Ninja Auto-iQ BL480D Blender Review

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The Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ comes from a long line of blenders designed specifically for making healthy, nutritious recipes. If you’re interested in an entry-level priced blender perfect for fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients, this may be a perfect choice.

This Ninja blender uses Auto-iQ technology which makes the most of unique timed pulsing, blending, and pausing programs to make your blending experience smoother. It has a digital countdown timer that shows how much time you have left with a select Auto-iQ preset, or it displays how long you’ve been running any of the manual speeds.

According to the manufacturer, the preset speed modes were designed to reduce the burden of blending and provide consistent and delicious drinks.

With its motor powering Nutri Ninja Pro Extractor Blades, the blender pulverizes fruits, vegetables, seeds, and ice to extract all the nutrients & vitamins. This article will review the Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ 1000W blender in some detail.

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Quick Overview

Included in the Box
  • 1000-Watt Base with Auto-iQ;
  • 18 oz. Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup;
  • 24 oz. Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup;
  • 32 oz. Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup;
  • Spout Lids;
  • 30-Recipe Inspiration Guide;
  • Instruction Book;
  • Quick Start Guide.
Product Code
  • Ninja - BL480D
Product Dimensions
  • Height: 15.5 in.
  • Width: 6.0 in.
  • Length: 6.0 in.
  • Weight: 5.6 lbs.
Colors Available
  • Black
Blender Base & Technology

Motor

  • The Nutri Ninja Auto-IQ blender comes with a power base that houses a 1000w motor.
Containers
  • 18 oz. Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup;
  • 24 oz. Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup;
  • 32 oz. Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup;
  • Made from sturdy BPA-free materials;
  • Dishwasher safe.
Blades
  • Their motor runs a four-pronged stainless-steel blade.

  • The blade is very sharp, so handle with care to avoid injury.

Plug
  • US/Canadian configured polarized plug.
  • 13 amps, 120 volts.
Care & Cleaning

Container

  • You could easily clean the blender after each use with some water and liquid detergent.
  • The containers are easy to wash and are dishwasher safe.

Blender Base

  • Use a damp cloth to clean the motor base.
Warranty
  • 1-year Limited Warranty.
Manufacturer
  • Nutri Ninja (SharkNinja Operating LLC) - China.
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Product Dimensions

  • Assembled Product Weight: 5.6 pounds.
  • Assembled Product Dimensions (L * W * H): 6.0*6.0*15.5 inches.

Functionality

The Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ is not really a versatile blender, but it functions almost perfectly. To get started, you simply fill any of the blender cups with your ingredients without overfilling the container. You could use any of Auto-iQ’s recipes so that you could try any of them.

Screw the pro extractor blades onto the cup till it’s tight enough. Then you put the plastic tabs on the cup with those on the blender base and lock them into place. When it fits perfectly, the unit will come on, and the display will show a ‘0’.

There are two Auto-iQ settings to select from; the Auto-iQ Blend and the Auto-iQ Ultra Blend. These settings take care of ingredients like nuts, vegetables, fruits, ice, and frozen berries.

RELATED: Check out our roundup of The 5 Best Ninja Blenders in 2021.

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Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ BL480 - Controls
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Controls

This unit has a simple control system with very few buttons. Two buttons control the Auto-iQ Blend and Auto-iQ Ultra Blend settings. The Ultra Blend setting is perfect for tough ingredients, while the Blend setting is ideal for softer ingredients.

Ninja’s Ultra Blend setting is a 60-seconds cycle of blending, pulsing, and pausing. There is a brief pause to let heavier contents fall to the extractor blades before the blending process begins again. It helps with getting a consistent, smooth texture.

The Start/Stop button gives full control when you’re trying to blend manually. However, if you’re more interested in salsa or sauces, a Pulse feature is perfect for that.

When you’re done operating the blender, you twist the cup in the direction that loosens it from the blender’s base.

Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ BL480 - Motor
IMAGE CREDIT: AMAZON.COM

Motor and Blade

Motor

The Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ blender comes with a power base that houses a 1000W motor. The base is quite large with a plastic and stainless steel build. Despite the motor’s power, it is not too noisy. 1000 watts of power is more than enough for the blender to take care of the kind of recipes the blender is designed for.

Blade

Their motor runs a four-pronged stainless steel blade. The blade is very sharp, so handle with care to avoid injury. Ninja Auto-iQ blades are designed to fit the cups as a lid, and according to customer reviews, the blade assembly is made of cheap plastic that’s not durable.
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Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ BL480 - Container
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Container and Accessories

This unit comes with an 18 oz Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup, 24 oz Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup, 32 oz Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup, and two Sprout Lids. They are made from sturdy BPA-free materials and are dishwasher safe. Also, this unit does not come with a lot of accessories apart from a 30-Recipe Inspiration Guide.

The cups are designed to fit perfectly in your hand, so they are great if you want to enjoy your drinks on the go. Sprout lids make it very convenient to sip from the cups without taking off the lid entirely.

Care and Cleaning

The Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ BL480D has a few removable parts that are made mostly of plastic. You’ll find it very easy to take care of the containers and powerbase. There are very few corners for dirt to hide, and you could easily clean the blender after each use with some water and liquid detergent.

Also, the containers are easy to wash and are dishwasher safe, and you can use a damp cloth to clean the motor base. The most difficulty with cleaning this unit is that you’ll have to clean the Gasket Ring regularly.

Warranty and Replacements

This unit is covered by a 1-year Warranty. The warranty is limited to covering only the cost of repair or replacement of the unit. However, it covers only manufacturing defects and you’ll have to bear the cost of return shipments.

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Set Inclusions

The Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ blender set includes:

  • 1000-Watt Base with Auto-iQ;
  • 18 oz. Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup;
  • 24 oz. Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup;
  • 32 oz. Tritan Nutri Ninja Cup;
  • Spout Lids;
  • 30-Recipe Inspiration Guide;
  • Instruction Book;
  • Quick Start Guide.

RELATED: Looking for an alternative to the Nutri Ninja Auto-IQ blender? Check out our review of  The Best Single-Serve Blenders in 2022.

Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ: Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Simple control interface.
  • Innovative spout lids.
  • Easy to clean, thanks to its basic design.
  • Capable of pulverizing ice and other frozen ingredients.
  • Comes with a powerful 1000-watt motor.
  • Very affordable.

Cons

  • Blade lid gets stuck after a while because of heat from blending.
  • The overall build is not made from highly durable materials.
  • The Auto-iQ Ultra Blend setting might give you a warm cup of smoothie.
  • Cups are not insulated unlike other blenders, so they don’t retain their temperature.
  • The gasket ring needs to be cleaned all the time, or the blender would have a foul odor.
  • Plastic tabs that lock the cup securely into place tend to wear down over a period of repetitive use.
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Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ: FAQ

How loud is the Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ?
  • Depending on what you’re blending and the top you’ve placed your blender on, the Nutri Ninja can be very loud that you may have to leave the room or use ear protection.

Can the Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ blend frozen fruit with little liquid?
  • Yes, it can, but it would be like a thick paste.
Can the Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ blend flour?
  • No, this unit is not a good choice for blending flour.
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Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ: Final Thoughts

The Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ BL480D is the best among personal blenders, but it is a great unit to have nonetheless. It is effortless to operate and take care of, apart from the fact you’ll have to clean the gasket ring regularly and replace the cups after some time. There are other options available on the markets, but you’ll get a lot of value from this blender.

Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ BL480
Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ BL480D

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