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BELLA Rocket Blender 12-Piece Set vs. Hamilton Beach 51101AV Side-by-Side Comparison




Our Verdict
- Performance (60%)5.7/10
- Design (25%)7.8/10
- Usability (15%)8.7/10
- Performance (60%)1.4/10
- Design (25%)5.0/10
- Usability (15%)5.7/10
While both blenders share similar motor power, our testing revealed that the BELLA could produce a far quicker and smoother protein shake. In contrast, the Hamilton Beach required more than double the time but still left chunks of unblended blueberries and almonds in the final drink.
The smoothie test further cemented the BELLA's advantage over the Hamilton Beach, with its ability to achieve a velvety smooth texture comparable to that of more high-powered models.Unfortunately, neither the BELLA nor the Hamilton Beach was able to break down ice or handle high-fiber ingredients like kale, spinach, and celery efficiently.
In conclusion, if you're looking for a personal blender that can handle your everyday basic blending needs with acceptable results, the BELLA Rocket Blender 12-Piece Set appears to be the better choice overall.
Bella Rocket Blender 12-Piece Set Performance
- Protein Shake (40%)7.5/10
- Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)9.0/10
- Fibrous Greens (20%)0/10
- Crushed Ice (10%)0/10
- Protein Shake (40%)3.4/10
- Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)0/10
- Fibrous Greens (20%)0/10
- Crushed Ice Cubes (10%)0/10
Protein Shake
- Blending Time: 1 mins 30 seconds
- Result: Smooth
In this test, the BELLA blender produced a nearly perfect protein shake in one minute and thirty seconds. There was a small smattering of partially intact berries and almonds found after straining, but the oatmeal was mostly blended well so this didn’t detract much from the overall quality of the drink. With a little bit of tweaking by letting it blend longer or soak the nuts prior to use, we would even get a chunk-free consistency. You’ll find lots of personal blenders in this class, but rarely of them might provide as smooth and quick results. Some took up to four minutes to liquify oatmeal entirely, while others' blades were too weak to churn through such solid fruits (for example, the Magic Bullet, the La Reveuse, and the Icucina).
- Blending Time: 3 mins 45 seconds
- Result: Coarse
In this test, the Hamilton Beach took 3 mins 45 secs to yield a portion of protein shake, which is far longer than average. The mixture came out slightly coarse due to a smattering of unblended dried blueberries, but since all the oatmeal and almonds were entirely liquified, it wasn’t too lumpy or unpleasant to drink. For the most part, we agreed many fitness enthusiasts would consider this texture to be acceptable.
Blending time was a little bit of a compromise, though. Personal blenders are designed to produce quick-blended results so the blending time of nearly four minutes was clearly too long in this regard. Even if you’re willing to blend a bit longer for an acceptable result, running this blender in excess of three minutes will cause its motor to overheat, thus impairing its longevity.
Moreover, to activate the blender, you’ll need to press the Power button continuously until the desired texture is achieved. This means the prolonged processing time will also make your hands tired or even numb.
Frozen Fruit Smoothie
- Blending Time: 1 min 10 seconds
- Result: Silky Smooth
- Suction:
The BELLA is a classic example of why a cheaper blender isn't always worse because its smoothie-making capability proved to be even on par with those of higher-powered models, namely the Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ. This can be attributed to several factors, including blade design, motor strength, and blending speed.
The sturdy blade spined relatively fast. Working with a 240-watt motor, it took only one minute and ten seconds to blend and mix all the ingredients together. A very quick blending time for this class of blender, this speed is crucial when it comes to blending frozen ingredients as it helps to preserve the ice-cream-like texture that people look for in frozen fruit smoothies.
For the smoothie’s consistency, while there were still small bits of raspberry skin and strawberry seeds present, this is to be expected when blending ingredients of this nature. Overall, these small bits didn’t impair the smoothie’s quality at all.
- Blending Time: 2 mins
- Result: Chunky
- Suction:
We began the test by tossing all ingredients into the blending cup, then blending them until they came out smooth or until we hit the time limit (2 minutes). As such, we found this Hamilton Beach to be just mediocrely capable of preparing frozen fruit smoothies.
The final result appeared visually smooth, but when we used a spoon to stir it back and forth, we noticed a few fruit chunks still remained intact. Considering that such residual solids might be a good compromise for the cheap price, you might think this blender’s performance wasn’t half bad.
The real problem here, however, was that throughout the whole 2-minute blending procedure, it struggled considerably to break down the ingredients while its counterparts, in contrast, got the job done quicker and more easily (for instance, the Oster and the Ninja Fit). Not to mention its longer-than-average blending time.
Speaking of the blending time, we can’t say for sure if longer processing would have resulted in a silkier smoothie but we can assert that this would have failed to achieve the
thick, ice-cream-like texture we were after. This is because frozen fruits thaw quickly at room temperature, causing the overall consistency to be diluted if a blender isn’t able to blend fast enough.
Fibrous Greens
- Blending Time: 20 seconds
- Result: Failed
Upon conducting a 20-second blending cycle, we found the BELLA couldn’t perform up to its usual standards being somewhat suboptimal in processing high-fiber foods, including kale, celery, and spinach. Strain analysis of the mixture revealed a substantial volume of greens remaining partially unblended which led to a grainy texture and an inadequate extraction of the green’s nutrients, in the end.
On the contrary, some other blenders, like the Ninja Fit and the Ninja BN401, produced a smoother outcome with a significantly smaller volume of visible flakes. As such, our conclusion is that your BELLA is not well equipped to handle high-fiber foods and may fall short of the desired performance criteria for such applications.
- Blending Time: 20 seconds
- Result: Very Coarse
After blending all the leafy greens with water in 20 seconds — our time limit for this test, we drained the liquid through a mesh strainer and disappointedly ended up
with a considerable amount of pulp. Not only that, but we also noticed the pulp was very coarse. This suggested that the extraction ability of this blender is too weak to help you get the most nutrients and flavor out of your veggies.
Actually, the mixture would’ve had a finer consistency if we had blended it for longer, but this didn’t matter nor wasn’t worth the labor since we have already found several other models that can produce perfect high-fiber extractions, namely, the NutriBullet.
Crushed Ice
- Ice Fineness: Coarse
- Unblended Ice: 79% of 6 oz
The BELLA appeared to lack the necessary strength for such a tough application. As a result, all the ice cubes remained virtually intact despite its significant effort. To be fair, though, this is a common limitation among personal blenders. Should you desire crushed ice with a fluffy, snow-like consistency or intend to incorporate more ice into your smoothies, consider the NutriBullet or anything with at least a 700-watt motor.
- Ice Fineness: Chunky
- Unblended Ice: 75% of 6 oz
The Hamilton Beach wasn’t able to power through ice cubes, causing the final outcome to come out almost pristine, but this is typical for this type of personal blender. If you want fluffy, snow-like crushed ice or desire to incorporate ice into your smoothies, we recommend considering a higher-powered blender, such as the NutriBullet.
Bella 14-oz Rocket Blender Design
- Blade (20%)6.5/10
- Build Quality (60%)7.5/10
- Blending Cup (20%)10/10
- Blades (20%)5.0/10
- Build Quality (60%)5.0/10
- Blending Cup (20%)5.0/10
In the Box of the Bella Rocket Blender 12-Piece Set
- Motor base
- Two blade assemblies
- Three blending cups
- Two storage lids
- Two lip rings
- Two shaker lids
- Recipe book & user guide
- Motor Base
- Blending Cup
Dimensions
- Height:11.8" (30.0 cm)
- Width:4.5" (11.4 cm)
- Weight:2.3 oz (65 g)
- Shaft Length:
- Height:12.0" (30.5 cm)
- Width:3.8" (9.7 cm)
- Weight:1.7 oz (48 g)
- Shaft Length:
The Hamilton Beach is a relatively low-capacity personal blender. It’s therefore small and compact enough to fit anywhere. At 1.72 pounds, it is lighter than average, allowing for easier transportation. The light weight, however, also means your blender lacks the necessary sturdiness to help it stand firm during intensive tasks.
Build Quality
The motor’s build quality is on par with its price point, with a predominantly plastic housing reinforced by a thin metal layer on the outside. It doesn’t have any glaring flaws in finish, but we'd like things to be a bit sleeker, especially the outside. The same goes for the two blade assemblies. We're just less pleased with the blending cups since they both look less as quality, and feel more susceptible to damage.
The Hamilton Beach is of flimsy construction with a substantial amount of plastic components whose quality seems to be inadequate for high durability. We tested it over the course of a month, and after such a period of use, we shockingly found its quality doesn’t hold up well over time.
The blending cup became cloudy with use, losing the shiny appearance we originally liked. Plus, we noticed multiple little scratches somehow appearing on its inner surface despite the fact that we never used a scouring pad or scrubbed it vigorously when cleaning.
The motor’s build quality is a little bit better but doesn’t look as sturdy as other blenders we’ve tested and lacks the firmness to ensure optimal stability.
Blade
- Material:Stainless Steel
- Type:Sharp and Dull Blades
- Guard Material:
- Blade Count:4
- Removable:No
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The set includes two blade assemblies: a cross blade and a flat blade. Both pieces have average quality and lack a refined appearance. The cross blade features four prongs, potentially resulting in faster and smoother blending of wet ingredients compared to two-pronged blades. The flat blade, also known as a dry blade, is specifically designed for grinding harder ingredients such as rice, coffee beans, and whole grains.
- Material:Stainless Steel
- Type:Sharp Blade
- Guard Material:
- Blade Count:4
- Removable:No
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The Hamilton Beach has a stainless steel blade assembly, which is too short and not particularly sharp, unlike other personal blenders. We wondered if this awkward design was able to ensure a good contact between blades and ingredients to produce quick, even blending and as it turned out, this blender is definitely not as life-changing as it would seem to be on paper.
Bella Rocket Blender Motor Base
- Rated Voltage:120V
- Rated Power:240 Watt
- Working Time:≤ 1 minute
- Protection:No
- Weight:
- Cord Length:2.3 ft (0.7 m)
- Extra Feature:Silicone feet
The motor is relatively resistant to overheating compared to similar models, but only in case you avoid operating it continuously for more than one minute at a time. If additional blending time is required, you should allow the motor to cool for up to three minutes before starting the next 1-minute interval. Otherwise, a cooling fan alone won't be sufficient to prevent your blender from getting hot.
Four rubber feet are placed underneath the motor to further enhance stability and reduce movement during operation. It also assists in providing proper ventilation for the motor.
- Rated Voltage:120
- Rated Power:175
- Working Time:N/A
- Protection:No
- Weight:1.2 lbs (0.5 kg)
- Cord Length:2.1 ft (0.6 m)
- Extra Feature:Ventilation holes
The motor peaks around 175 watts, which is relatively low so it’s best to avoid using this blender for dry ingredients like coffee beans. Typically, each personal blender has a maximum continuous runtime varying from 1 to 4 minutes. This is to prevent the motor from overloading, resulting in permanently damaged components. However, there is no clear information about this blender in that regard. Despite that, since our Hamilton got hot after the smoothie test of 4-minute blending, we recommend not running it longer than 1 minute per interval.
Blending Cup
- Material:Plastic
- Capacity:13.5 oz, 13.5 oz, and 6 oz
- Weight:
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
- Measurement:No
- Suitable For:Small batches
- Accessories:Two storage lid, two lip rings, two shaker Lid
This set includes three blending cups, two of which are 13.6 oz and one that is 6 oz. The two blending assemblies work interchangeably with all cups, making it very convenient to switch between different blending needs. The smaller cup is recommended for dry blends, as it comes with sieve lids that allow it to function as a shaker for ground spices and seasonings. There are also two storage lids and two removable lip rings included so you’ll find it easier to sip your drink straight from the tall cup.
- Material:Plastic
- Capacity:14 Oz
- Weight:0.4 oz (11 g)
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
- Measurement:Yes
- Suitable For:Small batches
- Accessories:No
The set only includes a 14-oz blending cup with lid. More often than not, the lid is easy to screw on but demands a great force for unscrewing. In our tests, it didn’t seal tightly to the cup, causing the ingredients to leak out and spill onto the countertop.
The lid also has a slide-top spout, allowing you to sip straight from the cup easily and mess-free. However, we don’t think this add-on is necessary, given the awkwardly-designed blending cup. As mentioned above, unlike most other personal blenders, the Hamilton comes with a
fixed blade assembly rather than a removal one. This makes us feel unsafe; we tremble thinking these parts could come apart when we are drinking.
Speed and Controls of the Bella 12-Piece Rocket Blender
- Control Type:Twist
- Min Speed:N/A
- Max Speed:N/A
- Presets:No
- Noise Level:96 (db)
- Digital Display:No
- Pulse Mode:No
The BELLA is a single speed design and doesn’t have a pulse function. This may make it difficult to control the consistency of blends, but is convenient for those who prefer a straightforward blending experience.
- Control Type:Button
- Min Speed:N/A
- Max Speed:N/A
- Presets:No
- Noise Level:98 dB
- Digital Display:No
- Pulse Mode:No
The Hamilton Beach allows you to get its single-speed through a simple button, which demands just a slight pressing pressure to activate. It doesn’t have a particular setting for the pulse function, but you can simulate pulse mode by pressing and releasing its button in short intervals.
Bella Rocket Blender 12-Piece Set Usability Review
- Hands-Free Operation (60%)8.6/10
- Assembly (20%)9.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)8.5/10
- Hands-Free Operation (60%)4.6/10
- Assembly (20%)6.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)8.5/10
Hands-Free Operation
The BELLA personal blender boasts a convenient hands-free feature, which enables blending once the cup is locked in place, eliminating the need to continuously hold the cup and activate the motor. However, it may struggle with heavy-duty tasks as it can't draw ingredients towards the blade on its own. During the smoothie test, there were brief pauses every 20 seconds to shake the cup as the frozen fruits got stuck under the blade and caused jamming. This is a common issue among personal blenders and wouldn't pose a significant problem if one is willing to spend an extra minute or two in the kitchen. In fact, some other models tested required multiple shakes to achieve a smooth blend.
Disappointingly enough, this Hamilton doesn’t provide the ease and convenience of hands-free blending. It, instead, delivers a frustrating way to puree and pulverize food. Beyond the need to continuously hold its button during the operation, this blender also demands you to pay attention to the blending process at all times so you can detect and intervene timely if food gets clogged in the blade and stops it from turning.
Assembly
The BELLA is designed for easy assembly, with clear and concise instructions included. To put all the components together, just screw the blade assembly to the blending cup, insert it into the motor, and then make a quick clockwise turn to lock it in place for blending starting. Some people might find it’s a little bit frustrating to secure the blade assembly to the cup, but most of them would get the hang of it after a few tries.
To set up this blender, you’ll need to place the jar on the base, aligning the unlock icon with the line on the base, then turn it counterclockwise. Removing the jar is a lot easier; just turn it clockwise and lift it up. The trade-off is that it takes time to get the hang of it.
Cleanability
Except for the motor body, all the pieces are safe to put in the dishwasher, though we decided to clean them by hand and noticed that part of the cleaning process was performed with ease, as any remaining residues of the cups and lids are removed simply by wiping the surface with a damp soapy cloth.
The blades, on the other hand, required more attention due to their intricate design and close proximity to the assembly’s surface. As such, we had to use a straw-cleaning brush so that all remnants of food or other substances can be removed entirely.
You can put the jar in a dishwasher, but we recommend hand washing so as to reduce the risk of discoloration. That being said, hand cleaning is a relatively frustrating process. Since the blending cup is quite narrow, we had a hard time getting our hands inside, especially under the blade’s backside. Letting the blender clean itself, on the other hand, is less stressful. We simply added soapy water into the jar, then let the blender run for 30 to 60 seconds. After dumping out the solution and rinsing the jar thoroughly, we found there wasn’t any remaining gunk.