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Best cheap immersion blender


9 Best Immersion Blenders 2022

9 Best Immersion Blenders 2022 | The Strategist

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Photo: Marcus McDonald

Photo: Marcus McDonald

While many people find storing a blender in their kitchen to be worth it, the smaller (and overall less expensive) immersion blender can handle a lot of the same cooking tasks with less fuss. And while they may not be right for, say, big-batch smoothies or crushing nuts into butter (which takes a lot of force), they work totally great for emulsifying soups, marinades, dressings and aïolis and, yes, for making smaller smoothies. In fact, I found that it’s pretty common to own both a blender and an immersion blender — but that the ease of the latter is preferable whenever it can be employed. “I use mine way more than my full-size blender and food processor,” Simply Recipes associate general manager Emma Christensen told me. “It stores in a drawer and you can pull it right out. There’s no transferring. It’s much easier to clean.” No matter which model you’re drawn to — likely from one of the few brands that seem to dominate the market — Cristensen’s points ring true. The immersion blender? “It’s all about convenience.”

Best overall | Best less expensive | Best even less expensive | Best simple | Best less expensive simple | Best with multiple blade styles | Best durable | Best with pan guard | Best cordless

Number of speeds: Some immersion blenders have set speeds, in which case I’ve listed the exact number you can choose from. Others have a variable speed, meaning you control how quickly they’re whirring with a dial or button that moves gradually from low to high.

Extras: Most immersion blenders come with more than one stick and blade. For this, I’ve listed all the additional attachments (whether that’s different styles of blades, whisks, or choppers à la a food processor), as well as any pitchers or cups that will give you a mini blenderlike setup.

Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender

$130

$130

15 speeds | Whisk, chopping bowl with blades, storage jar with lid 

The majority of the experts I spoke to named the Breville Control Grip as their favorite immersion blender. With 15 speeds, it’s the most high-tech of the bunch. “It is on the bigger side,” says food writer and editor Alyse Whitney, “but it’s really powerful.” Food writer and editor Matt Rodbard has had his for more than five years. “For me, it’s just really brought a lot of utility when making soups and sauces,” he says. “Plus I love the way it feels in my hand.” Posie Brien, a recipe developer and writer for the food site 600 Acres, has had hers for even longer — more than a decade. “I love it,” she says. “It’s so easy to use and clean. It’s sturdy and substantial and the motor is great. I really think everyone should be using an immersion blender more often. It’s good for eggs — if you blend your scrambled eggs with one, they’ll be so much creamier and better. It’s good for smoothies. It’s good for sauces of any kind, really.” And no matter what you’re doing, the rubberized lip means it won’t scratch the bottom of any pots, pans, or bowls.

Plus there are all the attachments. “You can use the blender function to purée pumpkin or smooth out a custard for a cream pie, then swap it out for the whisk attachment to whip up some cream to top it with,” says Petra Paredez, the owner of Petee’s Pie Company in Brooklyn and the author of Pie for Everyone. “It has a cup attachment that lets you use it as a regular blender, too, so it can replace multiple tools that would otherwise take up a lot of space. ”

Cuisinart Smart Stick Variable Speed Hand Blender

$70

$70

Low-to-high variable speed | Whisk, chopper, measuring cup

The Cuisinart Smart Stick, favored by two of the pros I spoke with, has a variable speed dial that takes the handheld machine from low to high. That’s actually one of the features Christensen likes about it. “The controls are really, really easy,” she says of the stick, which she has owned for about five years. “Clearly, it’s built to last.” Chef and author Virginia Willis can certainly attest to that too — she had an older-model Cuisinart immersion blender for 15 years and only recently replaced it with this one. “I find it to be such a great tool,” she says. “Especially when it comes to making soups, it’s so much safer and easier than pouring the liquid into a blender. Plus if you’re making something like refried beans, it’s easy to control going partway blended instead of fully.”

Mueller Ultra-Stick 9-Speed Hand Blender

$35

$40 now 13% off

$35

Nine speeds | Jar, whisk, milk frother

The Mueller Ultra-Stick was a favorite of Strategist readers from a previous version of this article — and we can understand why. It has four and a half stars and close to 40,000 ratings on Amazon, with glowing reviews about the quality you get for the price. Many people noted the strong stainless-steel body and the force of the blade (it has a turbo speed setting for when you really need to kick it up). “At 500 watts, this immersion blender is more powerful than most,” says one. “The steel feels substantial, and the attachments are very easy to change.” Speaking of those attachments, the Mueller is the only one on this list that comes with a milk frother, a bonus if you like to make lattes at home.

$35 at Amazon

Buy

$35 at Walmart

Buy

Braun MultiQuick 5 Immersion Hand Blender

$65

$65

Two speeds | Whisk and blending jar

Cookbook author Julia Turshen uses her Braun immersion blender primarily for two tasks: making salad dressing directly inside a deli container (so she can store it in the fridge without dirtying two bowls) and blending soups, especially when she’s looking to purée just some to thicken the body. She appreciates the simplicity of its two speeds, which work perfectly for her needs without giving her too many choices, and she doesn’t “find the cord impacts my usage at all since nothing in my kitchen is terribly far from an outlet,” she says. “Most kitchens can probably say the same.” For two years, this straightforward model has held up great, Turshen says.

Cuisinart CSB-175 Smart Stick

$40

$40

Two speeds | No attachments

For an even simpler blender that also has two speeds but doesn’t come with any attachments, this Cuisinart model is all you need. In 2017, Strategist contributor Hannah Howard said it “changed he5r life” — and all these years later, she still feels the same. When originally surveying the immersion-blender landscape, Howard saw that many came with fancy attachments and extraneous features, like bendable arms, and usually went for upward of $100. She wanted something simpler, so she settled on this extremely affordable unit. “What I love most about it is that it just has two speeds,” she writes, noting that she uses the lower one for things like pesto and the higher one for smoothies and purées. “It has 200 watts of horsepower, which is plenty for a hand blender.” And since it weighs about a pound and a half, it maneuvers easily into all sorts of pots, bowls, and jars (and fits in Howard’s “tiny Brooklyn kitchen drawer”).

KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Blender

$150

$150

Five speeds | Whisk, chopper, pitcher, three different bell blades

Though it has fewer speeds than the Breville, this KitchenAid model has always been flexible enough for recipe developer (and soon-to-be cookbook author) Jessie Sheehan. “It’s a tool you might not think you really need, but it’s actually super-helpful,” she says. “I have a salad-dressing phobia — I always want other people to make it for me. But this really helps. I can make mayo or a fruit compote, or I can whip egg whites for baking with the whisk attachment. We have a Vitamix we use when we’re making smoothies en masse, but it’s nice to be able to make smaller portions too.” One of the attachment bell blades that come with the 5-Speed is, in fact, meant to be especially efficient at crushing ice. “It’s easy to use, and the cord has never been a problem because it’s quite long,” Sheehan says. “Plus it’s not crazy expensive.”

$150 at Amazon

Buy

$150 at Amazon

Buy

GE Immersion Blender

$49

$69 now 29% off

$49

Two speeds | Whisk and blending jar

The GE Immersion Blender comes recommended by Richard Rea, executive chef at the Butcher’s Daughter, who uses one at home and in his professional kitchen. In the latter, he says he probably uses it even more than the commercial model they also have on hand, pulling it out for creamy soups, cashew ricotta, hummus, and all types of salsa. “It’s very strong,” he says of the powerful motor and super-sharp blades. “It breaks through nuts — even some big, bulky blenders don’t do that. And it’s super lightweight and doesn’t make much noise (a little hum, but that’s it).” Rea has had the blender in his restaurant for two years (with daily use), and it’s still performing beautifully.

KitchenAid Corded Variable Speed Hand Blender

$40

$60 now 33% off

$40

Low-to-high variable speed | Blending jar with lid, pan guard

I’m a fairly recent immersion-blender fan, but so far, this KitchenAid model has performed great. Like Turshen, I’ve used it for bigger-batch salad dressings (it emulsifies a large amount quickly) and soup. In the latter case, I’m especially appreciative of the pan guard, which fits snugly around the appliance’s sharp metal cage but still allows the blades to whir freely. When I’ve accidentally touched the bottom of my beloved Dutch oven, it doesn’t leave a scrape. Another bonus: I own the black, but it comes in nine colors, if aesthetics are important to you.

$40 at Amazon

Buy

$40 at Amazon

Buy

KitchenAid Cordless Variable Speed Hand Blender

$80

$100 now 20% off

$80

Low-to-high variable speed | Blending jar with lid

In addition to her Breville, Whitney has this cordless immersion blender. Although it also comes with a pan guard, its standout feature is that it’s battery operated. “It’s helpful to not have a cord when I’m blending soup in particular,” she says. “You just charge it up like you would anything. And the charge lasts for a really long time — 25 uses, according to the website. I definitely don’t charge it very often.” Instead of a dial, this one has a variable speed button, which Whitney says is very straightforward.

$80 at Amazon

Buy

$100 at Target

Buy

A cheaper KitchenAid (that's especially great at puréeing)

Buy at Amazon

The blender two professional bakers use at their pie shop

Buy at Amazon

A blender that's also a whisk, masher, ice crusher, and more

Buy at QVC

• Posie Brien, recipe developer and writer
• Emma Christensen, associate general manager at Simply Recipes
• Hannah Howard, Strategist contributor
• Petra Paredez, owner of Petee’s Pie Company
• Richard Rea, executive chef at the Butcher’s Daughter
• Matt Rodbard, food writer and editor
• Jessie Sheehan, recipe developer
• Julia Turshen, cookbook author
• Alyse Whitney, food writer and editor
• Virginia Willis, chef and author
• Laura Wright, creator of the First Mess

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7 Best Immersion Blenders of 2022 – Top Hand Blenders

We updated this story in October 2022 to ensure all products are in stock and reflect current pricing, and we added a new pick from Vitamix after the most recent round of testing in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab.

Immersion blenders — also called hand blenders, stick blenders or wand mixers — give you the freedom to blend and puree foods without needing to transfer them to a full-size blender. Some are constructed as a single piece — the motor cannot be removed from the blender arm that houses the blades. Others are designed with a motor that can be attached to the blender arm as well as other tools like a whisk, mini food processor or beaters like those on a hand mixer. No matter the type, the best models can handle big jobs like blending smoothies and pureeing soups directly in the pot and smaller jobs like making mayo or salad dressing.

The pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Technology Lab tested 13 models in our most recent test to find those that are easy to assemble, comfortable to operate and delivered on performance. To test each immersion blender, we blended a smoothie, pureed a soup and made a mayonnaise. We also considered the weight, power and settings of each model to find the best options.

Read on for more information on how we tested as well as what to consider when shopping for an immersion blender. We also weigh in on whether an immersion blender is worth adding to your kitchen toolkit. Looking for more blender recommendations? Check out our guides on best Vitamix blenders or best personal blenders for smoothies.

1

Best Overall Immersion Blender

Breville

Control Grip Immersion Blender

Breville

$130 AT WILLIAMS SONOMA

Weight 3.8 lbs.
Number of speeds 15
Accessories Whisk, 3-cup chopping bowl, 42-oz. jug with lid
Dishwasher safe Blending arm, whisk and chopper

2

Best Value Immersion Blender

Hamilton Beach

Two-Speed Hand Blender

Hamilton Beach

Now 20% off

$31 AT AMAZON $39 AT HOME DEPOT $39 AT WALMART

Weight 2. 59 lbs.
Number of speeds Two
Accessories Blending arm, whisk and 3-cup chopping bowl
Dishwasher safe Blending arm, whisk and chopping bowl

3

Best Immersion Blender for Smoothies

KitchenAid

Two-Speed Hand Blender

KitchenAid

$70 AT AMAZON

Weight 2 lbs.
Number of speeds Two
Accessories Blending arm, 3-cup blending jar with lid
Dishwasher safe Blending arm, blender jar and lid

4

Best Immersion Blender for Emulsifying

Vitamix

Immersion Blender

Vitamix

$150 AT WILLIAMS SONOMA

Weight 2 lb. 11 oz.
Number of speeds Five
Accessories None
Dishwasher safe Blending arm only

5

Most Versatile Immersion Blender

Braun

MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender

Braun

Now 12% off

$88 AT AMAZON

Weight 1.9 lbs.
Number of speeds Variable speed depends on how hard you press the button
Accessories Blending arm, 20-oz beaker, whisk, 2-cup chopper
Dishwasher safe Blending arm, beaker, whisk and chopper

6

Best Immersion Blender for Soup

Cuisinart

Smart Stick Variable Speed Hand Blender

Cuisinart

$70 AT AMAZON $80 AT WALMART $70 AT OVERSTOCK

Weight 4. 2 lbs
Number of speeds Variable speed from low to high with nuanced dial
Accessories blending arm, whisk, 3-cup chopper/grinder and 2-cup mixing/measuring cup
Dishwasher safe Whisk, chopper and mixing cup only

7

Best Cordless Immersion Blender

All-Clad

Cordless Rechargeable Hand Blender

All-Clad

$230 AT WILLIAMS SONOMA

Weight 2 lb. 3 oz.
Number of speeds Five
Accessories None
Dishwasher safe Blending arm (though hand washing is recommended)

How we tested immersion blenders

Jill Sollazzo

When the experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab assess immersion blenders, we put each to the test in common tasks: blending a smoothie, making mayonnaise and pureeing soup directly in a pot.

The smoothie evaluates a blender's ability to tackle ice and whole strawberries. The mayonnaise test indicates the capacity to emulsify, which needs to happen smoothly and slowly to create stability. The soup test helps us understand the blender's ability to puree large quantities of ingredients (including potato and broccoli) without splatter or leaving chunks.

We also consider the weight, comfort and available accessories for each machine. We review the instruction manual and appreciate quick start guides, helpful illustrations or images and tips or recipes.

Is an immersion blender worth it?

Our experts think it is worth it to add an immersion blender to your kitchen, especially if you are a lover of smooth soups and quick sauces. It's easy to use, reasonable to store and quicker to clean than a countertop blender.

An immersion blender is great for small jobs like making pesto, dips, mayonnaise, whipped cream and even scrambled eggs. Good immersion blenders can whip up smoothies, milkshakes and frozen drinks for one or two people — but that's where they cap out since the motor (and blades) are smaller than a countertop blender and cannot run for a very long time without overheating.

We do advise that you avoid hard foods (like nuts and seeds) or very fibrous ones (such as kale and carrots) because they generally won’t become silky smooth; for those, we do recommend a high-powered blender or food processor. Also note that with an immersion blender, the blade needs to be fully submerged to work; you may find that you have trouble blending very small quantities.

What to consider before buying an immersion blender

✔️ Corded vs. cordless: A cord offers constant power, but it can get tangled or burned or could knock things over on a busy kitchen counter and stovetop. Cordless models are portable and convenient, but they need to be charged between uses or they may lose power before you can finish the job.

✔️ Blade guard vents: The blade guard is the dome-shaped part of the blender arm that covers the blades. We found that wide blade guards with large vents do a better job of circulating the food for better and faster blending. They are also easier to clean because food stuck under the blades is more accessible. Just make sure the blade guard will fit easily in your favorite pots and smoothie cups.

✔️ Handle and grip: To operate an immersion blender, you’ll grip the handle with one hand and press the on, off or speed buttons with your fingers, so it needs to feel comfortable to hold and operate simultaneously. Your hands will fatigue if the handle is too large, if the buttons are too small or awkwardly placed or if the blender feels heavy. Also, the buttons should be easy to press without much force. Ideally, your fingers will fall naturally on the buttons when you hold the handle. We found non-slip rubber handles to be softer and easier to grip.

✔️ Design: Look for a model that's compact enough to store in a kitchen drawer. Though immersion blenders are easy to clean, we prefer models that have a removable blender attachment that is dishwasher-safe.

✔️ Additional attachments: Many immersion blenders function with a motor that can also be connected to attachments for chopping, processing, whisking or frothing. If you already have stand-alone versions of these appliances, you can save money by buying a model without the extras, but they can be a convenient option if you don't own the pieces or want to consolidate your storage. One accessory we highly recommend is a sturdy, tall and narrow blending jar: It helps ensure the blender is submerged, reduces splattering and makes the up-and-down motion needed to blend easier.

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