Ninja BL610 vs BN701: Which 72-oz Ninja Blender to Buy

Ninja BL610 vs BN701 compared from manuals and lab data: 1,000 W vs 1,200 W, presets vs manual speeds, ice, nut butter, cleaning and owner complaints.

By Maksud · Published Oct 4, 2026

In the Ninja BL610 vs BN701 choice, the plain BL610 is enough for most people: Ninja’s manuals give it the same 72-oz pitcher, removable stacked blade and 1-year limited warranty as the BN701. The BN701 adds 200 rated watts (1,200 W vs 1,000 W) and three Auto-iQ presets, and TechGearLab scored it 68 to the BL610’s 63. Buy the BN701 if presets matter and the price gap is small.

This Ninja Professional vs Professional Plus comparison draws on each model’s owner’s guide plus TechGearLab, CNET and America’s Test Kitchen.

Who each Ninja blender suits

• Ninja BL610: for someone who wants four simple buttons, mostly crushes ice and finds it at the lower price on the day.
• Ninja BN701: for someone who wants timed presets that stop on their own, and slightly better TechGearLab smoothie and frozen-drink scores.

Price doesn’t reliably separate them. On Oct 4, 2026, CNET’s page showed the BL610 at $90 at Amazon and America’s Test Kitchen’s page showed the BN701 at $90 at Amazon. Check both before assuming the BN701 costs more.

Ninja BL610 vs BN701 specs and lab scores side by side

Three caveats. Amazon and Walmart listing titles advertise “1400 Peak Watts” for the BN701, which is not the figure on the manual’s rating line. TechGearLab is the only outlet that scored both models; CNET covered only the BL610 and America’s Test Kitchen only the BN701. And the two decibel figures come from different testers; CNET’s BL610 card says “on medium” while its method section says each unit ran on high, so they can’t be compared directly.

Ninja 1000W vs 1200W: the rated watts and the “1,400 peak watts” figure

The 2014 edition of the BL610 owner’s guide lists “Power: 1000 Watts” at 120 V, 60 Hz. The BN700 Series owner’s guide, which covers the BN701, lists “Power: 1200 Watts” and notes that the maximum wattage rating is based on the stacked blade and pitcher configuration. A newer 2020 BL610 guide exists, per teklib’s index, and it still gives the same 15-minute overheat reset.

The “1400 Peak Watts” in the BN701’s Amazon and Walmart listing titles is a different, higher number that neither manual uses. America’s Test Kitchen and TechGearLab both list the BN701 at 1,200 W. TechGearLab also lists peak horsepower at 1.3 HP for the BL610 and 1.9 HP for the BN701. What watts do and don’t predict is covered in blender wattage explained.

Is Ninja Auto-iQ worth it? What the presets actually do

Auto-iQ is worth it only if you want the blender to run and stop on its own. Per the BN700 guide, the Smoothie, Ice Crush and Ice Cream programs “combine unique blending and pausing patterns” and stop automatically. Low, Medium and High each run continuously for 60 seconds, and the guide notes the “Ice Cream program is not available on all models.”

The BL610 guide lists Low, Medium, High and Pulse, with no presets and no stated timer. TechGearLab scored controls 8.0 for the BN701 against 7.0 for the BL610. America’s Test Kitchen said the BN701 had useful, intuitive settings and preset options. CNET called the BL610’s features simple and pointed buyers who want advanced settings to pricier blenders.

Ice, smoothies and nut butter: what independent reviewers found

On TechGearLab’s single protocol, the BN701 edged the BL610 on smoothies (6.0 vs 5.5) and frozen drinks (7.5 vs 7.0), while the BL610 edged it on purée (6.0 vs 5.8). In its BN701 review, TechGearLab said the BN701 produces crushed ice in 60 seconds and that pulsing on Ice Crush turned ice into “a soft, uniform powder.” It also says the BN701 cannot heat soup while puréeing.

CNET reported that the BL610 crushed four cups of ice in 7 seconds on high with no chunks, blended ice without added water, and turned three cups of almonds into nut butter, though that took just over 4 minutes. America’s Test Kitchen found BN701 smoothies a touch more frothy and fibrous than its top picks’, reported perfect mayo, and said its almond butter came out slightly gritty, with the butter and machine quite hot by the end.

Nut butter is where sources pull in different directions. TechGearLab gave the BL610 a 9 and the BN701 an 8 for nut butter taste and called the BL610 “shockingly good” at it, yet lists slower nut butter as a BL610 con. For the BN701, it said nut butter needed stirring with a spoon between blends and a good amount of oil.

Cleaning: dishwasher rules for the pitcher, lid and blade

Both guides call the pitcher, lid and blade dishwasher safe, with conditions. The 2014 BL610 guide recommends the top rack for the lid and blade and says the blade must come out of the pitcher first. The BN700 guide says to put the lid, container and blade on the top rack “ONLY”, with the blade removed from the container.

TechGearLab scored cleaning 7.6 for the BL610 and 7.9 for the BN701. Its buying guide says both tend to collect gunk in hard-to-reach areas and that pulling the central blade stack out “can feel precarious.” CNET named the BL610 its easiest blender to clean, crediting the removable blade. More detail is in is a blender jar dishwasher safe and how to clean a blender.

Loose stacked blades, hot liquids and the overheat reset

Neither blender is for hot soup. The BL610 guide says “DO NOT BLEND HOT LIQUIDS.” The BN700 guide says not to blend hot or carbonated liquids because doing so “may result in pressure buildup and steam exposure that can pose a risk of the user being burned.” See can you put hot liquid in a blender.

The BN700 guide also says the stacked blade “is NOT locked in place” in the pitcher. ATK reported the BN701’s blade sometimes fell out when pouring smoothies. CPSC recall 16-034 (Nov. 12, 2015) covered 12 sibling models starting BL660, BL663 and BL665 for pouring or inverting the pitcher with the lid off and the loose blade inside.

That recall cites 53 laceration reports and about 1.1 million units sold in the US. The BL610 and BN701 are not on it; blender recall check shows how to confirm a model.

If the motor overheats, the BL610 guide says to unplug it and let it cool for about 15 minutes. The BN700 guide (2022 edition) gives two figures: about 30 minutes in its safety instructions and about 15 minutes in its motor-reset steps. A burning smell is covered in blender smells like burning.

BL610 and BN701 owner complaints: lids, pitchers, noise and cords

For the BL610, Amazon’s review summary mentions lids breaking within months. TechGearLab lists a short power cord and slower smoothies and nut butter as cons. CNET warns that the removable blade is sharp.

For the BN701, Amazon’s review summary mentions pitchers cracking within a year. TechGearLab’s cons are “Loud, subpar grinding.” ATK disliked the suction-cup feet and the specific way the lid and jar have to be oriented. The cord isn’t longer either: TechGearLab lists it at 2.5 ft, against 2.8 ft for the BL610.

Both guides say a light flashes and the motor won’t run if the pitcher and lid aren’t installed correctly. That’s covered in Ninja blender blinking lights and blender won’t turn on.

BL610 or BN701: the pick by buyer

Buy the BL610 if you want simple manual control, mostly crush ice and it’s the cheaper of the two that day. Buy the BN701 if presets that stop on their own matter to you, given its slightly higher TechGearLab smoothie and frozen-drink scores. If the BN701 is the same price or cheaper, the BL610’s main edges are its simpler controls and slightly longer cord.

Neither one heats soup, and reviewers needed extra time or stirring for nut butter in both. For that, see Vitamix 5200 vs Ninja BN701. For a cross-brand option, see NutriBullet NBF50500 vs Ninja BN701. Both models’ ranks are in the best blenders.

This page is built from Ninja’s owner’s guides, TechGearLab, CNET, America’s Test Kitchen and the CPSC. Nothing was tested hands-on; see how we research.

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