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Hamilton Beach 51101AV vs KOIOS 850W Bullet Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (60%)1.4/10
- Design (25%)5.0/10
- Usability (15%)5.7/10
- Performance (60%)7.1/10
- Design (25%)8.3/10
- Usability (15%)7.3/10
Although in our tests the KOIOS 850W Bullet failed to produce a silky combination of kale, spinach and celery, it is a good blender to quickly prepare frozen fruit smoothies and protein shakes. This blender does not look in really good quality, but appears firmly-designed and decently priced. There are standard issues for a blender that is tested as budget-priced, but for the most part, we were comfortable with its shortcomings.
The Hamilton Beach 51101AV, by contrast, is not satisfying enough to use. We tested it against many similarly-priced blenders and found that it couldn’t compete with any of them. Its finish and features don't quite match up to its counterparts either, with the flimsy blending cup and poorly-designed construction.
Hamilton Beach 51101AV Personal Blender Performance
- 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 (40%)9.2/10
- Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)8.0/10
- Fibrous Greens (20%)5.0/10
- Crushed Ice Cubes (10%)0/10
Protein Shake
- 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.
- Blending Time: 56 seconds
- Result: Smooth
The KOIOS’s blade has a rotation speed that is fairly quick for the class so it shouldn’t be surprising that this blender can make a good breakfast or post-workout milkshake in a matter of seconds. Not to mention its high-powered motor and more-than-average number of blade prongs (more prongs means more food contact, and results in faster results).
In this test, it took less than 1 minute to break down and combine all the ingredients, which was faster than most. The powerful motor couldn’t quite remove all lumps from the protein shake, but only a few chunks remained unblended, so our drink was still pleasant to drink. Moreover, the residual solids didn’t affect the tasting experience much — they were so tiny that they didn’t bother us at all. If you want smoother results, consider the NutriBullet or the Ninja Fit, though.
Frozen Fruit Smoothie
- 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.
- Blending Time: 1 min 20 seconds
- Result: Silky Smooth
- Suction:
The KOIOS Bullet brought all the ingredients together for a great-tasting smoothie in one minute and twenty seconds. Of all the similarly-priced blenders we tested, it was the only one that could liquify frozen ingredients that quickly. Most were 20-40 seconds slower, such as the Black+Decker, but that can make a difference; frozen foods thaw quickly at room temperature, so the longer you blend, the more your smoothie will be diluted.
Simply put, the quicker performance of the KOIOS made for a thicker and more ice-cream-like smoothie. Chilly and fresh enough to quench our thirst, it also retained the texture that people look for in frozen fruit smoothies.
Fibrous Greens
- 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.
- Blending Time: 20 seconds
- Result: Very Coarse
We evaluated how well this blender handled fiber by blending kale, celery, spinach, and water for 20 seconds. The mixture came out grainy with a substantial amount of partially blended particles. Then, we drained it through a mesh strainer and examined the pulp. It looked like green sand with a moderately coarse consistency. We didn't taste the mixture prior to draining, but this coarseness, together with the volume of pulp, meant this blender failed to extract most of the flavor from the greens.
We can’t say for sure if more blending time would improve the final result, but can conclusively say that 20 seconds worth of blending is not enough. By comparison, the Ninja Fit did the same job much better, leaving behind a significantly smaller amount of visible flakes.
Our conclusion is that the KOIOS is just mediocre for blending leafy veggies. If you want to avoid leafy chunks in a quick high-fiber beverage, this is not the blender for you.
Crushed Ice Cubes
- 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.
- Ice Fineness: Coarse
- Unblended Ice: 77% of 6 oz
In this test, its performance was lackluster. The machine itself is incapable of crushing ice cubes. In fact, attempting to do so is not a good idea; the heavy-duty task can take a toll on your device and impair its performance in more ordinary blends.
Hamilton Beach 51101AV Smoothie Blender Design
- Blades (20%)5.0/10
- Build Quality (60%)5.0/10
- Blending Cup (20%)5.0/10
- Blades (20%)7.5/10
- Build Quality (60%)8.0/10
- Blending Cup (20%)10/10
In the Box
- Motor Base
- Blending Cup
- Motor Base
- Two Blade Assemblies
- Four Lids
- Cleaning Brush
- Three Blending Cups
- Recipe book & user guide
Hamilton Beach Mini Personal Blender Dimensions
- 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.
- Height:12.2" (31.0 cm)
- Width:5.5" (14.0 cm)
- Weight:2.9 oz (82 g)
- Shaft Length:
The KOIOS Bullet’s dimensions are about as standard as they come. At 12 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide, it is a typical size for a personal blender and can easily tuck away in your cabinet. Mobility is also very practical thanks to its compact form.
Build Quality
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.
Build quality is moderate, with a body mostly made of plastic. The stainless steel blades look promising in terms of durability and capability while the motor base is rather flimsy. However, despite that, this blender stands very firmly during operation. It doesn’t jump around while handling solid foods like most mid-range counterparts such as the Magic Bullet.
We like the metal surface on the front of the motor base. It gives our blender a more attractive appearance and better quality feel. After a couple of months in the lab, this surface still retains its original shine — even after the occasional cleaning with a metal scouring pad.
Blades
- 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.
- Material:Stainless Steel
- Type:Sharp Blade
- Guard Material:
- Blade Count:6
- Removable:Yes
- Dishwasher Safe:No
The KOIOS Bullet comes with two extractor blades: one is flat and the other shaped like a cross.
The flat blade has two dull prongs tilted slightly upwards and is only compatible with the short blending cup. We haven’t performed any tests on it, but believe this add-on will be handy for grinding hard ingredients like coffee beans, raw nuts, and whole grains. The blender’s mighty motor and consistent performance suggest it should be able to handle such ingredients.
Most of your blended treats will be best served by the cross blade. With six sharp prongs, it contacts more food at any given moment, resulting in finer outcomes and faster blending times. That being said, it looks less sturdy than some models (particularly the Ninja Fit). More prongs also means you’ll have more nooks and crannies to weave in and out of when it comes to cleaning.
Hamilton Beach Small Smoothie Blender Motor Base
- 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.
- Rated Voltage:120 V
- Rated Power:850 Watt
- Working Time:≤ 1 minute
- Protection:No
- Weight:2.4 lbs (1.1 kg)
- Cord Length:4.1 ft (1.2 m)
- Extra Feature:suction feet, ventilation holes
The main housing of the KOIOS Bullet is made from medium-grade plastic, except for the front surface. It is a little smaller than other personal blenders, but could surprisingly tackle our tests without slipping or rocking around on the counter thanks to the four rubber feet at the bottom.
Most models around this price cannot run continuously for more than one minute because the motor can overheat. The KOIOS Bullet is not an exception despite the fact that it’s equipped with many ventilation holes for better heat dissipation. If your drinks demand a longer blending time, make sure you let your machine cool down for 20-30 seconds after each 1-minute interval.
Blending 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.
- Material:Plastic
- Capacity:10 oz, 17 oz, and 17 oz
- Weight:0.2 lb, 0.23 lb, and 0.34 lb
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
- Measurement:No
- Suitable For:Small batches
- Accessories:two spout lids, one flat-top lid, one sieve lid
In this set, there are two tall cups (17 oz) for blending watery mixtures and a short cup (10 oz) for grinding solid ingredients. The tall cups can be sealed tightly by either a flat-top lid or spout lid if you want to enjoy your drink on the go. And the short cup’s distinctive design looks lovely. It features a flat foot for increased stability and is particularly compatible with the sieve lid so you can use it as a shaker for ground spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, cocoa flour, ground coffee beans, or whatever seasonings you need.
Speed and Controls of the Hamilton Beach 51101AV Personal Blender
- 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.
- Control Type:Push
- Min Speed:N/A
- Max Speed:N/A
- Presets:No
- Noise Level:97 dB
- Digital Display:No
- Pulse Mode:No
Like many personal blenders, the KOIOS offers only one speed option but doesn’t have buttons or any sort of controls. To blend, you simply press the cup down into the base, then hold it continuously until your smoothie is ready. The operating method is so simple that you may not need any practice. It’s easy to get comfortable with this blender.
Hamilton Beach Mini Personal Blender Usability Review
- Hands-Free Operation (60%)4.6/10
- Assembly (20%)6.0/10
- Cleanability (20%)8.5/10
- Hands-Free Operation (60%)5.7/10
- Assembly (20%)10/10
- Cleanability (20%)9.5/10
Hands-Free Operation
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.
You can’t walk away while the KOIOS Bullet does its job the way you might with a full-sized blender. It requires you to keep a hand on it the whole time. Plus, you may occasionally need to pause to remove the cup and give it a thorough shake.
Particularly in the smoothie test, frozen fruits got stuck under the blade and jammed it up. To even out the blend, we had to shake the cup after every 20 blending seconds. It gave us a good smoothie in 1 minute 20 seconds worth of runtime, so the process demanded four intervals total. Reviewers make a fuss about the repeated delays, but they’re a common occurrence among personal-size blenders. As long as you’re willing to spend an extra minute or two in the kitchen, it shouldn’t be a big deal.
Assembly
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.
Setting up this blender is a breeze. After twisting the blade assembly onto the cup, you’ll need to flip the cup over and place it securely onto the motor base, aligning the cup’s protrusions with the grooves inside the motor base. To start blending, gently push the cup down as long as you desire. Once finished, release the cup from the motor base and unscrew the blade assembly.
Cleanability
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.
Of all the blenders we tested, the KOIOS is the only one with a blade that can be separated from its plastic base. It goes without saying, this can be a life-saver, especially since the blade assembly is not dishwasher safe.
To remove the blade attachment from the base, push the blade gear forward until it falls out. Note that these two pieces screw very tightly together through a white gasket ring so you'll have to apply a significant force, which can be a challenge if your hands are weak or in pain.
Once you’ve separated the blade attachment, plastic base, and gasket ring, they can be washed off easily with soapy water. The only parts that are tricky to clean are the blade’s undersides, but the included small brush will make life easier on you.
The other pieces, including the lids and blending cups, can be put in the dishwasher. For manual cleaning, just rinse them with soapy water.