Vitamix Vs. Ninja - Has Anyone Used Both?

I've used both. I will tell you hands down that Vitamix is a better product and you will be happy with all the years of service it will give you. It's better for frozen anything, like you are talking about.

Don't discount the soup that you can make in the blender. It's fantastic - I really mean it.

I tested the Vitamix, Ninja and Blendtec. Ninja was NOT what the ads claimed. Vitamix and Blentec were FANTASTIC! I chose Blentec, it was $150 less and there was NO DIFFERENCE in any of the blending that I did.

B.

Vitamix - absolutely. I've tried the Ninja at a friends house and it was good, but can't puree skins and fiber like the Vitamix. Just make sure you get a "real" Vitamix (the professional kind) and not one of the dumbed down models they're now selling at Kohls and other department stores. If it's not $450+, it's not the one you want (sadly)

We have both.

We purchased a Vitamix last January. We use it all the time (probably 3-4 times per day). We use it to make soups, smoothies, frozen desserts, etc. It blends very quickly and makes everything a very smooth consistency. It does a great job with spinach, nuts, frozen bananas and more.

My husband purchased a Ninja to take with him when he travels for work. He used it to make green smoothies. It does not blend everything to a smooth consistency the same way the Vitamix does. It seems to chop more than blend.

We both prefer the Vitamix over the Ninja and would definitely purchase another Vitamix in the future.

Well, I haven't used both, but here's my take. We have a Ninja. My husband also makes protein shakes every day (yogurt, peanut butter, ice, protein powder, almond milk, banana). And frankly, no, not every blender can make the ice into snow. ;)

However, we haven't used it like you intend to, and it may not be the best choice for your intended use (I honestly don't know). BUT, if you are willing to spend $450 for what you need, I would think the smart choice would be to try the $100 choice ($80 if you use a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond) and see if it does work. If not, you aren't out that much, and you could likely find someone who would be glad to take it off your hands. Maybe even sell it for almost all of your money back on CL or something. Or just donate it (your church, a friend who doesn't have anything, etc).
If it DOES, then you just saved $350.
That's how I would look at it.

I know you're asking for opinions from people who have used both but I had to chime in that we LOVE our Vitamix!

I was very skeptical about it too - "gee, how great can a blender be?" But it really is wonderful. I get an amazing consistency out of it and it holds up well.

Just my $.02.

Vitamix. Hands down.

I am only familiar with the Vitamix (and crappy cheap blenders prior to our February 2010 Vitamix purchase). We have used ours at least daily, throwing in fresh or frozen hunks of beets, greens, radish, squash, pear, apple, avocado, etc to make a fruit/veggie/coconut oil/rice protein smoothie for my digestion challenged son that we get blend into a consistency liquid enough to deliver via medicine syringe with a few inches of tubing at the end to make it easier and less messy to get to the bottom of the cup. Recently the motor began "racing" or sounding out of gear. Called Vitamix and it is still under full warranty. I just sent it in (after making a weeks worth of shake--it does still work) with the printed shipping label they e-mailed to me. If it weren't under warranty, I'd pay to fix it or buy another.

Have both, use both, and I do love both. I use my Ninja for things that I don't want to make into basically a liquid. The Vitamix is amazing for things like that and is so worth the cash. You can blend everything in there and keep the nurtrients.

I have a Vitamix. Love it. Yesterday I made a soup with peeled winter squash, 3 carrots, a whole bulb of fresh turmeric and some coconut water (pure, not sweetened). Of course the turmeric made it a crazy yellow color, but it was for someone who is sick and I wanted the healthy properties of the turmeric. I appreciate the 7 year warranty. My SIL has a Ninja and it has broken twice and they're waiting for customer service again. I just think that the Vitamix is constructed better. It seems so much more solid than the Ninja. The soup and chopping capabilities of the Vitamix make it more than just a smoothie maker.

get the vitamix.
the ninja is a great juicer, but not tough enough for frozen fruit.
my blend-tec isn't even tough enough for fruit right out of the freezer. i have to let it sit in water for a few minutes and lose that rock-hard freeziness before it will really puree. my mumsie's vitamix rocks right through it, and cost the same.
when my blend-tec dies, i'm getting a vitamix. might as well start off with the one that will get the job done.
khairete
S.

so glad you asked this - I am in the middle of the same dilemma...

I have a ninja, I agree with the skin grainy deal. I purchased a no name magic bullet from aldi and I am satisfied with it more than my Ninja. I plan to purchase a magic bullet in the near future. I too am doing the Green Smoothie every morning for more veggie and fruit intake and it has been working well for me.

I juice my fruit and veggies (I have a Breville juicer like the guy in Fat Sick and Nearly Dead) and when I want a smoothie, I add that juice to the blender with some yogurt.

However, if I had to choose, I'd go for the Vitamix. There's so much more that it does than a Ninja. I've seen my friends at the bus stop drinking graining looking smoothies and I'm pretty sure some of that stuff needs to be chewed.

I know this will confuse you more but my girlfriend just posted that her NurtiBullet is her best purchase of 2013.......
...it was $99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond and I had a 20% off coupon making it $80. It is much better than a blender because it purées anything you put in it in seconds. I have burned out a few blender motors over the years.

We bought the pricey Vitamix when our son was going through an eating disorder last year and we needed to sneak healthy veggies into his chocolate shakes (it was recommended by the ED nutritionist). Honestly, I can't say that I'm "wow'd" by it. It does a great job of blending in spinach so it's not detectable, but our old blender did that, too. I'm not sure what I was expecting (really, it's a blender), but I can't say I'm seeing any fantastic difference. Nothing jaw-dropping.

If we had to do it over again, I'm not sure I'd spend the $450 on it. I don't know anything about the Ninja but if it does the same as the Vitamix and is cheaper, I'd get the Ninja.