Getting Juiced: How to Make Juice with a Ninja Blender
Angela | January 4, 2011Update, December 2012: I recently bought a Ninja Mega Kitchen System, and was able to produce drinkable juice without straining. Check out that post here.
Original Post from January 2011:
Recently, a reader posted a question about juicing with the Ninja on my blender review page. She wanted to know how well it works for juicing, and if it requires a lot of water to produce juice. I honestly didn’t have a good answer because I hadn’t tried using it for juice.
My first inclination was that if you’re after only juice, a traditional juicer is probably the way to go. Curiously, the Ninja infomercial shows that it can be used for juicing, but I was unable to find anything about juicing on their website, which made me think it was a bit of a stretch for the blender.
After doing a couple juice tests and successfully yielding juice, I’m changing my mind a little (not entirely, though). I did a little quick research, and it seems you can get a decent juicer for about $99, give or take, which is also the price of the Ninja Professional Blender. The complaint with juicers seems to be that they make a big mess on the inside that is hard to clean and you have to really chop stuff up to juice, you can’t put things in whole.
With the Ninja, you can put in big chunks of pretty much anything and it devours them, so there are no worries there. It is also super easy to clean. Unlike dedicated juicers, you do have to add water so that it will blend to a smooth consistency, but not huge amounts (in my uninformed and inexperienced juicing opinion). I’m not sure if adding water is considered a drawback or not. The main drawback, I think is, that after blending, if you want just juice without pulp, you will have to strain the pulp separately.
Bottom Line: If you want juice from your Ninja because you don’t want to buy a dedicated juicer, I can honestly say it works. However, if you are a daily juicer, I would still probably recommend a dedicated juicer due to the required manual straining. Here’s a look into my little experiment, in which I juiced oranges, and separately, carrots.
Making Orange Juice
I picked up a bag of small oranges for this experiment, and then peeled them with a knife to make sure I removed most of the white fuzz that remains if you peel them with your hands. I picked these small oranges because larger naval oranges aren’t as sweet to me, and I didn’t want to add any sugar.
I dropped them in as whole as possible (mostly in halves).
Then, I pulsed a few times to mix them up, and then blended on “1” for about 30 seconds, until the oranges were fully blended. At this point, I started adding water. I started small, with about 1/3 cup, and eventually ended up using about 1 full cup to get the juice into a somewhat thick, but juice-like consistency. You could definitely get away with adding less water, but I wanted to be sure I would get a decent yield of juice.
I blended on “3” for about one minute to get the pulp broken down fairly well, and then strained through a sieve to get out as much juice as possible, pressing with a spatula to make sure the leftover pulp was very dry.
10 small oranges (I didn’t picture one of them because I had already cut into it) yielded 20 ounces of juice, with about 2 cups of pulp. I tried to make creamsicle ice cream from the pulp, but sadly, it wasn’t even edible, probably because all the sugar was squeezed out of it!
The end result was definitely orange juice, and it tasted really good. I’m not a big orange juice drinker, but I downed this juice happily because it didn’t have added sugar. 20 ounces was about 3 days worth of juice (small servings), so, 3.33 oranges per serving.
Summary of Steps:
- Peel oranges with a knife, leaving as little “white pulp” as possible
- Add oranges to Ninja (whole or halved is fine) and pulse a few times to combine
- Blend for about 30 seconds on power level 1
- Add desired water – roughly 1/4 cup for every 3 oranges
- Blend for about 1 minute on power level 3
- Pour juice into a sieve/mesh strainer, and push juice through the strainer with a spatula
- Enjoy!
Total time:
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Blending time: 2 minutes
- Straining time: 1 minute
Making Carrot Juice
I chose carrot juice as the second juice trial because carrots aren’t as inherently “juicy” as oranges, and, because I’ve been working on a carrot cake muffin recipe, so I knew I had a use for the pulp. I am kind of surprised at how well the carrot juice came out!
Safeway had a sale on peeled baby carrots, and our dog Pipa loves baby carrots, so I went with those over full sized carrots (less work is a good thing).
This is roughly 3 cups of baby carrots.
Much like the orange juice, I pulsed a few times to combine, and then blended on level 1 for about 30 seconds.
This left a carrot purée, so I started adding water slowly to figure out how much was needed. I ended up adding about 3/4 cup in total, and blended on level 3 for about 1 minute.
Then, it was time to strain. I had 2Chili pour out the blended mixture so you could see the thickness pre-straining.
The same method was applied here – strain in a sieve, and push the liquid through the mesh strainer with a spatula.
In this case, 3 cups of carrots yielded about 16 ounces of carrot juice. I had never tasted carrot juice – it was surprisingly good!
I used the leftover pulp in muffins, which worked better than trying to use the leftover orange pulp, but wasn’t as good as just shredded carrots.
Summary of Steps:
- If using whole, unprepared carrots, wash and scrub or peel them
- Add carrots to Ninja (whole is fine) and pulse a few times to combine
- Blend for about 30 seconds on power level 1
- Add desired water – roughly 1/4 cup for every cup of carrots
- Blend for about 1 minute on power level 3
- Pour juice into a sieve/mesh strainer, and push juice through the strainer with a spatula
- Enjoy!
Total time:
- Prep time: 0 minutes (using prepared baby carrots)
- Blending time: 2 minutes
- Straining time: 1 minute
Behind the Scenes
While all of this juicing was going on, my helper was steadfast by my side, hoping for a scrap of anything to fall her way as I dropped peels into the compost bag. This is not unusual, but today she was looking extra dejected!
I’m more into smoothies and green drinks, I don’t know that I’ll juice very often, but it is nice to know that option is available. Happy blending!
great!!!! you have been very helpful thanks a lot
I purchased Ninja 1100, includes their only recipe book… instruction booklet also has a few (five or six) recipes… but they did not include the vegetable ‘juice’ drink recipe… I called to inquire and the guy said they just really make them up as they go along… I repeated my request for the recipe they show in their informercial and asked that the company send it to me… I was asked what specifically was the reason for making the purchase when I called them… I said the juicer and was looking forward to making the drink they show on their ad because you get the juice and the pulp in your drink… of course the guy making the sale didn’t know I wouldn’t get the recipe… but you would think if they advertise it, they would include it! If you want the recipe, please call them and ask to have it posted it on their website… I am going to keep calling until I get the recipe (the informercial says it includes beets, but there is no mention of beets in any of the recipes in the recipe book they included with the purchase)… by the way, I’m vegan and have a few ideas, but was really looking forward to their recipe to try out. Post here if you’ve made up a good tasting veggie drink for your Ninja 1100
Did you ever get your infomercial recipe?
All the recipes are posted on their website http://www.ninjakitchen.com
Click recipes. There you can click on 1 of the 5 Ninja Products for recipes or click on Mark’s Favorite Recipes for the infomercial recipes.
http://www.ninjakitchen.com/marks-favorite-recipes.shtml
Thank you for the link – very helpful! I received the system for Christmas, and was disappointed as well when the booklet didn’t have the veggie recipe!
Yes I agreed with you I expected a juice recipe with my order. If I have to add water, is not 100% natural of what they are advertised.
I have A Ninja and I love it. I actually have the two Individual serving container’s that come with mine. You just fill it with what you wanna juice and turn it upside down and pulse away till you get the desired consistency. You do not have to add water if you don’t want too. Even with Traditional Juicer’s they tell you if you want a thinner juice to add a bit of water. It’s just up to preference.
You’re seriously complaining that you have to add WATER? There’s definitely none of that in, say, ice – or fruit.
We all agree – very unnatural.
I got my Ninja 1200 for Christmas. I make a drink that consist of 1 grapefruit, 1 green apple, a small piece of ginger, 1/2 english cucumber, 4 stalks of celery hearts, 1 cup of carrots, and 3 good handfuls of spinach. I add 16 to 18 ounces of water. This makes 64 ounces of juice with pulp. I do not strain since I want to also get some of the fiber. It is very drinkable. Best part is that it equals 6 to 7 servings of fruits and vegetables with no additives. About 300 to 400 calories.
Does it juice lemon grass, parsley, spinach, kale, ect..?
Hi Dianna,
Yes, you can get juice from any of those items, but keep in mind, you will have to strain out the pulp, as it is not a true juicer, it’s a blender. This doesn’t bother me, but if you are looking for more of a pure juicer, keep that in mind!
Angela
Ooooo! Yummy!
I got my Ninja 1100 from Amazon.com a couple of weeks ago. The only thing I have been using it for is to make Margaritas, and it does an excellent job. It really does turn ice into snow. I really got it though to make the total juice drinks, and when it comes to that it is a total failure. They did a really good job of deceiving me in the infomercial. Especially how tasty the total juice drink was that he handed to the woman to try. I just now tried to turn carrots, celery, grapes, cauliflower, and bell peppers into a drink. The result: I threw it down the toilet. It is the worse tasting stuff I ever tried. I had to keep taking the lid off and pushing the chopped up pieces down onto the blades just like you have to do with any cheap blender. In the infomercial they must of used hollow carrots that were full of liquid. It’s the same old story. Anything to make a buck.
First of all, you have to give your pallet time to adjust to juice. This kind of juice is so good for you, but if you eat sugar and processed food, you won’t like it.
Second of all, you need to add more water so that you don’t have to scrape the sides.
You referenced a juice with beets. I’m not sure which juice you saw, but I had a neighbor that was from Jamaica who taught me a few different recipes. The one I like best is very easy. Juice about a pound of carrots (not the prepared baby carrots) and two medium sized beets. You may just use this mixture and toy with the beet/carrot ratio to your tasting. Sometimes he would want something special and he would add a can of condensed milk (small sized). this gave it an incredibly creamy taste/texture very smooth! I liked this one as well but didn’t like the calories. So, I tried using the sugar-free vanilla almond milk, with a ratio of 2 parts carrot/beet juice to one part almond milk. Same yummy taste, no added sugars! All Natural!
Quig
I just purchased a ninja kitchen system 1200 and if it does not preform as advertised, I intend to request the money back guarantee. However, I would not expect it to juice anything citrus. But I am expecting it to produce pulp free vegtable drinks. I currently own an Acme juicer and get wonderful veggie juice from it, but what a pile of pulp cleanup required. That is what I want to avoid.
Hi Dee,
Good luck! I think you will end up with pulp in your juice – the Ninja can’t totally obliterate the pulp into nothingness. However, it is much easier to clean up than a juicer…
Angela
whats the result. did you end up taking it back?
I just purchased a Ninja food processor from QVC and was disappointed not to find a recipe book included. When I called QVC, I was told that I would have to purchase it separately and it would cost me $20 +SHP etc. I told them that did not make me happy. I strongly feel that a recipe booklet, however small, should be included with a NINJA purchase.
WOW! I don’t have this model Ninja, but will give the one I own a try before buying an expensive juicer. THANK YOU! Very detailed Info…..and Pipa keep up the good work, lol.
Hi Sarah,
I’m glad to be of help! Good luck, and come back and tell me what you juice.
Thank you so much for your help!! I was trying to decide on purchasing this Ninja 1100 and I believe I have decided to go for it!! I have a juicer and it’s a pain because of the mess it leaves behind. Plus all of the pulp and so on is where all the nutrients are found. With the Ninja 1100 you get everything, nothing is wasted. I’ll try to get back here and let everyone know what happens.
Hi Carolyn – Oh, I’m happy to help! I would love to know how it works out for you. Thanks for the nice note!
I thought the infomercial for the Ninja shows the blender juicing without the need for straining? I just got the Ninja 1200 and there are none of the recipes they showed on TV that sold me on the system. I’m very disappointed because I’m not really finding them on line either. I guess Ninja sells a cookbook. Wondering if anyone has had better luck? Thanks!
I joined the Ninja facebook community. There are a lot of recipes and friendly users there : http://www.facebook.com/ninjakitchen
My husband just bought me the Ninja KS1200 for my birthday & I’m curious to see what all I can create. Especially ice cream and nut butters. My son is gluten/dairy/lactose free and I’m allergic to peanuts.. his “rice creams” are so expensive to buy too so looking forward to experimenting with my new toy and seeing what I can make with it
Hello Melissa…Could you please share some of your recipes. My daughter and I are going gluten and dairy free. Thanks! Especially ice cream. Thanks
Use canned (full fat) coconut milk as your base for making dairy free ice cream. My wife had to go Gluten/Dairy/Soy free during her last pregnancy and really struggled not having ice cream. We made our own with coconut milk all the time and it turned out awesome.
Hi John,
Yep, that is a great suggestion. I love coconut milk (and all things coconut!) and have a recipe for dairy free ice cream that uses coconut milk: http://testkitchentuesday.com/2010/12/30/banana-cream-pie-blender-ice-cream/
Thanks for your note!
Hi Shannon,
I thought that too, but I have only seen the infomercial once, so I can’t really remember. When I went looking for any reference to juicing on their site, I didn’t find it either. However, to juice successfully with the Ninja, you really need to strain the pulp, otherwise, you’ll end up with clumpy, not really drinkable juice. If you strain the pulp, it’s pretty good! You may want to call them and complain though, expecially if you didn’t get the recipes they promised.
I just ordered one myself – but to answer your question, they put ice cubes in with the produce on the commercial when juicing. This would help with the consistency and add more fluid as well as pulverize the pulp with the ice cubes. So the juice was more smooth.
I guess we’ll see how it really goes when it arrives!
That is good to know, Jo! Let us know how it works out for you to put in ice cubes!
I tried making carrot juice and it was was too much pulp and thick, I added about 1/2 cup of orange juice and it is a lot better, still a little grainy.
Rose
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I just unpacked my new Ninja 1100 and was very disappointed in the recipe book. I was glad to find this webiste and that others felt as I did about it. I like the suggestion with the ice cubes and veggies and will try that. I was surprised to find that the ice cream demo was not anything like the recipe. They showed that you can make it instantly with milk or cream. I wonder if this comes under the category of false advertising? I will do as one of your writers suggested and call to ask for the recipes they advertised. If I can make good tasting vegetable juice I won’t be sorry I bought it but I don’t like being deceived. By the way, I found it at BJs for $130.
Hi Judy,
It’s funny, I didn’t see the infomercial before I bought the Ninja, so I didn’t know to expect a recipe book. I think you’ll be pretty happy with it – it is the best blender I have ever owned and super powerful. But, I do agree now that I’ve seen the infomercial – they make it seem a little different to create ice cream and veggie juice than it really is…
Judy: I don’t yet have the Ninja, went out to buy one locally today but couldn’t fine one. But have been making instant ice cream in my Cuisinart for years by using frozen berries and either sour cream or yoghurt, so sure the same things would apply, Just take frozen berries out of the freezer about 10 or 15 minutes before you want to make the icecream. I fill the processor bowl about 2/3 full of berried and pulse a few times to break them into smaller chunks. Then add about 1 to 1/2 cups yoghurt or cream, I use about a tablespoon or 2 or brown sugar or honey ( depending on sweetnes of fruit, our local fruit often needs no sugar), on special occasions, a tablespoon or 2 of something like Grand Marnier. Whiz it all till berries are completely blended, pulse is better so you don’t over mix. Serve it with a few fresh or thawed whole berries. You can re freeze for a short while if you over mix and thaw it by accident, but if you time it right, you can make it for guests after they finish the main course, while waiting for coffee to perc.
Angela, your reply was encouraging. My main reason for buying was the vegetable juice and healthy ice cream. I am going to freeze some strawberries and pour in some half n half with 2% milk to see if the ice crystals will make the ice cream like they said on TV. Otherwise I will have to just be happy with the veggie juice. One question, can you make a small amount of veggie juice in the bowl rather than the blender?
If you look at my Ninja Recipes page, you’ll find a couple recipes for ice cream with the Ninja. I have found it to be easy to make a softserve consistency with frozen fruit, especially strawberries and bananas. Mangos work well too. You don’t need a lot of liquid at all because it is so powerful, so start small with the liquid and add as you need it.
I don’t own the bowl, however. If there are only one or two blades it may work more like a food processor than a blender. But, I don’t know why you couldn’t try to use the bowl instead of the blender to make veggie juice. It is way more powerful than a food processor, so, it may pulverize the fruit or veggies just as well as the blender…Good luck!
Wow, you sent me a goldmine! THANK YOU!
HELP! I just put in the ninja blender 4 peeled carrots in chunks, some pitted cherries, one peeled apple quartered, a little ginger and 1/2 cup apple juice. It was all pulp. I added some water and there was half juice and half pulp. I tried to drink the juice but it was very grainy. What am I doing wrong? Everyone seems so happy with this contraption. I am ready to try and repack it and return it.
I forgot to mention that I did strain it. Would using ice cubes make that much of a difference?
Hmmm – My first thought was you need to strain it, but since you did that, I’m not really sure. Did you use a tight mesh sieve? When I did the carrot juice, I didn’t have any problems at all once I strained it. I am not a big juicer, but my thought would be if you are really wanting to do mostly juicing, a dedicated juicer may be a better investment!
Yes, I wanted a juicer but have no place to keep it and cleaning is a pain and a lot more expensive too. I was looking for an easy cheap way. I guess there is no such thing. I think I would need to use a cheese cloth to strain. It might be worth it to try that. I do notice that the juice I did drink has had a good effect on my intestines. That might make it worth experimenting some more. Thanks for your help. If anything good happens, I will let you know.
Just one question: if you don’t use it much for juicing, how do you find the ninja any better than a food processor, blender, mixmaster, etc.?
Hi Judy,
I love the Ninja for blending and mixing because it is just so powerful. Have you read my in-depth review? There is pretty much nothing this thing can’t blend, and quickly too! I use it to make homemade Lara Bars about once a week, and because it is so powerful it can blend them together in no time flat. Also, because the blades come up through the jar instead of just at the bottom, it blends more consistently than a standard blender. When I have used it for juice, I strain it with a very fine sieve and that seems to work fine, but, if you don’t have a sieve or cheese cloth, try a coffee filter!
Good luck!
Ok we bought a 1200 last week. It makes smoother drinks with the ice cubes but they melt when you refrigerate. i just remix as nessessary. My intestinal track has been jacked up since i came back from the middle east in 2004. I mixed up a bunch of green leafy veggies some carrots and apple juice and amazing i have noticed a diffference already. You might check out the documentary Fat sick and nearly dead on netflicks. it it about juicing but the princables apply i’m sure.
I purchased the Ninja hoping to get something a little closer to the VitaMix blender without paying so much. My juice extractor broke, I needed a food processor and don’t have a blender so I thought this would be perfect. I was prepared for the difference in consistency of my veggie juice in comparison to an extractor and was anticipating the pulp. I thought it would be good b/c the vitamix makes a thick and smooth veggie juice and i liked that. the ninja made a very grainy juice. i don’t want to have to put my juice through a seive b/c i wanted to get all the nutrients possible and hate to waste the pulp. I had a little more success adding more water and/or an avocado. I havent given up on it yet but am discouraged. I wanted it to be the answer to my kitchen appliance dreams. I will continue to play with it. I look forward to finding more recipes such as the Lara Bars. My next test is to make homemade peanut butter. Hope it doesn’t disappoint… At least its easy to clean.
Hi Kelli,
Yeah, I am not much of a juicer, but as I tell most folks that are really into juicing, I would recommend a juicer over the Ninja for that. But, you will find it makes peanut butter very quickly and easily. I use it mostly for my DIY Lara Bars and making faux softserve. I definitely think they misrepresent the juicing capabilities on the infomercial. It is really a blender at heart, not a juicer. Good luck with your experimenting.
Angela
Have you seen the Mighty Bullet. It does basically what the Ninja does but the ninja does more. I actually have the 2 single serving size blender’s that came with mine. You fill them up turn them upside down and pulse till desired consistency. Even the more expensive juicer’s will tell you to add water to thin out the juice if you want. It’s all on Preference. I actually have Both a Ninja and A Big Mouth Pro by Hamilton Beach. I use my Ninja For Mornings when I want a smoothie real quick and easy to clean. My Juicer I use to make my Vegetable Juice’s. If you are serious about Juicing most who are has more than one Juicer.
Hi Christine,
I think you’re on to something – it is nice to have a few different options depending on what you need to do! It’s hard for one machine to do everything!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Angela
I just received my Ninja yesterday and the first thing I tried was Ice Cream. It turned out very good, my husband was totally impressed. I threw in about a cup of frozen peaches and a half cup or so of skim milk. Then added a little sweetner, we use stevia but any thing you like would work. Pulsed it to get the peaches chopped up and the blended it into ice cream. It was amazing, and so healthy. It would be even better with half and half and real sugar.
I just received my Ninja yesterday and the first thing I tried was Ice Cream. It turned out very good, my husband was totally impressed. I threw in about a cup of frozen peaches and a half cup or so of skim milk. Then added a little sweetner, we use stevia but any thing you like would work. Pulsed it to get the peaches chopped up and then blended it into ice cream. It was amazing, and so healthy. It would be even better with half and half and real sugar.
Okay, my problem may be that I’m too much of a perfectionist.
If you show me an infomercial or other ad, I believe and EXPECT that I will get a product that does EXACTLY what you’ve just shown me.
Sadly, as wonderful as the Ninja 1100 may be at making peanut butter or crushing ice, it falls short at making smooth, thick smoothies, and falls way, waaaaaay short at making fruit and vegetable juices and producing beautiful, smooth, adequately kneaded yeast doughs – the 2 reasons for which I purchased the machine.
I’d been on the verge of purchasing a Vitamix – something I dreamt about for years – when I saw the Ninja infomercial and was, quite frankly swayed. I figured, if it could ACTUALLY do all the things it advertised – and as well as it said – and could save me almost $450, why not?
Sadly, it really disguises itself poorly as a juicer. They say it saves all the pulp and fiber. This is true. But even with the addition of many many ice cubes (which they do advise you to add) you end up with lots of fiber and pulp – not much that could be considered drinkable. Or juice. And I don’t want to have to strain my juice before I drink it.
And my bread dough did get tossed around the container with the many blades but wound up more torn up than kneaded. It came out pretty shredded. When we tried it for cookie dough it mixed the cookie dough together – but only what was on the bottom of the container – not what was on the top.
I was sad, but we returned the Ninja, laid out the almost $500 for the Vitamix (we’ve had it for almost 3 weeks now) and have not looked back! It does everything we’d hoped the Ninja would do….makes smooth as silk smoothies, perfect vegetable juices that need no straining, yummy quasi ice creams (I still don’t consider it ice cream without a cooked custard base!) and perfect bread doughs!
Thanks for dropping by, Diane. Like you, I wanted a Vitamix, but $500 for a blender wasn’t in my budget. I am definitely impressed with all it can do, but, can’t justify it. The Ninja is more than great for my needs. I don’t really juice and I like its smoothies just fine! Someone left a comment the other day that they found a Vitamix at a garage sale — that is a once in a blue moon find!
I think that the dough might have turned out better if you had used the special dough blades, which are not sharp, instead of the cutting blades.
Diane/Angela – I read your comments on the vitamix vs the ninja and I am in the same boat. I really want to buy the vitamix, i care mostly about veggie and fruit juices but do not want to have to use a blender plus juicer and then strain and mix. I was looking at the vitamix and then saw that the ninja was rated almost as good by consumer reports and started looking at that.
For what I want to do is the vitamix worth the extra cost or will the ninja be ok? again i do not want to strain. I would love to throw Kale, spinanch, apples, oranges into the vitamix and blend to a great juice and not have to strain it.
Thanks for your help
Hi Rav,
If you are really intent on NOT straining, I would recommend you get a juicer instead. The difference between a Vita-Mix/Ninja and a juicer is that a juicer is going to take the pulp out for you. The mixture you’re going to end up with out of the Ninja or Vitamix is going to be pretty “bulky” because you have all the pulp and it can only be mixed up so much. I just watched a video of a woman making juice in a VitaMix, and she strained the pulp out with a mesh bag…so even the VitaMix is going to leave you pulp to deal with!
Good luck!
Hi
We went out and bought the Ninja 1200 mainly because of the commercial, and the fact they made juicing seem so easy with the ninja and little waste. There was no mention of hand straining. I tried the Ninja and I don’t like it. It’s going back to the store tomorrow. Their commercial is deceiving. This is. a waste of money
I was wondering if anyone has tried to make apple juice with the Ninja 1100 yet..? We have 3 large bushels of apples and a broken juicer as of last night. I’ve been looking at the Ninja 1100 for awhile now. If someone shows me that it works for making apple juice, I’m sold!
Hi Scott,
I haven’t tried this but I will give it a shake this week and report back to you. Stay tuned…
Angela
Hi Scott, did you see my write up on making apple juice with the Ninja? I am not conviced it would be the absolute best option for you with 3 bushels, but, it does indeed work…
http://testkitchentuesday.com/2011/09/26/making-apple-juice-with-a-ninja-blender/
Good luck!
Angela
I couldn’t wait to get the Ninja. I already juice but the pulp clean-up is a mess. I just tried to juice. My vegetables are all in tiny pieces. Add ice cubes. It’s thinner. Added water. It’s thinner. This is what I do not want to do with the juice. I don’t want to be adding water to the juicer. I didn’t even take a drink it’s just to thick. It’s going back. I think I may just spend the extra money and get Montel’s.
Enjoy my ninza kitchen system pulse. I tried making carrot-apple juice using the recipe in my Mr juiceman cookbook, but realized after calling ninja that i would need to add liquid such as water to the ingredents in order to cut the pulp. I didn’t want to dilute with water, but added ice cubes and some ginger and vanilla yogurt to the mix just by trial and discovered a wonderful ‘Carrot-Apple Pudding’,
What is the difference between the Ninja1100 and the Ninja 1200?
Hi Cindy,
As far as I can tell, nothing. It seems the 1200 is the newest model of the kitchen system, but their power specs (1100 watts) are the same…
Angela
I just purchased a Ninja 1200 at Kohl’s. Haven’t taken it out of the box yet. I too wondered how the 1200 differs from the 1100 shown in the infomercial. Below is a link to a YouTube video explaining the differences. Long story short, same pitchers, same blades, same 1100 watt motor. All the differences seem to be in the base. A better thought out locking mechanism, and a slightly different layout of the buttons. They each do the same things. I like the base on the 1200 better.
Hi Joe,
Thanks for stopping by. How does the locking mechanism work on the 1200? I would like to know! A lot of people have issues with the locking mechanism on the 1100, as I get a lot of questions about “why the blender won’t start,” and it’s usually because the arrow on the lid aren’t lined up with the arrow on the jar. Curious if they’ve fixed that issue!
Angela
Sorry for not being more clear. The “locking mechanism” I’m referring to is more properly the “anchoring mechanism” that secures the base to the counter. It now utilizes a lever to engage and disengage the suction cups. It seems like a more elegant solution than yanking the base when you want to move it. Aside from a slightly different arrangemt of the buttons, all else appears to be the same.
Ah, okay, thanks for clarifying!
Hi joe I have watched you on utube and I think you explain about the nInja blender 1200 very good I would love one .but trying to get one in the uk is like trying to win the lottery .is there anyway you could help me to buy one in the uk .any stores that you no that sells them . Hope to here from you soon . Take care and hope to hear from you soon .laura
I’ve been reading the above comments on juicing with interest, since this is one of the reasons I purchased the Ninja. I noticed that one of Ninja’s recipes for tomato juice calls for cooking the tomatos before placing them in the blender. Then it occured to me that this may also be the solution for too much pulp and having to strain other juices. Boiling or steaming the fruits and vegetables FIRST may make them easier to blend yielding less pulp and a smoother juice with more nutrients. I have always believed that raw vegetables and fruit have more nutrients and are healthier than cooked foods. It turns out that I’ve been WRONG. Steaming and boiling actually INCREASES the amount of antioxidents (anti-cancer nutrients), and boiling is even better than steaming. There is only a slight loss of Vitamin C, which is plentiful in other foods we eat. The research has already been done. Below is a link to an article that appeared in Scientific American magazine. If someone else gets around to trying this before I do, let us know how it worked.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=raw-veggies-are-healthier
I picked a up a Ninja Kitchen System from Sam’s Club a couple of weeks ago for around 128 dollars and it includes the recipe book. The shorter container is fine for 2 people and I imagine I’ll use it 95% of the time. I haven’t tryed to do too much with the blender yet except for making blended drinks. It’s a pleasure to not have to keep adding more liquid to the container in effort to get things to blend fully. So far it’s been great.
Wow, Martin, that is a really good deal on the Ninja KS. I have never seen it lower than $150. Good job!
Has anyone tried Dr Oz Green Drink in the Ninja–how well does is work in the NInja?
This is what I want the Ninja for…thanks to anyone who has tried this..
Hi Galinda,
You can definitely make the Dr. Oz green drink in the Ninja, HOWEVER, I will tell you that some people complain that it doesn’t blend up leafy greens as well as a traditional blender. Personally, I don’t mind little spinach particles, but, that may be a concern for you. Hope that helps!
So far, I have made smoothies, fresh salsa, Pub burgers, and meatloaf mix with my Ninja. It has done everything to perfection. It is easy to use and, best of all, easy to clean. I like it so well, I bought one for my sister, who loves to cook, for Christmas. She is having a blast with it. I bought it online at Target and it was delivered to her home in two days. Free shipping. Fresh peanut butter, cookies, and pizza dough are my next projects. Hard to call them projects since everything is so quick and easy.
Joe, that is awesome! Thanks for sharing your successes. I have to agree that one of its virtues is just how easy it is to clean…
Many thanks to all. I very much appreciate the help. You all have made my decision much easier. It’s great to hear about others’ experiences, good or bad. Thanks again.
Don’t get the Montel juicer… it is a cheaper version of the Ninja… it also had alot of ‘condensation’ on the bottom outside where it sits on the base… it started rusting so everytime we used it, we also had to rinse and clean out the bottom.. it did not leak, just ‘watery rust’. Anyhow, you will have to strain as well with the Montel product… it pulverizes great, but the time involved when trying to get to work in the morning… Now I use the Ninja for the leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, the stuff I can’t put in a ‘real’ juicer – and add water; and I put the harder veggies in the Jack Lalane juicer for the ‘true’ juice – like cucumbers, carrots, apples, etc.. For the citrus juicing, I bought an electric citrus juicer b/c the ‘real juicer’ has a hard time with anything that is loosely fibrous. So I use the electric citrus juicer for lemons, oranges and grapefruit. Then combine for the complete juice recipe I want to drink. The Jack Lalane is easy to rinse the pulp out and you can use a toothbrush with hard bristles to really clean the pulp out if you don’t have another use for it.
I don’t like having to use 3 appliances in the morning, but this is the only thing I’ve found to work, have great tasting juice tonics. The citrus juicers will keep for 24 hours so you only have to juice every 2 days and can store what you don’t use in a glass container.
Depending on my recipe’s, sometimes I use only 1 appliance, 2 or all 3.
They are all easy to clean when using appropriately with hot water and a hard bristle toothbrush. I rinse during the week, and do a more thorough cleaning on weekends with detergent and let it air dry always. I put a portable dish rack that sits on cotton towels in a lower cabinet and just put them there to air dry after rinsing. I change out the cotton towels every week as well.
I hope this helps as far as a reality check.
So either spend upwards of a thousand dollars to get a serious commercial juicer like what they at Wholefoods grocers, etc… where it can handle everything or be more flexible and creative – but clean and reasonable.
That’s my 2 cents… (smile)
Hi Erica,
Thank you for your very thorough — and clearly experienced — summaries of all the types of juicers. I am certain your advice will be helpful to all the folks that stop by this page looking for juicing answers.
Angela
12-21-11, Costco $118.00 may return if the unit is unable to juice or deceptivly described on the infomercisal bought based on what I learned from the infomercial — I detest this kind of deception.
Angela …
I just got my ninja master prep two days ago. I tried your recipe for Almond milk this morning. Worked like a charm. Do you have any recipes for tomato juice? I also have tried blending kale, pear and grapefruit together. It was great. Love this device…I hope to find more healthy vegetable drink recipes though…
Hi Marcella,
Oh, I am so glad the almond milk worked out for you! That is great.
I have never tried to make tomato juice, but you have just provided me with a project idea! I am away from my Ninja for a week or two for the holidays, but will give it a shot in the New Year…
Hi Angela,
We Absolutely LOVE our Ninja 1100!! My husband bought it for me for my birthday in October. My 12 yr old son loves making snow cones and slushies and smoothies with it!! We have made cookie dough, stuffing for jalapeno peppers, and I even use it to chop up my veggies for all my different salads!
I am wanting to make baby food with my Ninja for our new coming baby in July 2012….. would you happen to know how? Thank You!
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for stopping by! Congratulations on your future new addition to your family!
We don’t have kids, so I haven’t delved into the world of baby food. But, I do know a few new mommies, so maybe I’ll try some things out on them! Anyway, I did a quick search on Amazon and
this seems like a good book on making your own baby food.
You have my head spinning on this one though, so I am sure I will be back with a post or two on this topic.
Angela
Thank You Angela! That would be Great! And I will definitely check the book out! Thanx Again!
Hi Nancy,
Your question intrigued me so I started doing a little research on this topic. I found a great blog for you to check out:
http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/pureebabyfoodandstore.htm
This will probably give you lots of ideas! You really shouldn’t have to make too many adjustments for the Ninja blender over a food processor or regular blender for making baby food. I think sweet potato and apples sounds like an awesome blended baby food!
Hi, Angela –
What a fantastic resource this is! I’m a 24 year old male, and I’ve been researching various blenders/juicers for about 6 months now, but had yet to come to a conclusion. My parents ended up purchasing the NInja 1100 for me for Christmas – i suppose this made up my mind for me
At first glance on the internet, I was worried there would be no resources for juicing with it. But you and your readers have accumulated a lot of knowledge here! I have always preferred inexpensive alternatives, even if it means more work. I look forward to juicing with this machine, even if it means straining.
However, I no virtually nothing about strainers, and was hoping you could recommend the brand/model that you use.
Also, I was wondering about the pulp in fruits and vegetables; in your opinion/experience, is it unhealthy to consume them? I don’t mind watering down a juice that is heavy on pulp. I’m looking for nutrient consumption over flavor, anyways. I don’t really care what the juice tastes, looks, or feels like. I just want it to be drinkable and healthy. But I just want to make sure that by consuming the pulp, it can be digested easily.
I’ve read that it may not be healthy to ingest the pulp – unless you “chew” it as you drink it, releasing the saliva from the glands in your mouth, which contains the enzymes our body uses to break food down.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Justin
Hi Justin!
First of all, I commend you on being so health conscious at 24! That is awesome!
It’s funny that you ask about drinking the pulp. The pulp is where all of the fruit or vegetable’s fiber is, of course, so straining it out does remove some nutrients. Some people just don’t like pulp. I naturally tend to chew pulp, so I have never really thought much about this. But your timing is good! I just heard a lengthy discussion on juicing on a podcast yesterday, and it specifically even talked about juicing with blenders. The podcast is from Ben Greenfield Fitness — if you don’t listen, that is one I highly recommend for lots of nutrition and fitness info. Ben was explaining that really you should keep the pulp in the juice if you want all the nutrients, otherwise you do end up with quite a bit of sugar (if it is fruit juice). Here is the podcast, and I think the part about juicing is in the 20-30 minute marker zone, though don’t quote me on that, I was listening while out running: http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2011/12/the-shocking-truth-about-wheat/
In terms of what the Ninja produces, I really think it is probably too thick to drink without chewing it, so if you didn’t strain it, you would be chewing for sure, which would probably be good. There might be some happy medium where you maybe strain out half the pulp and leave half – not sure there!
An, when it comes to strainers, I would recommend you go to someplace like Target and in the kitchen aisle, there will be these mesh strainers with a handle on them, probably in a couple different sizes. I have two different sizes from Kitchen Aid – like these: http://amzn.to/rU6knh — and they work great. But, you could probably find a less expensive one out there if you look.
I hope that answer is somewhat helpful, and happy blending! I have had my Ninja over a year and still love it, so I am sure you will enjoy that gift from your parents!
Angela
Hi Angela -
After experimenting with a couple mixtures that involved not straining the pulp, I decided to go buy a strainer yesterday. I must say, I much prefer this method! I made one batch which resulted in around 3-1/2 cups of juice post-straining. Before straining, there was probably about 8-1/2 cups of juice – including about 1-1/2 cups of water. It was roughly equivalent to 4-5 carrots, 1 tomato, 1 head of broccoli, 1 green pepper, and about 1 cup of kale. I also ended up with a nice amount of pulp. I plan on making scrambled eggs tomorrow, and will try mixing some of this pulp in at the end without heat so as not to kill the nutrients. I’m going to take the rest of the pulp and bake it in tin foil at around 100 degrees and see if I can’t make a kind of chip-like snack.
I also made a fruit juice. I used 2 green apples, 2 cups fresh pineapple, 1 banana, 1 orange, about 2 cups Pomegranate Blackberry flavor “Good Belly” juice, and 12 small ice cubes. This was about 9 cups of liquid, and yielded about 4 cups of actual juice after straining. I might try baking this pulp as well…but I’m a little at a loss as to what else to do with it. I was thinking I might make some buckwheat pancakes, and use the fruit pulp as a spread.
Do you have any other creative and delicious ideas of how to utilize the pulp? Thank you for all of your ideas thus far! I just downloaded that podcast, and will listen to it tomorrow after work on the commute home. That website looks like another great resource, I can’t wait to explore it!
Justin
Hi Justin,
Yeah, I kind of figured you’d end up straining! There is a lot of pulp that juicers extract that gets left behind with the Ninja.
You might want to check out this blog: choosingraw.com. If I recall, Gina has a lot of recipes for crackers and the like for using up left over pulp.
Also, you could consider using it to make Veggie Broth. Here is a write up I did on making your own: http://testkitchentuesday.com/2011/11/21/make-your-own-veggie-brothfor-free/ — just put the pulp in with the water like you would do with any peelings or choppings. One thing to note is that you will find the fruit pulp pretty bland because you have pretty much pressed all the sugar out of it for your juice. I tried using leftover orange pulp once and I found it not very good!
If you come up with a juice recipe that you really like, I would love to have you do a guest post to share it with everyone. Email me at: testkitchentuesday {at} hotmail {dot} com if you would be interested.
Angela
I’m trying to respond to issues quite a few people brought up.
1) Apparently beets help with cleaning the digestive tract so you want to go slowly to start so there are no unexpected surprises.
2) Recipes are available online for Vitamix, Magic Bullet, and almost every other appliance that claims fame to juicing, even tho the Ninja, Vitamix, and such are a more smoothy than juicer because you have to add some form of liquid.
3) Magic Bullet now has made a Baby Bullet so if you search on baby bullet recipes there are ten tons of ideas out there.
4) If your going to squeeze the pulp out of the juice of an orange anyway just peel the orange part of the orange and leave all of the white. I understand when juicing you leave it there for the added nutrients.
5) Someone mentioned mixing veggies and it tasting so bad they threw it in the toilet. Welcome to the sample kitchens…. lol I have found celery can REALLY overpower quickly, but I love carrots (clean and cut the greens off but you don’t need to peel), cucumbers (with or without peel, can be a bit bitter, based on taste, radishes, parsley, spinach, kale, 1 cored only apple, and / or a cored pear if you must add a sweetener especially if diabetic try 3-5 dates.
6) Here’s a link I use because I’m still trying to decide what juicer I want. http://www.juicingbook.com/centrifugal-masticating-juicers
I hope this helps some
Hi Mary,
Thanks very much for your thorough input. Juicing is not really my specialty in general, but I always follow an experimental outlook – it makes me happy when things come out tasty.
That’s what you guys hear about. You don’t hear about the things that aren’t so tasty!
If I juice with the ninja and leave the pulp in my drink for fiber. Of course put a little water with it, how long can I refrigerate this mixture.
Hi Angela -
It’s been a great couple weeks of experimenting! You were very correct about the fruit pulp – very bland! I Have been mixing in the veggie pulp with everything possible, to try and find that perfect combo. So far, mixing it in with the scrambled eggs has been the best outcome. However, putting it in spaghetti sauce comes in a close second.
Thanks for the choosingraw.com recommendation – yet another fantastic resource. I have yet to try any of the baking recipes yet, I plan to get to that in the coming weeks.
I really liked your article on the veggie broth. I’ve got a bunch of scraps saved up so I can make that tonight. I still feel bad about disposing of the fruit pulp, though. I haven’t entirely given up on finding a good use for it. I don’t really do much baking, so I can’t use it there. We’ll see.
Once I come up with a good juice recipe that I really like, I’d be happy to send it to you. Thanks for the invite. I think I’m still a good bit away from what I’d consider to be the perfect blend, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how hard it is to make a “bad” batch of juice! So far my favorite ingredient in veggie juice is red beets, and a for fruit juices it’s a pineapple/orange combination.
Hi Justin,
It sounds like you are really enjoying your Ninja! For the fruit pulp, I throw it in my compost bin. I feel like it is still going to good use that way!
I’d love to share your juice recipe when you pull one together that you like. I’m sure the readers would love to see what you concoct!
Angela
During the few weeks before and after the Holidays, when it could be found in the grocery store, I added about a half cup of egg nog to my smoothies for sweetness, liquid and flavor. Just enough to be barely detected, but not overwhelming. Now that egg nog is no longer available I use boiled custard. It’s available year round. Flavorful and sweet, but not as sweet and spicy as egg nog.
I know this is a silly question,but… I would LOVE to juice, but can’t get the lid off. I also can’t find instructions online. I’m grateful for the recipesI found online, but can’t even get started! Can you help with Step 1?
I had the same trouble when using my Ninja for the first time. The lid WILL come off. Make sure the retractable handle on the lid is up by pressing the button on the lid. Then give the lid a strong pull. You will have to pull harder the first few times you use the Ninja.
Thansks for the help, Joe!
Robin, yes, make sure the handle is up and pull hard. It can be especially difficult to remove if you have recently washed it in the dishwasher, as any water residue can form a bit of a suction effect.
Good luck!
I am about to swap something for one of these and I am really excited. I want it mainly for smoothies but have no recipes. Do you have a blog on that? Thank you for the informative review and this demonstration. I am sure you have saved many people lots of time!!!
Hi Cherie,
You bet! I have a Ninja Recipes page – just click on the link in the top navigation…
Angela
Thanks for the great article!
Love the shot of Pipa, what breed is she?
I hope it will be helpful for you!
Pipa is a black lab mix of some sort. We got her at the animal shelter so we don’t really know for sure. We know she is part something else because she won’t retreive anything to save her life!
How Much is this machine? $?
It varies depending on where you buy it, but around $99 is the general MSRP.
I bought a Jack L.L. juicer, used it once and returned it the same day! What a mess to clean up. AND it is stated the that juice is to be used immediately- or nutrients bread down.
Great! I have to prep the food items, make the juice, and worse of all clean it all up EACH morning?
After reading the comments here I am not sure I want to get the Ninja. There is one at WalMart for $79. and it’s the one that interests me as it appears to be for smoothies and drinks. The cookbook is of no concern to me, or dough attachments etc. Also I have no objection to adding store bought apple juice or water. I’m still not decided on the Ninja but I will not be buying a ‘juicer’ as they all seem to be messy and really large in size for my small kitchen counter space. Currently I’m buying 4 to 6 juices ea. week at over $3. ea
Apples, pears, carrots, greens, celery and berrys would be the most common choices for my juices. I may just give the Nija at WM a try-what the heck?!
One thing that is great about the Ninja is it is ridiculously easy to clean. It’s a trade off if you don’t mind straining the juice, the clean up is a breeze! And, it’s multi-purpose uses makes it a good option if you don’t have a lot of counter space. $79 for a Ninja is a great deal!
great stuff
I just got the Ninja thanks in part to your Almond Milk recipe. I’ve been juicing for a few months and while I would use the Ninja to make smoothies, I would not use it to juice. Juicing allows you to get the nutrients of a much higher amount of fruit (and veggies) in a single glass. I drink the equivalent of 4 stalks of celery, 6 leaves kale, an apple, cucumber, a lemon and a piece of ginger in one glass of juice each morning. I could blend all that up and I’d have to add water to it to turn it into something drinkable and I’d end up with enough juice for a family of 4 (which I don’t have). I find that there are times when I’m all about just having a quick smoothie, but I stick to my juicer for my daily juicing, I think of it as mainlining nutrients.
When you blend (and don’t strain) your body has to treat the drink just like it would food, processing it to get to those nutrients. When you juice the same items and drink them, you’ve removed most of the fiber and allow those nutrients to go directly to where they are needed quickly.
OMG! Can I just say thank you? I’ve been wanting a juicer, but I’m not ready to shell out the cash. And. . . .I recently received a Ninja to review on my blog and I loved it. However, like you, I noticed that it said you cold juice with it, but couldn’t find anything on their website that indicated how. I had no idea it was as simple as adding water! What a fantastic idea! I am all over this. I’m going to the grocery TODAY and getting oranges, carrots and ginger and I will try this out.
Thanks again! You’ve saved me money and brightened my day! T7
Hi Nicki,
So glad to help, and thanks for your note! I hope it works out for you!
Angela
Angela,
I was surprised that no one had responded to Joe’s entry (Nov. 26, 2011) offering a suggestion that could solve this juicing vs. pulp dilemma. He suggested “boiling” (or maybe even blanching?) the fruits and veggies before putting in the Ninja. It seems as though this method would soften the fruit/veggie and allow it to release more of its natural juices. His claim asserts that this would require adding less water, and would boost the drink’s antioxident properties. I just bought my Ninja today (yeah!!!!) and am interested in trying it to juice as well as make purees and sugar-free ice cream.
What do you think?
Hi Jennifer,
Excellent point – you know, this comment may have slipped through the cracks. I am going to say yes, it would work to soften the fruits and veggies and also bring out more of their natural juices which would require less water to make “juice.” However, depending on how much of a purist you are about juice, some people feel fruits and veggies should be uncooked while others feel cooking them brings out more of their nutrients (like antioxidents). I don’t have a stance on this topic, just bringing up both sides of the argument! Also, I think you will still have the straining issue, as even if they are soft you will have more pulp than liquid.
Congrats on your new toy – have fun with it!
Angela
Thanks for the info which will be my bible in my quest searching for a machine that will convert fruit into a liquid but at the same time retaining a little of the fibre, which is also important as well as the vitamins.
I’m not bothered if I need to spend a little time straininng by hand, as long as the end result is a healthy drink/soup that I can swallow without having to actually chew in the conventual way. Once again, thanks for the info and the photo’s that show exactly exactly what to expect.
Glad to help, Michael, thanks for your nice note!
A big thanks to you, Angela, and all of your dedicated and thorough readers! This website, along with those you’ve linked, will become my primary resource for all of my dietary needs! I am an enlisted member on active duty status, so I have limited access to kitchen equipment; for example, I have no oven at my disposal whatsoever. However, after reading all of your recipes and the very thorough review, I think my long search for a high-function blender/processor is over! I’ll be placing my order for a Ninja 1200 (or maybe the KS) very soon. Thanks again!
Hi Josh,
Thank you for your service! I am glad you found the site helpful — good luck and happy blending!
Angela
What if we have the old Ninja Master Prep which doesn’t have power level settings?
http://www.ninjakitchen.com/NinjaMasterPrep.shtml?tabID=detailsCont
Hi Brandon,
The power level settings are nice to have but not necessary. I have blended juice in my Ninja Pulse which only has one setting. Just blend with the power setting you do have and follow the straining directions (if you don’t want pulp).
Enjoy!
Angela
If I juice with the ninja and leave the pulp in my drink for fiber. Of course put a little water with it, how long can I refrigerate this mixture. The reason I ask is because when I put fruit in with organic apple juice it seems to keep well for at least 10 hours in the fridge. But when I used water with agave nectar and a table spoon of flaxseed oil it started to look brown? Could you please help me?
Hi Jerry,
What kind of juice are you making (what are the ingredients)? That will help us troubleshoot your problem!
Angela
I am juicing carrots, kale, apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, strawberries, spinach, then two tablespoons of flaxseed oil and water with agave nectar. But when I do not use water and agave and use organic apple juice instead it seems to last the entire day? My question is, do I need to have some acid in my drink when I use simply water and agave to allow the drink to last the day in the fridge or some sort of organic juice?
Thank you.
Hi Jerry,
The common thought with fresh juice is it needs to be consumed fairly quickly. Since I didn’t really know the answer to your question, I did a little research and found this article: http://www.discountjuicers.com/storingjuices.html. It has lots of information on the best way to store the juice, how quickly it should be consumed, etc. My hunch is that yes, if you want to store your juice for about a day or so, you should throw in some lemon to help preserve it, and this article seems to agree. I am guessing that when you add the organic apple juice, you are getting the benefits of whatever preservatives are in it, instead of water and agave, which don’t have the preservatives.
Hopefully that helps!
Angela
Anyone know where to get the Ninja KS 1100 in the UK? (Yes, I already did a google search)
Hi Suz, just wondering, will Amazon.com ship it to you in the UK? That would probably be where I would look!
may 7th 2012 9:33 pm I just burn out my Jackel Lane Juicer, And bought a ninga 1200 Just been reading the instrutions wow I can’t wait to start using it. I can’t bellieve how many thing things this juicer can do next to a old school blender. Dont get me wrong Jackelane was the juicer before all this high tech machines been getting upgrades… I been flowing a thing called JUICE RX on you phone app for 3 months wow my bloodsugar and highblood pressure is basically normal may have found a remedy for wheezing/Asthma pur cucumber juice 1 cup!
Carrots and cellery so far for experiencing with my body.
I’m not sure if I’m late to the party here, but I’ve had success taking my “juice” mixture and running it through a french press coffee maker. It separates the liquid from the pulp and takes about 5 seconds.
Brian, that is absolutely brilliant! Thanks for sharing your tip!
Angela
I juice with the Ninja 600 (I believe… it was $99) every day and get the most smooth juices ever, without straining! I never have to strain! I use any kind of fruit (peeled), berries, bananas, spinach, carrots, kale, flaxseed, etc. TIP: dice up and freeze your fruit. It will blend smoother. I start with a handful of ice, then throw everything else in. Then I add coconut water or milk, depending on the blend, or a little (cup) of water. My fav is coco milk, honeydew and cucumber. A bit of mint is okay in there, too. What I do each time I juice, is pulse 5 or 6 times, then power 3 for about 3-4 minutes. I just go about whatever I need to do. The result, no matter what I’ve put in there, is a delicious, healthy, smooth breakfast! I use a shaker bottle with the blender ball, so if it thickens a bit, it’s not for long! After pouring, I hot water rinse the lid, blade and blender and wipe all with paper towels (carefully with the blade!). I make sure the bottom is dry and put back together without the blender in the lock position, and with the lid handle holding the spout open, to complete air drying until next use. It looks as new as when I bought it and it takes about 2 mins to clean! Once a week, I may dishwasher the parts. I tried four other juicers before the Ninja and kept the box and receipt for it as well. Now I only will need the box if I ever move, to move it safely!
That is a great tip, thanks for sharing Julie!
I feel ripped off and deceived by the infomercial that shows the juicing process. This thing is no juicer. Staring, freezing the stuff beforehand, adding water, peeling. Thats not juicing
Just got mine yesterday ay samsclub for 120, looking forward to juicing with it.
I think everyone needs to give themselves a reality check. If anyone looks at an infomercial and thinks that they are going to get the results they see in those, they really need to not be so gullible. Anyone who has used OxyClean knows that it really isn’t the magical cleaner they claimed no matter how enthusiastic Billy Mays made it seem so. Same thing with anything else in any other infomercial.
Look, if you want juice without pulp you are going to need a juicer. A blender just doesn’t have the mechanism to extract the juice from the pulp/fibers that a juicer does. Weather it be a Ninja, Vitamix, or Blendtec. Now, the Vitamix and Blendtec give better results than the Ninja. They give smoother smoothies, whereas the Ninja simply doesn’t pulverize the seeds from some fruits, and doesn’t chop up the pulp/fibers as well as the Vitamix/Blendtec’s. But you aren’t spending 500.00 on it either.
Just use common sense and also realize that you get what you pay for. Given the price tag of the Ninja, I’m happy with mine and what it does. I think it is worth the 100.00 I paid for it at Costco.
Well said, Ron, I agree with you!
Angela
I personally love the ninja, when I make fruit and veggie juice, I like having the pulp in there. It makes you feel full and plus it will help you blow all of the sludge out of your colon.
Hi Kiki,
Thanks for stopping by – and for your input about liking the pulp. Everyone is different in what they like, this is something I have learned 100 times over due to feedback on this post! Personally, I like it too…
RonB post. Just a comment FIRSTabout oxyclean. It is an excellent product and to activate it when you first mix water make sure its HOT water no cold water. HOT WATER is what activates the powder.
Next – The Ninja is also an excellent product and you can get the same results as any infomercial and more when it comes to the Ninja as it states a true product that does what is says and more…..
For juicing and only for juicing the best Juicer I have found is the Jack Lalanne juicer which I
have and it does a terrific job. If you want to keep the pulp and make an ice cream smoothie out of it do so, or keep the vegetable pulp and add to make a delicious vegetable soup with it.
Hi Joe or Angela
I ‘m planning to buy this Ninja super juicer
). But not sure if the one on Sam’s Club that says Ninja Kitchen System , which is only $119.. is the same as Ninja Blender 1200? ‘Coz I am also concerned about the “locking mechanism” ..
Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks.
Hi Mida,
I don’t know if the one you are seeing at Sam’s is the same as the Ninja Blender 1200. Basically, the Ninja Professional Blenders are the base, and then the Ninja Kitchen Systems come with the Ninja Professional Blenders and a bunch of accessories.
It should be noted, the Ninja Blender — whether Kitchen System or not — is a Blender, not a juice extractor. I wrote how to use it to juice, but I don’t want you to be disappointed if you really want a juicer!
Hope that helps!
Angela
My husband bought a Ninja for me for my birthday and I use almost everyday for smoothies. It’s great! Very powerful and easy to clean. However, I realized that, as much as I Love my Ninja, I REALLY needed a juicer. I actually thought the Ninja would liquify the veggies in my green smoothies. Just the other day, I was sipping AND chewing which wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I’ve been thinking about the new NutriBullet for my health drinks. I would love to hear any advise on this issue.
Hi Leona,
You are totally right – if you want smooth, extracted juice from greens — the Ninja can’t really do that due to the blade design. The Ninja pulse single serve cups can obliterate greens, but the Ninja Pro does leave little “bits.”
I haven’t tried the NutriBullet, so I can’t really comment there, but maybe one of the other commenters here has tried it. Anything with a more traditional blender blade design will probably do better at obliterating the greens – at least that’s my thought!
I also purchased the Ninja 1100 for juicing & the healthy ice cream. After reading the reviews with mixed results, I looked around the net & found a solution. I use the recipie from Fat Sick & Dying: 3-4 stalks of celery, 1 whole cucumber (cut up), 1-2 apple (cored), 1/2-1 lemon (peeled), handful or two of spinach or kale with 2-3 oz distilled water. Blend & strain. I use a paint strainer bag inside my pitcher & wring out into the pitchers. Very simple, easy clean up with healthy juice at much lower cost than a dedicated juicer. Paint strainer bags are available at hardware store, much less expensive than nut milk bags & can be reused.
Good luck & Happy Juicing.
Haven’t tried the ice cream yet – will let you know once I have.
I was just asking my husband if his new Ninja could juice. Neither one us of knew so I took to google and found this website. Awesome! I love your simple instruction and pictures. I have taken a look around your site and am really enjoying it. After I make juice tomorrow I may just try making almond butter
Thanks
Hi Jenna,
Aw, thanks for the nice note! Happy juicing, and almond-butter-making! (If you use unroasted almonds, be sure to add some oil so it will blend nicely).
Angela
I bought my Ninja to make a V-8 type juice for lunches at school. It worked great. I never added water to my concoction. I threw the tomatoes in first and then I would throw in the remaining 7 vegetables. I would add some sea salt and pepper and I had a pretty tasty drink. Actually, I guess I did add water – I had a glass that I would fill with about half way and then at lunch I would fill the rest of it with ice and shake it up, so I had a cold drink.
Ditch the water, just use a french press, or even better, a french press/cup hybrid to get the juice separated.
Jeff, that is a really great/efficient idea for folks that have a french press!
I have the Ninja 1200 system. I am satisfied with the system but I knew what too expect going into the purchase. I have not tried “juicing” with the Ninja but I’m looking forward to trying the carrot juice recipe above. A chinoise can be used to reduce the resulting pulp/juice product. I often use the Chinoise for soups and or purees. The ninja does make wonderful morning smoothies with smooth results considering it is a third and in some cases a fourth the price of the Vitamix. As far as smoother juicing results. Years ago I dated a young lady who worked for a popular juicing establishment in Atlanta. She told me they used a commercial hydraulic press. The carrot juice was velvety and milk like. These juicers are not realistically priced for the home user and the average centrifuge juicer will wear out from juicing carrots too often. With a little work I’m sure the Ninja can produce a satisfactory result. If you are juicing veggies you are probably already making lifestyle adjustments.
Hi Weston,
Thanks for your comment, and great idea on the Chinoise!
Angela
Ninja 1100, # 1 2 sweet apples (your taste), core, place peal and all into blender, add 1 cup (more apple juice if you want it juicer ) 100% apple juice, power on two, then three until chopped good, you’ll get full from the juice and pulp. May have to use a spoon. OH SO GOOD. # 2 Two navel oranges, pealed, 1 can diet Ginger Ale, small dash of sea salt. The wife and I do this every day. THIS ALSO SO GOOD and GOOD for YOU. ENJOY!!!
I just purchased the Ninja Pulse system at Christmas time, Love it. All of my coworkers are such health nuts and have been trying to get me to try some of their complete juiceing recipes, and I have been watching the informercials for quite some time. So I went to Walmart and they had 4 Ninja’s on their shelf each one of them was different. The most expensive one was the total and it was $159 then one that I bought has the 42 oz container and 2 glasses, a dough hook, and a paddle for like cake and cookies and such, and of course the Blades it was $79 with a $10 gift card redeamable too. Love it. I have mostly used it for juicing, and not just the drink but Complete Juicing pulp and all, This is what I have used in mine… The first one was, Carrots, Spinnach, Frozen, strawberries, mango, blueberries and pineapple with some water. I really like it except for the carrots they did not get blended well enough for me. All of my fruits have been frozen, the next one I left out the carrots, kept everything else and added Almonds, that was really good too, I do prefere eating my almonds whole so I did that for the next time, and added Milled Flax seed to the next. Since I really like my chocolate too, I added a scoop of Milk Chocolate Slim Fast in with it too, and one of my coworkers mentioned that Cinnamon is really good for you too, so I added this to my next concoction using all the above and it came out tasting just like my Chocolate sugar cookies that I make at Christmas time.
The one I am drinking today is blueberries, raspberries, blackraspberries and mango and pinapple and a handfull of spinach with about 1 cup of water, The berries one is really good but the seeds the first time were hard to get around. Just swallow with everything else.
I am Very Happy with my Ninja.!!!
I have the ninja BL771, after having just worn out my first ninja. I absolutely love it (obviously, since I am on my second one!)
I really like pulpy drinks, so this isn’t good if you really like a smooth/thin juice.
1cup of kale
A dash of lemon juice
1/2 cup frozen mango
1 frozen banana
a sprinkle of cinnamon powder
a tbsp of protein powder-berry or citrus
8 oz of unsweetened green tea
after that’s done blending (for about 2 min) I stir in 2 tsp of chia seeds
…it’s delicious and keeps me full and energized to teach for hours
Thank you for this recipe, Leanna! I saw this before breakfast, so I made it this morning. You’re right, it’s delicious. I made it exactly as you prescribed, but I added 5- ice cubes and put the Chia seeds in the blender with everything else. It was great! Would it be okay with you if I wrote this up as a Reader Recipe post to share with everyone else? I don’t want it to stay buried in the comments!
[...] This guy has a Ninja. I think he loves it too. [...]
[...] This guy has a Ninja. I think he loves it too. [...]
Hi – am just thinking of getting a juicer and someone recommended the Ninja. Your site with pictures and detail is exceptionally helpful!! Perfect for “consumer opinions”. Thanks for taking the time to post. I am now sold on getting this instead of a juicer (since I need a new blender as well – it makes sense.).
If it works well will try and remember to post my experience
Thanks!!
Hi Susan,
Glad you found it helpful! Definitely let us know your experience. Here is a post where I talk about juicing tips & tricks for straining vs. not straining…
http://testkitchentuesday.com/2012/12/26/welcome-and-a-note-on-juicing-in-the-ninja-blender/
Let us know how it works out for you!
Angela