Review on Ninja Nutri Pro Compact Personal Blender with 18 Oz. and 24 Oz. Portable Cups, Black/Silver Finish by David Chen

I have been using this personal blender for several months now and use it at least 4 or 5 times a week. Highly recommended! There are just a few things you need to know before you buy to get the most out of your blender! I've spent so much time researching blenders like this and some of the reviews made me nervous. I'm so glad I took a chance with this strong little guy, he exceeded all expectations! It mixes quickly and thoroughly as you would expect from a ninja. I've been using my big 1100w Ninja Blender for years - LOVE it! I even blend pea soup in it, but the low 900 watt power has been a game changer for protein shakes since my workout (it would be very impractical to use my big blender like this every day). and how difficult it is to clean because of the silicone pad that after a few uses starts to smell even after cleaning. Sonically, it's *a little* loud, but it's not really that bad - you should expect some volume given the power and size. As for the odor issue - it's true I've experienced it first hand, even after hand washing it with soap and water, running everything in the dishwasher a few times and nothing could get rid of the smell. I managed to get the silicone pad out (no great feat! You need something very strong and very thin to get it out) and it was very gross - I felt stupid for not noticing it before, of course I have to remove it clean. I scrubbed and scrubbed and the soap just wasn't strong enough to get rid of the smell - I was going to scrap this thing and send it back if my last idea didn't work. And now I'm *finally* rid of the smell! I soaked the entire pad in a 50/50 solution of hot water and oregano oil for about an hour, then rinsed it thoroughly by hand several times and the smell never came back BECAUSE I took the gentleman reviewer's advice, the buttonhole along to clean dental floss. around the gasket before reinserting it into the deep slot (greetings sir!). Now it's incredibly easy for me to take the pad out to clean it after each use! You just need to make sure you hold the thread while turning the blade on and off (as shown in the photos). I'm deducting 1 star for that and the fact that drinking caps can be accidentally overtightened fairly easily and very difficult to remove once you've done it, especially when wet. I would not recommend this to anyone with arthritis. My favorite smoothie recipe: 1 cup frozen strawberries (or dark cherries, peaches, or whatever you like) 1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk or cashew protein milk 1 scoop Ancient Nutrition salted caramel protein powder A few thin slices of fresh ginger (approx ) A pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg Delicious and very healthy! I really never tire of this recipe.