If there’s one kitchen item we’d struggle to live without, it’d be one of the best hand blenders. Our guide highlights top-performing options that are functional, versatile, and allow you to create a range of dishes. Plus, we’ve answered common questions you may have on your shopping journey.
When it comes to cooking, the best hand blenders, or immersion blenders as they are otherwise called can help you conquer kitchen tasks with ease—helping you to make everything from soups to sauces. Both functional and streamlined, they have the capacity to do so many technical cooking tasks—which is why you need to make sure you have one in your arsenal.
While the best blenders are a handy kitchen staple, the best hand blenders—also commonly known as immersion or stick blenders—can do almost anything they can do - but in a neater, more compact, and easier to use form. Like regular blenders, stick blenders can help you to puree sauces, soups, smoothies and dressings, as well as blending chunkier foods. But with hand blenders, there's no need to transport your food out of its pan to blend - giving you a more streamlined food prep process.
How we tested the best hand blenders
When testing the below stick blenders, we examined some key features to ensure that you are purchasing the right machine for you and your kitchen. We looked at a range of features on each of the best hand blenders, to help you understand which one would work best for your home. They included:
- Ease of use: We tested the blenders on how simple they were to use - including how easy the buttons were to press, and whether they had non-slip rubber handles - which are much more comfortable to hold and can help prevent accidents.
- Design: A hand blender should be compact, portable, easy to clean, stylish and dishwasher friendly - without sacrificing functionality and convenience. We tested each hand blender for this criteria.
- Efficiency: Arguably the most important thing we tested these hand blenders for is how well they work. To do this we used them in our own kitchens to examine how well they blended our food to our preferences, depending on the recipe.
- Additional attachments and accessories: Additional attachments minimize the need for extra appliances. It’s good to know whether your device also has accessories that allow for chopping, processing, whisking, or frothing, if that's what you are after.
- Value-for-money: You don't want to pay over the odds for your blender - but quality is important. We examined whether some of the more expensive models here were really worth splashing the extra cash on, or whether you'd get just as good an experience from more affordable models.
How to pick the best hand blender for you
The best hand blenders are supposed to be portable, light and easy to use, while also being powerful. If a hand blender is too heavy it’ll not only make your arm ache but also be trickier to maneuver.
Pay attention to the size of the blender—if the handle is too chunky you’ll find it harder to grip, while the end that actually blends the food (known as the guard over the blade) shouldn’t be too wide or it’ll be difficult to fit inside small bowls and jugs to blend effectively. It can also help to consider whether you want a corded or cordless hand blender. There are pros and cons to both options. Cords provide consistent power, while cordless models don’t get tangled and reduce the odds of things being knocked over. It all boils down to what you personally prefer.
Hand blenders tend to have one or two power buttons built into the handle—a sensible position for easy use. Ideally, you’d be able to pick up the blender to see how it feels in your hand but, if you’re buying online, be wary of too many buttons and where they’re positioned—too far from the top of the handle is a no-no. Another feature to look out for is a rubber grip on the handle, which can make blending much more comfortable.
If you're wondering how to clean a blender, it's also worth noting that hand blenders are usually much easier cleaned than regular blenders - given that they're often smaller and have less attachments.
The best hand blenders as tested by our experts
The Desire 3-in-1 Hand Blender streamlines the cooking process by eliminating the need for endless appliances.
This 500W hand blender spins at 12,000rpm, so its stainless-steel blades have no problem crushing ice in seconds. It has two speeds, comes with a mini chopper, whisk and a 700ml beaker, plus a detachable blending arm—a handy feature. Its versatility will save you both storage space and time, equalling convenience and delicious culinary creations. We also like that it’s black, rather than the more common white and metal finishes, making it slightly more sleek. Plus, the detachable parts are all dishwasher safe - just pop them, sit back, and relax.
As well as being nice and powerful, we love that this design has six speeds rather than the more common two, meaning it’s easier to keep SOME texture in your food if you don’t want everything blitzed to a pulp. It’s a no-frills option, as there are no attachments, but what it lacks in extras it more than makes up for in power and professional good looks. Shoppers love its innovative quality and durable design, great value for the price, and simple-to-use functionality (and it's incredibly easy to clean!). Simply put, the George at Asda Stainless Steel hand blender is a super sleek, holy grail kitchen essential that enables you to blend and puree with relative ease.
If you like mashed potato as much as we do, this is almost worth buying for the masher attachment alone—you’ll never have to use a potato ricer or traditional masher ever again, which is why it's made it onto our list of the best hand blenders. This model has two speeds (if you count the pulse function) as well as three blades for blending food more quickly, a 750ml beaker with a lid, is dishwasher-safe and has a rubber grip on the handle. Shoppers also say it's an excellent tool for creating soups—not to mention, simple to clean after usage. Many also noted that it is super easy and gentle to use too, especially for those with arthritic thumbs.
Considering this hand blender costs less than £15, we’re surprised it packs a powerful 600W punch, which is why it’s included on our list of best hand blenders. This blender option features a durable, long-lasting stainless steel blade, a stainless steel shaft, and a basic on-off Turbo switch, making it very simple to figure out how to use.
We also like the unusual grey color and the fact that it’s so compact (less than 40cm), making it great for smaller kitchens with less storage space. It has two speeds, but doesn’t come with any attachments which might put some shoppers off. However, this isn’t a deal-breaker; if you don’t actually want or need any extras, it’s a very good entry-level model that does exactly what it says on the tin.
Yes, we know it’s not cheap, but if you think of it as an investment and as several small appliances in one, the Dualit 88910 hand blender set's overall value for money is difficult to argue with. At 700W this model is among the most powerful hand blenders on our list, making it ideal for blending more difficult food items. It's also handy when It comes to clean-up, with dishwasher-safe parts. The Dualit also comes with lots of helpful kitchen extras including a generous 1-litre jug, 600ml chopping bowl and a whisk. It’s also really sturdy, sleek and professional-looking, which is why it's one of our best hand blenders.
This 200W design is ideal if you want control over the speed that you blend—simply twist the top of the handle until you have the desired speed and press ‘go’. There is also a pulse function for chopping rather than pureéing, if you want a thicker texture for some foods. While it has a detachable blending arm and blades for easy cleaning, it's important to know that this particular stick blender doesn’t come with any additional attachments. It's an excellent, simple option for newbie chefs who want to create sauces, smoothies, and soups; along with parents who want to mash veggies and delicacies for their children.
With over 30,000 reviews on Amazon, the top-rated Mueller Austria Immersion hand blender is hailed for its versatility, and can help you to create a medley of dishes like salsa, pesto, pancake batter, and more. This particular option is great at blending tough-to-crush textured foods—yes, even peanut butter. For this reason it's a great pick for those who want their hand blender to work hard at more difficult-to-blend food items. Shoppers love its sleek design, enduring power, speed variables, and its functions that add much-needed convenience. It has dishwasher-safe parts that make for easy clean-up, and it's certainly an affordable option.
For those of us who aren't natural chefs, the KOIOS 800W Immersion Hand Blender is a no frills, stick-to-the-basics option that simplifies whisking, blending and pureeing. It's a quiet model, which will make it much more convenient for people who tend to cook at odd hours, and has nine handy variable speed settings. Despite its label as a great option for newbie chefs, advanced cooks will enjoy its versatile attachments, sleek, but durable stainless steel design, and powerful blade. Simply put, it is a great hand blender that's ideal for the masses.
Do I need to buy a hand blender with attachments?
Some of the more expensive hand blenders come with jugs, different blades, masher and whisk attachments and are definitely worth considering if you don’t have – or don’t want – additional electrical whisks or processors taking up space in your cupboards. But, if you already have those gadgets and don’t want to double up, a no-frills model is ideal and can be picked up for a great price.
Hand blenders are one of the few kitchen gadgets that can fit in a drawer, so look for compact ones if that’s where you plan to store it. If they have a removable blender attachment for easier storage and cleaning, so much the better.
Are hand blenders worth it?
If you're looking to make a soup, a sauce, or if you're even trying out a smoothie recipe - a hand blender is absolutely worth it. A hand blender saves you the trouble of getting out your bigger blender to whizz up your ingredients - saving your hands when it comes to lifting saucepans, and the extra effort.
In fact, many blender recipes online even call for hand blenders as a way of mixing your food together - so in some instances it's even recommended that you use a hand blender over a regular blender. In fact, there are a huge amount of immersion blender recipes out there for you to try out!
How powerful should my hand blender’s wattage/motor be?
We recommend hand blenders that exceed 100 watts of power, which will allow you to mix more liquids and thereby get more for your investment. That being said, wattage doesn’t translate to enhanced functionality. Focus on how power is delivered, particularly the technology and speeds involved; and how they operate. That’ll determine whether or not your blender is a quality deity, or a bogus sham.
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