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iCucina Portable Bullet vs. BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade Side-by-Side Comparison

Tina Pham
Reviewer
Nguyen Ntk
Visual Specialist
Updated
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Mar 21, 2023
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Mar 21, 2023
The iCucina Personal Blender standing on a white table with its accessories, including a to-go lid, an extra blending cup with lid, a user’s manual, and a paper carton box, by its sides.
The Black+Decker Fusionblade Personal Blender standing on a white table with its accessories, including a to-go lid, an extra blending cup with lid, a user’s manual, and a paper carton box, by its sides.
Blenders type
personal
personal

Our Verdict

6.1
Overall Score
  • Performance (60%)
    4.7/10
  • Design (25%)
    7.7/10
  • Usability (15%)
    9.3/10
6.6
Overall Score
  • Performance (60%)
    6.1/10
  • Design (25%)
    7.4/10
  • Usability (15%)
    7.0/10

With the BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade demonstrating slightly better performance compared to the iCucina Portable Bullet, both offer affordable and efficient blending solutions.

In the protein shake test, the iCucina performed quite poorly and left a mass of partially blended food chunks. It also failed to produce a smooth mixture of fibrous greens. On the other hand, the BLACK+DECKER provided satisfactory blending performance, producing an impressive consistency when blending challenging ingredients such as frozen fruits and raw nuts. It also outperformed the iCucina in our third test, delivering a better texture when blending leafy vegetables. 

However, due to their low power outputs, both blenders may have slower blending times and may require manual shaking for optimal results. Still, these tradeoffs are acceptable at this price point and do not significantly detract from the overall performance of the blenders.

In terms of design, both blenders feature standard plastic components, but the BLACK+DECKER's sporty design gives it a visually appealing aesthetic, whereas the iCucina's unpretentious design fails to draw attention to itself.

Not a Do-It-All Machine

iCucina Portable Bullet Performance

Black+Decker Fusionblade Personal Blender Performance: Just Fine for Simple Blends
4.7
Performance Scores
  • Protein Shake (40%)6.0/10
  • Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)5.0/10
  • Fibrous Greens (20%)4.0/10
  • Crushed Ice Cubes (10%)0/10
6.1
Performance Scores
  • Protein Shake (40%)7.2/10
  • Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)6.0/10
  • Fibrous Greens (20%)7.0/10
  • Crushed Ice Cubes (10%)0/10
6.0

Protein Shake

7.2
  • Blending Time: 1 mins 50 seconds
  • Result: Very Coarse

The iCucina may be a good choice for you to prepare any protein shakes that use fresh plant-based food, but if you want to level up your workout drinks with raw nuts and dried fruits, we recommend going with other models, such as the Ninja Fit, Nutri BN401, or the NutriBullet. This blender is inefficient enough to liquify and combine such ingredients fully. 

For this test, our protein shake is designed to include oatmeal, almonds, protein powder, and dried blueberries. Throughout the blending process, we noticed that this blender didn’t have much hard time grinding the ingredients; it worked quite smoothly, indeed. All the oatmeal was turned into liquid form in approximately two minutes, which seemed not to be so fast yet acceptable enough. The final drink, unfortunately, couldn’t get the most flavor out of almonds and berries, since about a third of the fruits were still solid.

  • Blending Time: 2 mins
  • Result: Smooth

In this protein shake test, the FusionBlade came out as one of the best personal blenders. Its sturdy 2-prong blade, together with the 275-watt motor, breaks down tough foods, including almonds and dried berries, without much problem. However, for some reason, it had a hard time with oatmeal, requiring up to 2 minutes — longer than the average blending time — to completely pulverize the oats. If you’re willing to spend a few extra seconds on prep, this may not matter much. Overall, the smoothness of its product was more than acceptable, with just a very tiny flake of almond remaining solid.

5.0

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

6.0
  • Blending Time: 1 min 50 seconds
  • Result: Smooth
  • Suction:

Berries are the favorite superfoods of many people but their skins and seeds are typically a little bit hard to be liquified entirely. That’s why our recipe for this test calls for four berry varieties; we want it to be a practical way to test for the smoothie-making capacity of our personal blenders, including this iCucina, and fortunately, it does. 

Preparing frozen fruit smoothies with the iCucina asked us to compromise on texture. This was because while this blender could break down all the fruits in one minute and fifty seconds, after such a duration, the smoothie it delivered did lose its thick, icy consistency we prefer. 

Simply put, for an ice-cold treat to come out perfectly, your blender should blend as fast as possible so the frozen ingredients don’t have time to thaw and therefore dilute the overall consistency. But as we learned from our tests, this blender isn’t capable enough in this regard. We recommend using crushed ice instead of freezing your ingredients in advance if you prefer a smoother icy blend.

  • Blending Time: 1 min 40 seconds
  • Result: Silky Smooth
  • Suction:

If you've ever wondered how efficient a low-powered personal blender is in preparing frozen-fruit smoothies, the BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade can give you an answer. Although this machine isn’t so powerful, it liquified the ingredients with little effort, though a few shakes were required to ensure the blending process went smoothly. 

The smoothie was churned into a smooth, chilly, and slushy consistency, though it lacked the perfect ice-cream-like texture we got from faster blenders, such as the Ninja Fit. This was because frozen fruits thaw quickly at room temperature, diluting the overall consistency if you don’t blend fast enough. Simply put, the longer processing time of the FusionBlade means its smoothie came out thinner and less desirable than it should. 

Nevertheless, this machine is an adequate personal blender for making frozen-fruit smoothies. We found it’s better at this job than many other models within the same range, and the great smoothness of its product in this test reminds us of pricier blenders, namely the Nutri Ninja Pro.

4.0

Fibrous Greens

7.0
  • Blending Time: 20 seconds
  • Result: Very Coarse

We blended kale, spinach, and celery in the time benchmark of 20 seconds to see how well this iCucina would incorporate fibers to your meals. Eventually, we found this blender underperformed significantly against top competitors, again. There was a ton of fibrous pulp left behind when we strained the mixture through a mesh strainer. This suggested that our final drink didn’t get the greatest nutritional value. 

Perhaps, you might think it isn’t necessary to blend that quickly, blending a little bit longer is concede as long as your desired consistency can be achieved. For the most part, we agreed this is entirely possible with the iCucina.

  • Blending Time: 20 seconds
  • Result: Coarse

The FusionBlade didn’t struggle during the 20-second runtime (our time limit for this test). More impressively, of all the blenders we tested from this market segment, the BLACK+DECKER stood out with the best extraction of high-fiber foods. However, that doesn’t mean it did a complete job; there was still a considerable amount of coarse pulp left behind after we drained the mixture through a mesh strainer. It probably could have been better if we allowed our machine to blend longer. For sure, a quality green juice is worth a little extra waiting time.

0.0

Crushed Ice Cubes

0.0
  • Ice Fineness: Coarse
  • Unblended Ice: 73.5% of 6 oz

Typically, personal blenders aren’t designed with a focus on ice-crushing capability, and the iCucina is not an exception. The lack of strength prevented it from powering through the ice. We noticed that the blade couldn't even spin so most of the ice came out virtually untouched. Sometimes we undocked the cup and shook it on purpose to even out the blend, but this still couldn’t help much. If you particularly have a need for this sort of blend, you’d be better served by something that is packed with a higher-powered motor, such as the Ninja Nutri Pro.

  • Ice Fineness: Chunky
  • Unblended Ice: 79% of 6 oz

It’s safe to say the BLACK+DECKER was not up to the heavy-duty task of crushing ice cubes. As Scotty might say, it just doesn’t have the power. That’s not a major hit to its value — we’ve learned that not many personal blenders are capable of producing fluffy, snow-like crushed ice (For instance, the Oster, the Hamilton Beach, or the KOIOS). If you insist on that sort of blend, you’ll need a more powerful motor. Most of this FusionBlade’s ice remained very chunky. 

Overall, the BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade’s performance was not all bad, and we really like this blender, but there are still a few good ice-crusher alternatives to choose from.

Simple yet Normal

iCucina Bullet Blender Design

Black and Decker Fusionblade Personal Blender Design: Everything Comes Standard
7.7
design Scores
  • Blades (20%)6.0/10
  • Build Quality (60%)7.5/10
  • Blending Cup (20%)10/10
7.4
design Scores
  • Blades (20%)6.0/10
  • Build Quality (60%)7.0/10
  • Blending Cup (20%)10/10

In the Box of the iCucina Portable Blender

In the Box of the Black+Decker Fusionblade Digital Blender
  • Motor Base 
  • Blade assembly
  • Two blending Cup
  • Two to-go lids
  • User guide
  • Motor Base 
  • Extractor Blade
  • Two Blending Cups
  • Two Travel Lids
  • Recipe Book & User Guide

Dimensions

  • Height:
    13.6" (34.5 cm)
  • Width:
    5.0" (12.7 cm)
  • Weight:
    2.5 oz (71 g)
  • Shaft Length:

The iCucina is about one-third smaller than a standard full-sized blender, like the Vitamix 5200 or the Ninja with Auto-iQ technology, so we suppose it’ll fit easily into any cabinet.

  • Height:
    14.5" (36.8 cm)
  • Width:
    5.5" (14.0 cm)
  • Weight:
    2.3 oz (65 g)
  • Shaft Length:

As we learned from our research, the ideal weight of a personal blender is between 2 and 4 pounds, and at 2.3 lbs, the FusionBlade fits this metric. While it appears in pictures to be the roughly same size as others, it’s actually taller than average. Nonetheless, it’s still compact enough to easily find in your cabinet when not in use.

7.5

Build Quality

7.0

The whole construction of the motor base is plastic except for a thin layer on the outer that is made of stainless steel. It’s supposed that the lack of sleekness of this layer somehow causes the blender to feel cheaper. That’s why although our iCucina  is rather solidly put together, next to the Ninja Fit or the KOIOS, it just looks less of a bargain.

This FusionBlade is powered by a motor encased in a simple plastic base. The overall quality and materials of the casing are inferior to premium models, but we haven’t experienced any durability issues so far. The same thing can be said about the blade assembly and plastic cup. Cheaply designed but otherwise sturdy, these pieces feel like they’ll be with you for years to come.

6.0

Blades

6.0
  • Material:
    Stainless Steel
  • Type:
    Sharp and Dull Blades
  • Guard Material:
  • Blade Count:
    4
  • Removable:
    No
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The blade has four prongs: two are sharps and the others are dull. In comparison with the rivals, it is less refined due to its small-scale and the lack of sharpness. Lackluster performances mainly result from this, we believe.

  • Material:
    Stainless Steel
  • Type:
    Dull Blade
  • Guard Material:
  • Blade Count:
    2
  • Removable:
    No
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The blade features two dull prongs rather than the more common sharp blades. This typically means the blender should be used for processing dry ingredients rather than wet mixtures, but the FusionBlade’s testing performance somehow suggests otherwise. And as mentioned above, the lack of extra prongs means this machine doesn’t blend as quickly as its counterparts that come with four or even six prongs.

Motor Base

Black+Decker Fusionblade Personal Blender Motor Base
  • Rated Voltage:
    120 V
  • Rated Power:
    300 Watts
  • Working Time:
    ≤ 1 minute
  • Protection:
    No
  • Weight:
    2.0 lbs (0.9 kg)
  • Cord Length:
    NaN" (NaN cm)
  • Extra Feature:
    Silicon feet, a cooling fan

The base stands steadily on our counter thanks to the four silicone feet on its bottom. Like those of other personal blenders, the motor cannot run for longer than 1 minute to avoid damage caused by overheating, though there is an internal cooling fan designed to ensure proper ventilation and air circulation.

  • Rated Voltage:
    120V
  • Rated Power:
    275 Watt
  • Working Time:
    N/A
  • Protection:
    No
  • Weight:
    1.9 lbs (0.9 kg)
  • Cord Length:
    2.3" (5.8 cm)
  • Extra Feature:
    rubber feets

Despite the exterior being entirely plastic, the 275-watt motor base is on the robust side. It is wider at the bottom than the top to keep it steady, so the blender won’t walk around your counter while blending. There are also four rubber feet underneath to further help in this regard. They also help the blender avoid overheating by allowing some airflow to the motor. 

In general, personal blenders tend to have an operational time limit on their motors — usually between 1 and 4 minutes at a stretch. Beyond the limit, they may overheat and damage the motor. That said, there is no clear information about the BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade in that regard. We recommend that you don’t run your device longer than 1 minute per interval to ensure the best long-term use. 

10

Blending Cup

10
  • Material:
    Plastic
  • Capacity:
    28.0 fl oz (828.1 ml)
  • Weight:
    0.4 oz (11 g)
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes
  • Measurement:
    Yes
  • Suitable For:
    Small and Medium batches
  • Accessories:
    To-go lids

The set consists of two blending cups. They can work interchangeably with the blade assembly and two spout-flip lids that are extra included.

  • Material:
    Plastic
  • Capacity:
    20 oz
  • Weight:
    0.3 lb
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes
  • Measurement:
    Yes
  • Suitable For:
    Small batches
  • Accessories:
    Travel lids

The set we bought includes two blending cups, but you can purchase more at BlackAndDeckerAppliances.com. All the cups provided by the manufacturer can be used interchangeably with the extractor blade. They also fit tightly with the included flip-top lids so you can enjoy your drinks on the go without mess. Another convenience is that the lids are easy to screw on and remove from the cups.

Speed and Controls

  • Control Type:
    Button
  • Min Speed:
    N/A
  • Max Speed:
    N/A
  • Presets:
    No
  • Noise Level:
    97 dB
  • Digital Display:
    No
  • Pulse Mode:
    No

The iCucina is a single-speed personal blender with one-touch operation. This means there is a pressing button in the front center that you’ll use to control the motor. More to the point, the button is very clicky so you don’t need much force to press.

  • Control Type:
    Button
  • Min Speed:
    N/A
  • Max Speed:
    N/A
  • Presets:
    No
  • Noise Level:
    88 dB
  • Digital Display:
    No
  • Pulse Mode:
    No

There is one button in the front, which you’ll use to switch the motor on. It has only one speed, and you simply hold the button down to keep it running. We found the button to be very responsive so you don’t need much force. The FusionBlade isn’t equipped with a pulse function, but you can still approximate it and get a chunky texture by pressing and releasing its button in short intervals.

Less than Intuitive to Assemble

iCucina Bullet Personal Blender Usability Review

Black and Decker Fusionblade Personal Blender Usability Review
9.3
usability Scores
  • Hand-Free Operation (60%)10/10
  • Assembly (20%)8.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)8.5/10
7.0
usability Scores
  • Hands-Free Operation (60%)5.3/10
  • Assembly (20%)10/10
  • Cleanability (20%)9.0/10
10

Hand-Free Operation

Hands-Free Operation

We like the smooth and non-intrusive operation of this blender. In particular, your iCucina will blend much more like a full-sized model since it doesn’t require you to press and hold the power button or the blending cup throughout the whole process like many rivals. Most impressively, food doesn’t too often get lodged under the blade and demands your intervention to resolve. Those suggest that you can possibly take your eyes off your blender to do other things while it is operating.

Although the design couldn't be simpler, the BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade isn’t very comfortable to use. It requires that you press and hold the power button throughout the whole operation. Not only that, but you also cannot take your eyes off the blending cup in any sort of blend. This is because food often gets lodged under the blade and stops it from operating, which demands your timely intervention to resolve.

8.0

Assembly

10

It is very easy to seal the cup with the blade assembly. Just align the grooves on the blade assembly with the appropriate grooves on the cup and then turn one of the two pieces clockwise until you feel they attach firmly together. Attaching the cup assembly to the motor base, on the other hand, takes quite some time to figure out how things work.

Attaching the cup, the blade, and the motor base together is effortless. You’ll need to screw the extractor blade onto the top of the blending cup first, then turn the whole thing upside down and place it on the blender base. A quick, simple turn to the right will lock the cup into place and you can start blending securely. 

Disassembly is even easier. Simply take the cup out from the base and unscrew the extractor blade. You can then replace the blade assembly with the spill-proof travel lid if you want to sip your drink on the go.

8.5

Cleanability

9.0

Except for the motor base, you can put everything in the dishwasher. The blending cup has a wide opening so you won’t have any difficulty reaching inside if cleaning by hand. Regarding the blade assembly, you have to remove the silicone gasket first. because this part is attached extremely tight, we found it is quite frustrating to get the job done, however.  On the bright side, there isn’t much difficulty in wiping the blades’s backsides, especially when you have a bottle brush.

All the removable pieces, including the blending cup, blade assembly, and travel lids, are top-rack dishwasher safe. We recommend washing them by hand with warm, soapy water, though, so they don’t wear down as quickly. We didn’t have any trouble scrubbing the blade’s undersides like we usually did with its competitors. Our only challenge was the blending cup, which was too narrow for even a small hand to get inside, so make sure you always have a bottle-cleaning brush available.