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Ninja is known for their powerful blenders and nothing shines brighter in their collection than the kitchen systems. Their long reigning champ has been the Ninja Kitchen Mega System, but there’s a newcomer threatening to knock it off its pedestal. The new Ninja Professional Plus Kitchen System is leaner, comes with more accessories, and uses the newest Auto IQ tech.
Today we’re comparing the Professional Plus vs Mega to see which one is the best. Read on to see if you should upgrade to the newest model, or if the Mega system still gives you the best bang for your buck.
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Ninja Professional Plus | Ninja Mega Kitchen System |
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What is the Ninja Kitchen System?
The Ninja Kitchen System combines frozen blending, nutrient extraction, and food processing into one powerful system. You get Ninja’s powerful Auto-IQ base, which takes the guesswork out of making smoothies or dough, and multiple blending jars and single-serve cups to serve all your needs.
Ninja is already known as a versatile kitchen appliance because you can make so many different recipes. The Kitchen System takes all of Ninja’s best accessories and put them into one perfect package.
Appliances/Parts
Ninja blenders are known for their accessories, especially with their huge Kitchen System bundles. The Professional Plus and Mega systems are similar in this regard, but there are some notable differences.
Parts | Ninja Professional Plus | Ninja Mega |
72oz Total Crushing Pitcher | Yes | Yes |
64oz Precision/Food Processor Bowl | Yes | Yes |
Single-Serve Blending Cups | Yes (x2-24oz) | Yes (x2-16oz) |
Chopping Blade | Yes | Yes |
Dough Blade | Yes | Yes |
Base Power | 1400w | 1500w |
Dishwasher Safe? | Yes | Yes |
Let’s discuss the differences. These models came out in different years, so Ninja changed the name of their food processor bowl. The newest model is called the Precision Processor Bowl while the Mega system has the Food Processor Bowl. Despite the name change, they are basically the same bowl.
There are two main differences here. First, the single-serve cup size. They both have two blending cups, but the Professional Plus has 24oz cups while the Mega has 16oz cups. The 16oz cups are honestly not large enough, so this is a welcome improvement.
Another difference is the base power. Despite being older, the Ninja Mega is somewhat more powerful. Honestly in a direct head-to-head competition, this small power boost didn’t make a huge increase. In fact, they both blend nearly identically.
If you’re looking for efficient blending and breaking down ingredients, they are both at the top of their form. I would personally choose the Professional Plus for the larger cups, but it’s pretty neck and neck when it comes to parts and accessories.
Auto IQ System
Have you ever used a Ninja Kitchen System Auto IQ blender? It’s like magic. Just push the program and the blender will automatically blend, pulse, and do all the work for you. These smart programs make blending so much easier while ensuring your ingredients are treated properly.
Each Ninja Kitchen System with Auto IQ program is made for something specific. While they could be used for similar blending needs (Ice Crush can be used to pulverize other hard ingredients), more programs is always better. Let’s compare these two to see which wins in this category.
Auto-IQ Programs | Ninja Professional Plus | Ninja Mega |
Smoothie | Yes | Yes (labeled as Blend) |
Ice Crush | Yes | Yes |
Extract | Yes | No |
Chop | Yes | No |
Dough | Yes | Yes |
Speeds | 4 (low, med, high, pulse) | 4 (low, med, high, pulse) |
They are very close, but the Mega kitchen system only has three Auto IQ programs while the Professional Plus has five. You can always do manual blending of course, but these two extra programs make Professional Plus the clear winner here.
Versatility
Ninja is known for their versatile appliances and both the Professional Plus and Mega systems are no exception. The single-serve cups allow you to make smoothies, juice, sauces, dips, and more. You can do the same with the Total Crushing Pitcher along with crushing ice and breaking down hard ingredients like seeds and nuts.
The Precision Processing Bowl/Food Processing Bowl can make up to 2 pounds of dough for cookies, bread, pizza, and more. Speaking of making bread, were you also in the market for a stand mixer? We just compared (article).
This also chops, purees, and does everything else a professional food processor does. In general, both systems are highly versatile and really don’t outdo each other. Sure, the Professional Plus has more Auto-IQ settings, but if you’re manually blending and chopping then they’re nearly the same.
What’s the Difference?
Honestly, not that much. The Professional Plus has a streamlined look (love the new design) and a few more features. However, it’s nearly identical between the two. Even their price is very similar.
The major differences are in the cup size and Auto-IQ settings. The Professional Plus has two additional settings and significantly larger cups. The Mega has slightly more power, but their versatility and speed are about the same so this isn’t a major difference.
They are both great systems. The Professional Plus is somewhat better, but they’re both great.
Final Thoughts
These systems are much more similar than I expected despite being made years apart. They both carry the Ninja spirit in terms of versatility, power, and convenience. You can make a ton of soup, dips, drinks, smoothies, and more with both.
If you don’t mind spending a little bit more (and it really is just a little bit), I would suggest the Professional Plus because of the larger cups and extra Auto-IQ settings. However, if budget is your main concern, then the Mega kitchen system is nearly identical and more affordable.