Ninja - Intelli-Sense Kitchen System - Black
Model: CT682SP
SKU: 6000204
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Customers frequently mention the Intelli-Sense Kitchen System's ease of use, powerful motor, and sharp blades as significant advantages. Many appreciate the included spiralizer attachment and the overall quality and design of the appliance. However, some users note that the system can be quite loud during operation and requires considerable counter space for storage. The appliance's functionality as a food processor and blender are also frequently praised.
If you haven't upgraded your blender, food processor, mixer, or veggie cutter lately, you're in for a real treat. The Ninja Intelli-Sense is a multi-functioning system which has 4 differing attachments, which is like having 4 different machines in one. It comes standard with a Single-Serve Cup attachment, a Precision Processor, a Total Crushing Pitcher and finally a Auto-Spiralizer. The Ninja enables you to make smoothies, juices, ice cream, frozen drinks, snow cones, veggie cutting, soup recipes, food processing and then some. The versatility of this machine is amazing! The first thing that we made was my wife's world class "Iced Coffee" drink. For many years we had been utilizing a blender for the ice crushing, and blending of the ingredients. We always 'thought' that the end product was fantastic and so did all of our guests. Enter the Ninja. The Ninja handily wins this contest. The Iced Coffee drink (made with some liquor, ice, cinnamon, instant coffee and milk) had never tasted so good! Creamy was an understatement. We had no idea of what we were truly missing. Consistency of the blend and the taste was awesome. A word about the Ninja's brain which is called "Intelli-Sense". If you are making a frozen drink the Ninja will automatically cycle thru numerous on and off cycles ensuring that all of the ice (or whatever contents is being blended) is fully and consistently blended to the correct consistency. The Intelli-Sense has artificial intelligence and is SMART! Wait until you try it. The Ninja also has what is called Vessel - Specific Smart Programs which automatically appear on the power base. It will auto detect what size vessel you are currently using and display the appropriate program automatically. Remember that the Ninja comes with 4 different vessels, such as the single serve cup, the blending pitcher, the food processor attachment and last but not least, the auto-spiralizer. The Ninja doesn't have buttons to press on the display panel, rather the unit is accompanied with a smooth touch screen. This may not seem like a big deal, except when it comes to cleaning up spills and splatters. On old style blenders, when your buttons became sticky you basically wiped around them. Since the Ninja has a smooth touch screen, clean-ups are a snap. This is really a great touch. The motor housing is situated on-top of 4 suction cups, which not only prevents your Ninja from unnecessary counter-top travel but also has what looks like shock absorbers (located on the underside of the motor). The unit is super steady while in operation. The unit boasts 1200 watts of power and it's evident once you use your Ninja. This unit will not bog down and has plenty of power to spare. Food preparation has never been so fast and easy, and the unit comes with an auto-spirlazer attachment which is real slick. It will cut veggies and fruits into noodle shapes. Super appealing to young children and perhaps will help you feed them their vegetables. The Ninja comes with a cookbook included which offers up some interesting recipes and suggestions. I personally can't wait to give them a try. Look no further as the Ninja is a winner. Buy one, as I highly recommend it.
Posted by WesternSky
Pros Doesn’t feel any less powerful even though rating is 300 watts lower Includes cleaning tool for auto-spiralizer Top rack, dishwasher safe Sleeker design means leaving it on the counter isn’t an eyesore Includes 2 auto-spiralizer blades with others available to purchase Preset options that light up based on attachment connected Includes separate smoothie cup so you don’t have to clean two containers Includes large recipe book Includes layering guide to maximize results when adding food items Sound output seems to be reduced from previous models Cons Front of unit is fingerprint magnet Recipe book is made from thin paper which needs to be kept away from work area Suction cup base can be finicky to release sometimes Ninja is a company known for making unique problems that promise to solve multiple problems with one product. More expensive products existed that provided some of the functions but often at a much higher price and sometimes a more complicated setup for home use. The Ninja Intelli-Sense Kitchen System is the latest iteration which seeks to add more functionality while keeping operation as simple was possible. The simplicity starts with the design of the base. Gone are all the buttons that were on the front with the different options to navigate. Instead, the base knows which attachment is connected and only displays options relevant to that attachment. This presents a very clean, simple setup on the front that at first might make you think it is missing options. The front of the unit is a single, clean piece of gloss black plastic that at first only shows a power button. It isn’t a touchscreen as much as they are touch sensitive buttons. Depending on the attachment, it will light up the corresponding buttons, so the buttons shift up or down on the panel. All the buttons are always there, just not lit up. They are very easy operate and possibly more durable since you don’t have a little piece of flexible plastic that gets moved around each time potentially wearing out. If there are any downsides, it would be there is a possibility that the buttons could be covered by food items making button operation not work. The good thing is with that shiny front you will see immediately that some food is affecting your ability to use the buttons. The downside is that if you want to keep this on the counter for display and easy access you will likely find yourself regularly wiping the front to keep that shiny plastic free of blemishes because they will show very easily. Depending on your viewpoint, that could either be a positive or a negative. It could frustrate you because it shows things so easily or it might be helpful to remind you that you didn’t finish cleanup. The base sticks to smooth surfaces by four suction cups on the base just like the old models. It does a good job so long as the suction cup as well as the counter below are both clean. What differs from older models is that instead of the release handle to break the suction it has two handles discreetly hidden as part of the base. You might miss them at first but once you know they are there you will find them easy to use and overall, they improve the clean look of the unit. Compared to the old single handle method, removal feels easier because it seems to release both sets of suctions cups equally. The food processor attachment seems largely unchanged from previous generations, but the previous generations worked quite well so little change was required. The smoothie cup is larger than previous models and now includes a lid with a cover like a travel cup to prevent spills. If you are looking at a Ninja, you are likely concerned about health and BPA plastics are a concern. Per the manual all containers, blade assemblies, Blade Discs, and lids are BPA free. Second to safety of course would be convenience. Thankfully the containers, blade assemblies, and lids are all dishwasher safe. About the only manual cleaning you might need to do is if you need to use the cleaning brush to get leftovers off your spiralizing blade. What sets the Ninja Kitchen System apart from other units is versatility. The Intelli-Sense system includes the normal blender, food processor, and smoothie attachments but also adds a new attachment call an auto-spiralizer. More healthy recipes have been created recently around the idea of using vegetables for noodles to cut down on simple carbs and get veggies back in the diet. Several companies have offered separate manual tools for creating these noodles but having it included with the Ninja is very convenient. The auto-spiralizer attachment may seem a bit confusing at first because it comes in 5 parts. You have a spiralizer bowl which has a gear reduction system, so you aren’t trying to make noodles at the same speed as you would blend. Inside the spiralizer bowl you insert the collection bowl for your noodles, then your blade disc, and finally the feed chute lid which includes a food pusher to safely push the veggies down. Although the first time putting it all together might seem a little confusing, once you see how it is done it is very quick an easy. Once you place the top cover on, the Ninja automatically turns on and recognizes the attachment offering modes just for the auto-spiralizer so no worry of choosing the wrong speed or setting. The pusher helps you keep pressure on the veggies as they are turned into noodles leaving only a sliver of leftover vegetable that it can’t cut, much like the same bit left when using a mandolin. Included are the spaghetti and fettucine blades and a cleaning tool. An angel hair, pappardelle, and ribbon blade available separately for purchase. If any criticism could be levied at this it’s that Ninja doesn’t offer even more blades. Our family loves cheese and it is by far cheaper in blocks that you shred yourself. If Ninja could offer cheese grater options it could add even further value to an overall great package. Although the design carries over from previous generations, there are a lot of small refinements one would expect with a new model. The first change might have you question the design in that the latest iteration has dropped the maximum power from 1500 watts to 1200 watts. Whatever the reason, functionally no loss of performance could be detected as it powered through everything thrown at it and did so in every case better than it’s predecessor. Besides the dramatic cosmetic change, most changes are subtle. The blade for the blender has slightly different design. If you have the old model and place them side by side, you will see it. It seems to make a difference because the new combination can produce snowcone ice that is extremely fine. The best description is almost fluffy. This also comes as surprise because most blenders can’t fully crush ice without a liquid to pull the ice to the blade. In snow cone mode it automatically pulses the blade in a manner that produces very consistent results and manages to get all the ice fully crushed. This is part of the intelligence of the Intelli-Sense system. Previous generations could make quick work out of just about anything. However; sometimes to get it just the way you wanted, you had to resort to more manual control including in some cases manually pulsing the blend or changing speeds. With the new Intelli-Sense system it was fun trying to see how little work could be done and get great results. When making a smoothie all you had to do was add the proper ratio of ingredients, the liquid ratio is important for this attachment, and it would start off the blend and pulse or change speed as need as well as time the overall blend. If you liked smoothies with the old Ninja Kitchen systems but wished that spinach and kale were more finely chopped for a smoother drink, you’re in luck. Whatever they have changed in the process, smoothies were much smoother than previous generations of Ninjas and didn’t require any chewing of those leafy greens. The chop is not quite as fine as the units that the local smoothie shop, but it is so close you will find yourself happy to save the money and stay at home and making your own just way you want. Overall the Ninja Intelli-Sense Kitchem System is an improvement over what was arguable already a great kitchen product. It offers even more versatility while improving ease of use. If it is anything like previous Ninja products it will last a long time. In fact, the previous kitchen system was still going strong and now just needs a new home. If you have a previous generation and are on the fence about upgrading, the main questions to ask would be would if you want a noodler or would you really like the automatic blend modes. If you don’t have a Ninja and want a versatile kitchen tool, it is hard to go wrong with a Ninja.
Posted by CraigB
Model #CT682SP Powerful, Intelligent, All-in-1 Blender OUT OF THE BOX Wow! That was my 1st reaction to unboxing this system. I’ve worked w/many home kitchen blending/mixing systems over the yrs., & this is clearly the best multi-function blender I’ve tested so far. This is a serious machine—a real workhorse w/lots of power as well as the main functions that I want/need. The only real drawback is the very loud motor. I was forced to use my new Sony noise-canceling headphones on the 1st go-round w/this beast. This Ninja comes w/a quick set-up guide, incl. a nifty peel-off sticker that allowed me to familiarize myself w/the touchscreen controls before the base’s touchscreen was illuminated. This Ninja also comes w/a REAL instruction book! What a refreshing departure from what too many electronics/appliance mfrs. provide today, which is typically only a mini-quick-start guide & a std. redirect to look online for full instructions. The pkg. also includes an 82-page “Mealtime Streamlined” recipe book w/35 “quick & easy” recipes. While I often ignore such bonus materials, which are too often just lame stuffers/throwaways, this booklet actually contains some great inspirational ideas. It comes w/full color photos, ingredients & food prep lists, complete cooking directions, & helpful tips w/lots of practical applications for making great dishes, incl. recipes that showcase each function of the Ninja & demonstrate its broad capabilities. SUMMARY This 4-in-1 system conceivably could, at least for some, free up a great deal of kitchen counter space by replacing 4 types of specialized blenders, incl., e.g.: a Magic Bullet personal smoothie blender, a traditional KitchenAid countertop pitcher blender, a Cuisinart food processor, & an OXO Good Grips hand-cranked veggie spiralizer. How so? Well, this Ninja comes w/4 interchangeable hi-performance appliances that attach to 1 powerful 1200W smart base. Its 4 plastic containers or ‘vessels’, as Ninja calls them, are easy to assemble & load onto the base unit. Each vessel is imprinted w/helpful icons, measurement markings, & practical usage guides. The intuitive touchscreen base comes w/12 pre-set smart program buttons. Which menu of buttons is displayed is a function of which unique vessel is locked onto the base—a concept Ninja refers to as “Smart-Vessel Recognition”. Impressively, these chef-designed pre-set programs are precisely calibrated—combining unique speed, power, & torque adjustments w/a unique set of timed pulsing, pausing, & blending patterns—all of which is designed to help take the guesswork out of drink- & meal-making. As an example of Ninja’s Smart-Vessel Recognition, when you attach the Single-Serve Cup vessel, the 4 options displayed are: Smoothie, Extract, Refresher, & Dressing. Drilling down, the Smoothie option, e.g., will vary the speed & cycle of the blending thru repeated auto-pauses that allow larger frozen fruit chunks to sink w/in range of the blades before it starts blending again. This ensures that all the ingredients, regardless of shape, size, & temp (solid or liquid, frozen or not), are fully blended to the correct consistency. (No chunks & no lumps!) And w/the digital timer display, you can hit the button & walk away, knowing that you’ll still get the results you want. Or you can stay & watch the hands-free progress of the pre-set blending program as it counts down exactly how long it’ll be ‘til your perfectly blended drink is ready. Of course, if you prefer not to use the pre-programmed buttons, you can always manually override the pre-sets & exercise hands-on control by using the Low, High, & ‘Pulse’ power button options. [The Extraction program mentioned above is ideal for hard, leafy, or fibrous whole fruits/veggies. (Extracting breaks down the cell walls of fibrous plant foods, releasing the important vitamins/minerals contained w/in while reducing beneficial fiber, pulp, seeds, & skins into a smooth texture, delivering food to your body in an easily digestible/absorbable form.) The Refresher program mentioned above allows you to add natural veggie, fruit, & herb flavors to your water. The Dressing program mentioned above lets you create homemade salad dressings, marinades, & salsas, etc.] BREAKDOWN 1. HI-SPEED SINGLE-SERVE BLENDER CUP & BLADE: We make a lot of smoothies, so the extra-large 24oz single-serve cup is the perfect size for our blend-&-go smoothies after our morning run/workout. After blending, just flip over the inverted cup, screw on the flip-top travel lid w/drinking spout, & the cup now doubles as a handy double-walled to-go tumbler. This higher capacity trumps my current Magic Bullet maker, which holds just 18oz. And thankfully, the 1200W Ninja motor is very powerful. In fact, the pro extractor blades can pulverize & liquify skins, seeds, & stems for extractions. Likewise, these blades can easily/quickly chop/crush the ice & frozen fruits & nuts that we keep in the freezer for our morning smoothies into finely cut ash. Oh, did I mention that it’s LOUD? By comparison, refreshers, ice pops, morning green shots, & iced coffees are just a walk in the park for the Ninja to blend. 2. TOTAL CRUSHIG PITCHER: The large 72oz pitcher w/its built-in pour spout is an excellent design. This powerful system w/its stacked blade design can make, in large volumes, anything from smoothies to milkshakes to frozen drinks, & anything from ice cream to snow cones to sherbet & sorbet. The blade isn’t screwed on from the bottom like a std. blender; it’s simply inserted & removed from the top. This makes it so much easier when working w/a thick concoction. You can reach in & pull out the blade to easily scoop out the mixture w/a spatula. [The Snow Cone program mentioned above is designed specifically to pulverize ice or frozen fruit into frozen fluff or mush creations like snow cones, granitas (semi-frozen Italian dessert), or slushies.] 3. PRECISION PROCESSOR BOWL: This 64oz (8cup) vessel comes w/2 interchangeable food processing disc blades—a chopping blade & a dough blade [for doughs (up to 2lb), breads, & batters]. You can mix, chop, puree, or garnish most anything from savory to sweet. Pre-set options w/this vessel include: Puree, Dough, Chop, & Dips. Again, the powerful motor makes quick work of meal prep here. On Friday night, I made homemade gluten-free pizza dough in a lot less time than it normally takes, & on Saturday morning, I made our gluten-free pancake batter in a flash. I also saved considerable time/effort making my cauliflower “mashed potatoes” on Sunday. (The Dips program mentioned above is ideal for creating dishes like spinach/artichoke dips & sides w/more texture like mashed potatoes & hummus.) 4. AUTO-SPIRALIZER: The auto-spiralizer is my favorite attachment. No more cranking out zoodles (zucchini noodles) by hand w/my tabletop spiralizer! This unit includes both a spaghetti blade (red disc) & a fettuccini blade (green disc), & there are 3 other blades w/color-coded discs available for separate purchase (angel hair: yellow, pappardelle: orange, & ribbon: blue). If you’re into a low-carb lifestyle or just want to replace pastas w/healthier options, you’ll love this. I’ve “noodled” several types of squash & made some sweet potato curly & shoestring fries as well as hash browns. I’ve also noodled plenty of our weeknight garden salad fixings, incl.: beets, carrots, & cucumbers. The included Collecting Bowl makes it easy to transport the noodles to a pan/bowl. My complaint is that the Collecting Bowl isn’t larger. I have to empty the bowl of noodles after almost every run-thru. Thankfully, the motor isn’t quite as loud w/this particular function. Stability: The base comes w/suction cup feet which effectively put the 1200W machine in lockdown mode, preventing shifting/skidding/sliding/tipping while the unit is in operation. Yet it’s easy to reposition the base via the built-in release levers hidden in the left & right underside of the machine, where the user naturally places his hands anyway when moving the unit. This is yet more evidence of smart product engineering. Cleaning: The stainless steel rustproof blades, BPA-free Tritan plastic containers, & lids are all dishwasher safe (top rack only for blade assemblies). Yay! It also comes w/a unique cleaning brush which you’ll want to use; otherwise, your cleaning sponge will be torn to shreds by the sharp blade assemblies. Power Cord: The cord wrap is placed discreetly behind the base; so, the Ninja looks neat/tidy on your counter. Thankfully, the power cord is 2½ft long (30”) which provides ample reach to multiple electrical outlets above the kitchen counters. Dimensions: 17½”H x 10”W x 7”D Warranty: 1yr limited PROS -Powerful: 1200W motor gets even difficult jobs done quickly -Well-Engineered/Designed: secure fit w/all vessels locking solidly onto base & lids locking securely onto vessels -Versatile: can arguably take the place of multiple specialized countertop appliances as an all-in-1 blender/processor -Easy to Use: intuitive, easy to operate, & easy to assemble/disassemble -Easy to Clean: dishwasher-safe parts CONS -Noisy: 1200W of power is great, but the engineers need to design the next model w/noise dampening. It’s just too loud. -Plastic Containers: Just as the cutting blades are rightly made of stainless steel, the containers should be made of glass. Glass is preferred for sanitary, cleaning, leaching & overall health & durability reasons, especially at this higher price pt. BOTTOM LINE So far, everything I’ve made w/this Ninja has turned out great, incl.: several types of frozen fruit & fresh veggie smoothies, several types of fresh vegetable noodles for salads & stir-fry, my cauliflower ‘mashed potatoes’, & my sweet potato fries & hash browns. What a great wedding gift this would make for a young couple starting out. It would also make a great Christmas or birthday gift for the right family member.
Posted by CriticalEye
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