Holiday Gift Idea : Ninja Ultima Blender

***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation has been provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

It's no secret that I love to cook. It's one of my passions, really. Whether it's a creamy, cheesy baked potato soup or a restaurant inspired entree or dessert, there's just something magical about taking some simple ingredients and turning them into something with an undeniable wow factor. While I am not a classically trained chef, I definitely never get any complaints when I head into the kitchen. I love getting creative and experimenting with textures and different flavor profiles. 

My family loves eating home cooked meals, and I love the fact that I am not only in total control of what we're putting into our bodies when I cook, I also save us loads of money compared to eating out or buying prepackaged foods. 

I wholeheartedly believe that the key to being a successful home cook is having professional quality kitchen appliances. Sure, you can buy inexpensive small appliances, but I promise you that having higher quality equipment produces better results with less headaches. This is especially helpful when preparing large Holiday feasts for several people. Having professional grade equipment can save tons of time and provide consistent results, which will allow you to spend more time entertaining guests and less time in the kitchen. 

One product I am absolutely loving right now is the Ninja Ultima Blender. You may have seen this beauty on TV, and this is one kitchen helper that definitely lives up to its claims.  It's easy to use, easy to clean, and is an incredibly versatile tool that just may make you stow away your other small kitchen electrics. And yes, it even performs just as well, if not better, than the higher priced competitors. 

About the Ninja Ultima :

The Ninja Ultima is giving those more expensive brands a run for their money! Sure, you can pay upwards of $600 for a high quality blender, but why should you when you can pay a third of that for a product that is blowing the competition out of the water? 

The Ninja Ultima is far from being ordinary, since you can create anything from soups and smoothies to pastry crusts, cookies, salsas and more, all in this one easy to use unit. With extreme versatility comes extreme power as well. 

Here are some of the Ninja’s features:

• Ninja’s signature Total Crushing™ blades that work in unison with newly developed High Speed Cyclonic blades
• PRO Variable Speed with a range of speeds from 3,700 to 24,000 RPM
• Dual Stage Blending-Ninja has Total Crushing Blades that rotate at 5,000 RPM that crush whole fruits, vegetables, seeds & ice. The bottom High Speed Cyclonic Blades rotate independently at 24,000 RPM to liquefy ingredients to a smooth consistency in mere seconds. 
  
• Powerful 1500 Watt, 2.5 HP Motor-This motor is super strong! Paired with the tough blades, this is the ultimate kitchen tool that will allow you to create restaurant quality dishes in the comfort of your own kitchen! 

The Ninja Ultima™ Blender series includes:

• One extra-large, 72 ounce multi-tasking pitcher
• Two 16 ounce Single Serve cups with Sip & Seal™ to-go lids
• One 8 cup capacity food processor bowl that makes up to two pounds of dough in 30 seconds
• Designed to fit comfortably under your cabinets to save precious counter space when not in use. 

All detachable parts are dishwasher-safe and are made of 100% BPA-free plastic.

Our Review :

The generous folks at Ninja sent us one of the Ultima to check out for ourselves. My husband was very excited about this, since he has been drooling over the Ultima during commercials for quite some time now. The unit arrived quickly, and was very well packaged. 

As you can see, the Ninja Ultima comes with everything you need to get cooking! I especially love the fact that it comes with 2 8oz single serve cups that can make the most amazing smoothies in seconds. There is also a comprehensive instruction manual that is easy to understand, and even some fantastic recipe ideas to get you started. 

The Ninja Ultima is not a teeny-tiny blender, so it does take up a bit of counter space. This isn't an issue for us, as we have a decent sized kitchen. Thankfully, this unit stores very easily in cabinets, so even if you've got a small apartment kitchen, it is still a must have in my opinion. 

This blender has a generously sized mixing bowl, and there are 2 sets of blades. You can use both sets at once, or remove one of the blades, depending on what type of recipe you're preparing. (Don't worry....You will know which you need after reading the usage instructions and browse Ninja Ultima recipes.) 

One thing I absolutely love is that the lid locks sturdily into place. Have you ever had a lid fly off, making a HUGE mess while using a blender? I have, and it's not fun....Especially when you then need to clean splatters off the walls and ceiling. With the Ninja Ultima, this is never an issue. Foods and liquids always stay inside the blender where they belong. 

The base of the Ultima is a bit on the heavy side. This is a good thing, since it adds stability to the unit, and also houses that insanely powerful motor. As you can see, there are variable speeds that can be used, as well as a pulse and single serve option. The controls and settings are very self-explanatory and simple to use. 

So what can the Ultima do? Well, we have been experimenting with it quite a bit lately, and we have found many different uses for this blender. 

We decided we wanted some delicious parfaits, so we used the Ultima to make fresh whipped cream and homemade granola "crumbles" to add depth and dimension to our parfaits. They came out beautifully, and were absolutely fantastic! 

I have to admit, I am not really a baker. I don't eat sweets or desserts often at all, so baking has just never been "required" of me. My husband usually does the baking and dessert making in our home....He is addicted to desserts, and loves a nice mousse, cake, cookie or pie. 

So naturally, Dan said he wanted to make a pie using the Ninja Ultima. He was able to make a wonderful, flaky pie crust using the blender. I was really surprised to see how quick and easy this was, since doughs are something I would never imagine using a blender for. Using the Ninja Ultima was so much easier and more convenient than lugging out our heavy, bulky stand mixer. It even took less time, thanks to the super powerful motor! 

Here is our Triple Berry Pie with a flaky crust! Doesn't it look amazing? 

Of course, in addition to soups, stews, dips, desserts, and salsas, the Ninja Ultima makes unbelievable smoothies. We love smoothies all the time, but especially when we're on the go. Thanks to the Ultima, we can blend our fresh fruits, ice, and yogurt or ice cream in seconds. If you're in a hurry, you can just snap a lid onto the single serve cups and head out the door. This comes in especially handy with my teen, who often has a hard time waking up in the mornings. He can make a quick, nutritious smoothie and have a healthy breakfast to go! 

Or if you're not in a hurry to get anywhere, you can pour your smoothie into a glass and top with some homemade whipped cream for a great afternoon pick me up. Smoothies are a great way to fit in all of your fruits and veggies, even for the pickiest of eaters. I often add veggies to fruit smoothies like the one below, and the kids are none the wiser! 

Overall, I am head over heels in love with the Ninja Ultima. I have owned many, many blenders in my lifetime, from el-cheapo WalMart specials to higher end, pricier units. I can say with absolute certainty that none of them rival the power and versatility of the Ninja Ultima. I find new uses for it every single day, and it's truly become an invaluable kitchen helper. If you're looking for the perfect gift for the "foodies" on your gift lists, or you're just looking for ways to eat healthier, more nutritious foods, definitely check out the Ninja Ultima. This is an investment that is worth every penny! 

How to COnnect :

For more information about the Ninja Ultima, visit ninjaultimablender.com  andNinjaKitchen.com. 

You can also follow Ninja on Facebook at Facebook.com/NinjaKitchen and on Twitter @NinjaKitchen to stay on top of their latest products and promotions!