Ninja BN601 vs. NF701: A Masterclass in Kitchen Prep Efficiency

Walk into any busy kitchen during the 6:00 PM rush, and you will hear a familiar sound: the rhythmic, exhausting thump-thump-thump of a chef’s knife hitting a wooden board. For years, I took pride in that sound. I believed that manual prep was a rite of passage for anyone serious about cooking. But then came the night I had to hand-slice five pounds of potatoes for a gratin and finely dice a mountain of onions for a slow-cooker stew. My wrist gave out long before the vegetables did. That was the day I realized that a high-tier food processor isn’t a “cheat code”—it’s essential infrastructure.

In the world of Ninja appliances, two heavyweights currently dominate the conversation: the Ninja Professional Plus (BN601) and the Ninja Professional XL (NF701). On paper, they both promise to liberate you from the cutting board. In practice, however, they offer two very different experiences. One is a refined, surgical tool for the daily cook; the other is a high-capacity industrial powerhouse designed for those who treat their kitchen like a production line.

Having lived with both of these machines on my counter, I’ve navigated the nuances of their motor torque, the frustration of their feed chutes, and the satisfaction of a perfectly kneaded dough ball. If you are trying to decide which of these silver-and-black beasts deserves your counter space, let’s look past the marketing fluff and get into the mechanical reality.

Key Difference: Ninja BN601 vs. NF701 Professional Blender

If you only have a moment to spare before your next meal prep session, here is the fundamental split between these two models:

The Ninja BN601 is the “standard” high-end model. It features a 9-cup bowl and a 1000-peak-watt motor. It is designed for the typical family of four, focusing on compact efficiency and the core “big four” tasks: chopping, slicing, pureeing, and dough. It uses a standard-sized feed chute, meaning you will still be doing a bit of “prep before the prep” to make sure your veggies fit.

The Ninja NF701 is the “Professional XL” upgrade. It jumps to a massive 12-cup bowl and a 1200-peak-watt motor. The defining upgrade here is the XL Feed Chute with a 3-part pusher, which allows you to process whole fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, while the BN601 offers a fixed slicing thickness, the NF701 introduces an adjustable slicing disc, giving you gourmet control over the thickness of your ingredients from paper-thin to hearty chunks.

Comparison Table: Ninja BN601 vs. NF701 Professional Grade Blender

Feature	Ninja Professional Plus (BN601)	Ninja Professional XL (NF701)
Motor Peak Power	1000 Watts	1200 Watts
Bowl Capacity	9 Cups	12 Cups
Feed Chute Style	Standard (Requires Pre-cutting)	XL (3-Part Pusher, No Pre-cutting)
Auto-iQ Programs	4 (Chop, Slice, Puree, Dough)	4 (Chop, Slice/Shred, Puree, Dough)
Slicing Control	Fixed (Single Disc)	Adjustable (Thin to Thick)
Shredding Control	Single Shredding Disc	Reversible (Fine & Coarse)
Blade System	Precision Triple Blade	Quad-Blade (Chop Blade)
Height	16.02 Inches	17.5 Inches
Width	9.88 Inches	10.7 Inches
Depth	7.76 Inches	8.7 Inches
View Current Price on Amazon	View on Amazon	View on Amazon

Detailed Comparative Review: My Hands-On Experience

Design and Countertop Presence: The Size of Ambition

When I first unboxed the BN601, I was impressed by how much Ninja managed to pack into a relatively slim profile. It stands just over 16 inches tall. In my kitchen, which has standard-height upper cabinets, the BN601 fit perfectly. I could slide it back against the backsplash when it wasn’t in use, and I still had room to breathe. The silver finish is sleek, and the buttons are large and tactile. It feels like an appliance designed for someone who actually uses their kitchen every single day.

Moving to the NF701 was a different story. This machine is a unit. It is nearly 18 inches tall and significantly wider. When I placed it on my counter, it demanded respect—and space. If you have a small apartment kitchen or limited counter “real estate,” the NF701 might feel like it’s taking over. However, that extra size translates to stability. When I was running a heavy 1200-watt load, the NF701 stayed absolutely rooted to the spot. It didn’t “walk” across the counter, thanks to its heavier base and more aggressive suction feet.

Ease of Use: The “Prep-Before-The-Prep” Factor

This is where the real-world difference between these two machines became clear to me.

With the BN601, the feed chute is standard. If I wanted to slice a cucumber, I was fine. But if I wanted to slice a large Russet potato or a block of Sharp Cheddar cheese, I had to take out a knife, cut the ingredient into a rectangle that fit the chute, and then use the processor. It felt like I was doing double work.

The NF701 solves this with its XL Feed Chute. This was a revelation. I could take an entire medium-sized potato or a whole tomato and drop it in. The 3-part pusher is a stroke of genius. If you’re processing a single carrot, you use the smallest innermost pusher so the carrot stays vertical and doesn’t flop over. If you’re doing a whole block of cheese, you use the full-width opening. The amount of time I saved on not pre-chopping my vegetables was significant.

User Task	BN601 Experience	NF701 Experience
Slicing Onions	Had to halve the onions first.	Dropped whole medium onions in.
Shredding Cheese	Required cutting the block into “fingers.”	Shredded a 1lb block in seconds.
Dough Kneading	Sturdy, but motor sounded “strained.”	Effortless; handled heavy gluten with ease.

Functions and Versatility: Precision vs. Power

Both machines feature Ninja’s Auto-iQ technology. If you haven’t used this before, it’s essentially a “set-it-and-forget-it” system. When I hit the “Dough” button on either machine, it doesn’t just spin. It pulses, then runs, then pauses. This rhythm is designed to let the dough settle and ensure even hydration.

However, the NF701 offers a level of culinary precision that the BN601 simply cannot match. The Adjustable Slicing Disc is the star of the show. On the BN601, your slices are one thickness—take it or leave it. On the NF701, I could dial in a “level 1” for translucent potato chips and then switch to a “level 5” for thick slices of bell peppers for a stir-fry.

Furthermore, the NF701 uses a Quad-Blade for chopping. Instead of just two blades at the bottom, it has four blades at different heights. This means that when the 12-cup bowl is packed with parsley or onions, the top layer gets chopped at the same time as the bottom layer. In the BN601, I sometimes had to stop and scrape the sides to ensure the top pieces moved down to the blades.

Maintenance: The Cleanup Reality

Ninja claims everything is dishwasher safe, and in my experience, that’s true—with a caveat.

The BN601 is easier to clean by hand. The bowl is smaller, the blades are simpler, and the feed chute is just one hollow tube. I could get a sponge in there and be done in a minute.

The NF701, because of its “XL” features, has more “nooks and crannies.” The 3-part pusher consists of three separate pieces of plastic that nest together. If you’re shredding cheese, little bits of cheddar can get stuck in the nesting seams. The adjustable slicing disc also has a mechanical internal part that requires a bit more rinsing to ensure no food is trapped. I found myself relying on the dishwasher much more with the NF701 because it was a bit more tedious to scrub by hand.

Ninja Professional Plus (BN601) Blender

Pros:

• Space-Efficient: Fits under standard cabinets without looking bulky.
• Price Point: Much more accessible for a casual home cook.
• Precision Blades: Excellent for smaller batches of hummus or pesto.
• Simplicity: No learning curve; it’s a pure, powerful workhorse.

Cons:

• Fixed Thickness: You have zero control over how thick your slices are.
• Pre-Cutting Required: The smaller chute means you’re still using your knife.
• Capacity Limit: 9 cups can fill up surprisingly fast during meal prep.

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Ninja Professional XL (NF701) Blender

Pros:

• Raw Power: 1200 watts handles the heaviest doughs and toughest root veggies.
• True XL Chute: Eliminates the need to pre-cut ingredients.
• Adjustable Slicing: Gourmet control over your food’s texture.
• 12-Cup Capacity: You can prep a whole week’s worth of veggies in one go.
• Quad-Blade Tech: Superior consistency in large batches.

Cons:

• Massive Footprint: It’s a tall, wide machine that needs a dedicated spot.
• Complexity: More parts to wash and keep track of.
• Overkill for Small Tasks: If you’re just chopping one onion, the 12-cup bowl feels cavernous.

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The “Lifestyle Fit”: Which One Are You?

As I switched between these two, I realized that the “best” machine depends entirely on how you shop and cook.

The BN601 is for the “Efficiency Seeker.” If your goal is to get a healthy dinner on the table for your family and then clear the counter so you can see your kitchen again, this is your machine. It handles the “Big Four” tasks perfectly. It’s the blender equivalent of a reliable sedan—it’s not flashy, but it gets the job done every single morning.

The NF701 is for the “Culinary Architect.” If you spend your Sundays meal-prepping for the entire week, if you regularly host large dinner parties, or if you are an avid baker who makes multiple loaves of bread, the NF701 is a game-changer. The time saved by the XL chute and the versatility of the adjustable disc makes it feel like you have a sous-chef in the kitchen.

Final Thoughts and My Personal Recommendation

If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said the 9-cup BN601 is all anyone needs. And for 80% of people, that remains true. It is a fantastic, durable, and powerful machine that outperforms processors twice its price.

However, after experiencing the NF701, it’s hard to go back. There is a psychological hurdle to food processing: the “is it worth the cleanup?” question. By adding the XL chute, the NF701 removes the other hurdle: the “is it worth the pre-cutting?” question. When I can take a whole bell pepper, pull out the stem, and drop it into the machine without ever touching a chef’s knife, that is when a food processor truly begins to pay for itself in saved time.

My Recommendation: * If you have the cabinet height and the counter space, buy the Ninja NF701. The adjustable slicing disc and the XL chute transform it from a “tool” into an “experience.”

• If you have a small kitchen or a tighter budget, the BN601 is still the best 9-cup processor on the market. You won’t be disappointed by its power; you’ll just have to keep your chef’s knife handy for the big potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the 1200-watt motor significantly louder than the 1000-watt one?

Strangely, no. While the NF701 is technically more powerful, the motor housing is larger and better dampened. It has a deeper, more industrial “growl” compared to the slightly higher-pitched “whir” of the BN601. Both are loud, but the NF701 feels more “solid.”

2. Can I make nut butter in the Ninja processors?

Yes, but with a warning. Because these bowls are wide, you need a high volume of nuts (at least 3-4 cups) to ensure the blades can catch the ingredients. If you try to make a small jar of peanut butter, the nuts will just spin around the edges. For nut butter, the 12-cup NF701 actually requires more ingredients than the 9-cup BN601 to get a smooth result.

3. Do the suction feet actually work?

They work almost too well. On my granite countertop, I actually have to “peel” the machine off. This is a safety feature; at 1200 watts, you do not want this machine shifting while the blades are spinning at thousands of RPMs.

4. Can the BN601 dough blade handle sourdough?

Sourdough is a very “sticky” and heavy dough. While the BN601 can handle it, I found the 1000-watt motor gets quite warm during a 60-second knead. If you are a frequent bread maker, the 1200-watt NF701 is a much safer bet for the long-term health of the motor.

5. Are the blades sharp enough to cut through frozen meat?

Ninja’s “Precision Blades” are incredibly sharp. You can certainly pulse partially frozen cubes of beef or chicken to make your own ground meat. I found the NF701’s Quad-Blade to be superior for this task, as it produces a more uniform “grind” than the two-blade system in the BN601.