The Ninja Fit blender is so compact that I no longer dread pulling out this type of appliance

The Nijna Fit blender has been a revelation in achieving my five-a-day fruit and veg target. I mean, I used to love making smoothies in the morning. But, back then, I lived alone, and had more than enough counterspace, so my bulky personal blender sat out all the time. That changed when I moved in with my husband and into our condo, our counter space became limited. I didn’t want to keep the blender out on the peninsula, and so it resided under a cabinet, never to be seen again. 

But it was a better fate than our full-size blender, which was relegated to a spot above the fridge. I think I’ve pulled it out once in the past four years. It’s clunky, and heavy, and I didn’t want to pull out a step ladder to reach it. All of this added up to my smoothie habit totally falling by the wayside. All the creative recipes I used to whip up were a mere memory. 

But then the Ninja QB3001SS Ninja Fit Compact Personal Blender walked into my life. From the minute I opened up the package and spotted the slim single serve 16 oz. cups and picked up the lightweight base, I knew my smoothie world was reopening. This compact blender is easy to use, and it takes up minimal space in my cabinet. I still don’t have it out on the counter, but it’s so lightweight and small that I can easily store it in a cabinet and pull it out daily. 

Despite its dainty size, this small kitchen appliance means business. It blends frozen fruit, ice, and even whips in almond butter like it’s no big deal. A quick whirl and, voila, I have a delicious smoothie waiting to start my day. And, not that you asked, but right now, my go-to recipe is a banana, almond milk, a little bit of cold brew, maca powder, almond butter, and chia seeds. It’s like a caffeinated milkshake — but nutritious.

What I thought of the Ninja Fit blender

My top priority when it comes to a personal blender is its size. Above all else, it needs to either be small enough that it can sit out on the counter or lightweight enough that I can easily move it in and out of a cabinet. Luckily, the Ninja Fit blender could be either one of those (though I’ve been storing it and bringing it out every morning). It’s super light and has a slim profile, which is perfect for tucking away. One of the Ninja Fit blender's other biggest draws is its price point. At just under $70, often under $50 if you find it on sale, it’s a budget-friendly blender that costs basically the same as six smoothies at my local juice bar.

Even with its size and price point, it’s also powerful. It has a 700W motor, and it’s performed efficiently with everything from frozen fruit smoothies to dry seasoning mixes to nuts for sauces. While it only has one setting — which is common for this type of personal blender — I found that it's one setting blitzes and liquifies ingredients quickly. My go-to morning smoothie is silky smooth in less than twenty seconds.

You can also make dipping sauces, remoulade, marinades, and seasoning blends. It’s not ideal that you have to hold down the cup throughout the blending process but, again, this is common for this type of personal blender. Plus, it’s fast. Your wrist will survive the process, I promise. 

I also love that the cups are tall and skinny. There’s something about that shape that, to me, seems to either keep the drink colder or make it easier to drink quickly. When I think of my old personal blender, it had wider cups with more surface area. I couldn’t get through a smoothie before it became lukewarm. With the Ninja cup, I’m done in minutes — too soon, really. 

Where it lacks is the ability to add ingredients while blending. This isn’t an issue for how I use the blender — primarily for smoothies, marinades, and seasoning blends — but if you’re trying to emulsify a mayonnaise or attempt a more layered recipe, it might be a problem. You also can’t blend hot ingredients. If either of those are in your blending repertoire, you could be better off with a full-size blender with more options and settings.

Testing the Ninja Fit blender

Heather Bien

Hey, I'm Heather, a lifestyle and commerce writer based in Washington, DC. This blender was sent to me by Ninja, and I tested it out daily for several weeks before writing this review, eagerly trying out my favorite smoothie recipes. I’ve continued to use the machine and will keep this updated if my thoughts or opinions on this appliance changes.

Ninja Fit blender specifications

• Model name: Ninja QB3001SS Ninja Fit Compact Personal Blender
• Dimensions (in.): H13 x W4 x L4
• Weight of machine: 3.06 lbs.
• Capacity: 16 fl. oz.
• Voltage: 120 volts
• Wattage: 700 watts

Unboxing and setting up the Ninja Fit blender

The Ninja fit blender arrived safely packed in a box and multiple small interior boxes. Included in the box is the motor base, two 16 oz. cups, a spout lid for easy drinking on the go, and the blade assembly. Each BPA-free plastic piece was wrapped in plastic, which was the hardest part of unboxing the blender (does anyone else absolutely hate the puzzle of getting plastic off a cord?!). 

There’s also a Ninja Fit recipe book, and, even if you usually toss the branded recipe books that come with appliances — this is one to keep. There are tons of different recipes in the included cookbook for smoothies, sauces, marinades, drinks, and even orange chicken and tabbouleh. I throw everything away and, yet, I’m keeping this recipe book to help push my creativity when it comes to what I can make with the blender.

How to use the Ninja Fit blender

The Ninja Fit blender is so super simple. So simple I actually had a hard time figuring out how to use it at first — I wanted to make it more complicated. After I screwed the blade assembly onto the cup and put it on top of the motor base, I kept looking for a button or any type of setting but, nope, all you do is push down. When you apply pressure to the cup, it starts the motor. 

And this guy blends quickly. Within seconds my smoothie was done. I released pressure, the motor stopped, and I unscrewed the blade assembly. I popped on the spout lid, and that was it. Easy peasy. As I mentioned earlier, these cups fit into a cup holder in the car. My old personal blender did NOT do that, and, trust me, you don’t want to balance a cup full of smoothie on your lap. 

A few tips here: don’t use hot ingredients and don’t fill past the fill line. There are handy measurements right on the cup. Use them.

How to clean the Ninja Fit blender

Cleaning the Ninja Fit Compact Personal Blender is incredibly easy. Just unplug the base and wipe it off with a soft, damp microfiber cloth (like these Aidea ones available on Amazon). Then, put the rest of the pieces — the cup, the spout lid, and blade assembly in the top rack of the dishwasher. That’s it! 

Is the Ninja Fit blender right for you?

If you’re looking for a straightforward, simple blender to whip up smoothies, sauces, marinades, and other basic kitchen blending jobs, then the Ninja Fit blender is a great option. It’s affordable, lightweight, and has a super small footprint. 

Reasons to skip it include if you need more versatility in speed and type of blending if you like to make dishes where you need to gradually add ingredients, or if you prefer to blend hot ingredients. 

Here are some alternate options to browse below...

Good to know

Instructions
The Ninja Fit blender comes with a recipe booklet that has recipes you’ll actually want to make. It does not come with an instruction booklet — or at least mine didn’t, but I ended up finding one online (not that you’ll need it — it’s so simple). 

Warranty
A one-year warranty from the date of purchase is included with the Ninja QB3001SS.

Where to buy the Ninja Fit blender

The Ninja QB3001SS Ninja Fit Compact Personal Blender is available to buy via their Amazon storefront or through retailers like Target.

How we tested this blender

We have a set process for our reviews at Real Homes. As is the case with all products we review, we match the reviewer with the blender.

The Ninja QB3001SS Ninja Fit Compact Personal Blender was sent to me by Ninja, and I tested it out daily for several weeks before writing this review, trying various smoothie recipes, along with recipes for marinades and seasoning blends. I tested it against ice, nuts, frozen fruit, and other ingredients. I tested it for speed, efficiency, and how well it blends across food groups.