Ninja has just launched a new portable blender that makes smoothies, soups and purées on the go, with our new mum tester calling it ‘really helpful for weaning’
Having on of the best blenders in your kitchen isn’t just useful for whizzing up soups and smoothies, but can also be a essential piece of equipment for parents starting the weaning process with their babies, as our tester discovered when they put Ninja’s new Blast Max Portable Blender to the test.
The Ninja Blast Max costs £89.99 and is an upgraded version of the original Ninja Blast Cordless Blender, and features a larger capacity, a long-lasting battery with live battery readings, a leak-proof ‘twist-and-go’ cup, and three powerful settings: Blend, Smoothie and Crush.
While smoothies, shakes and drinks are the obvious recipes to make in this nifty little blender, we wanted to see if was also suitable for puréeing food for weaning with babies. To see, we got our tester – and new mum to a six month old – to give it a go to see how well it created baby-friendly food…
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Pros
- Doesn’t take up much kitchen counter space, and doesn’t need to be plugged in
- Different settings makes purées in a variety of textures
- Easy to clean
- Travel-friendly
Cons
- Can’t be used while it’s plugged in charging
- A bit top-heavy – hold the top if filling it to the max
“As a new mum, the Ninja Blast Max has been really helpful for starting our weaning journey,” our tester says “Using the Smoothie setting it easily purées everything in seconds, and the Blend setting provides the option for a slightly chunkier texture. It’s quick and easy to clean, takes up minimal space on the work surface and is big enough to make multiple portions.
“The fact that it’s portable means we can quickly make up fresh, baby-friendly meals wherever we go,” she adds.
And she’s not the only of this handy little gadget. Despite only just launching the Ninja Blast Max has already racked up plenty more five star reviews online, with a number from people who called it a significant upgrade on the original:
“I love that the base holds the motor and is easier and safer to clean. The older version wasn’t as powerful as the new one,” one person wrote on the Ninja website. “I use it mainly for smoothies and crushing ice and am impressed by its quieter volume; I love it.”
“Amazingly powerful machine with a long lasting battery that gives you great smoothies and other drinks,” another review reads.
One customer, however, found it a little annoying that it can’t be used when plugged in and charging, writing: “Lovely product, battery not great stamina and frustrating you cannot use whilst plugged in and need to wait for battery to charge”.
If you’re looking for an alternative, the Nutribullet Portable Blender is currently on sale on Amazon, down from £39.99 to £31.99 – although rated highly for making drinks, we haven’t tested how good this model is for puréeing food.
And if you’re looking for a permanent blender that’ll stand the test of time, I love my Sage The Super Q blender; at £599.95 it’s certainly an investment, but I’ve had mine for 10 years now and it’s still going strong (Sage also sells cheaper models).