Best Immersion Blenders for Home Cooks

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One of these four best Immersion blenders will be invaluable in the kitchen, especially if you make a lot of soups and sauces. I can’t live without mine now that I’m used to having it. It makes pureeing soups, blending up dressings, and smoothing out gravy super easy.

In this post, we will go over the best immersion blenders for home cooks, so you don’t have to spend hours researching before buying. We’ve tried dozens of hand-held blenders for the making of this guide and are confident that you’ll find the best handheld blender for you on this list.

Best Handheld Blenders – Quick Pick List

We understand that you might not have time to read all of the full reviews for each of these four blenders, so we’ve included a quick pick list for you with our favorite immersion blender at the top of the list.

What is an Immersion Blender?

immersion blender

An immersion blender is one of the handiest tools in your kitchen, because it can be used to puree, blend, mash, or whisk your food without moving it to a different blending container.

It is shaped like a wand, with blades at the bottom, so you can insert it into any cooking vessel you’re using and blend your food without having to dirty another dish. Immersion blenders are also known as stick blenders, handheld blenders, and wand blenders.

These all do the same thing. You can use them to blend hot or cold liquids, puree vegetables to make a smooth soup, or to quickly blend up a smoothie. There are infinite ways the blender can be used to make your cooking process easier.

Most immersion blenders can be bought alone or with a set of accessories. Be sure to check what it comes with, to make sure you get exactly what you’re looking for. The accessories include a plastic blending cup, a whisk, a masher, and a mini food processor/chopper.

Our Top Picks

Braun Multiquick 5 Hand Blender

*Most Powerful Handheld Blender*

Braun Multiquick 5 Vario Hand Blender (SS Blending Shaft+1.5C Chopper+ Masher + Whisk+ Beaker), MQ5027, Black

The Braun Multiquick 5 is a very powerful handheld blender, with 400W of power and 21 distinct speeds. It’s one of the most powerful handheld blenders you can find. If you’re going to blending solid foods, you’ll need that power to get a smooth puree.

The multiple speeds are useful to get the right amount of power for the food you’re blending, but you do have to hold down the button while blending. What I personally like the most about the Braun is the uniquely shaped blending shaft, because it reduces suction, which often creates splatter.

The grooved design makes it much easier for the blender to grasp food and blend it. You might not think this is a huge benefit, but it is. Foods are pureed finer with this style of blade.

The other great thing about the Braun is that the attachments have an easy click system that makes them so easy to take off and put on. You won’t be fumbling with the accessories. You just have to push the buttons on the side to remove one, and do the same to put on another.

Pros: Very powerful, great set of attachments that easily click on and off.
Cons: Plastic gear box not as sturdy as metal. Whisk head cannot be submerged in water.


Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender

*Best High-End Immersion Blender*

Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender, Stainless Steel

The Breville Immersion blender is one of the best you can buy, and that fact is reflected in the price. Although it’s a bit more expensive than the Braun, it also has better durability.

The casing is sturdier and the comfort grip handle is ergonomically designed to be easy to hold and grip, even with wet hands. This immersion blender has a bell-shaped wand that leads to less suction when blending.

If you’ve used an immersion blender before, you’ll know that the suction can lead to a lot of splatter which sends your soup flying onto the surrounding counter tops and makes a big mess.

This blender is not quite as powerful as the Braun, with its 250 watts of power, but it has 15 speed settings to make up for that difference. The settings give you the ultimate control over the blending of your food.

Pros: Comfort grip, larger capacity accessories.
Cons: Heavier than other handheld blenders, can only use for 15 seconds at a time then rest the motor.


Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender

Cuisinart CSB-179 Smart Stick Variable Speed Hand Blender, Stainless Steel

This hand blender from Cuisinart has 200 watts of power and two speed settings. I’ve been using this smart stick for almost 8 years now and it’s never failed me. It’s easy to take apart at the middle, so you can attach it quickly to the chopper or to the stick blade.

There’s a 3-cup chopping cup attachment is a great accessory to have. I like that I don’t have to get out the food processor to do lightweight chopping, especially when I’m making a soup for 2. I can do the chopping in the cup attachment and then switch to the stick and blend the soup.

I also like that it’s stainless steel construction. I think that makes it really easy to clean. I just wipe it down after using it.

It’s pretty powerful, though not nearly as powerful as the Braun that I mentioned above, and it doesn’t have dozens of speeds like the Braun or the Breville, but the 2 speeds are generally all I ever need.

Pros: Great quality attachments; could replace your kitchen blender; decent price for the set.
Cons: The cord could be longer.


KitchenAid 3-Speed Hand Blender

*Best General Use Blender*

KitchenAid KHB2351CU 3-Speed Hand Blender - Contour Silver, 8 inches

This KitchenAid is a great immersion blender. It’s simply one of the best blenders we’ve used.

It includes a 3-cup blending jar with a lid. The cup is not a take-and-go bottle. The 5-speed version is the overall power horse. It can do just about anything. It includes a 3-cup blending pitcher, 3-cup jar, and 8″ blending arm, a whisk and chopper attachment, and a storage case.

It also comes with a handy kit bag that all of this fits into, which isn’t something the other brands come with. I’m always using this to blend soup inside the pot. The blending arm is great for that.

Pros: Great set of attachments; Multi-Purpose Blender
Cons: Steep Price tag; Would look better in black

What to Look For in an Immersion Blender

The most important things to look for in an immersion or handheld blender are power, speed settings, and durability.

Power

The higher the wattage, the more powerful the blender will be and the more capable of blending harder or thicker foods. 200 watts is a basic starting point and you’ll find that most blenders come with this level of power.

One that we review below has a much more powerful motor, with 350 watts. If you’re planning to use it for thicker foods, look for that wattage.

Speed Settings

It’s really worthwhile to get an immersion blender that has at least two speeds. I’ve found that two speeds are generally enough to get the job done, although some handheld blenders do have more than two.

Durability

If you’re going to be using your handheld blender alot, it’s wise to look for one that is made of a more durable plastic or metal. All of the blenders we review below have some plastic parts, but the more money you spend the more durable the material tends to be.

Also look at the grip. A sturdy, non-slip grip is definitely the way to go.

Accessories

Handheld blenders can do so much more than just puree soups and sauces. They are also powerful chopping devices, if you also purchase the chopping attachment. I use the chopping attachment more than the blender alone.

It’s great for mixing up a basil pesto or vinaigrette without having to get out the full-size food processor. Most blenders also come with a whisk attachment and a cup in which you can blend drinks, smoothies, or dressings.

CONCLUSION

With so many immersion blenders on the market today, it’s difficult to know which one to choose, but you cannot go wrong with any of the top handheld blenders listed above. Each of them have their unique features and power levels, but they will all get the job done right.

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