Our recommendations are made independently through Research & Testing. We may receive commissions from purchases made via our links.
Ninja Nutri Pro Compact (BN401) vs. KOIOS Pro 850W Bullet Personal Blender Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (60%)9.4/10
- Design (25%)9.6/10
- Usability (15%)9.7/10
- Performance (60%)7.1/10
- Design (25%)8.3/10
- Usability (15%)7.3/10
The Ninja BN401 stands out as a top performer in the personal blender market, with advanced features and heavy-duty performance. Sporting a mighty 1000-watt motor and an upscale blade design, it proved to be excellent in all areas. It is also surprisingly fast, typically taking just one minute to create a perfect smoothie with frozen ingredients, while other personal blenders might need double the time.
On the other hand, the KOIOS Bullet is a budget-friendly option that offers adequate versatility and extra accessories. Although it may not have the same heavy-duty power as the Ninja BN401, it still delivers smooth results for most recipes, including frozen fruit smoothies and protein shakes. The only area where it falls short is crushing ice cubes.
Ultimately, your specific needs and budget will determine which of these blenders is the right choice for you.
Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Personal Blender Performance
- Protein Shake (40%)8.8/10
- Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)10/10
- Fibrous Greens (20%)9.5/10
- Crushed Ice Cubes (10%)10/10
- Protein Shake (40%)9.2/10
- Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)8.0/10
- Fibrous Greens (20%)5.0/10
- Crushed Ice Cubes (10%)0/10
Protein Shake
- 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.
- Blending Time: 56 seconds
- Result: Smooth
The KOIOS’s blade has a rotation speed that is fairly quick for the class so it shouldn’t be surprising that this blender can make a good breakfast or post-workout milkshake in a matter of seconds. Not to mention its high-powered motor and more-than-average number of blade prongs (more prongs means more food contact, and results in faster results).
In this test, it took less than 1 minute to break down and combine all the ingredients, which was faster than most. The powerful motor couldn’t quite remove all lumps from the protein shake, but only a few chunks remained unblended, so our drink was still pleasant to drink. Moreover, the residual solids didn’t affect the tasting experience much — they were so tiny that they didn’t bother us at all. If you want smoother results, consider the NutriBullet or the Ninja Fit, though.
Frozen Fruit Smoothie
- 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.
- Blending Time: 1 min 20 seconds
- Result: Silky Smooth
- Suction:
The KOIOS Bullet brought all the ingredients together for a great-tasting smoothie in one minute and twenty seconds. Of all the similarly-priced blenders we tested, it was the only one that could liquify frozen ingredients that quickly. Most were 20-40 seconds slower, such as the Black+Decker, but that can make a difference; frozen foods thaw quickly at room temperature, so the longer you blend, the more your smoothie will be diluted.
Simply put, the quicker performance of the KOIOS made for a thicker and more ice-cream-like smoothie. Chilly and fresh enough to quench our thirst, it also retained the texture that people look for in frozen fruit smoothies.
Fibrous Greens
- 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.
- Blending Time: 20 seconds
- Result: Very Coarse
We evaluated how well this blender handled fiber by blending kale, celery, spinach, and water for 20 seconds. The mixture came out grainy with a substantial amount of partially blended particles. Then, we drained it through a mesh strainer and examined the pulp. It looked like green sand with a moderately coarse consistency. We didn't taste the mixture prior to draining, but this coarseness, together with the volume of pulp, meant this blender failed to extract most of the flavor from the greens.
We can’t say for sure if more blending time would improve the final result, but can conclusively say that 20 seconds worth of blending is not enough. By comparison, the Ninja Fit did the same job much better, leaving behind a significantly smaller amount of visible flakes.
Our conclusion is that the KOIOS is just mediocre for blending leafy veggies. If you want to avoid leafy chunks in a quick high-fiber beverage, this is not the blender for you.
Crushed Ice Cubes
- 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!
- Ice Fineness: Coarse
- Unblended Ice: 77% of 6 oz
In this test, its performance was lackluster. The machine itself is incapable of crushing ice cubes. In fact, attempting to do so is not a good idea; the heavy-duty task can take a toll on your device and impair its performance in more ordinary blends.
Ninja Nutri Pro Personal Blender Design
- Blades (20%)9.5/10
- Build Quality (60%)9.5/10
- Blending Cup (20%)10/10
- Blades (20%)7.5/10
- Build Quality (60%)8.0/10
- Blending Cup (20%)10/10
In the Box
- Motor base
- Blade assembly
- Two 24-oz blending cups
- Two spout lids
- Recipe book & user guide
- Motor Base
- Two Blade Assemblies
- Four Lids
- Cleaning Brush
- Three Blending Cups
- Recipe book & user guide
Dimensions
- 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.
- Height:12.2" (31.0 cm)
- Width:5.5" (14.0 cm)
- Weight:2.9 oz (82 g)
- Shaft Length:
The KOIOS Bullet’s dimensions are about as standard as they come. At 12 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide, it is a typical size for a personal blender and can easily tuck away in your cabinet. Mobility is also very practical thanks to its compact form.
Build Quality
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.
Build quality is moderate, with a body mostly made of plastic. The stainless steel blades look promising in terms of durability and capability while the motor base is rather flimsy. However, despite that, this blender stands very firmly during operation. It doesn’t jump around while handling solid foods like most mid-range counterparts such as the Magic Bullet.
We like the metal surface on the front of the motor base. It gives our blender a more attractive appearance and better quality feel. After a couple of months in the lab, this surface still retains its original shine — even after the occasional cleaning with a metal scouring pad.
Blades
- 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.
- Material:Stainless Steel
- Type:Flat and Cross
- Guard Material:
- Blade Count:(Flat) 2 blades, (Cross) 4 blades
- Removable:Yes
- Dishwasher Safe:No
The KOIOS Bullet comes with two extractor blades: one is flat and the other shaped like a cross.
The flat blade has two dull prongs tilted slightly upwards and is only compatible with the short blending cup. We haven’t performed any tests on it, but believe this add-on will be handy for grinding hard ingredients like coffee beans, raw nuts, and whole grains. The blender’s mighty motor and consistent performance suggest it should be able to handle such ingredients.
Most of your blended treats will be best served by the cross blade. With six sharp prongs, it contacts more food at any given moment, resulting in finer outcomes and faster blending times. That being said, it looks less sturdy than some models (particularly the Ninja Fit). More prongs also means you’ll have more nooks and crannies to weave in and out of when it comes to cleaning.
Nutri Ninja Pro Blender 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.
- Rated Voltage:120 V
- Rated Power:850 Watt
- Working Time:≤ 1 minute
- Protection:No
- Weight:2.4 lbs (1.1 kg)
- Cord Length:4.1 ft (1.2 m)
- Extra Feature:suction feet, ventilation holes
The main housing of the KOIOS Bullet is made from medium-grade plastic, except for the front surface. It is a little smaller than other personal blenders, but could surprisingly tackle our tests without slipping or rocking around on the counter thanks to the four rubber feet at the bottom.
Most models around this price cannot run continuously for more than one minute because the motor can overheat. The KOIOS Bullet is not an exception despite the fact that it’s equipped with many ventilation holes for better heat dissipation. If your drinks demand a longer blending time, make sure you let your machine cool down for 20-30 seconds after each 1-minute interval.
Blending Cup
- 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.
- Material:Plastic
- Capacity:10 oz, 17 oz, and 17 oz
- Weight:0.2 lb, 0.23 lb, and 0.34 lb
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
- Measurement:No
- Suitable For:Small batches
- Accessories:two spout lids, one flat-top lid, one sieve lid
In this set, there are two tall cups (17 oz) for blending watery mixtures and a short cup (10 oz) for grinding solid ingredients. The tall cups can be sealed tightly by either a flat-top lid or spout lid if you want to enjoy your drink on the go. And the short cup’s distinctive design looks lovely. It features a flat foot for increased stability and is particularly compatible with the sieve lid so you can use it as a shaker for ground spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, cocoa flour, ground coffee beans, or whatever seasonings you need.
Speed and Controls of the Ninja Auto iQ Blender
- 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.
- Control Type:Push
- Min Speed:N/A
- Max Speed:N/A
- Presets:No
- Noise Level:97 dB
- Digital Display:No
- Pulse Mode:No
Like many personal blenders, the KOIOS offers only one speed option but doesn’t have buttons or any sort of controls. To blend, you simply press the cup down into the base, then hold it continuously until your smoothie is ready. The operating method is so simple that you may not need any practice. It’s easy to get comfortable with this blender.
Ninja Nutri Pro Compact Personal Blender Usability Review
- Hands-Free Operation (60%)10/10
- Assembly (20%)9.5/10
- Cleanability (20%)9.0/10
- Hands-Free Operation (60%)5.7/10
- Assembly (20%)10/10
- Cleanability (20%)9.5/10
Hands-Free Operation
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.
You can’t walk away while the KOIOS Bullet does its job the way you might with a full-sized blender. It requires you to keep a hand on it the whole time. Plus, you may occasionally need to pause to remove the cup and give it a thorough shake.
Particularly in the smoothie test, frozen fruits got stuck under the blade and jammed it up. To even out the blend, we had to shake the cup after every 20 blending seconds. It gave us a good smoothie in 1 minute 20 seconds worth of runtime, so the process demanded four intervals total. Reviewers make a fuss about the repeated delays, but they’re a common occurrence among personal-size blenders. As long as you’re willing to spend an extra minute or two in the kitchen, it shouldn’t be a big deal.
Assembly
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.
Setting up this blender is a breeze. After twisting the blade assembly onto the cup, you’ll need to flip the cup over and place it securely onto the motor base, aligning the cup’s protrusions with the grooves inside the motor base. To start blending, gently push the cup down as long as you desire. Once finished, release the cup from the motor base and unscrew the blade assembly.
Cleanability
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.
Of all the blenders we tested, the KOIOS is the only one with a blade that can be separated from its plastic base. It goes without saying, this can be a life-saver, especially since the blade assembly is not dishwasher safe.
To remove the blade attachment from the base, push the blade gear forward until it falls out. Note that these two pieces screw very tightly together through a white gasket ring so you'll have to apply a significant force, which can be a challenge if your hands are weak or in pain.
Once you’ve separated the blade attachment, plastic base, and gasket ring, they can be washed off easily with soapy water. The only parts that are tricky to clean are the blade’s undersides, but the included small brush will make life easier on you.
The other pieces, including the lids and blending cups, can be put in the dishwasher. For manual cleaning, just rinse them with soapy water.