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iCucina Portable Bullet vs. Ninja Fit 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 Ninja Fit personal blender 700-Watt personal blender standing on a gray table with its additional accessories by its side, including an extra blending cup, two to-go lids, a user’s manual, and a paper carton box.
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
9.4
Overall Score
  • Performance (60%)
    9.6/10
  • Design (25%)
    9.5/10
  • Usability (15%)
    8.5/10

The two personal blenders exhibit significant differences in their power ratings and this inherently impacts their efficiency. The Ninja QB3001SS Fit, with its 700-watt motor, proved more than adequate at pulverizing solid ingredients, effortlessly crushing 6 ounces of ice cubes to a snow-like consistency. It also excelled in preparing frozen fruit smoothies, protein shakes, and extracting fibrous greens. In contrast, the iCucina Portable Bullet gave a subpar performance, failing to impress in every test conducted. We recommend the blender for simple blending tasks alone.

The disparity between the two blenders also becomes apparent in the quality of their build. While the iCucina is constructed from low-quality plastic parts, the Ninja QB3001SS Fit is not, giving it an overall better appearance and a more high-tech look. For an affordable all-purpose blender, the Ninja QB3001SS Fit is the more favorable option.

Not a Do-It-All Machine

iCucina Portable Bullet Performance

Ninja Fit Personal Blender Performance: A Big Dog in the Segment
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
9.6
Performance Scores
  • Protein Shake (40%)9.6/10
  • Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)10/10
  • Fibrous Greens (20%)9.5/10
  • Crushed Ice Cubes (10%)9.0/10
6.0

Protein Shake

9.6
  • 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: 50 seconds
  • Result: Silky Smooth

No matter what ingredients you have on hand for your protein shakes, the Ninja QB3001SS Fit will quickly turn them into a chunk-free mix. Its impeccable performance in this test is evidence of that. Consisting of the toughest-to-blend ingredients, our recipe presents a high level of difficulty, but it still didn’t give this blender any trouble. 

Our Ninja took only 50 seconds to churn out the desired result. The oatmeal was completely broken down while almonds and berries were blended to their finest state. After straining the drink through a strainer, we found a smattering of partially blended chunks, but we don’t think it's enough to turn off many folks. Given such a result, this machine is a worthy competitor to the NutriBullet Pro — our best personal blender at the time of writing.

5.0

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

10
  • 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 minute
  • Result: Silky Smooth
  • Suction:

When it comes to preparing smoothies, this blender’s efficiency is something that we’ve all dreamed about, but never thought possible on a budget. In our test, it allowed for a quick preparation of frozen foods with very little effort thanks to its heavy-duty motor and sturdy blades. The compromise was that we had to pause now and then to shake chunks free from the blades.  

The smoothie was ready to drink within 1 minute of blending, which was far faster than average. In fact, it was fully twice as fast as some other models like the Magic Bullet, the Hamilton Beach, and the Oster. You may think it doesn’t matter much to wait a bit longer, but actually, the difference in blending time between blenders did create a substantial discrepancy in the drink’s texture and temperature.

As a general rule of thumb, frozen foods thaw quickly at room temperature, especially when you start grinding them up. The faster your blender does its job, the thicker and less diluted your smoothie will be. 

Simply put, not only did the Ninja Fit blend smoothly, but its rapid operation also provided us with the thick, ice-cream-like consistency that we prefer in frozen fruit smoothies. If you’re craving icy-cold drinks on hot days, this blender definitely has the chops for it.

4.0

Fibrous Greens

9.5
  • 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: Very fine

The Ninja Fit is quite capable of incorporating leafy vegetables and other fiber-filled foods into your drink. Of all the blenders we tested, this was one of the few that could break down almost all of kale, spinach, and celery in only 20 seconds. The greens were blended finely and had consistent-sized grounds. Not only that, but it left us with only a little pulp that was too big to pass through a strainer — better results than even the pricier Nutri Ninja Auto-IQ.

0.0

Crushed Ice Cubes

9.0
  • 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: Very Fine
  • Unblended Ice: 20% of 6 oz

In this task, this blender struggled quite a bit, and couldn’t quite power through all the ice cubes. A small amount of ice remained solid — accounting for 20% of the total — when it was all said and done. And again, we had to stop and shake the blending jar to promote the contact between the ice and blades. 

Of all the blenders with small blending cups, however, the Ninja Fit was the only one that actually could perform that well. It even crushed ice as fluffily as its larger counterpart, the NutriBullet Pro. With the Ninja Fit, you may no longer have to deal with whole ice cubes in your drink.

Simple yet Normal

iCucina Bullet Blender Design

Ninja QB3001SS Mini Personal Blender Design: Sporty with A Premium Feel
7.7
design Scores
  • Blades (20%)6.0/10
  • Build Quality (60%)7.5/10
  • Blending Cup (20%)10/10
9.5
design Scores
  • Blades (20%)9.0/10
  • Build Quality (60%)9.5/10
  • Blending Cup (20%)10/10

In the Box of the iCucina Portable Blender

In the Box
  • Motor Base 
  • Blade assembly
  • Two blending Cup
  • Two to-go lids
  • User guide
  • Motor base 
  • Extractor blade
  • Two blending cups 
  • Two to-go lids
  • Recipe book & User guide

Dimensions

Ninja QB3001SS Small Blender 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:
    13.0" (33.0 cm)
  • Width:
    4.5" (11.4 cm)
  • Weight:
    3.1 oz (88 g)
  • Shaft Length:

This blender isn’t as solid as the NutriBullet or the Nutri Ninja, but we appreciate its lighter weight and more compact dimensions. It is roughly the same size as a champagne bottle, so it should fit well into your cabinet. It also won’t occupy too much counter space and you can easily carry it around when you’re on the move.

7.5

Build Quality

9.5

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.

Our Ninja Fit looks fancier than we’d expect for the price. The part quality resembles that of much more expensive units. The main body’s exterior is eye-pleasing with a glossy finish capable of holding up against dings or scratches. The interior is mostly made of plastic, but it looks robust, reflecting the blender’s high-tech design. Much the same can be said for the blending cup and extractor blade, too. These parts aren’t new ideas, but they should be the benchmark for durability and refinement in this price range.

6.0

Blades

9.0
  • 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:
    Sharp Blade
  • Guard Material:
  • Blade Count:
    4
  • Removable:
    No
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The blade is constructed of hardened stainless steel. It features four prongs so you will get faster blending times and finer results compared than those that have only two. 

The base and blade assembly screws tightly onto the blending cup to prevent leaks while in use. It is designed for processing liquids, including juice, frozen mixtures, sauces, and hummus. It cannot be used to blend hot liquids or for grinding operations.

Motor Base

Ninja Fit 700 Watts 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:
    110 - 120 V
  • Rated Power:
    700 Watts
  • Working Time:
    ≤ 1 minute
  • Protection:
    Yes
  • Weight:
    2.5 lbs (1.2 kg)
  • Cord Length:
    2.8 ft (0.9 m)
  • Extra Feature:
    Rubber grips on the bottom, cooling fan.

The Ninja Fit is powered by a 700-watt motor which is more than enough to blend most simple ingredients. That motor is even strong enough to turn your blender into a standalone ice crusher, though we don’t recommend doing so too often since it might limit the blender’s lifespan. 

The elegant yet sturdy exterior is a key selling point over its rivals, but the carefully constructed interior is what truly grabs our attention. In particular, despite being made of ABS plastic, the black actuator tabs are unlikely to break even when you press the cup down into them vigorously. The rubber and plastic liners inside the power base feel pretty durable too. 

There are also rubber grips on the bottom that keep things steady while in use and a cooling fan in the back to limit overheating. Still, though, it’s best not to run it for more than a minute at a stretch.

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:
    16.0 fl oz (473.2 ml)
  • Weight:
    0.6 oz (17 g)
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes
  • Measurement:
    No
  • Suitable For:
    Small batches
  • Accessories:
    2 to-go lids

This set includes two blending cups with lids. Each has a 16-oz capacity and can be fitted to the blade assembly. The lids seal tightly to the cups, locking all the ingredients inside even when you turn them upside down. As a nice bonus, each lid has a flip-top spout.

Speed and Controls

Speed and Controls of the nNinja QB3001SS Personal Blender
  • 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:
    Push
  • Min Speed:
  • Max Speed:
  • Presets:
    No
  • Noise Level:
    98 dB
  • Digital Display:
    No
  • Pulse Mode:
    No

Because the Ninja Fit doesn’t have any switches or buttons, you only get a single speed. The motor is activated by simply pressing the cup down into the base. Your blender will then run until you take your hand off it. You can also simulate pulse mode by pressing and releasing the cup in short intervals.

Less than Intuitive to Assemble

iCucina Bullet Personal Blender Usability Review

Ninja Fit Personal Blender Usability Review: Satisfying Blending Experience
9.3
usability Scores
  • Hand-Free Operation (60%)10/10
  • Assembly (20%)8.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)8.5/10
8.5
usability Scores
  • Hands-Free Operation (60%)7.8/10
  • 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.

This blender doesn’t allow for hands-free operation; you’ll need to hold the cup in place throughout the operation to activate the motor, but this is true with most personal blenders. On the upside, it doesn’t demand too much extra shaking or stirring to dislodge chunks trapped on or around the blades. For the most part, each batch only needs a little shake to achieve a smooth consistency.

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.

This blender is a cinch to set up. To blend, you’ll need to seal the blade tightly to the cup, then turn the cup upside down and place it on the motor base by aligning its tabs with the motor’s slots. Once your cup is correctly positioned, push it all the way down so it can begin blending. Removing the cup is even easier, simply lift it up from the motor base. You won’t need much practice to operate the machine smoothly — we figured it all out before even opening the user manual.

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 parts are dishwasher safe except for the motor base, but note that they must be separated from each other before being placed in the dishwasher.

To clean them manually, simply pour warm water into the cup, add a bit of soap, and run the blender for 30 to 60 seconds. After dumping out the cleaning solution and rinsing the pitcher thoroughly, your blender will be ready for a new batch of smoothies. 

If you  don’t want to do it that way, we recommend using a dishwashing utensil dampened with soapy water to scrub out any stains. Getting under the blades can be tricky; be careful not to slice your fingers!