Ninja’s New Chopper Is Like Nothing I’ve Examined (Simply Do not Name It a Meals Processor)

It usually appears as if Ninja has some form of Bat Telephone to the patron saint of small kitchen home equipment. Each new product they introduce is basically totally different and very often superior to every little thing else in its class, making us surprise how we ever lived with out that performance.

From blenders to air fryers to espresso makers, Ninja usually lands a prime spot in CNET’s “better of” lists, and with its newest launch, is shaking up the meals processor recreation. As a result of it’s Ninja, although, and with never-before-seen versatility and design, it additionally comes with a twee product title. Enter: Ninja Prepi.

Ninja doesn’t name the Prepi a meals processor, however somewhat a meal prep system, and for good cause. Certainly one of Ninja’s hallmarks is its modular design, which lets it perform as an equipment and a storage or serving vessel, and the brand new Ninja Prepi system affords precisely that.

As a substitute of a heavy base with a motor that you just stack with a food-processing bowl and blade, the Ninja Prepi flips the script: a motor pod snaps onto the lid, just like the vibe of the Ninja Crispi air fryer, after which sits on a utilitarian bowl. So let’s get into it.

Ninja Prepi at a look

• Type: modular meals processor/meals prep system with two bowl sizes, lids, and a separate motor pod. Consists of slicing and crinkle-cut discs, and an non-obligatory Dicing Package accent is offered both as a part of the Ninja Prepi package deal or as a separate buy.
• Dimensions (when assembled with bigger bowl): 7.38” L x 10” W x 15.56” H
• Watts: 500
• Weight: 10.6 kilos
• Value $180

Ninja Prepi setup

When you’re already aware of a meals processor, the Ninja Prepi is easy to arrange, though it’s considerably the wrong way up in contrast with different meals processors. The chopping/puree blade units onto a spindle centered within the bowl. (A smaller spindle is included for the smaller bowl.) The lid, which features a three-part feed chute, locks onto the highest of the bowl with two facet snaps. The motorized pod snaps intuitively into place on the lid and contains an apparent eject button that simply pops it again out.

Both included disc—slice/shred or crinkle lower—matches onto the highest of both spindle, and the non-obligatory $60 Dicing Package matches inside the highest of the bigger bowl with out the spindle. A dial on the entrance of the motor has chop, pulse, low, excessive and disc settings, plus a cease/begin button that illuminates solely when the motor pod is snapped in appropriately.

Ninja Prepi operation

Though the Ninja Prepi is the wrong way up in contrast with typical meals processors, the operation is commonplace. Set the dial on the entrance of the motor pod to the specified perform or pace, then use the cease/begin button to start or pulse as wanted.

Even with the motor pod snapped into place, you may unclip your complete lid of the Ninja Prepi system from the bowl and place it on the smaller bowl. As soon as prep is completed, you may take away the blades and spindles and use the practical plastic bowls to serve or prime with the included rubber lids for storage.

The chute constructed into the lid disassembles for optimum management in inserting parts of various thicknesses, permitting for 3 totally different widths.

What I appreciated about Ninja Prepi

The Ninja Prepi’s dual-bowl versatility is its predominant promoting level, and calling it a Meal-Prep System, somewhat than a meals processor, is a great transfer by the model. The system doesn’t have the most important quantity or essentially the most highly effective motor, however no different meals processor makes it as simple to run a number of parts or recipes directly with out emptying and cleansing the bowl first.

The plastic bowls aren’t something fancy, however they’re completely innocuous serving vessels that don’t require an additional dish, and the included lids add storage performance that principally no different meals processor can declare. If my predominant requirement for a meals processor was to cut particular person parts for meal prep all through the week, this may be a recreation changer.

Whereas meals processors are usually not that heavy, the motorized pod is the one substantial a part of the Ninja Prepi system and is extraordinarily compact, making it simple to maneuver round and to retailer. As a result of it operates top-down, gravity works within the Prepi’s favor, so it doesn’t require a weighted base. All of this makes for a system that doesn’t require a lot vertical cupboard space, and that’s additionally comparatively moveable.

Every little thing however the pod can go within the dishwasher, which makes cleanup simpler than most traditional meals processors; even with out a dishwasher, the atypical bowl form the Ninja Prepi options is far simpler to hand-wash.

Whereas the Prepi’s $179 worth is slightly greater than the common meals processor of comparable quantity, I consider the worth it affords is honest and doesn’t come near the value of a high-end system. It might be a strong funding for many who can put its distinctive versatility to good use.

What I disliked about Ninja Prepi

To create a meal prep system, nonetheless, the Ninja Prepi needed to make some food-processor sacrifices, which shouldn’t be discounted. My predominant grievance is the shortage of a deal with on both bowl. I perceive the selection, because it must perform as a possible serving or storage vessel, however as somebody whose predominant use of a meals processor is to make a melange comparable to hummus or pesto, I need one thing safer to carry onto when scraping it out. Is that this a deal breaker? No. Is it nonetheless annoying? Sure.

Pamela Vachon/CNET

The clip-on lid can be slightly fussy, and with the motor pod clipped in, I felt like there have been a number of cases the place I needed to hold adjusting the match to get the clips to clamp down appropriately. This can be a mandatory security characteristic, which I recognize, but it surely doesn’t make it any much less annoying when it’s a must to fuss with it.

As a result of the Prepi has a bowl form, somewhat than the straight-sided partitions of a typical meals processor, I additionally discovered that parts might typically be out of attain of the blade. It’s nothing that pausing and scraping down wouldn’t repair, which you’d be doing with a typical meals processor anyway, but it surely was sufficient to warrant a point out. Once more, not a deal breaker, particularly if the slice/shred/crinkle lower discs are your predominant occasion.

Whereas the Prepi breaks down extra completely into its part components than different meals processors, requiring much less vertical area for storage, not like the performance with the Ninja Crispi they don’t stack as simply. Each bowls included within the system have the identical mouth diameter, which lets the chute lid and storage lids work with each, however they don’t nest inside one another. Until you’re holding onto the field, there are quite a lot of particular person items to maintain monitor of right here, much more so if you happen to’re additionally invested within the non-obligatory Dicing Package.

Closing verdict on Ninja Prepi

As a meals processor, the Ninja Prepi isn’t essentially the most highly effective or the most effective worth for its dimension, however as a meal prep system with multifunctional, simultaneous capabilities, it’s in a category of its personal. If its versatility compels you, then the $180 price ticket shouldn’t be a barrier.