I use a Ninja blender, and it works great. I don't know the specific details though, although I know I paid around $40 on black Friday for it. I think it was like $75 not on sale. It's not an expensive one - but it has blended everything perfectly for me.

my old reliable just croaked on me and I also just picked up a NInja, but a huge set it was over 300 bucks but I LOVE it!! it has a magic bullet style attachment for personal smoothies, a pitcher for blending, and one for the food processor feature.

I have a Ninja. I find the blending pretty decent but the lid annoys me. It's got lots of crevices that can be hard to clean under. If you are going to spend the $$, get a Vitamix or a Blendtech.

Great stats scubagirl319! That's awesome work and dedication. I too started with the Ninja because I didn't know how long or how often I would be drinking smoothies. Turns out I love green smoothies! I now drink a green smoothie for breakfast about 3-4 times a week. Last month, I invested in a Vitamix and there really is a big difference in the quality of the smoothies. I would say consider your ingredients. If you're using basically fruit, ice, milk, yogurt, etc, then the Ninja will be just fine. I didn't really see a need for one until I started adding various seeds, and some of the more difficult vegetables to my smoothies.

I got a refurbished Vita-mix with a five-year warranty for $329 from the Vita-mix website. I use it at least twice a day and have never even remotely regretted the purchase.

I'll put a plug in for the NutriBullet. NOT the cheaper Magic Bullet (both are made by the Magic Bullet company). I've had both and noticed a huge difference in their ability to blend. The gray Nutribullet has a much greater wattage/power than the Magic Bullet, and it pulverizes everything from ice to frozen fruit to chia seeds. I got the Magic Bullet as a gift and returned it, buying the Nutribullet with a 20% off coupon at Bed/Bath/Beyond. Never regretted paying the extra $20 or so to upgrade. What a difference.

I know a number of people love their Magic Bullet, so you'll probably hear that too--which is fine. I think I read somewhere that just over the past 18 months or so, the Magic Bullet now comes with a reduced power, it WAS 350 watts and is now 250. The NutriBullet is like 600. Makes a huge difference.

I love my Ninja!

i started with the Ninja and it worked well. But I freeze fresh fruits. I now have a vitamix and it handles all stages and various types of ingredients for smoothies. I found the best way to clean is place some water in it right after making smoothie and turn it on for a few secs. Cleans & ready to go again.

Yup, the Ninja is the best. You can get it at Target or Walmart.

I have a Ninja and a Blendtec. The Blendtec is better, but it's 10x the price, not necessarily 10x better. Long story short, I'd recommend either based on your budget.

I'd just add that if you use a lot of ice or frozen fruits, you can't beat the grunt of the Blendtec. The lights actually dim a bit in the kitchen when I fire that bad boy up! Plus the videos are a hoot, look for "Will It Blend?" on Youtube.

Love the "Will It Blend?" videos.

If you want to grind up your smartphone into a fine powder, definitely get a Blendtec.