How to Use the Ninja Food Processor

The model number is printed on the rating label on the base, under or behind the machine. The prefix tells you the family, and the family tells you the bowl size, the motor and the buttons you will be pressing.

On the BN800 and the BZ601, the processor bowl follows the same assembly order as every other family. Only the labels on the panel change.

This matters because the button names and the blade set are what move between families. The order you put the parts together in does not.

Set the base on a level counter. The suction feet only grip smooth surfaces, so they will not hold on wood or tile.

1. Lower the bowl onto the base and twist it clockwise until it clicks.
2. Lower the chopping blade or the disc onto the drive gear in the center of the bowl.
3. Add the food, staying under the MAX FILL line.
4. Put the lid on and twist it clockwise until it clicks.
5. Slide the pusher into the feed chute.
6. Plug the machine in and press a button.

The blade sits loose on purpose

The chopping blade is designed to rest loosely on the drive gear. It is not locked and does not need to be. This is the moment most new owners decide the machine is broken, and it is not.

A flashing panel means the bowl or the lid is not locked

If the control panel flashes when you press a button, take the lid off, lift the bowl, reinstall the bowl first and then the lid, twisting each clockwise until it clicks. On the NF700 and NF701, the large pusher must be in place or the unit will not run at all.

Never hand-feed the chute; always use the pusher. Never reach into the bowl while the machine is running, and unplug it before you take anything apart. Every full-size food processor is built around the same safety logic, with the bowl, the blade or disc and the lid seated in the right order, and a machine that will not start is usually a seating problem.

The Auto-iQ presets run a timed sequence of pulses and pauses and stop on their own. Press the lit button again to stop early. The preset names are printed on the panel, so you match the button to the job rather than to a model.

• CHOP chops, with one press for a large chop, two for a small chop and three for a mince.
• PUREE runs a longer cycle for smooth results, and it is not on every model.
• DOUGH kneads at low speed for a set time.
• DISC is the setting for slicing and shredding.
• LOW and HIGH run continuously for up to 60 seconds, then the motor needs a rest.
• PULSE runs only while you hold the button.

Use DISC or LOW only when a slicing or shredding disc is fitted. Never run HIGH with the dough blade in place.

The blade decides what the food looks like and the button decides how even it comes out. Cut pieces to a similar size before chopping, and keep the bowl under the MAX FILL line.

For purees and emulsions, put the liquid in first so the blade has something to pull the solids into. For dough, put the dry ingredients in first and pour the liquid through the feed tube while the machine runs.

Soft cheese smears on the disc instead of shredding, in any food processor, so save the shredding disc for firm, cold blocks.

Dough is the one job that uses the plastic dough blade and low speed only. Never run HIGH with the dough blade, and never use the metal chopping blade for dough.

The BN601 handles about 2 lb of dough in roughly 30 seconds. The NN300 takes 1 lb of dough, and the small units cap out at 2 cups of flour.

Put the dry ingredients in the bowl, start the machine, and pour the liquid through the feed tube. Let it run until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and forms a ball around the blade.

Rest the motor between batches. If you smell hot plastic or motor, halve the next batch and let the machine cool down before you use it again.

The processor is not intended to crush ice. That is the most common wrong expectation, and it is worth knowing before the first frozen margarita attempt.

Do not grind dry ingredients or coffee with the chopping blade. The blade is built for food with some moisture and bulk, and dry powder works its way into places it should not go.

Do not process hot liquids. Heat and steam build under the locked lid, and processing hot liquid is the most common cause of serious burns from a food processor. The danger is not obvious, so cool soup before you puree it.

Do not cut food smaller than the feed chute, and do not force oversized pieces down it. The blades are not user-serviceable and cannot be sharpened; a damaged blade is replaced, not repaired.

With the bowl assembled and the blade in place, add warm water and one or two drops of dish soap, then pulse. That loosens most of the food before you take anything apart.

Remove the blade before you empty the bowl and before you wash it. All the parts are top-rack dishwasher safe. Never submerge the base; wipe it with a damp cloth.

Keep the interlock tabs and the sensor pins clean, or the machine will not start. Cheese fat sticks to the disc hub and the lid crevices, so rinse those first.

Most problems trace back to a part that is not seated or a batch that is too big. Work through the cause before you assume the machine has failed.

• Won't start: check the bowl is locked, the lid is locked, the pusher is in on the NF700 and NF701, the plug is in, and the interlock tabs are clean.
• Panel flashing: reinstall the bowl, then the lid.
• Hums but doesn't spin: unplug it, clear the jam, and do not force it.
• Uneven chop: cut the pieces to a uniform size and stop overfilling.
• Uneven slices: trim the food to a uniform size and never cut pieces smaller than the chute height.
• Cheese smearing: chill it well and never freeze it.
• Leaking: check the bowl is fully locked and the liquid is under the line.
• Hot smell: the batch is too big, so halve it and let the motor cool.
• Suction feet won't grip: they only hold on smooth surfaces, not wood or tile.

Ninja food processors are sold on Ninja's own site, on Amazon, and at the major home-improvement and general retailers that stock the line. The families to look for are the BN600, BN601 and BN602 Professional Plus, the NF700 and NF701 Professional XL, the NN300 Precision Processor, the BN800 3-in-1 and the BZ601 PrecisionPro.

Amazon is the easiest place to buy one because the full model range sits in one place, the owner's guides and quick-start documents are attached to the listings, and buyer reviews flag the quirks of a specific model before you commit.