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Ninja Nutri Pro Compact (BN401) vs. Hamilton Beach 51101AV Personal Blender Side-by-Side Comparison

Tina Pham
Reviewer
Nguyen Ntk
Visual Specialist
Updated
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Apr 6, 2023
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Apr 6, 2023
The Ninja Nutri Pro Compact Personal Blender (BN401) and its additional accessories by its side, including an extra blending cup with lid, a spout lid, a paper carton box, and a user guide.
The Hamilton Beach Personal Blender standing on a table with its user’s manual and paper carton box by its sides.
Blenders type
personal
personal

Our Verdict

9.5
Overall Score
  • Performance (60%)
    9.4/10
  • Design (25%)
    9.6/10
  • Usability (15%)
    9.7/10
2.9
Overall Score
  • Performance (60%)
    1.4/10
  • Design (25%)
    5.0/10
  • Usability (15%)
    5.7/10

The Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro and the Hamilton Beach are two vastly different blenders with distinct advantages and disadvantages. 

The Hamilton Beach blender impressed us with its simplistic design and budget-friendly price point. However, upon closer inspection, its low-powered motor of just 175 watts proved to be woefully insufficient in handling tough ingredients like grains, frozen foods, raw nuts, and dried fruits. This makes it the only blender that failed to pass any of our tests. Its overall build quality is compromised in exchange for its low cost, as well. 

In contrast to the Hamilton Beach, the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro delivers outstanding performance and consistent results across the board. It performed exceptionally well, fully blending even ice cubes in just a matter of seconds. Furthermore, the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro is equipped with more advanced features, including the two Auto-iQ presets, making it a more convenient option for those who prioritize ease of use.

Overall, for those seeking high-quality blending and heavy-duty performance, the Nutri Ninja BN401 is the clear choice.

Top-Notch Efficiency

Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Personal Blender Performance

Hamilton Beach 51101AV Personal Blender Performance: Very Lackluster
9.4
Performance Scores
  • Protein Shake (40%)8.8/10
  • Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)10/10
  • Fibrous Greens (20%)9.5/10
  • Crushed Ice Cubes (10%)10/10
1.4
Performance Scores
  • Protein Shake (40%)3.4/10
  • Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)0/10
  • Fibrous Greens (20%)0/10
  • Crushed Ice Cubes (10%)0/10
8.8

Protein Shake

3.4
Ninja BN401 Personal Blender Protein Shake Test
A batch of protein shake prepared by the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Single-Serve Blender is checked for smoothness by being drained through a stainless steel mesh strainer, with a smartphone displaying the total blending time (1 minute) next to it.
Using a spoon to scoop a small smattering of dried blueberry chunks from a mesh strainer containing protein shake produced the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Blender.
  • Blending Time: 1 min
  • Result: Slightly Smooth

If your idea of a protein shake includes raw nuts or dried fruits, fear not! The Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro won’t let you down. 

In this test, it took only 1 minute to turn all the oatmeal into liquid form, which was far faster than average. A quick blending time means you’ll always have a quick snack or protein shake at hand whenever you want. Note that quite a bit of the almonds and dried blueberries remained solid, making the final drink relatively lumpy. But overall, it was still much smoother than shakes produced by rivals such as the Magic Bullet

Most importantly, our chefs agree that you’ll get a more savory sipping experience if you let everything mix together a bit longer. Soaking the nuts prior to blending gives you a less chunky texture as well.

Hamilton Beach 51101AV Protein Shake Video
A batch of protein shake prepared by the Hamilton Beach Single-Serve Blender is checked for smoothness by being drained through a stainless steel mesh strainer, with a smartphone displaying the total blending time (3 minutes and 45 seconds) next to it.
Using a spoon to scoop a small smattering of dried blueberry chunks from a mesh strainer containing protein shake produced the Hamilton Beach blender.
  • 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.

10

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

0.0
Ninja BN401 Personal Blender Frozen Fruit Smoothie Test
A spoon of fruity smoothie packed with blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and mango made by theNinja BN401 Nutri Pro blender with a smartphone displaying the total blending time ( 59 seconds) next to it.
To check for solid chunks, after finishing blending, the fruity smoothie made by the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro personal blender is spread throughout a white paper.
  • Blending Time: 1 min
  • Result: Silky Smooth
  • Suction:

For certain treats like icy smoothies, blending time is a significant factor. Frozen ingredients thaw quickly at room temperature, so if you don’t blend fast enough, your beverage will be thinner than expected. Fortunately, the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro is good enough to generate whichever texture you prefer. 

Contrary to the protein shake test, all the ingredients came together quickly in this smoothie. We intentionally created a tough test containing all frozen ingredients, but we still received a perfect smoothness in only one minute. 

On a more pragmatic note, the Ninja BN401 operates very smoothly even on heavy-duty blends. While most other personal blenders, such as the Ninja Fit, clogged themselves up with accumulated ingredients under the blades, this unit ensures all the fruits can circulate freely. Sometimes, we noticed a couple chunks clinging to the cup’s sides, but they quickly dislodged themselves without our interference.  

All things considered, it’s apparent that the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro is a perfect way to turn your favorite healthy fruits into refreshing breakfast and post-workout smoothies, especially for a busy morning.

Hamilton Beach 51101AV Frozen Fruit Smoothie Video
To check for solid chunks, after finishing blending, the fruity smoothie made by the Hamilton Beach portable blender is spread throughout a white paper.
A spoon of fruity smoothie packed with blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and mango made by the Hamilton Beach small blender.
  • 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.

9.5

Fibrous Greens

0.0
Ninja BN401 Personal Blender Fibrous Greens Test
A glass of water and fibrous greens pulp produced by the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Single-Serve Blender.
A glass of water with fibrous green pulp produced by the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Personal Blender sinking from its top to bottom.
  • Blending Time: 20 seconds
  • Result: Very Fine/Fine/Coarse/Very Coarse

The speed and power of the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro makes it a useful personal blender when you want to incorporate more leafy greens into your daily meals. 

In this test, we aimed to create a smooth blend of celery, kale, and spinach. In just 20 seconds, this little Ninja delivered exactly that. 

Of all the machines we’ve experienced, the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro was among the elite few that could fully shred the leafy veggies so quickly, thus retaining all of their nutritious fiber and antioxidants. Very little pulp remained behind in the mesh strainer. That’s compared to some of its rivals that needed double the time and others that were too weak to grind the ingredients finely.  

The mixture would’ve had a finer consistency if we had blended it longer, but even so, there’s no way to make this blend completely free of pulp. If you prefer your drink to be perfectly smooth, you’ll need to strain it through a filtration bag to remove all the pulp.

Hamilton Beach 51101AV Fibrous Greens Video
A glass of water with fibrous greens pulp produced by the Hamilton Beach Single-Serve Blender.
  • 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.

10

Crushed Ice Cubes

0.0
Ninja BN401 Personal Blender Crushed Ice Test
A black tray of crushed ice produced by the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Personal Blender being on a table.
  • Ice Fineness: Very Fine
  • Unblended Ice: 0% of 6 oz

The blade spins very fast and is sturdily designed. This, combined with a mighty 1000-watt motor, allows the Ninja BN401 to tear apart the ice without a struggle. Believe it or not, six ounces of ice cubes came out with a snow-like consistency in just 14 seconds! Even the toughest ingredients like whole ice cubes won’t pose a problem for this blender. It will be easier than ever to entertain your guests with any icy-cold drinks!

Hamilton Beach 51101AV Crushed Ice Video
A black tray of crushed ice produced by the Hamilton Beach Blender being on a table.
The amount of unblended ice cubes (4.48 oz) of the Hamilton Beach single-serve blender displayed on a scale’s screen.
  • 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.

Ninja Nutri Pro Personal Blender Design

Hamilton Beach 51101AV Smoothie Blender Design: Just Average
9.6
design Scores
  • Blades (20%)9.5/10
  • Build Quality (60%)9.5/10
  • Blending Cup (20%)10/10
5.0
design Scores
  • Blades (20%)5.0/10
  • Build Quality (60%)5.0/10
  • Blending Cup (20%)5.0/10

In the Box

The Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro personal blender lying on a white table with the accessories by its side, including a blending cup with lid, a spout lid, a paper carton box, a recipe book, and owner’s manuals.
  • Motor base 
  • Blade assembly 
  • Two 24-oz blending cups  
  • Two spout lids 
  • Recipe book & user guide
The Hamilton Beach personal blender lying on a table with a paper carton box and user guide by its sides.
  • Motor Base 
  • Blending Cup

Dimensions

Hamilton Beach Mini Personal Blender Dimensions
The Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro personal blender standing on a gray table, with the length of its motor base being noted to the side as 8 inches, and the total length and width of the unit as 14.2 inches and 6.4 inches, respectively.
  • Height:
    14.2" (36.1 cm)
  • Width:
    6.4" (16.3 cm)
  • Weight:
    5.4 pounds
  • Shaft Length:

The 24-oz blending cup is similar in size to those of other personal blenders, but the motor base is roughly the same size as a typical full-sized blender’s. This means this Ninja is larger and heavier than average, but that’s the trade-off for power and sturdy construction. We don’t feel it is overly cumbersome.

The Hamilton Beach 51101AV Personal Blender standing on a gray table, with the length of its motor base being noted to the side as 5.8 inches, and the total length and width of the unit as 12 inches and 3.8 inches, respectively.
  • 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.

9.5

Build Quality

5.0
The motor base and blending cup of the Ninja Bn401 Nutri Pro single-serve blender lying side by side on a table.

Many things visually distinguish the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro from its rivals and one of them is the overall build quality. 

For the motor base, the hard-touch plastics on the exterior combined with high-gloss finish and thoughtfully-designed trim look and feel good. With first-rate build quality, it also offers a pleasing aesthetic that many competitors lack. 

The blade assembly is part of the blender’s greatness as well. It comes across as one of the most well rounded, so we don’t anticipate it wearing out anytime soon.

The motor base and blending cup with blade assembly permanently attached of the Hamilton Beach blender.

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.

9.5

Blades

5.0
A close-up of the blade assembly sporting 4 stainless steel prongs of the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro single-serve blender.
  • Material:
    Stainless Steel
  • Type:
    Cross
  • Guard Material:
  • Blade Count:
    4 blades
  • Removable:
    Yes
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The blade is refined in ways you wouldn’t expect a budget-friendly brand to offer. With four expertly designed prongs made of hardened stainless steel, the attention to detail is spot-on. It isn’t razor sharp but instead looks thicker and more robust than most; it definitely won’t be damaged or succumb to wear and tear under daily use.

A close-up of the blade assembly featuring 4 stainless steel prongs inside the blending cup of the Hamilton Beach personal blender.
  • Material:
    Stainless Steel
  • Type:
    Cross
  • Guard Material:
  • Blade Count:
    4 blades
  • 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.

Nutri Ninja Pro Blender Motor Base

Hamilton Beach Small Smoothie Blender Motor Base
The Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Motor Base
The Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Motor Base
A close-up of the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Motor Base
  • Rated Voltage:
    120 V
  • Rated Power:
    1000 W
  • Working Time:
    N/A
  • Protection:
    Yes
  • Weight:
    4.5 lbs (2.0 kg)
  • Cord Length:
    2.6 f
  • Extra Feature:
    Rubber grips on the bottom, cooling fan.

The motor is a very practical design. It peaks at around 1000 watts which is sufficient to create almost any blended meal. The whole device is mostly made of hard plastic, but it doesn’t feel cut-rate or flimsy. There is an eye-catching control panel in the front featuring a timer and four buttons corresponding to four different speed levels. We also particularly like the rubber grips on the bottom that keep things steady while in use and a cooling fan in the back to limit overheating.

The Hamilton Beach motor base standing on a white table.
The Hamilton Beach motor base standing on a white table.
A close-up of the front interface of the Hamilton Beach motor base.
A close-up of the power cord featuring a 2-plug in the underside of the Hamilton Beach 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.

10

Blending Cup

5.0
The Ninja BN 401 Nutri Pro spout lid
  • Material:
    Plastic
  • Capacity:
    NaN fl oz (NaN ml)
  • Weight:
    1 lb
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes
  • Measurement:
    Yes
  • Suitable For:
    Small and Medium batches
  • Accessories:
    Spout Lids

Our Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro came with two 24-oz blending cups. Both have the same excellent build quality and are designed to fit perfectly to the blade assembly. So far, we’ve experienced no leaks while blending. There are also two to-go lids with flip-top spouts included. They similarly screw on tightly and seal well, so we got no leakage even when we shook or turned the cups upside-down.

The Hamilton Beach blender cup standing on a table with dimension measurements written to the side (4x8.2x2.4 inches).The Hamilton Beach blender cup standing on a table with dimension measurements written to the side (4x8.2x2.4 inches).
  • 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.

Speed and Controls of the Ninja Auto iQ Blender

Speed and Controls of the Hamilton Beach 51101AV Personal Blender
Someone is measuring the noise level of the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro personal blender with the noise meter (101.2 dB).
  • Control Type:
    Twist
  • Min Speed:
    N/A
  • Max Speed:
    N/A
  • Presets:
    Yes
  • Noise Level:
    101 (db)
  • Digital Display:
    Yes
  • Pulse Mode:
    Yes

You’ll love this Ninja unless you prefer your blenders to be barebones machines. There aren't a lot of control buttons, but the four it has are enough to make this model feel more like a full-sized blender. After all, personal blenders typically have one speed and no control panel. The Ninja’s digital display showing blending time or a countdown is a significant departure. 

Of the four control buttons, two are for the Auto-iQ preset programs, with Crush and Smoothie labels. Once either of them is selected, your blender will start to blend and automatically stop when the program estimates the contents should have reached optimal consistency. Simply put, you don’t have to make your own predictions; the blender is programmed to do that for you instead. 

The remaining controls are Start/Stop and Pulse buttons. If you want continuous blending, press the Start/Stop button. To avoid chopping ingredients too finely, the Pulse function gives you greater control; use short presses for short pulses and long presses for long ones. 

This Ninja BN401’s personality reminds us of the Ninja BL480D Nutri, another product in the Ninja personal blender lineup that costs about $40 more. The two are broadly similar in capability, efficiency, and purpose, but we like the Ninja BN40 better. The Ninja BL480D Nutri doesn’t outperform its cheaper cousin to the degree that it’s worth the extra money.

Someone is measuring the noise level of the Hamilton Beach personal blender with the noise meter (98.8 dB).
  • 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.

Ninja Nutri Pro Compact Personal Blender Usability Review

Hamilton Beach Mini Personal Blender Usability Review: Too Much Problems
9.7
usability Scores
  • Hands-Free Operation (60%)10/10
  • Assembly (20%)9.5/10
  • Cleanability (20%)9.0/10
5.7
usability Scores
  • Hands-Free Operation (60%)4.6/10
  • Assembly (20%)6.0/10
  • Cleanability (20%)8.5/10
10

Hands-Free Operation

4.6

The Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro offers outstanding comfort since it doesn’t demand that you hold the cup in place throughout the blending process the way so many others do. The existence of a locking mechanism means you can take your hands off your blender while it’s operating.

That is not the only thing that dominates the blender’s ease of use, though. This Ninja turns out great results with no drama. It rarely, if ever, needs extra shaking or stirring to even out the blend. That's probably a result of the powerful motor and well-rounded blade assembly. 

The underside of the motor base has two silicone feet and three anti-slip plates to provide stability. Our blender stands and works steadily on any surface, so we didn’t need to hold it throughout the blending process—even at high speeds, it never tried to jump around the way some others did.

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.

9.5

Assembly

6.0

We’d award the Ninja BN401 a maximum score in this section if it demanded less force when locking and removing the cup from the motor base. Overall, though, assembling this blender is a breeze. 

First, you’ll need to seal the cup with the blade assembly, then turn it upside down and install it on the motor base by aligning the tabs on the cup with the slots on the base. The programs will illuminate and your blender will be ready for use once you lock the cup properly to the base. To do so, rotate it clockwise until you feel them click together. 

To remove the cup, turn it counterclockwise and lift it up. Note that you have to pull with quite a bit of force compared to other blenders we tested, so it may be tough to remove or lock when your hands are wet or oily.

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.

9.0

Cleanability

8.5

The cups, lids, and blade assembly are safe to put in the dishwasher, but we recommend hand-washing them. It’s very easy to do and will help preserve all the parts’ original quality.

Because no leakage occurred in the course of operation, it didn’t take much time or effort to wipe the motor base clean. The blade assembly, on the other hand, has many nooks, grooves, and crannies so it required much more care. For the blending cup, we thoroughly cleaned it under the tap with a soapy sponge. The cup’s wide opening gave us no difficulty getting our hands inside, so all the tailings rinsed off easily.

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.