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Ninja Nutri Pro Compact (BN401) vs. Ninja Nutri Auto-iQ 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%)8.8/10
- Design (25%)9.7/10
- Usability (15%)9.7/10
Although the Ninja BL480D Nutri boasts impressive features, we were left wanting more in terms of the texture and quality of the blends it produced, especially given its hefty price tag. While it was capable of creating protein shakes, blending leafy greens, liquefying frozen fruit, and crushing ice, we found that the Ninja BN401 slightly outperformed it in these areas yet being more budget-friendly.
For those who value compactness in their personal blenders, the bulkier design of the Ninja BL480D Nutri may not be ideal. Despite both models having the same 24-oz container capacity and Auto-IQ presets, the BN401 is somewhat more compact. It also boasts a more modern design which makes it far more appealing and exudes a sense of sophistication and style.
In conclusion, if you have to choose between these blenders, we highly recommend the Ninja BN401 Nutri Pro Compact over the Ninja BL480D Nutri.
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%)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



- 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: 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.
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 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.
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: 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.
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: 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.
Ninja Nutri Pro Personal Blender Design
- Blades (20%)9.5/10
- Build Quality (60%)9.5/10
- Blending Cup (20%)10/10
- Blades (20%)10/10
- Build Quality (60%)9.5/10
- 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
- Extractor blade
- Two blending cups
- Two to-go lids
- 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: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.
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 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.
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:Cross
- Guard Material:
- Blade Count:4 blades
- Removable:No
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The blade features 4 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.
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: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.
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: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.
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: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.
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%)10/10
- Assembly (20%)9.5/10
- Cleanability (20%)9.0/10
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.