Is the Ninja BN701 Professional Plus Blender worth buying? Yes, if you regularly crush large volumes of ice. As a HomeEssentialsLab.com appliance expert, I tested this 1400-peak-watt machine (a measure of maximum motor output) for 21 days. It pulverized 40 ounces of standard ice cubes in 15 seconds, though the removable blade makes scraping difficult.
Ninja BN701 Professional Plus Blender
Buy the Ninja BN701 if your primary goal involves making large batches of frozen margaritas or icy smoothies for a crowd. However, skip it if you prefer thick smoothie bowls; the stacked blade design fails to pull thick mixtures downward, requiring constant manual scraping since it lacks a tamper.
Who It’s For
Who Should Skip It
Methodology and Motor Performance
I tested the Ninja BN701 in my own kitchen for three weeks, running it through 42 distinct blending cycles. Rated at 1400 peak watts, this motor brings aggressive torque to the counter. During my week-two frozen drink tests, I loaded the 72-ounce pitcher with two full trays of ice and 16 ounces of liquid margarita mix. The Auto-iQ frozen drink program ran for exactly 60 seconds. It delivered completely uniform slush without a single stray ice chunk left behind. You feel the base vibrate heavily against the counter during the initial pulsing phase.
Living With the Stacked Blade System
Ninja uses a removable tower with six blades staggered up the shaft rather than a small blade anchored at the bottom. I poured 64 ounces of water and found this design creates a massive internal vortex. It rips through fibrous kale leaves in 45 seconds. However, this tower becomes a massive frustration when blending thick recipes like the ones in the included 15-recipe inspiration guide. Because the blades sit high up the shaft, thick mixtures stick to the outer walls. I stopped the machine four times to scrape down the sides while attempting peanut butter.
Auto-iQ Controls and Cleanup Realities
The interface relies on three Auto-iQ presets: smoothies, frozen drinks, and ice cream. These timed programs cycle the motor on and off to let ingredients settle. I timed the smoothie setting at exactly 55 seconds. You push the button and walk away. Washing the pitcher requires serious caution. I sliced my index finger on the top blade during my third wash. You must remove the razor-sharp tower before cleaning the pitcher walls. I highly advise using a long-handled bottle brush rather than a sponge, as the narrow base creates a tight trap for protein powder residue.
Buying Advice
Remove the Blade Assembly Safely
Always pull the stacked blade tower straight out of the pitcher before scraping your smoothie into a glass. If you leave the tower inside and tip the pitcher without the locking lid engaged, the heavy, sharp blade assembly will crash out and splatter your drink across the counter.
Manage the Maximum Liquid Line
Do not ignore the 64-ounce maximum liquid line on the 72-ounce pitcher. I overfilled it with 68 ounces of water and dish soap for a cleaning cycle. Within ten seconds, the internal pressure forced soapy water through the lid seal and down the sides of the motor base.
Layer Ingredients for Auto-iQ
When using the ice cream preset, add your liquid ingredients first, followed by softer fruits, and put your hard ice at the very top. The staggered blades chop the top layer of ice while the bottom blades liquefy the base, pulling the heavy ice downward into the vortex for a smoother texture.
