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Ninja BL480D Nutri vs BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade Side-by-Side Comparison




Our Verdict
- Performance (60%)8.8/10
- Design (25%)9.7/10
- Usability (15%)9.7/10
- Performance (60%)6.1/10
- Design (25%)7.4/10
- Usability (15%)7.0/10
The Ninja BL480D Nutri offers everything that the BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade doesn’t—hands-free operation, heavy blending performance, and high-quality construction. Using it though, is a little more complicated, but this is an acceptable compromise for all the intelligent programs that are meant to help you take the guesswork out of the best homemade beverages.
As a basic blender, the BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade was no match for its higher-priced counterpart in our tests for breaking down leafy greens and whole ice cubes. However, when it comes to preparing protein shakes and frozen fruit smoothies, it delivered comparatively smooth results.
In conclusion, the choice between the Ninja BL480D Nutri and the BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade is more about your budget than any other factor. Although the BLACK+DECKER FusionBlade is not as solid nor as efficient as the Ninja BL480D Nutri in processing hard ingredients, it’s a cheaper and more convenient blender, in the range that would suit the vast majority of needs.
Ninja Nutri Auto iQ Personal Blender Performance
- Protein Shake (40%)8.8/10
- Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)9.5/10
- Fibrous Greens (20%)8.0/10
- Crushed Ice Cubes (10%)8.0/10
- 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
Protein Shake
- Blending Time: 1 min 10 seconds
- Result: Silky Smooth
The Ninja Nutri is essentially a single-serve blender but refinements to its blades and motor’s power have brought it many advantages over the competition.
You might notice the blade assembly looks like nothing else in the market. Design-wise, it is attention to detail with four sharp, sophisticated prongs. Beyonds spinning extremely speedy, the prongs are towards various sides to allow for more food contact at a time. And such combos did make our Ninja Nutri among the fastest blenders in this test, taking one minute and ten seconds to yield a serving of protein shake. Not to mention the 1000-watt motor which helped churn through ingredients like almonds, dried berries, oatmeal, with super ease.
As efficient as it was, this blender still underperformed by a few seconds against two top competitors (the Ninja Fit and the NutriBullet), though. The texture it delivered also had room for improvement since while the oatmeal was completely broken down, small amounts of almonds and berries remained solid. Considering the price, we had wished for a chunky-free texture which was exactly similar to those we got from its counterparts.
Overall, unless you’re really interested in its professional look and hi-tech features, there are some alternatives that can actually blend your drink better and do so at less than half the price.
- 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.
Frozen Fruit Smoothie
- Blending Time: 1 min 5 seconds
- Result: Silky Smooth
- Suction:
The Nutri Ninja was excellent at this test. Again, its distinctly-designed blades and higher-powered motor were good things for a quick, even outcome. They allowed the blender to power through all the frozen mango, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries to perfection in just over one minute. And we remember everything was very easy and simple here, which you will rarely experience with other weaker personal blenders. Just noting that the process was fifteen seconds slower than that of the NutriBullet, but this wasn’t a huge gap. You might be willing to wait a bit longer as long as you get good results.
Initially, we intended to use the Auto-IQ Ultra Blend setting, but the testing trials then suggested us shifting to the regular one. When running on the Auto-IQ Ultra Blend mode, your blender will blend in short intervals in 60 seconds and there will be a unique pulsing and pausing pattern after each interval. This is meant to force all the clogged ingredients back down onto the blades to even out the blend. That being said, we don’t think this is highly necessary in making icy smoothies; frozen fruits need to blend as fast as possible, but the pausing intervals give them time to thaw and then dilute the consistency. Perhaps, the Auto-IQ technology is better for dry-grinding harder ingredients like whole ice cubes and raw nuts.
- 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.
Fibrous Greens
- Blending Time: 20 seconds
- Result: Fine
The blender’s ability to process leafy vegetables was above average. The final drink came out acceptably uniform but with a gritty texture. We don’t think you’ll get too many complaints if you run everything through a mesh strainer before drinking. Given its high-end price tag, however, we expected better results with fewer leafy chunks.
- 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.
Crushed Ice Cubes
- Ice Fineness: Coarse
- Unblended Ice: 0% of 6 oz
As a personal blender, this Nutri Ninja didn’t perform half bad, grinding 6 oz of whole ice cubes in just 22 seconds. None of the other blenders we tested could do the same; some took longer to entirely break up the ice while others were simply not powerful enough to churn through such a solid ingredient. (For example, the KOIOS Pro and the Oster)The crushed ice didn’t have a snow-like texture, but would be good enough for your cocktails.
- 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.
Ninja BL480D Nutri Personal Blender Design
- Blades (20%)10/10
- Build Quality (60%)9.5/10
- Blending Cup (20%)10/10
- Blades (20%)6.0/10
- Build Quality (60%)7.0/10
- Blending Cup (20%)10/10
In the Box of the Ninja Nutri Auto iQ Personal Blender
- Motor base
- Extractor blade
- Two blending cups
- Two to-go lids
- Recipe book & user guide
- Motor Base
- Extractor Blade
- Two Blending Cups
- Two Travel Lids
- Recipe Book & User Guide
Dimensions
- Height:14.2" (36.1 cm)
- Width:6.4" (16.3 cm)
- Weight:5.4 oz (153 g)
- Shaft Length:
The Ninja Nutri is larger and bulkier than your average single-serve blender. The motor section looks more like a full-sized countertop version, coming in at 14.5 inches tall by 6.2 inches wide. At 5.4 pounds, it’s also heavier than most, so you may find it difficult to move your blender in and out of storage.
- 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.
Build Quality
Build quality does match the price point. It’s good, with many parts — to include the entire exterior — made of anti-scratch plastic. We haven’t had to deal with problems like discoloration, paint peeling, or inner components wearing out. Additionally, the construction is sturdy enough to hold up frequent use, so you will get stable performance and consistency for many years.
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.
Blades
- Material:Stainless Steel
- Type:Sharp Blade
- Guard Material:
- Blade Count:6
- Removable:No
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The blade features 6 hardened stainless steel prongs. It is super sharp and has a high-quality feel. Unfortunately, the blades can’t be removed from the base, so cleaning their undersides is pretty tricky.
- 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.
Ninja Nutri Auto iQ 1000 Watts Motor Base
- Rated Voltage:110 - 120 V
- Rated Power:1000 Watt
- Working Time:≤ 1 minute
- Protection:No
- Weight:4.5 lbs (2.0 kg)
- Cord Length:2.6 ft (0.8 m)
- Extra Feature:Silicon feet, cooling fan, anti-slip pads
The motor comes with many user-friendly components. They include a cooling fan to prevent overheating, suction feet to help the blender stand firm against heavy-duty tasks, and small anti-slip pads to minimize the risk of sliding on wet surfaces. We’re also impressed with the inner parts which are all well-made and detailed.
Just be aware that the motor should not run for more than one minute continuously. If your recipes demand longer than this timeframe, blending for 1-minute intervals can help you avoid overheating. In the event your machine gets too hot, a built-in thermal switch will engage and stop the motor from running. To reset, you’ll have to unplug and let it cool down for 30 minutes before blending again.
- 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.
Speed and Controls
- Control Type:Button
- Min Speed:
- Max Speed:
- Presets:No
- Noise Level:103 dB
- Digital Display:No
- Pulse Mode:No
The front interface is intuitive, featuring four buttons that correspond to four different options. As a visual aid, this model also has a digital display which indicates the elapsed blending time or counts down to the end of a preset program.
If you want continuous blending, press the Start/Stop button. To avoid chopping ingredients too finely, use the Pulse function. For fresh or softer ingredients, the Auto-IQ Blend button will help you create consistent results without relying on guesswork. There is also the Auto-IQ Ultra Blend button, which runs the blender at its fastest speed tobreak ice cubes, fibrous greens, whole grains, or frozen mixtures down to a lump-free consistency.
We found that the speed settings work very well. Each step gives you a noticeable change in power level. For the most part, however, we agree with some reviewers that it feels a bit gimmicky because single-speed blenders generally work just as well.
Note that regardless of the speed setting, this Nutri Ninja is terribly noisy. If noise is a major factor in your buying decision, this one’s not for you.
- 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.
Blending Cup
- Material:Plastic
- Capacity:18- and 24-oz
- Weight:0.5- and 0.58-lb
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
- Measurement:No
- Suitable For:Small and medium batches
- Accessories:2 to-go lids
This set includes two blending cups which can be used interchangeably with the extractor blade. Each cup comes with a tight-seal lid featuring a flip-top spout for mess-free drinking on the go.
- 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.
Nutri Ninja Auto iQ Personal Blender Usability Review
- Hands-Free Operation (60%)10/10
- Assembly (20%)9.5/10
- Cleanability (20%)9.0/10
- Hands-Free Operation (60%)5.3/10
- Assembly (20%)10/10
- Cleanability (20%)9.0/10
Hands-Free Operation
This blender is more convenient to use than others because the cup can be locked in place; you won’t need to hold the cup continuously to engage the motor. Additionally, once activated, it draws almost everything toward its blades, creating a homogeneous mixture without extra shaking or stirring.
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.
Assembly
To set up the blender, simply attach the extractor blade to the cup, turn the whole assembly upside down, and place it on the motor base. Once the display reads “0,” press one of the buttons to start blending. When your drink is complete, simply pull the cup out from the motor base and serve. Note that you must pull with quite a bit of force compared to other blenders we tested, so it may be tougher to remove when your hands are wet or oily.
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.
Cleanability
We cleaned the cups, lids, and blade manually with soapy water, but they’re also safe to put in the dishwasher. Of all those parts, the blade’s backsides were the trickiest to clean, so make sure you have a straw-cleaning brush available.
The motor base only took us a couple of minutes to wipe down. Unplug the device and use a dish cloth dampened (but not soaked) with soapy water to wipe down exterior surfaces and the inside of the cup receptacle. We never had any leakage during our tests, so we didn’t have to contend with stubborn food on the actuator tabs or other components.
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.