I was not aware there were different models, but the online chat rep clued me in after I saw 550 watts max on the bottom of the blender base. It is nice looking and the personal blender cups are really nice and handy, but I already have a 500 watt blender that performs exactly as this one. I figured maybe the 700 watts (which I thought I was getting) would be better at crushing ice, nuts and other harder to blend items. If you don't have a blender, this one has good value at $80 and it should cover most of your blending needs. The personal blending cups have a separate lid for travel. It has a hole for a straw, and can turn to reveal a little slot for use without a straw. The one issue with the lids is that they don't close completely on the top and extra care has to be taken to ensure they stand up if they are being packed in a lunch bag. I will return it and go for the Ninja Kitchen system. Yes () No ()  Report Yes () No () Absolutely love this system! I read all the reviews prior to purchasing system and it truly is so easy to use and replaces other systems I've been using to try to make Greenies fine enough to drink from a straw (I use the big straws from McDonald's).

This system makes eating healthy so much easier; grinding up lemon peels, seeds, nuts, tough stems, ice cubes, etc.....w/no problem. If you prefer finer ingredients, give it a few more pulses. I actually prefer this single speed - no decisions to make and the pulse system works well as long as there is enough liquid to move the ingredients around. hamilton beach blender model 54616cI've filled it up to the top (had my hand on the cover) and there was no leaking when pulsing machine. russell hobbs blender 12620Cleaning up is super easy. hamilton beach blender 54616c3 pieces to clean under running water and I'm done. waring blender model 24cb10c

Definitely worth the investment and wish I had looked into the Ninja Kitchen Pulse System earlier. Simplify your life and buy one! Walmart's price can't be beat. I plan to buy one for my daughter. Yes (6) No (0)  Report Yes (6) No (0) This product is a really great blender, but no so much anything else it says on the box. waring blender rb75(for instance a juicer) waring blender 51bl29 partsIf all you need to do is blend some things up really fast, then this is a great tool. The power is spot on and it will turn everything into slush if you let it. Where it doesn't shine is the added attachments. The dough maker is a little too vigorous and results in chewy dough due to over processing with even the slightest of pulses, while the claim to juicing is more akin to very fine chopping. We put three oranges in like we would our juicer to test it out and it was mostly orange slurry no matter how long we pulsed.

After straining it, the juice did taste good, but that was more attributable to the quality of the oranges opposed to the abilities of the blender. Overall if you are just looking to blend some smoothies or the like then this is a wonderful product, but don't look to it to replace your other kitchen appliances. On a related note, the bullet sized cup that come with it are great on the go, wish we had more for the kids! Yes () No ()  Report Yes () No () I use this for making baby food for my son. I have even made oatmeal from old fashion oats into powder to be mixed with milk, water or juice for him at 5 months old. All of his homemade baby food was so smooth and creamy, almost perfect like the pre-packaged stuff. So many of my friends have tried other products for making their baby food and it doesn't get as smooth. But, unlike a lot of other products that are only useful for baby food, I can still use this for other things for my husband and I and when our son gets older. I love this and it is so easy to use.

To echo a review someone else made, I love that I don't have to stop and scrape with uneven results. For the baby food I do use the personal cups, as it is a lot easier to take the cup off and shake it a bit to help the process go faster. Keep in mind too that the pulsing is necessary and is very helpful in getting an even consistency to a blended product. It takes a little more time because you can't walk away from it, but the results are much better than other products of this kind. We love our Ninja :-) Yes () No (9)  Report Yes () No (9) I bought the Ninja Kitchen System Pulse and looked @ youtube video before opening box. After the second day of using I was so impressed I bought one for a family member. Five minutes after I purchased it online@ Walmart the family member got a text it was ready for pickup! I prepare a fruit smoothie for breakfast and a smoothie for midday snack every morning to take to work. One smoothie takes 3 minutes ( including clean up). It can be a meal or a snack.

I have also made orange juice ( lots of pulp)- Nutritious. I would highly recommend this product. I have owned blenders before but it was to time consuming to use and clean up. I also made ice cream with my Ninja. No need to buy store bought ice cream for me anymore! My husband now eats more fruits and vegetables due to Ninja. He prepares a fruit smoothie every night for bedtime snack. What I like most is the ease of use and the quick cleanup. Yes () No ()  Report Yes () No () I love this blender, I have only used it as a blender so far, not as a processor or juicer. BUT it does an amazing job on frozen fruit and ice. I blend my smoothies only for a few seconds in the larger container and they are great. I did try the personal sized cups and it did not work as well as the large container, because the cups only have one set of blades whereas the large container has two sets of blades. I believe the smaller cups would be better for softer items, like fresh fruit, yogurt or ice cream, with some ice.

I tried with full of ice and frozen fruit, so I suppose I gave it quite a challenge. overall, love it and am very happy with my purchase. Yes () No ()  Report Yes () No () I was looking for a juicer actually and when is saw the Ninja and that it juices and blends and does so much stuff I was ecstatic. For me, it's a great blender, but it's not a juicer. You can make fantastic smoothies-as you can with most blenders, but as for making juice, not so much. I'm keeping it because my parents gave me their old juicer which still works wonderfully and as a blender I like the ninja-it's going to make great salsa :-) So, just a warning, if the only reason you're considering it is for the supposed "juicing" feature, don't waste your money, but a traditional juicer. Yes () No ()  Report Yes () No () I use this daily for my morning smoothie. I use frozen fruit, almond milk and ice and some protein. You need to not fill past the fill line. You also need to do quick pulses to break up the ice before blending full throttle.

It is easy to clean up and great travel cups. I have used the family pitcher once for pizza crust. Yes () No (0)  Report Yes () No (0) I have been wanting one since before Christmas. I finally bought myself one today. I was even more excited to find that my walmart had them for 79.00 and I bought the last one!!! My son (6yrs) and I brought it home and made smoothies. A little frozen strawberry, very little water and a little sweetener. I push the button and it did its thing. Not once did I have to stop and scrap, not once did I have it stop blending like a traditional blender where it stops and you have to scrap. It blended it to perfection! so smooth and creamy. BYE BYE 7-11 and Circle K! We will be making fresh fruit slurpies this summer. I can't wait to try out all the other features. YOU SHOULD BUY THIS MACHINE!!!!! Yes () No ()  Report Yes () No () We've tried a few food processors, they where all junk, to complicated to hard to clean to fragile. The Ninja is very good, it does everything we want, it's simple, easy to clean and durable!