Ninja Foodi Power Nutri Blender 3-in-1 with Smart Torque & Auto-iQ 1200W CB350UK Review
A powerful and very flexible blender
Verdict
With a revamped base offering more Auto-iQ programmes than previous models, plus manual speed control and a great range of accessories, the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri Blender 3-in-1 with Smart Torque & Auto-iQ 1200W CB350UK is a great value and versatile blender.
Pros
- Manual controls
- Wide range of Auto-IQ programmes
- Plenty of accessories
Cons
- Loud
Availability
- UKRRP: £169.99
- USAunavailable
- Europeunavailable
- Canadaunavailable
- Australiaunavailable
Key Features
- AccessoriesA jug (for larger mixtures), cup (for blend-and-go) and a power bowl (for sauces and dips) are included
Introduction
Ninja absolutely has a blender to suit everyone, mixing and matching models with a range of different accessories. For the Ninja Foodi Power Nutri Blender 3-in-1 with Smart Torque & Auto-iQ 1200W CB350UK, the company is back with a blender that has a main jug, a personal travel cup and the Nutri Power Bowl that I first saw on the CB100UK.
Excellent power, dishwasher-safe parts and a redefined base that offers more Auto-iQ programmes makes this one of the best all-round blenders I’ve tested.
Design and features
- Lots of accessories
- Redesigned base is easier to use
- Dishwasher-safe parts
Previous Ninja blenders have been good, with the main difference between models being the accessories that ship alongside and the Auto-iQ programmes available. For those not in the know, Auto-iQ is Ninja’s system of running the blender automatically for different jobs.
The CB350UK comes with a redesigned base. Rather than dedicated buttons for Auto-iQ, there’s now a selector dial, which gives the front of the blender a more attractive look. Options available include Powermix, Blend, Crush, Mix, Puree and Chop – although the options available will be determined by the type of jug attached.
In the box, Ninja provides a 2.1-litre jug for larger mixes, a 700ml travel cup with lid, and the 400ml Power Nutri Bowl. The jug has both a large blade assembly and a dough hook; the latter two attachments use the same blade assembly.
The main difference between the cup and bowl is that the bowl has Smart Torque, where you turn the dial on top to move the paddles around the inside of the bowl, preventing sticky ingredients from attaching to the sides and, therefore, not mixing properly.
Each attachment can be used with the automatic programme, but you can override this with manual settings, using pulse or running the blender entirely manually. While the cup and bowl run at maximum speed only, there’s a choice of 10 speeds with the jug, giving much finer control.
Everything is plastic, but it feels robust and hard-wearing. There are nice touches, too. The jug has a clever flip-down lid that prevents liquid from flying out, for example, and the cup has a travel cup lid, so you can blend and go.
You can put all of the parts, bar the base, into the dishwasher, so there’s very little mess to deal with, either.
Performance
- Makes short work out of everything
- Very loud
- Power Torque makes sticky items easier to blend
If there’s one thing I don’t like about Ninja blenders, it’s that they’re very loud. Here, the CB350UK peaked at 97.1dB – which is louder than a tube train passing. Although you’ll only use it for short periods, the level of noise is uncomfortable. For a lot of jobs, I preferred to use the Auto-iQ programmes, which allowed me to walk away from the machine while it was blending.
While it may be noisy, when it comes to performance, the CB350UK is exceptionally good. I first tried to crush ice, in both the jug and travel cup. With the Crush programme, I soon had a lot of powdered ice with the texture of snow, and no large lumps of ice.
I moved on to my smoothie test. Using the jug, I started with dry coconut chips. The results weren’t particularly impressive, with the chips either flying into the air or sticking to the bottom. This isn’t really a system for dealing with dry ingredients.
Next, I put in the pineapple chunks, including the tough core and gave them a blitz, which soon cut the mixture down.
To finish off, I added coconut milk, yoghurt and mint leaves. Using the Blend option, I ended up with a perfect smoothie: you can see small chunks of coconut and traces of mint, but the overall drink was smooth, free of large chunks.
I then made some strawberry sauce, using strawberries and honey, in the Power Nutri Bowl. I turned the top of the lid to keep the ingredients from sticking, which resulted in a smooth and very tasty sauce, without the need to scrape down ingredients.
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Should you buy it?
If you blend a lot of items and would like an increased set of options, then the range of Auto-iQ programmes and accessories makes this a great buy.
The Ninja CB350UK is very loud, and the components are plastic, so look elsewhere if you want a quieter model with a glass jug.
Final Thoughts
With its redesigned base, excellent range of accessories and adjustable speed, the Ninja CB350UK is arguably the company’s best overall blender. It’s extremely well priced, too: far cheaper than the excellent KitchenAid Artisan Blender K400, although that product is solidly built and has a lovely glass jug.
If you want to blend only, this model is good – but if you’re after food processing, too, then the older Ninja BN800UK may be the better choice. Check out other options in my guide to the best blenders.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every blender we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Used as our main blender for the review period
We make the same smoothie on all of our blenders so that we can compare the results between different models.
We crush ice in each blender to see how strong it is, and if it crushes evenly.
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FAQs
It ships with a jug that has blades and a dough hook, power bowl and a personal cup.
These are automatic programmes that control the blender for jobs such as mixing, blending and crushing ice.
Full specs
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Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
