Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Recently, I've been working toward eating better, healthier food. The first thing that I bought to help achieve this goal was an Omega 8006 Nutrition Center. (Feel free to read my review on that if you wish.) After using that for almost a month, I began to learn more and more about smoothies, and spent several days reading reviews on a variety of machines, as well as watching a whole lot of YouTube videos. Finally I decided to give the Ninja Master Prep Pro a try. Since I specifically bought this for making smoothies, I cannot comment on too many of the other numerous functions that this machine is claimed to be capable of, but I will be sure to update this review if I have the chance to try some other things. In spite of the goofy infomercials that promote this product, my practical, hands on use has proved that this is a really great machine. One of the most important aspects of this machine is to FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. Even though this is marketed as a "professional Blender," this isn't a standard blender, so you will need to see what method of use is most appropriate for what you are preparing. For some things which involve ice and or frozen fruits, you will want to simply pulse the unit a few times, while other concoctions which are already soft and fluid, you can allow the motor to run for 10 to 15 seconds. The manual states that you should not run the motor for more than 15 to 20 seconds, and that's simply the way this was designed. So anyone who complains about it smoking, or stripping gears, may not be using this correctly. Clean up is a breeze, as long as you can squirt some water into all the crevaces. I have to reiterate something which is mentioned repeatedly in the manual, and that is, "The blades are sharp!" REALLY SHARP. So be very careful when cleaning them. It's best to rinse them well, then let them air dry. While researching this, I saw that there are several variations of the Master Prep, and the Master Prep Pro. The model I bought is the Pro version, which comes with two containers, blades for each container, splash guards for each container, a lid for each if you want to store what you don't immediately use, and of course the motor unit. This is very convenient because you can make several things in each container without having to wash out one single container after every use. There is a Pro version which comes with an additional container, blades for that specific container, splash guard, and lid, all of which are a size between the two from the one I purchased, and is about $20.00 more. These is also a standard version, which comes with the two containers, blades, and lids. The motor, or POD of the Pro version runs at 450 watts, while the standard version runs at a still respectable 400 watts. With a difference of only 50 watts, I would imagine that either version would be perfectly fine. Someone, somewhere, when I was researching the Ninja Master Prep, referred to this as a "Poor man's Magic Bullet." When I started doing my research quite some time ago for a "blender" I considered the Magic Bullet. But the more I read and saw on line, the more it seemed to be an unreliable unit. I don't own a Magic bullet, so I cannot personally comment on that with any credibility, but I CAN say that from what I have recently read, the motor of the Magic Bullet is 250 watts, while the Ninja is 400 watts, and the Ninja Pro is 450 watts. The higher wattage makes for a more powerful motor, which will more easily cut trough frozen fruits and ice. Sure the Magic bullet comes with a bunch of extra cups, and lids, and whatnot, but personally, I'd rather have a better designed and more powerful motor, than a bunch of cups that can be conveniently attached to a less powerful motor. I have my own cups, mugs, and containers. So why should I pay the manufacturers of the Magic Bullet for theirs? Another great thing that I love is that the Ninja website has dozens of recipes posted. They are divided between four of their products, but for many of the recipes, what works for one product, should work with another. These are freebies, and they're GREAT. And who doesn't like a little something extra for free? Over all, I have to say that I am very satisfied with this unit, and would recommend it anyone looking for something similar. It is not a juicer, it is not a high end blender, and it won't walk your dog. Well, since I don't have a dog, I can't make a credible statement on that as well, so I'm just assuming that it won't do that. But it DOES makes a darn good smoothie each and every time. Just days after using this strictly as a smoothie maker, I began to use it as a mincer in the smaller container, once again by PULSING the ingredients, to make my own marinades. And I have to say that it works wonderfully in this capacity, and has saved me a whole lot of time in prep work! I am not a professional chef, and I don't have a lot of knife skills, so I am admittedly slow. But what used to take me 20 to 30 minutes to prep once cleaned and peeled, is now reduced to a few seconds. LITERALLY. And for that, I couldn't be happier. PROS: Already stated above. CONS: At the risk of sounding picky, the pouring spout of the juicing container is somewhat inefficient when it comes to smoothies. And the adaptor lid, which the POD mounts to, has an opening for pouring out as well, and that too is somewhat inadequate for smoothies. Perhaps both are great for liquids that aren't so thick. But ultimately, since the performance of the Ninja is so great, I can dismiss this minor flaw. I'd rather have a great performing unit with a semi-sloppy pour, than something that pours well, but can't mix for .... 2-21-14 Update: Discovered a few more CONS. While this is still working great, and the blades are still sharp, DO NOT use this as a coffee or spice grinder. While it does a decent job of grinding these things, the harshness of the coffee and spices scratches up the containers. I did this only a few times, and regret it. Clearly this unit is made strictly for liquids, or soft matter, and not hard solids. Learn from my mistake. Originally, cleaning the lids that are used for the motor was easy, but the longer I have used this, the more difficult it is to clean because there are more nooks and crannies that I first realized. This will probably not be a problem for those with a dish washer, but for me to wash it by hand has proved to be cumbersome at times. I hope this review has been helpful to you. If so, please let me know, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I don't know much, but what little knowledge I have, I'm happy to share with others. Thank you.