Ninja BL660 Review: An Honest Test of This Power Blender

Welcome to my full Ninja BL660 review. I bought this machine to see if it fits into a busy daily routine. It is a huge, loud, and very powerful tool. It fits big families perfectly. They can get fast morning shakes without spending a lot of money.

Ninja BL660 price

I used it daily for weeks. It mostly gets the job done well. But it has a few annoying quirks. You really need to know about them. It makes a great frozen fruit smoothie. But it is definitely not perfect for every single recipe.

CategoryVerdict
Best ForBig families and quick morning shakes.
Not Ideal ForSmall kitchens and quiet early mornings.
Biggest StrengthRaw motor power for crushing ice fast.
Biggest WeaknessSuper loud noise and sharp tower blades.
Overall Rating4 out of 5 stars.
Ninja BL660 price

Unboxing & First Impressions

I took it out of the box. The huge 72-ounce BPA-free jar feels very light. The plastic base takes up a lot of countertop space. But it sits very firmly on the table. The power cord reaches my wall outlet easily. I noticed a faint plastic smell at first. It completely faded after one wash.

The tall blade assembly looks totally different from normal blenders. You must be super careful grabbing it. Those stacked blades are very sharp. Getting the leak-proof lid on requires a loud click. I forgot to lock the lid before blending once. The machine smartly refused to turn on.

Blending Performance

Let us talk about actual blending performance. The raw motor power really shines here. But the unique blade design changes how food mixes.

Frozen fruit smoothie:

Making a frozen fruit smoothie is very fast. It took about 45 seconds on high. I got a nice silky smoothie texture. I did have to stop once. I had to push down some frozen strawberries. Overall, the blend was very even and thick.

Crushing ice:

This machine is a total monster at crushing ice. I hit the pulse function three times. The ice turned into perfect snow. But on low speed, a few ice chunks did not fully crush. It also sounds like a loud drill.

Hot soup:

I tried blending warm tomatoes for a hot soup. It did okay. But steam built up fast inside the large jar. The lid popped off mid-blend from the hot soup pressure. It left big splatter marks on the counter after opening the lid too fast.

Thick blend:

A thick blend like hummus is very tough. The tall blades push the thick food to the sides of the blender jar. I had to stop and scrape the sides five times. It eventually got creamy. But it took too much extra work.

Ninja BL660 price

Real-Life Daily Use Experience

Using this blender every day forces you into a routine. Every morning, I load my spinach and milk. I lock the heavy lid and hit the blend speed buttons. I often use the single-serve cups to save time. But if you fill the cup too high, smoothie leaking from the bottom blade seal happens. It creates a sticky mess on the base.

I love the variable speed control buttons. But the high noise level makes me pause. If someone is sleeping, I definitely cannot run this machine. Also, fibrous ingredients like celery sometimes wrap around the tall blades tightly. You have to pull the strings off by hand carefully. I always rinse the jar out right away so residue does not dry on the sharp edges.

Design & Build Quality

The design is bulky but highly functional for a home kitchen. It uses a lot of hard plastic instead of premium metal parts.

PartMaterialFeel
BaseHard PlasticSturdy but a bit bulky
PitcherClear PlasticLight, prone to scratches
BladesStainless SteelVery sharp, feels premium

The rubber feet keep the base glued to the counter during heavy blends. However, the clear plastic jar already shows tiny scratches from hard ice cubes. The silver paint on the buttons also seems like it might rub off over time.

Noise Level

This is a very loud kitchen tool. When you start the motor, you simply cannot talk to anyone in the room. The loud noise level is the biggest downside to that big motor. When crushing hard ice, the noise echoes through the entire house.

Even just using the short pulse function makes my dog run away. It vibrates the countertop a bit, too. If you live in a thin apartment, your loud motor waking people up early morning is a real risk. You just have to blend very fast and get it over with.

Cleaning & Maintenance

Cleaning the tall blade assembly is dangerous if you are not careful. I highly recommend running a quick self-clean cycle with warm water and soap.

Cleaning TaskDifficultyNote
Everyday RinseEasyRinsing immediately helps
Deep CleaningMediumWatch out for sharp blades
Stain RemovalHardTurmeric leaves yellow marks

Taking the blade tower out makes cleaning the bottom of the jar very easy. But I noticed the rubber gasket smelling after blending a garlic sauce. You really have to scrub the lid seals very well. All parts are dishwasher-safe. I just prefer hand washing. Jar discoloring after blending turmeric really annoyed me.

Pros and Cons

Every blender has its own unique strong and weak points. Here is a fast summary of what I loved and hated.

ProsCons
Insane ice crushing powerVery loud motor noise
Great single-serve cupsTall blades are hard to store
Super easy to clean the baseThick blends get stuck on sides
Safety lid locks tightlyPitcher plastic scratches easily

Comparison With Similar Blenders

It always helps to see how this model stacks up against other popular options. I wanted to see if it beats a classic blender for daily tasks.

Ninja BL660 price

Ninja Professional vs. NutriBullet Rx

I used both of these machines for my daily morning shakes. The Ninja is much better for large family batches.

FeatureNinja BL660NutriBullet Rx
Motor Power1100 Watts1700 Watts
Best ForIce and big batchesSilky smooth purees
NoiseVery LoudAlso Very Loud

The NutriBullet heats soups up natively. That is very nice. However, the Ninja gives you much better manual control over the blend. If you want a full-size pitcher, the Ninja easily wins.

Who Should Buy This Blender?

You really need to know your kitchen habits before buying this. It is definitely not perfect for everyone.

Buy This IfAvoid This If
You make huge batches of drinksYou want to make thick nut butter
You love snow-like crushed iceYou have sleeping babies nearby
You want single cups and a big jarYou want a heavy glass pitcher

Long-Term Durability

Over the passing weeks, the machine has held up quite well. But I do see some early wear. The stacked blade assembly is still razor sharp. But I worry about the plastic gear underneath. If you force thick blends too often, the motor smells a tiny bit hot. However, the heavy lid and locking handles still snap down perfectly. I fully expect this blender to last a few good years.

Energy Efficiency

You can physically feel the high motor power pulling electricity when it starts up. The lights in my kitchen actually flicker for a second when I turn it on high. It gets the job done so fast that it probably does not use much total daily power.

But you will feel heat coming from the base during a long five-minute blend. It lacks an auto shut-off. You have to stand there and watch it closely. It is efficient enough for fast daily meal prep.

Ninja BL660 Review Final Verdict

Wrapping up this Ninja BL660 review, I think it is a solid buy. It wins at frozen drinks and rough ice without breaking a single sweat. It struggles a bit with thick dips. The loud noise is definitely harsh.

If you want a powerful hybrid machine for single cups and big pitchers, it is great. It offers huge value for the price tag. Just remember to rinse it right away. And watch out for those crazy sharp blades.

Ninja BL660 price

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