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Bella Rocket Blender 12-Piece Set vs. Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Side-by-Side Comparison

Tina Pham
Reviewer
Nguyen Ntk
Visual Specialist
Updated
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Mar 22, 2023
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Mar 22, 2023
The BELLA personal blender standing on a table with its additional accessories, including two blending cups with lids, user’s manual, and paper carton box, by its sides.
The Ninja Nutri Pro Compact Personal Blender (BN401) and its additional accessories by its side, including an extra blending cup with lid, a spout lid, a paper carton box, and a user guide.
Blenders type
personal
personal

Our Verdict

6.7
Overall Score
  • Performance (60%)
    5.7/10
  • Design (25%)
    7.8/10
  • Usability (15%)
    8.7/10
9.5
Overall Score
  • Performance (60%)
    9.4/10
  • Design (25%)
    9.6/10
  • Usability (15%)
    9.7/10

The Ninja BN401 boasts superior features that the Bella Rocket simply can't match. From its features to its motor power to its build quality, the Ninja is a clear winner. Admittedly, its operation isn’t as straightforward, but it more than makes up for that with intelligent programs designed to take the guesswork out of blending.

In our tests, we found this blender particularly effective at turning oats and frozen ingredients into a smooth liquid, and it was able to fully shred leafy vegetables like kale and spinach in just 20 seconds. The blender's 1000-watt motor and fast-spinning blade make it capable of grinding even solid ingredients like ice cubes into a snow-like consistency with ease, too. 

In contrast, the Bella Rocket Blender is a fundamental blender with limited capabilities. While it achieved comparably smooth outcomes for protein shakes and frozen fruit smoothies, it faced challenges while breaking down leafy greens and whole ice cubes. Despite that, the decision to choose between these two blenders ultimately comes down to your budget, as the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro appears to cost twice as much as the Bella Rocket.

Bella Rocket Blender 12-Piece Set Performance

Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Personal Blender Performance: Top-Notch Efficiency
5.7
Performance Scores
  • Protein Shake (40%)7.5/10
  • Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)9.0/10
  • Fibrous Greens (20%)0/10
  • Crushed Ice (10%)0/10
9.4
Performance Scores
  • Protein Shake (40%)8.8/10
  • Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)10/10
  • Fibrous Greens (20%)9.5/10
  • Crushed Ice Cubes (10%)10/10
7.5

Protein Shake

8.8
  • 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: 1 min
  • Result: Slightly Smooth

If your idea of a protein shake includes raw nuts or dried fruits, the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro may never let you down.

In this test, it took only 1 minute to turn all the oatmeal into liquid form, which was by far faster than average. And this blending time means you’ll always have a quick snack or protein sip at hand whenever you want. There is quite a bit of almonds and dried blueberries still remaining solid, making the final drink relatively lumpy. But overall, it was considered much smoother than some of those produced by the rivals, such as the Magic Bullet

Most importantly, our chefs agree that you’ll get a more savory sipping experience if you let everything be blended a little bit longer. Soaking the nuts prior to blending makes it easier for a quick, chunk-free texture as well.

9.0

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

10
  • 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: 1 min
  • Result: Silky Smooth
  • Suction:

For certain treats, like icy smoothies, blending time particularly matters as frozen ingredients thaw quickly at room temperature so if you don’t blend fast enough, your beverage will be thinner than expected. Fortunately, the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro is good enough to give you complete control over the texture you’d like to sip on. 

Contrary to the protein shake test, all the ingredients came together so quickly in this smoothie. Although our testing recipe had a high level of difficulty since the fruits were tough and all frozen, we otherwise got a perfect smoothness in only one minute. 

On a more pragmatic note, the Ninja BN401 operates very smoothly in even heavy-duty blends. While most other personal blenders we tested repeatedly had their ingredients got clogged under the blades, such as the Ninja Fit, this unit works and ensures all the  fruits can circulate freely. Sometimes, we noticed a couple chunks clinged to the cup’s sides, but quickly enough, they were forced to back down onto the blades without our interference.  

All things considered, it’s apparent that the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro is a perfect way to turn your healthy favorite fruits into refreshing breakfast and post-workout smoothies, especially for a busy morning.

0.0

Fibrous Greens

9.5
  • 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 Fine/Fine/Coarse/Very Coarse

The speed and power of the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro makes it a useful personal blender when you want to incorporate more leafy greens into your daily meals. 

In this test, it was assigned to create a smooth blend of celery, kale, and spinach in only 20 seconds and as an able performer, it did successfully deliver. 

Of all the machines we’ve experienced with, the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro was among the few ones that could finely blend the entire veggies that fast, thus retaining all of their nutritious fiber and antioxidants. You might see there was only a small amount of pulp that was left behind in the mesh strainer. Whereas, some of its rivals just got half finished within this time period, while the others were too weak to grind the ingredient finely.  

The mixture would’ve had a finer consistency if we had blended it for longer, but even so, it was not eventually a pulp-free mixture and this is typical for this sort of blend. If you prefer your drink to be perfectly smooth, you’ll need to strain it through a filtration bag to remove all the pulp.

0.0

Crushed Ice

Crushed Ice Cubes
  • 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: Very Fine
  • Unblended Ice: 0% of 6 oz

The blade spins very fast and is sturdily designed. This combined with a mighty 1000-watt motor allows the Ninja BN401 to tear apart the ice without even a struggle. Believe it or not, six ounces of ice cube were turned into a like-snow consistency in just 14 seconds! Even the toughest ingredients like whole ice cubes couldn’t pose a problem for this blender, so clearly enough, it will be easier than ever to entertain your guest or your family with any icy-cold drinks mixed by different types of whole-food.

Bella 14-oz Rocket Blender Design

Ninja Nutri Pro Personal Blender Design
7.8
design Scores
  • Blade (20%)6.5/10
  • Build Quality (60%)7.5/10
  • Blending Cup (20%)10/10
9.6
design Scores
  • Blades (20%)9.5/10
  • Build Quality (60%)9.5/10
  • Blending Cup (20%)10/10

In the Box of the Bella Rocket Blender 12-Piece Set

In the Box
  • Motor base 
  • Two blade assemblies
  • Three blending cups
  • Two storage lids 
  • Two lip rings
  • Two shaker lids 
  • Recipe book & user guide
  • Motor Base 
  • Blade Assembly 
  • Two 24-oz Blending Cups  
  • Two Spout Lids 
  • Recipe book & user guide

Dimensions

  • Height:
    11.8" (30.0 cm)
  • Width:
    4.5" (11.4 cm)
  • Weight:
    2.3 oz (65 g)
  • Shaft Length:

  • Height:
    14.2" (36.1 cm)
  • Width:
    6.4" (16.3 cm)
  • Weight:
    5.4 pounds
  • Shaft Length:

The 24-oz blending cup comes as standard size but the motor base is roughly the same size as a typical full-sized blender’s. This means this Ninja is larger and heavier than average, but that is a cost for its sturdy construction and we don’t feel it overly cumbersome at all.

7.5

Build Quality

9.5

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 Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro has a lot to visually distinguish it from the rivals and one of them is the overall build quality. 

For the motor base, the hard-touch plastics on the exterior combined with high-gloss finish and thoughtfully-designed trim look and feel good. With first-grade build quality, it also offers a pleasing aesthetic that many competitors have been lacking. 

The blade assembly is part of the blender’s greatness as well. It comes across as one of the most well rounded so nothing seems to cause it to wear out.

6.5

Blade

Blades
  • 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:
    Yes
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The blade is refined in ways you wouldn’t expect a budget-friendly brand to offer. Made of hardened stainless steel, it has top-notch quality and is attention to detail with four sophisticatedly-designed prongs. It isn’t razor sharp but looks thicker and firmer than most so it definitely won’t be damaged or succumb to wear and tear under daily heavy-duty use.

Bella Rocket Blender Motor Base

Nutri Ninja Pro 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 V
  • Rated Power:
    1000 W
  • Working Time:
    N/A
  • Protection:
    Yes
  • Weight:
    4.5 lbs (2.0 kg)
  • Cord Length:
    NaN" (NaN cm)
  • Extra Feature:
    Rubber grips on the bottom, cooling fan.

The motor is a very practical design. It peaks around 1000 watts which is sufficient to create almost every blended meal. The whole construction is mostly made of hard plastic, but it doesn’t feel cut-rate or flimsy. There is an eye-catching control panel in the front featuring a timer and four buttons corresponding to four different speed levels. We also particularly like the rubber grips on the bottom that keep things steady while in use and a cooling fan in the back to limit overheating.

10

Blending Cup

10
  • 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:
  • Capacity:
  • Weight:
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes
  • Measurement:
    Yes
  • Suitable For:
    Small and Medium batches
  • Accessories:
    Spout Lids

Our Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro comes with two 16-oz blending cups. Both have the same excellent build quality and are designed to fit perfectly to the blade assembly. So far, we’ve experienced no issues with liquid leaking while blending. There are also two to-go lids with flip-top spouts included. Likewise, they screw on tightly to seal well so we got no leakage even when we shook or turned the cups upside-down.

Speed and Controls of the Bella 12-Piece Rocket Blender

Speed and Controls of the Ninja Auto iQ 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:
    Twist
  • Min Speed:
    N/A
  • Max Speed:
    N/A
  • Presets:
    Yes
  • Noise Level:
    101 (db)
  • Digital Display:
    Yes
  • Pulse Mode:
    Yes

You’ll love this Ninja unless you like your personal blender simpler. There aren't a lot of controlling buttons, but four ones are enough to make this model feel more like a full-sized blender; personal blenders typically have one speed and appear with no control panel. Not to mention a digital display which indicates the elapsed blending time or counts down to the end of a process.

Of four controlling buttons, two are for the Auto-iQ preset programs, with Crush and Smoothie labels. Once either of them is selected, your blender will start to blend and automatically stop when it “considers” a result has reached its optimal smoothness. Simply put, you don’t have to take calculations or any predictions to yield the best outcome; the blender is programmed to do that for you instead. 

The remaining controls are Start/Stop and Pulse buttons. If you want continuous blending, press the Start/Stop button. To avoid chopping ingredients too finely, the Pulse function will give greater control over the fineness; use short presses for short pulses and long presses for long ones. 

This Ninja BN401’s personality reminds us of the Ninja BL480D Nutri, another product in the Ninja personal blender lineup that costs about $40 more. The two are broadly similar in capability, efficiency, and purpose, but we like the Ninja BN40 more since the Ninja BL480D Nutri performance simply doesn’t match its upscale price.

Bella Rocket Blender 12-Piece Set Usability Review

Ninja Nutri Pro Compact Personal Blender Usability Review
8.7
usability Scores
  • Hands-Free Operation (60%)8.6/10
  • Assembly (20%)9.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)8.5/10
9.7
usability Scores
  • Hands-Free Operation (60%)10/10
  • Assembly (20%)9.5/10
  • Cleanability (20%)9.0/10
8.6

Hands-Free Operation

10

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.

The Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro offers the perfect using comfort since it doesn’t demand the users to hold the cup in place throughout the blending process like many personal blenders commonly do. The existence of a locking mechanism means you can take your hands off your blender while it’s operating once the cup is locked in place.

That is not the only thing that dominates the blender’s ease of use, though. The way it churns out final results plays a part as well, and thankfully, this Ninja works with no drama. It rarely, if not never, needs extra shaking or stirring to even out the blend. That's probably a result of the powerful motor and well-rounded blade assembly. 

The underside of the motor base has two silicone feet and three anti-slip plates to provide stability. Our blender stands and works steadily in any surface so we didn’t need to keep it throughout the blending process like we had to do with other blenders which usually jumped around, especially in heavy-duty performance.

9.0

Assembly

9.5

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.

We’d award the Ninja BN401 a maximum score in this section if it demands less force when locking and removing the cup from the motor base, but overall, assembling this blender is a breeze. 

First, you’ll need to seal the cup with the blade assembly, then turn it upside down and install it on the motor base by aligning the tabs on the cup with the slots on the base. The programs will illuminate and your blender will be ready for use once you lock the cup properly to the base. To do so, rotate it clockwise until you feel they click together. 

To remove the cup, turn it counterclockwise and lift it up. Note that you have to pull with quite a bit of force compared to other blenders we tested, so it may be tougher to remove or lock it when your hands are wet or oily.

8.5

Cleanability

9.0

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.

The cups, lids, and blade assembly are safe to put in the dishwasher, but we recommend hand-washing them since this is very easy to do and will help preserve their original state as well.

Because no leakage occurred in the course of operation, it didn’t take much time and effort to wipe clean the motor base. The blade assembly, on the other hand, has many nooks, grooves, and cranny so it required much more care. For the blending cup, we thoroughly rinsed it under the tap with a soapy sponge. Since we didn’t have any difficulty getting our hands inside the cup thanks to its wide opening, all the tailings rinsed off easily.