category with 5-7 years of warranty but deals for best Vitamix and Wolf blenders were running away from me all the time while Ninja Chef went down to $110 including tax and 4 years warranty.So here is my comparison of Ninja BL610 and Ninja Chef CT815A with an emphasis on smoothies. CT805/CT810 + single serve cup = CT815A. I will collectively call them CT800 for the rest of the review.BL610 with 3 dual horizontal blades may be nice to make a puree but not capable when it comes to smoothie. It just throws components around and misses small parts. There will be always pieces of oathmeal in the not so smooth smoothie. Chia seeds will be just swimming there intact. CT800 instead creates a vortex and pulls components together, it blends everything perfectly in under a minute. This is especially visible in a single serve cup.Speaking of a single serve cups - BL610 did not have one designed for due to different jar mount so there were no even a workaround. You can of course put it on a high speed but after 20-30 seconds it already smells burnt plastic.In addition BL610 at high speed starts moving around a table - it is not safe to leave it unsupervised. CT800 has heavier and wider base and utilizes suction feet. It does not move when working on you juice. Downside of suction feet is - it will not work on some non-polished surfaces like wood or tile. It also makes the blender harder to move around if you don't have a constant place for it on you countertop.BL610 has only constant speed and pulse and in combination with unstable base you have to babysit it. CT800 series with Auto IQ really saves time, just drop whatever you want a smoothie with and push the button. 50 seconds is not much but with BL610 you will spend several minutes.It is easier to disassemble and wash BL610 if for some reason you did not do that right away. If something will stick to base mounted blades - it is going to be hard to get there. On the other hand CT800 series will flush clean with built-in "Clean" function. Yes it is the same as to hold "Pulse" on BL610 for 10 seconds, but CT800 does it much more efficiently and you are very likely to spend less time. CT800 also advertised for hot liquids what makes later cleaning almost as easy.One benefit BL610 has - it is much quieter. But QB900B is even quiter with comparable performance - especially if used on a silicon mat or towel. Construction allows it safely, you have to hold it's head anyway. It is also three times cheaper than BL610 and doesn't burn when running for a minute straight.Conclusion.If you prefer a chopper - go with QB900.If you prefer a blender - I really really doubt you could find something better at $100 or a little more.World of $600 blenders left unexplored for me this time.

I was quite surprised by the price offered on this Ninja Chef at the time that I purchased it. I got it for around $100 even and it was going for double that most places. Admittedly, that made me concerned about its status in regards to whether it was a remanufactured unit, used, new, or what the deal was. Upon receiving it though I could tell it was new in the box, very clean, unmarked, packaged well, and fully functioning. I haven't used it a whole lot yet, but it has plenty of settings and power. For the money I don't think one could do better. I also have a Kitchenaid 3hp unit and honestly I like the Kitchenaid better, but it has less options and cost a ton more. So if you just need a great working blender and your not looking to spend a ton, this is my current pick.

So far so good. This blender works really well. It’s super strong. I tried making smoothies, soups, dips with total success. I’ve been using it every day (sometimes twice a day) for a month and it had no issues.The reason why I put 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the noise it makes. Pretty loud!

I loved this blender so much. I used it for Acai bowls and soup.However, the smoothie blender starts to smoke every time I use it and contaminate the drink with black residueThen, now after 3 years, the motor starts to smoke and makes the drink tastes like smokeI know I bought this three years ago but it shouldn’t stop working after only 3 years.

I really like the Ninja's nicely engineered, bright and logical controls. Feels solid and seems like a winner. It is a bit powerful, but that's usually a good thing. I've just made Whole Plant Foods Diet smoothies in it, but so far, so good. Does need tamping a bit, but so does the Vitamix (see below).I don't think it is that loud either...doesn't bother me.It isn't difficult to pour. I had no trouble pouring anything out of it and didn't have any problems with contents gushing out when I poured. I actually prefer the rounded corners of the Ninja pitcher to the too narrow spout of the Vitamix.It is made in China, as are most others, but it is $100-ish. (If you want a lesson on why tariffs are bad, this is a good one.) Ninja makes an air fryer now that I picked up for another $100 and still spent half as much as a low-end Vitamix, although I completely endorse Vitamix, their products and their made in USA-ness. I just didn't have the money to shell out. If I stick with this Whole Foods Plant Based Diet, then I will probably get one. Or if this one breaks...but seems great so far.UPDATE: VITAMIX COMPARISON: I thought this one broke (it just overheated due to my rookie skills and over-eager tamping) and so bought a Vitamix 2500 to replace it. Really don't like the Vitamix pitcher as much. The lid is stiff, hard plastic vs. the Ninja more pliable. The plug in the middle of the lid for the Vitamix tamper seems smaller and harder to open/close.Most of all, it is really hard to tamp in the Vitamix round pitcher shape with triangular inserts! The inside shape turns out to be more like a star or something. You are supposed to use a round tool that doesn't fit the angles. Tamping is just required on both models, when using a mixture of fresh and frozen ingredients, fruits and vegetables, to get a good smoothie. Sorry, Vitamix A2500 does not miraculously funnel down frozen ingredients to the blades on its own. Much, much easier to tamp with the rounded square form of the Ninja pitcher, imho. Ninja pitcher also has a wider base for more stability if you put it in the fridge. The Ninja also comes with a jar and extra blade which cost $100+ with Vitamix. One review on YouTube mentioned the rubber on plastic connection between the pitcher and motor on the Ninja being a weak spot vs. the metal to metal connection on the Vitamix. The Ninja pitcher locks into place though, vs Vitamix just using gravity. Idk, no real proof that it will wear out. Non issue, maybe in 10 years... Also haven't yet tried making nut butters, so that may be different. Idk... saw a video making nut butter nicely with the Ninja though.Going to keep this one until it breaks and then reevaluate a Vitamix. :) Really wanted to prefer the Vitamix. The awkward pitcher shape and relatively exorbitantly high price are the deal breakers for me. Of course, the new Ninja Chef reliability isn't proven.

It’s pretty powerful, with that comes some serious decibels. It’s very loud. Mine is on a granite countertop in a corner, this does not help.