The Best Hand Blender

An immersion hand blender is a great helper in any kitchen. It’s lightweight, easy to use, doesn’t require a large storage space, and it’s extremely versatile.

With the right attachments you can make delicious and healthy breakfast smoothies, purée vegetables into creamy soups, make your own dips, crush ice, mix dry ingredients, and more.

If you’re embracing a healthy lifestyle and like to create your own meals, a hand blender is a must-have.

Based on a comprehensive review process, our top pick is the Breville the All in One Immersion Blender. It packs incredible power and comes with multiple tools for all your blending, crushing and mixing needs.

For more options, read on and find one that fits your needs.

Review: Identifying the top hand blenders

We’ve spent days on research to get a better understanding of how an immersion hand blender works and what to expect of it. After the initial research process, we analyzed the market and picked the best hand blenders to be thoroughly reviewed.

Below are the factors considered during our hand blender review:

• Performance
• Ease of use
• Build quality
• Noise

The most important factor to consider is, of course, the performance. We want our hand blender to be strong, fast, and efficient. Preferably with detachable blades for added functionality, and according to our findings the blades don’t necessarily have to be sharp in order to work well. We’ll get back to that at the end of this buying guide.

When settling for a new hand blender, we want it to be as easy and comfortable to use as possible. We want one that’s easily held with one hand, and we do prefer one that doesn’t pull itself towards the bottom of the beaker with liquids splashing over the edges.

We also want one that’s built well and holds up to everyday use, because there’s nothing more frustrating than seeing something you’ve bought break after just a few months of use.

Noise level isn’t really a big issue with hand blenders, but we wanted to review it anyway. While it depends on what you’re making, some hand blenders are just a bit more noisy than others, and for some people noise is a legitimate issue.

Best overall: Breville the All in One Immersion Blender

What we like: The biggest advantage of the Breville the All in One Hand Blender isn’t just the sheer amount of accessories included, but also the amazing performance. Normally, when you get a lot of accessories included, they aren’t all great. But with the Breville hand blender the accessories work surprisingly well.

The Breville the All in One Hand Blender is similar to the Control Grip Hand Blender, and according to Wirecutter its overall ease of use and its well-designed extras are among the things that make it well worth the price. We do agree with them, and even though the price is a little higher than other hand blenders you do get a lot of useful accessories along with great performance.

With the All in One Hand Blender you’ll get a food processing bowl with a shredding disc, a variable slicing disc, and an S-blade for chopping and mixing. There’s also a mashing arm included along with the regular stainless steel blending arm, and everything is easily organized in the storage base. With the storage base you can store your Breville hand blender inside a small cabinet or on your kitchen countertop for easy access.

We thoroughly believe that this hand blender is the best option for most people, and the number one choice for those who want a powerful, versatile, and ergonomic hand blender that’s also fun to use.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: Although we consider the Breville BSB530XL the All in One Hand Blender our top pick, it does have a few flaws that aren’t necessarily dealbreakers. One thing we found a little tiresome was the 15-speed dial knob on top of the hand blender. Where most hand blenders come with just a few speed settings that are easily activated by simply pressing one button or another, you’ll have to turn the know with your other hand to either increase or decrease the speed.

Best on a budget: Braun MultiQuick MQ505 2-in-1 Hand Blender

What we like: The Braun MultiQuick MQ505 is a basic hand blender, but it’s also the best budget-friendly option. We weren’t as excited when unboxing this immersion blender as with other models, but this is exactly what makes Braun stand out: It’s affordable, it’s durable, and you know it works incredibly well. It’s tried and tested, and we believe it’s one of the most reliable hand blender brands on the market.

What’s more to like about Braun is that they manufacture their hand blenders in the European Union, with this exact model being made in Poland under strict requirements for materials used, the environment, and working conditions.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that it has only two speed settings, making it extremely easy to use for practically any purpose you can think of. With the beaker and whisk included you can easily blend, crush, mix, and whip.

All in all, we believe this is a very interesting choice for everyone seeking a budget-friendly yet efficient hand blender.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: Upon review of the Braun MultiQuick MQ505 hand blender we found that the handle is a bit more bulky to hold, so if you’re planning on using it often you might want to look for one with a slightly better grip. It doesn’t feel uncomfortable nor insecure, but for people with smaller hands it might just feel slightly less comfortable than other models.

Another thing worth noticing is the blade. For this hand blender you get a fixed sharp blade that eventually becomes dull. And since there’s no way to remove the blade and insert a new one, you’ll either have to get a completely new shaft instead. However, the blade doesn’t become dull immediately, unless you’re using it for crushing ice, seeds, nuts, and other hard ingredients.

Best cordless: KitchenAid Pro Line 5-Speed Hand Blender

What we like: There’s nothing as practical as cordless appliances, including this KitchenAid Pro Line cordless hand blender. If your kitchen doesn’t have an abundance of outlets available or you just don’t want to deal with cords that somehow always manage to tangle, a cordless hand blender is the best option for you.

Although it’s significantly more expensive than corded hand blenders, the KitchenAid Pro Line performs surprisingly well and has a few great accessories you won’t find with other hand blenders in this caliber.

First and foremost, the KitchenAid Pro Line is an incredibly stylish hand blender with a neat design. The handle is a little bigger and more bulky than corded hand blenders because it has a battery in it, but it has a comfortable grip anyway. It has a charging base that you can place anywhere you want for easy recharging of the battery.

Secondly, there’s an extra long 13-inch blending arm included, and we found that it works very well for soups.

You’ll also get a chopper attachment, interchangeable bell blades for different purposes, and a standard 8-inch blending arm.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: Although we can appreciate the fact that the battery isn’t built into the hand blender, you have to take it out of the handle and insert it into the charger instead of simply plugging the handle in. This adds a few additional steps, and if you’re a busy person who tend to forget those things, you might end up with a dead battery from time to time.

Best for soups: All-Clad KZ750D Long-Arm Hand Blender

What we like: Soups have to be deliciously creamy, and with the All-Clad KZ750D it all becomes possible without too much trouble. This is a powerful hand blender with a large blending head and a longer blending arm than average models, which therefore makes it an obvious choice for anyone seeking to make soups from scratch.

The All-Clad hand blender quickly works its way through most ingredients that are typically in a soup, and according to our research it creates a smooth, creamy texture when blending directly in pots or pans.

Besides making perfect soups you can also use it for dips, sauces, purées and more.

What we also like about this hand blender, is its stainless steel design. When you blend some ingredients, like tomatoes, some of the natural color might rub off onto the surface and create an ugly discoloration of your hand blender. With stainless steel this isn’t a problem though.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The All-Clad KZ750D is quite big, and not all cabinets are big enough to have it standing in an upright position. The blending arm is quite big too, and you might have issues fitting it into any beaker.

Because of how great this hand blender is for soups, we would’ve appreciated if it had a layer of silicone protection at the bottom of the blender head. With the steel edges you can’t really scrape it across any non-stick surfaces, so you’ll have to use it on traditional metal cookware only.

Best for smoothies: Bamix M150 Mono Pro-1 NSF Rated Hand Blender

What we like: This hand blender has actually been in our private household for 8 years already, and it hasn’t shown any signs of aging yet. It still works as well as the day we got it, and new blades, accessories and spareparts are still widely available.

The Bamix M150 Mono is neither beautiful nor lightweight. In fact, it’s a little bit heavier than most hand blenders. This is mainly because of the motor, but also because of its heavy-duty design. The blending arm is fixed to the handle, and instead of detaching the entire arm you simply remove the blade and change it with another one that fits your needs.

It works exceptionally well for smoothies, because of its tireless performance with hard ingredients such as ice cubes, nuts, and frozen fruit. Just add the ingredients into your beaker and let your Bamix work its magic – the blade lasts a decade because it doesn’t rely on sharpness, instead it relies on speed which is why it works so incredibly well for smoothies. Frozen fruits, ice cubes and nuts are crushed in a heartbeat, with no splashing or pulling towards the bottom of the beaker.

Besides the regular multi-purpose blade you also get a whisk blade and a beater blade, and you can buy additional blades and accessories if needed.

On a final note the noise level of this hand blender is the lowest we’ve heard so far. It makes a bit of noise when crushing ice and other ingredients for a smoothie of course, but the motor is as silent as it gets.

The Bamix M150 Mono Pro-1 holds an NSF certificate, which means that it passed rigorous testing and inspection to meet industry standards and requirements for professional use.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The Bamix M150 Mono is a little bit heavier than other hand blenders, and it’s a bit more bulky too. For some people the fixed blending arm is an inconvenient feature because it takes up more space in a cabinet, and it’s a bit more difficult to rinse off under running water. Because the blades are detachable and tiny, there’s a risk they’ll get lost at some point. We’ve actually lots ours once, but luckily they can be ordered online and do not cost much.

Best for baby food: Braun MultiQuick MQ523 Hand Blender & Baby Food Maker

What we like: We genuinely appreciate the Braun MultiQuick 5-series hand blender because it’s lightweight, easy to use, and doesn’t cost a fortune.

With the Braun MultiQuick 5 Hand Blender & Baby Food Maker, you’ll get everything you need to make your own fresh, tasty, and healthy baby food.

Just like most other hand blenders it has BPA-free food contact parts, and it even comes with a flexible silicone freezer tray so you can create portion-sized meals without wrapping them in plastic.

Besides the regular blending arm there’s also a mini chopper included, which is great for banana and berry purées. Dunk in your favorite berries and add a piece of banana for that extra creamy texture, start chopping, and before you know it you’ll have a delicious, smooth purée for you and your baby.

The Braun MultiQuick 5 MQ523 is a great, affordable and powerful hand blender that works extremely well for baby food preparation and blending in general. It might not pack as much power as more expensive models, but it surely impressed us anyway.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: Although we love the silicone freezer tray and spatula that come included with this hand blender, we can’t help but think that we could’ve saved a chunk of money if they weren’t included. Most of us probably have suitable food containers already, so we personally think this is a tiny flaw although not at all a dealbreaker.

We could’ve wished for just a little more power too, but it did what it was supposed to anyway without trouble.

Best for professionals: Waring WSB50 12″ Heavy-Duty Big Stix Immersion Blender

What we like: If you run a small company from home or even a full-scale restaurant, the Waring WSB50 12″ Heavy-Duty Big Stix hand blender is the best choice for you. With its 1-horsepower motor it easily plows through large batches of soup, batter, potatoes, fruits, and basically anything you can imagine.

The wand is of course detachable and dishwasher safe, granting you the opportunity to easily clean everything after use. It’s also certified by the NSF and ETL, which basically means that it’s passed a set of tests and meets the sanitary requirements for professional kitchen equipment.

Granted, the Waring WSB50 is completely over the top for a regular homecook, but for those who need power and often cook large batches of food for a paying clientele, this is definitely the way to go.

The hand blender is available in sizes that fit portion sizes from 10 gallons and up to 50 gallons, and spare parts are widely available and easy to get hold of when needed.

Flaws but not dealbreakers: The Waring WSB50 is HEAVY. With the smallest model weighing over 8 pounds, this piece of machinery comes with a workout included for whenever you’re using it.

We do appreciate the second handle and its purpose as well, but it seems like an afterthought that wasn’t properly planned because it isn’t nearly big enough to offer a proper grip while handling the blender.

How to choose the right hand blender for your needs

Immersion hand blenders are great for many purposes. They basically do the same things as a large countertop blender, but without the hassle of having to clean a large jar and waste previous space in a cabinet while storing it.

If you like mixing yourself a smoothie in the morning, or want to blend yourself a portion of homemade soup, the hand blender is definitely the way to go. Just plug it to a power outlet, dunk it in, and start blending. You’ll soon have a lovely smoothie with a creamy texture, and your soup will be ready in seconds.

Once you’re done, simply run it in a small bucket of hot water with a bit of dishwashing detergent added to it, and it will be sparkling clean in a few seconds.

While choosing a hand blender, there are a few things you want to look out for:

Attachments – how many, and are they replaceable?

Depending on your needs, you want to make sure you get the right attachments with your new hand blender. Some have a whisk included, while others have food processors, milk frothers, etc. It’s also worth checking if spare parts are available online, because you don’t want to end up with a useless hand blender just because some little piece breaks.

Another factor worth considering, is whether your hand blender relies on a sharp blade or a dull crushing blade. Sharp blades will quickly turn dull, and if you can’t replace them you might have to replace the entire hand blender instead.

Speeds – if you want the right consistency

Some like their guacamoles and salsas a bit chunky, while others want a creamy texture. Nevertheless, it’s a great idea to pick a hand blender with more than one speed. Starting at a low speed is useful if you don’t want a fine consistency, and with higher speeds you can achieve that perfect creamy texture you want for your smoothies and shakes.

Weight – too light or too heavy?

You don’t want to go with the lightest hand blender on the market, because it may come at the cost of reduced power. Most hand blenders are not recommended to use for more than a minute at a time, but some may even break down if they get overloaded.

Corded or cordless?

The best hand blenders can be either corded or cordless. The main difference is of course the price, and since the batteries are expensive you’re looking at a higher price for the convenience of cordless operation. Corded hand blenders works well for most people, but if you like blending a lot of food on a daily basis, you might want to consider going cordless, to save yourself a great deal of time and hassle of untangling the cord and plugging it in every time you want to blend something.