Smoothie bowl lovers, this blender’s for you

Like many people, I lean on my blender for a slew of kitchen tasks. From smoothies to soups, my blender plays a super-important part of my meal prep routine when I want to make something with a smooth consistency.

But as much as I love the miracles that my blender can perform, I still get frustrated by the stalling and constant need to add more liquid to my concoctions to keep things moving. Oftentimes, my smoothies end up with more of a milk-like consistency and nut-butters become more like nut-flavored soup. And don’t even get me started on my attempts to make those Instagram-worthy smoothie bowls.

Enter: The Ninja Foodi Smoothie Bowl Maker and Nutrient Extractor, a small but mighty machine that has the ability to process thick ingredients like nuts and frozen bananas with little effort. And the best part? It can do so much more than make picture perfect breakfast dishes.

About the Ninja Foodi Smoothie Bowl Maker and Nutrient Extractor

This specialty blender comes with a 1,200-watt base, two 24-ounce extraction cups, two lids, and a 14-ounce smoothie maker with a built-in tamper, plus a matching storage lid. The base has the following functions: Extract, Smoothie, Spread, and Bowl (referring to the smoothie bowl ability).

The cup you use will depend on the recipe you’re making, which is conveniently noted directly on the control panel. For Extract and Smoothie, you’ll use an extraction cup (labeled “Power Cup”), and you’ll use the smoothie bowl maker for Spread and Bowl (labeled “Power Bowl”).

In order to make thicker items like smoothie bowls and nut spreads, this cup has paddles on the top that are turned during the blending process, preventing the need for you to open the blender mid-blend and scrape the bottom.

And in addition to the special cups used to create your perfect spread or smoothie, this machine has automated programs to make the whole experience even easier. It blends, pauses, and re-starts intuitively, leaving you with a smooth and delicious result.

What I love about this blender

While there are some obvious positive features of this blender, like its high-power and small size, I think it’s important to highlight the unsung hero of this product: the suction cups at the bottom of the base. It may sound silly, but having powerful suction cups that help a blender stay put is an amazing thing. And since this blender is so powerful, strong suction cups that help the machine stay where it needs to be are key.

I love this blender’s ability to tackle thicker dishes like hummus and nut butters without the need to constantly stop the blending process to push the ingredients close enough to the blades of the blender. As long as you add enough liquid to meet the “maximum liquid” line, you should be able to blend away with a smooth result in under 60 seconds without having to re-open the blender to prevent stalling.

The machine’s presets include occasional pulses, helping it blend more consistently. And since each cycle comes with a count-down timer, there’s no risk of blending for too little time and finding chunks of ingredients in what was supposed to be a smooth end-result.

It’s smaller than a traditional blender and takes up less room in my kitchen. Plus, everything is dishwasher-safe, which is a must-have in my book.

Finally, all of the cups that come with this blender portable thanks to the to-go lids, making healthy eating a breeze for busy folks like myself.

What I don’t like

I don’t love the design of the extra paddles used with the smoothie bowl cup. While these paddles serve the important purpose of keeping ingredients moving and blending, food can get caught under the paddles, resulting in some of your food being wasted because it can’t be scooped out. Not a deal-breaker in my book, but something to consider if you’re adamant about reducing food waste.

Size is also an issue here if you’re hoping to serve any more than one person. The smoothie bowl cup in particular is on the smaller side, preventing me from making triple or quadruple batches for my family. It would be nice to have a larger cup so I could have the option to make larger portions. But again, not a deal breaker—there are plenty of full-sized blenders on the market that are made for feeding a crowd.

Should you buy the Ninja Foodi Smoothie Bowl and Nutrient Extractor?

If you’re interested in making your single-serve smoothie bowls, nut butters, or even homemade ice cream, then you must get your hands on the Ninja Foodi Smoothie Bowl and Nutrient Extractor. This little machine will take all of the frustration out of blending foods and is incredibly easy to clean. The technology used in this blender makes recipe creation mindless, and once you invest in one, you will never be stuck with a liquidy smoothie or soupy nut butter ever again.

If you’re interested in other great blenders for smoothies, check out the best we’ve tested.

Get the Ninja Foodi Smoothie Bowl Maker and Nutrient Extractor on Amazon for $99.99