Ninja BL480D Nutri vs Magic Bullet 11 Piece Set Side-by-Side Comparison
Ninja BL480D Nutri vs. Magic Bullet 11-Piece Set comparison. How does the lower-range personal blender hold up against its stronger rival?
Specifications
Design
The Ninja Nutri is a very capable blender, so it scores well in most of our evaluations. The trouble is that it is very expensive and far bulkier and more complex than any personal blender should be. If you are short on cooking space, don’t want to fuss with settings, and expect to get your money’s worth, then those are issues.
The Magic Bullet has a straightforward design, and this is the only praise we can really give it. On paper, the blender is advertised to be made of high-impact plastic, but in fact, it only took us a glance to criticize its poor quality. There are also several other drawbacks and you may consider those acceptable trade-offs given its low price. However, in the end, we are sure you will eventually become uncomfortable with such limitations.
Usability
The Ninja Nutri is kind of impressive in that it looks fussy and technical, but is easy to figure out in practice. Once you get used to it, cleaning and assembling are simple as well.
We cannot deny the Magic Bullet’s user-friendly design, but after hours of experimenting with it, we realized this blender is actually quite frustrating to use. More often than not, though, cleaning and assembling are effortless.
Performance
While the Ninja Nutri is advertised as a personal blender, it actually features a powerful motor worthy of a full-sized blender. As such, in our hands-on testing, it was more efficient than most rivals. Still, its outcomes were not always the best. Ultimately, we don’t think you need to fork over so much cash for a personal blender when there are cheaper, smaller, and better options like the NutriBullet and the Ninja QB3001SS Fit.
The Magic Bullet sports a 250-watt motor, which we found to be less efficient than higher-priced blenders and this resulted in some limitations on its testing performance. However, it's important to consider that these limitations are a compromise for its affordable price point. On the bright side, the blender can still work adequately for preparing smoothies packed with fresh fruits or soaked nuts.
Overall Scores
Pros & Cons
- A powerful motor allows for heavy-duty blending
- Stainless steel extractor blades are exceptionally tough
- Hands-free operation offers greater convenience
- Sturdy motor base ensures stable performance
- Blending cups are included with to-go lids
- Easy to use, assemble, and clean.
- Stainless steel extractor blades are pretty solid.
- Three extra blending cups are included.
- It’s heavy and quite bulky
- The control panel is gimmicky
- The feets’ suction is so strong making it challenging to remove the base
- The premium price tag might be a high barrier for many people
- It doesn’t allow for hands-free operation.
- It is not suitable for blending frozen fruits or raw nuts.
- Motor base jumps around while operating.
- Build quality is not good.
- Its performance is inconsistent.
Conclusion
Of all the personal blenders we tested, the Ninja BL480D Nutri is a top-tier contender, given its high-powered motor and sturdiest overall construction.
The Magic Bullet 11-Piece Set is a low-range model with mediocre performances in our hands-on testing. The smoothies and protein shakes it produced were quite acceptable, but they were not as smooth nor as quick as those of the Ninja BL480D Nutri. Their crushed ice and fibrous greens extractions were incomparable too.
Other advantages of the Ninja BL480D Nutri over the Magic Bullet 11-Piece Set in exchange for the higher price tag include a built-in timer and the Auto IQ technology featuring intelligence programs.
In conclusion, our pick for people requiring an all-around personal blender would be the Ninja BL480D Nutri. But consider your budget too. If you’re short of money and willing to make a compromise on the heavy-duty side of performance, it’s reasonable to switch to the Magic Bullet 11-Piece set.
Behind the Comparison
Tina Pham is a staff writer and reviewer, with five years of experience in the industry. As a passionate amateur home cook, she loves to discover practical cooking solutions, and has made it her mission to bring her findings to every kitchen. Her ultimate goal is making cooking more of a pleasure for all.
Lap is Head of the Research, Testing, and Review Team (RTR Team) at HealthyKitchen101.com, where he directs and supervises the testing of kitchen gadgets and appliances.
