I’m a blender addict. I own several Ninja blenders and a friend recently asked me: “are ninja blenders glass or plastic”? She would love to own a Ninja blender with a glass jar. And since I believe more people would like to know the answer to the question if ninja blender jars are glass or plastic, I’m going to answer it here shortly:
Almost all Ninja blenders are plastic. There’s only one Ninja blender with a glass jar, all other models come with BPA-free plastic jars. The glass blender is a cooking blender that can blend and cook. Plastic is more durable and safer to use.
Ninja blenders are really useful and are great for blending foods super quickly. There’s more to know about Ninja blenders, however.
Shortly, I’m going to reveal the new Ninja glass blender that can cook and blend at the same time. You’re going to love this one!
Also, you’re going to learn why Ninja mostly uses plastic jars for their blenders. Stay tuned!
Why are most Ninja blenders plastic?
Glass and plastic are the two main types of blender jars. The vast majority of blenders on the market today are plastic.
In the old days, all blenders used to be made out of glass. And in the future, we might move away from plastic to even better materials.
Vitamix just came out with a stainless steel jar that is superior to both plastic and glass. If you want to learn more about this, check out this article: do Vitamix blenders have glass containers?
So, why do Ninja blenders mostly come with plastic jars?
Ninja mostly uses plastic for their blenders, simply because they won’t break as easily.
Ninja blenders operate at a high speed, using glass jars could be a safety risk. The high speed could potentially shatter the glass while blending.
Are glass or plastic blenders better?
There’s no easy answer to this question. It depends on your preferences.
Many people simply love glass jar blenders because of their vintage appeal. Glass blenders look gorgeous in any kitchen!
If you’ve ever had a glass blender, you know how heavy the jar is. Its quality feels superior to plastic jars.
Why I prefer plastic blender jars
It might feel good in your hands, but a glass jar isn’t as easy to move around like a plastic jar. And if it falls down, it breaks easily.
I once had a super expensive designer glass blender. What a beauty it was! It wasn’t the fastest blender on earth, but the most beautiful I’ve ever owned.
One day, the glass jar slipped out of my hands, and it broke. I tried to get a new jar but I just couldn’t find one.
The manufacturer didn’t offer replacement parts and there I was left with a blender I couldn’t use any longer.
So, if you still want a glass blender, make sure you can get replacement parts before you buy it.
If you decide on a glass blender, you probably won’t find one with a huge jar.
The heaviness limits their size. You won’t find very large glass jars just because of how heavy those would be.
And there’s a reason why all high-end blender brands use plastic. You couldn’t buy Blendtec or Vitamix blenders with a glass container even if you wanted to.
These blenders are so powerful that a glass container could easily break while blending on the highest setting.
Not all plastic jars are the same
It’s true that glass jars are mostly stain and scratch-resistant. They also won’t discolor or absorb odors.
However, a high-quality plastic jar also won’t discolor and absorb odors either! Also, plastic jars are less expensive and easily replaceable.
I’ve used my Vitamix 5200 with a plastic jar daily for many years. It still looks almost like new!
There’s a large variance when it comes to different types of plastics.
If you get a really cheap blender, those often come with thin, low-quality plastic material. They’re easier to get scratches and absorb odors.
Also, some budget blenders still use plastic with BPA. It can have negative health effects, so if you’re shopping for a blender, make sure to get one with BPA-free plastic.
Ninja blenders and other mid-to-high-end blenders only use high-quality and BPA-free plastics like polycarbonate. These are mostly scratch-resistant and won’t start smelling bad.
High-quality plastic jars are also heat resistant. You can cook hot soup in a Vitamix after all.
Talking about cooking soup in a blender, there’s a new Ninja blender model that actually uses a glass jar. It’s a blender that can cook and blend at the same time!
What’s this Ninja glass blender that can cook and blend?
There’s only one Ninja blender with a glass jar available right now. I’ve owned it for a few weeks, and I absolutely love it! It’s the Ninja Foodi, you can check it out here.
This blender is different than any other Ninja blender on the market today. It comes with a built-in heating element. It’s built-in the pitcher. It can easily warm and cook ingredients.
Let’s say you want to make a healthy, homemade soup.
You just put the ingredients into your blender, push one button, and this blender does everything for you… automatically.
It blends and heats the soup and the timer shows the exact time it’ll take until your piping-hot soup is ready. It doesn’t get any easier than that.
But you’re not limited to soups. It also makes sauces or heated puree like a champ.
What I love about this cooking blender is the heated self-cleaning function. Just add a drop of dish soap, a little bit of water, press one button, and the Ninja does the cleanup for you.
It comes with 12 Auto-iQ settings. Auto-iQ is just another name for presets. There are presets for smoothies, frozen drinks, sautés, hearty soups, smooth soups, ice creams, cocktails, etc.
With the Ninja Foodi, you can make everything a regular blender can do, plus you can cook.
The downside to this blender is the heavy jar. And boy, it is heavy. It’s not only made out of glass, the heating element also adds extra weight.
Also, you can’t submerge the pitcher into water, as it could damage the heating element inside the pitcher.
For more information on this blender, check out this article: are cooking blenders worth it?
Are Ninja blenders with a glass jar dangerous?
Blenders can be dangerous. After all, they come with sharp blades and their purpose is to cut through ice and other hard ingredients.
Ninja blenders with the “Total Crushing Technology” can be especially dangerous. The Ninja Foodi doesn’t have this feature, but some of the most popular Ninja blenders do have it.
Blenders with this feature have six different blades inside the pitcher. They’re mounted at different heights, and pointing in different directions. It’s great for liquefying ingredients in seconds or crushing ice.
However, this design also increases the risk for injuries, if you’re not careful. The blades are super sharp and it’s easy to cut your fingers while cleaning the blade assembly.
Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the safety instruction before using your Ninja blender!
Are glass blenders more dangerous than others?
Glass blenders come with a thick, durable glass jar. It won’t break if you’re only using it for what it was intended.
However, if you somehow manage to break the glass jar while blending, it can be more dangerous than plastic jars.
I actually broke a jar once. I left a metal spoon inside my Vitamix and didn’t notice it. I turned it on high speed and the spoon came flying out of the jar! It missed my head only by a few inches.
Luckily, Vitamix blenders come with plastic jars. The jar remained in one piece without shattering into pieces.
A glass jar won’t flex the way plastic can. So, in the very unlikely event that your glass jar will shatter into thousand pieces while blending, you’re better not anywhere near it.
What if you still want a glass jar blender?
So, you’ve done your research and you’re desperate to get a blender with a glass jar? You also won’t need a fancy blender that can cook?
Unfortunately, Ninja doesn’t offer glass blenders without heating element, but other manufacturers do!
The best option for you would probably an Oster blender. Oster offers several glass blenders that are decent. The first blender that comes to my mind is the Oster 1200, you can check it out here.
Other models that could be worth looking at are the Oster Precise Blend or the Oster Beehive. The Hamilton Beach Power blender is another glass blender that won’t break the bank.
Conclusion
In the good old days, every blender came with a glass jar. How times have changed! Nowadays, almost every blender jar is made out of plastic and that’s for a good reason. High-quality plastic is durable, heat-resistant, and safe to use. They also won’t discolor or absorb odors easily. The future of blender jars will be stainless steel. It combines the best out of two worlds. Stainless steel is easy to clean, won’t stain or smell, and is literally unbreakable. You could experience the future now, but expect to pay a hefty price tag for it.