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Emulsifier blender reviews


7 Best Immersion Blenders of 2023 – Top Hand Blenders

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1

Best Overall Immersion Blender

Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender

1

Best Overall Immersion Blender

Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender

$130 at Williams Sonoma

Credit: Breville
Pros
Cons

This immersion blender offers 15 speed settings and has a lot of great features that make it our top pick. Some models create a vortex that pulls food into the blades and results in suction on the bottom of the container, but the Breville’s blade guard is uniquely shaped to reduce this, which allows you to raise the tool more easily as you blend and helps prevent splatters. It requires more up-and-down motion to blend uniformly, but we still found it easy to operate. The rubber handle is soft, narrow and comfortable to grip and the “on” button is easy to hold down. The nonstick edge on the blender arm means you can blend in your pots without fear of scratching. The blender attachment clips onto the motor with ease and feels secure.

This pick came with the largest lidded mixing jar we tested (42 ounces), which is helpful for larger batches but does require more maneuvering for smaller servings. In our test, we found that the jar was too large for a small-batch mayonnaise but that the blender itself made a beautiful mayo in a smaller vessel. The jar's lid doubles as an anti-slip mat to place under the jar while blending. We like that it can also accommodate the chopper attachment so that you can take advantage of the blending cup's handle. This model also includes a food processor and whisk attachment, and all attachments are dishwasher safe.

Weight3.8 lbs.
Number of speeds15
AccessoriesWhisk, 3-cup chopping bowl, 42-oz. jug with lid
Dishwasher safeBlending arm, whisk and chopper

2

Best Value Immersion Blender

Hamilton Beach Two-Speed Hand Blender

2

Best Value Immersion Blender

Hamilton Beach Two-Speed Hand Blender

Now 10% Off

$35 at Amazon$29 at Walmart

Credit: Hamilton Beach
Pros
Cons

This low-cost immersion blender does a great job blending softer foods like soups, milkshakes, whipped cream and dressings. It has a 225-watt motor, the lowest we tested, yet it was powerful enough to blend a pot of soup to a smooth consistency in under 90 seconds. It features two blending speeds (high and low) controlled by two large buttons that are easy to press down.

Of all the immersion blenders we tested, this one has the shortest shaft (5 inches), which is great for small-batch blending but would be difficult to use in a deep container like a tall pot of soup. It comes with a whisk and a food processor attachment, and both are top-rack dishwasher safe. Keep in mind that the plastic handle has a wide circumference, and it feels a little slippery, making it tiresome to hold onto, especially if you have small hands. The blending attachment did not feel as sturdy as other models we evaluated.

Weight2.59 lbs.
Number of speedsTwo
AccessoriesBlending arm, whisk and 3-cup chopping bowl
Dishwasher safeBlending arm, whisk and chopping bowl

3

Best Immersion Blender for Smoothies

KitchenAid Two-Speed Hand Blender

3

Best Immersion Blender for Smoothies

KitchenAid Two-Speed Hand Blender

$70 at Amazon

Credit: KitchenAid
Pros
Cons

We were impressed with the quality of this KitchenAid immersion blender — one of the more affordable ones we tested. It quickly became our go-to for smoothies: fairly quiet, powerful and easy to use. It was able to effortlessly blend the ice and whole strawberries in our smoothie into a creamy drinkable consistency. It also didn’t suction to the bottom of containers as much as other immersion blenders we tested, and the blender attachment is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

One of our favorite features is the thick power cord that doesn’t bunch up or get tangled. This is helpful when trying to maneuver around a busy countertop — though if you'd prefer no cord at all, we were also impressed with KitchenAid's cordless model for smoothies. Also, the handle is rubberized for a comfortable grip and the trigger is easy to press. It doesn’t come with a lot of accessories, but it comes with a lidded 3-cup mixing jar that makes it easy to store leftover smoothies or dressing in the fridge, though we wish the jar was lipped for easy pouring.

Weight2 lbs.
Number of speedsTwo
AccessoriesBlending arm, 3-cup blending jar with lid
Dishwasher safeBlending arm, blender jar and lid

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4

Best Immersion Blender for Emulsifying

Vitamix Immersion Blender

4

Best Immersion Blender for Emulsifying

Vitamix Immersion Blender

Now 17% Off

$125 at Amazon$125 at Sur la Table$125 at Walmart

Credit: Vitamix
Pros
Cons

This straightforward immersion blender from Vitamix created a thick and smooth berry smoothie in our tests. But what really impressed us was its ability to create a quick mayonnaise that was silky and flavorful. It emulsified the mixture easily within two minutes. While it was the heaviest motor in our tests, we found the grip comfortable to hold. We also appreciated that the speed settings are clearly marked with lighted indicators. It also has a scratch-resistant material on the tip of the blade guard that allows you to puree soup in your pots without damaging them.

Weight2 lb. 11 oz.
Number of speedsFive
AccessoriesNone
Dishwasher safeBlending arm only

5

Most Versatile Immersion Blender

Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender

5

Most Versatile Immersion Blender

Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender

$100 at Amazon

Credit: Braun
Pros
Cons

Unlike the other immersion blenders we tested, the Braun has a variable speed button: The harder you press the more powerfully it blends. Also, the height of the blade can be adjusted during blending when you push down with the handle. This adds versatility because you can blend smaller quantities by lowering the blade. This feature helped it create a thick, uniform and rich smoothie in our tests. It features a narrow bell-shaped blade guard that has no vents, which means you don’t have to stop the blender to remove food that can get stuck around the vents. It comes with a dishwasher-safe mixing jar, food processor and whisk attachment.

Weight1.9 lbs.
Number of speedsVariable speed depends on how hard you press the button
AccessoriesBlending arm, 20-oz beaker, whisk, 2-cup chopper
Dishwasher safeBlending arm, beaker, whisk and chopper

6

Best Immersion Blender for Soup

Cuisinart Smart Stick Variable Speed Hand Blender

6

Best Immersion Blender for Soup

Cuisinart Smart Stick Variable Speed Hand Blender

$60 at Williams Sonoma

Credit: Amazon

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7

Best Cordless Immersion Blender

All-Clad Cordless Rechargeable Hand Blender

7

Best Cordless Immersion Blender

All-Clad Cordless Rechargeable Hand Blender

$200 at Williams Sonoma

Credit: All-Clad

A cordless immersion blender is a smart choice if you don't want to be tethered to one spot in the kitchen or if you don't have an outlet by your stove. The rechargeable battery on this All-Clad model ran for over 15 minutes at high speed in our tests on a full-charged battery (it took about two hours to fully recharge from empty). Keep in mind you will need a little counter space for the charging unit.

We like the safety feature too: Tap the button on top to unlock, then press the trigger to operate. It will automatically lock itself if you don’t press the trigger after 30 seconds. The blade attachment and handle (which is narrow, comfortable and not slippery) are made of stainless steel. We were impressed with how powerful it was, and it has one of the quieter motors we evaluated — it also comes in a less expensive corded model.

How we tested immersion blenders

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 test 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.

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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. Plus, you can serve or store food directly in it.

✔️ Wattage: We have found this is less important than other factors. The immersion blenders we tested had motors between 225 and 600 watts and although wattage is an indicator of power, we did not find that it’s a reflection of quality, performance or comfort.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Sarah Wharton

Deputy Editor

Sarah (she/her) is a deputy editor for the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she tests products and covers the best picks across kitchen, tech, health and food. She has been cooking professionally since 2017 and has tested kitchen appliances and gear for Family Circle as well as developed recipes and food content for Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Oxo and Food52. She holds a certificate in professional culinary arts from the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education).

Myo Quinn

Myo Quinn is a professionally trained chef, recipe developer, food writer and on-air talent. When she’s not cooking or planning her next meal, Myo chases her three boys around Central Park in New York City. She is on an endless hunt for the best vanilla ice cream – it should be speckled, aromatic, not too sweet and the perfect balance of creamy and icy. She is also dipping her toes into improv.  

The Best Immersion Blenders of 2023, Tested by Serious Eats

Straight to the Point

Our favorite immersion blender is the All-Clad Stainless Steel Immersion Blender, which is efficient, and easy to use. The Vitamix Immersion Blender is also great and very, very powerful, while the Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender has the best accessories. And our budget-friendly pick is the Hamilton Beach 2-Speed Hand Blender. For tough tasks, it might not be the best bet, but it's otherwise a solid pick.

A great immersion blender—also known as a hand blender or stick blender—can complement a well-equipped kitchen, offering a convenient alternative to dragging out larger appliances for many basic kitchen tasks. In many instances, it can stand in for expensive and bulky kitchen tools, giving you similar performance at a fraction of the footprint. Although we wouldn’t want to live without a countertop blender, stand mixer, or food processor, it's nice not to have to break those things out just to blend a smoothie or make a homemade mayo.

Our testing of hand blenders revealed that all of our candidates can perform the basic tasks of blending, emulsifying, and processing whipped cream reasonably well. The true tests to determine which deserves a coveted spot in your kitchen came down to more difficult undertakings, like turning fibrous vegetables into silky soups, or crushing ice.

We tested 16 immersion blenders and found several that did well no matter what we threw at them, putting them closer in quality to some of the best countertop blenders out there, though they're small enough to fit in a drawer.

Editor's Note

We recently tested five models that either weren't available or just weren't part of this original testing, including those from Vitamix, Dash, Braun, Nutribullet, and KitchenAid. We used them to blend soup and beans and crush ice and also evaluated how easy they were to use and clean, comparing their performance and our UX observations to that of our favorite model from All-Clad. One of these models, the Vitamix Immersion Blender, impressed us so much that we added it to our top picks and also published a separate review on it here. The others had notable performance and/or usability errors.

The Winners, at a Glance

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Through round after round of rigorous testing, the All-Clad Stainless Steel Immersion Blender revealed its impressive strength. This heavyweight doesn't come with many accessories, but it was among the fastest and most efficient at burrowing through burly ice cubes, transforming stubborn celery fibers into a luxurious purée, and emulsifying mayo in a blink.

The sleek design tapers near the top, making it easy to grip and maneuver, although it was the heaviest model we tested. With easy-to-read arrows illustrating which direction to turn to twist off the blending shaft, it's a cinch to handle and store.

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With a slightly higher wattage than the All-Clad model, this immersion blender from Vitamix is a wicked powerful option. It has five speeds, a wide blade guard, and big side vents, creating a powerful vortex when blending. It was also comfortable to hold, with an aggressive taper that lines your hand up neatly with the power button.

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Breville's immersion blender doesn't skimp on accessories. With it, you get a whisk attachment, a quality blending jar, and a mini chopper; much of it nests together for efficient storage.

Unlike many other immersion blenders, the Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender doesn't create a vortex to pull food toward the blades—it requires more of an up-and-down motion to complete its tasks. But when used properly, it's incredibly successful at everything you can think of. It can even purée dry, fibrous ingredients to make things like Thai curry pastes.

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This unassuming model ended up being a sleeper hit, consistently doing in much pricier units and comfortably keeping up with our champ throughout rounds of testing. The Hamilton Beach 2-Speed Hand Blender's wide blade guard, with its large vents, creates a perfect vortex when blending.

Despite being the smallest and lightest of the contenders, it easily made whipped cream and perfect mayonnaise, and it aced crushing ice. It also comes equipped with a mini chopper and whisk, for anyone who loves a little swag.

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The priciest of the bunch, All-Clad's cordless immersion blender is a good pick if you have enough countertop space to house the small charging unit. What you get in exchange is a blender that's always at the ready and, since it's unencumbered by a power cord, easy to use anywhere in your kitchen without concern for outlet availability. And, while it's not as powerful as its plug-in counterpart, it still managed to perform well in all our tests.

Why You Should Buy an Immersion Blender

A Note on Safety

Serious Eats / Emily Dryden

Lightweight and slim, immersion blenders can appear to have all the grit of a Bichon Frise, but the reality is that they're no less than the business end of a blender, minus nearly all of the protection. If mishandled, they can be one of the most dangerous cooking tools. We know more people who have gone to the ER for an immersion-blender injury than just about any other, and we've seen almost every kitchen mishap imaginable.

It's easy, in a moment of absentmindedness, to leave the unit plugged in while trying to free a chunk of food from the blade. With just a gentle tap of the power trigger at this critical moment, the blade will spin dozens of times before you've even realized what's happened. Your innocent morning smoothie routine will have suddenly become a grisly dash to the hospital.

If that weren't scary enough, our tests revealed that the most effective immersion blenders are also the ones with less protective covering over the blade. Narrower, cupped blade-guard designs that fully shielded the blade tended to perform poorly in the tests. Models with wider, shallower blade guards did significantly better, quickly drawing ingredients into a powerful vortex. The downside of such an effective design is a readily exposed blade.

Serious Eats / Emily Dryden

Three of the units we tested came with a safety locking mechanism, intended to minimize risk of accidental activation. We love this idea in theory—anything that makes a hand blender safer is a welcome addition—but in all cases, the feature was so awkward and unwieldy that we gave up on it in frustration.

On two of the models, for instance, the unlock button had to be held down while we simultaneously pressed the "on" button. But the buttons had been positioned so that pressing both with a single hand was impossible. As we were forced to use both hands just to turn the blender on, the container below was left unsecured, free to fly all over the place. Safer fingers are great, but not if you end up with mayonnaise ingredients splattered across the countertop.

We hope that, eventually, a brand will design a good immersion blender with safety features that don't handicap function. We don't believe there is one out there right now. Because most immersion-blender injuries occur during cleaning, we recommend having a crock of hot water at your side to quickly dip into, so you can blitz away any stubborn bits before unplugging the machine for a good scrub.

The Tests

What We Learned

Powerful Blenders Resulted in Less Fibrous, Smoother Results

Serious Eats / Emily Dryden

One of the most practical uses of a hand blender is blending soups until they're silky-smooth, right in the cooking pot. It lets you avoid the fuss of transferring a piping-hot liquid into a standing blender, and minimizes the chance of ending up with soup on your ceiling (the steam generated by a lidded blender's vortex can be very, very powerful).

We chose to blend celery soup for our testing, and we intentionally left the fibrous celery unpeeled and in large chunks to really push these stick blenders to their limit. This proved to be a difficult challenge for all the models.

We had each one blend 300 grams of soup, with equivalent proportions of liquid to solid, for two minutes total (with one minute of rest in between, to respect the manufacturers' one-minute-max run-time rule). After blending, we passed the soup through a fine-mesh strainer, while pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as we could. We then weighed how much pulp was left behind.

The results of the test were split. Three of the units—the Breville, the Philips, and the All-Clad Cordless—left less than 20 grams of solids behind in the strainer, making them the clear winners here.

The All-Clad corded blender turned the soup into a fine and silky purée in a flash, but after lifting the blender out, we discovered some fibers trapped in its vents, leading to a total of 44 grams of remaining solids. Not a deal-breaker by any measure—you could fix this by cleaning the vents with a spatula periodically during the blending process—but this still put it in last place out of our four recommended models. The Hamilton Beach just barely edged it out, with 39 grams of solids remaining.

Three other units struggled, leaving over 100 grams of vegetable matter in the strainer, and one model completely failed, leaving more than 200 grams of pulp for the compost pile (and some extremely watery soup to eat). To our surprise, the immersion blender that performed the worst was the most expensive model of the bunch.

Serious Eats / Emily Dryden

For our second purée test, we used each immersion blender to blitz one can of drained chickpeas with one-third of a cup of water, along with five drops of blue food coloring. We timed each one to test how long it took for the blue dye to become evenly distributed throughout the purée. The dye also helped us judge the texture of each purée.

Our winning immersion blenders came out on top again, creating an almost perfectly silky-smooth purée with uniformly distributed dye. The All-Clad corded blender was the fastest, whipping up a bean purée in just 14 seconds. The others weren't far behind; All-Clad's cordless model finished the job in 17 seconds, while the Breville and Hamilton Beach each took 20 seconds.

The models with blade guards of smaller diameters struggled to blend all the beans, leaving whole chickpeas behind even after a full minute of blending. When we finally gave up, they still had whole beans trapped under the blades.

Units With Wider Blade Guards and Larger Vents Created Strong Vortexes

Serious Eats / Emily Dryden

We tested how each immersion blender performed at crushing one pint of ice with one cup of water. If your morning routine is anything like mine, it probably involves dragging a blender out of the cupboard to load up with frozen bananas and yogurt. If that habit could be simplified through the use of a compact immersion blender, that alone would make it a useful investment.

The ice-crushing test we set up took the smoothie making task into overdrive, demanding that the machines work their way through a packed container of dense ice cubes, with just enough water to get things moving. We tested not only how quickly each blender chewed its way through the frozen chunks, but also the consistency of the final slush.

Some models struggled with consistency more than others, leaving big chunks behind. The All-Clad corded version, along with one other model, blended the ice to the finest and most uniform consistency in about 20 seconds. The Breville had trouble when we used a plastic deli container as the vessel, but when we reran the test using Breville's provided container, it blasted the ice in just 11 seconds. Two models left unblended ice cubes behind, even after 45 seconds.

We were surprised to see that our budget pick outperformed many of the more expensive models, though it did begin to feel very warm after just one round. To evaluate its durability, we put the Hamilton Beach through a stress test, blending round after round of ice—not something we'd ever recommend doing in real life. Aside from a faint electrical smell coming from the motor, this lightweight held its own, so we feel confident it can handle your next frozen daiquiri without too much risk.

The biggest variation from one model to the next was an issue we hadn't thought about—mess. Once again, we noticed that the units that had wider blade guards, with larger vents on the side, performed the best. Those models easily pulled the ice and water into a vortex, cleanly moving up and down in the containers as they churned. Meanwhile, the models with narrower blade guards had difficulty drawing water and ice to the blade; they required more up-and-down movement in the cups, resulting in excessive spilling and splatter.

Blenders with Narrow Blade Guards Struggled to Whip Cream

Serious Eats / Emily Dryden

For a quick and easy whipped cream–like topping to finish a sundae, an immersion blender is the perfect tool.* It's much faster than whipping cream the traditional way, and easier than setting up a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer. We wanted to test each immersion blender's competence at processing one and a half cups of cream, timing how long each model took to do it and judging the final consistency of the product.

Technically, you can't whip cream without aerating it via a whisk, either handheld or attached to a stand mixer. The flat blade of an immersion blender (or food processor) introduces almost no air at all, creating something more accurately described as a soft butter.

All the blenders were able to fully process the cream in well under a minute. Our winning corded All-Clad was once again the fastest, yielding an even texture after only 20 seconds, with the budget Hamilton Beach not far behind at 32 seconds. The slowest models took nearly a full minute, mostly following the trend we'd noticed—head shape matters above all else in immersion-blender performance.

The immersion blenders with narrower blade guards began struggling with the task as soon as the cream had begun to thicken. This led to an overall slower processing time, along with spatters and uneven consistency. These lesser models ended up with a layer of liquid cream floating right on top, and any attempt at incorporating it with the immersion blender risked over-processing the rest.

The models with wider head shapes and larger vents spun the cream within the container more evenly, resulting in better consistency in the final product.

Different Blending Styles Had Different Results

Serious Eats / Joel Russo

For our final test, we decided to pit the Breville and the All-Clad corded stick blender, two of our highest performers, against each other in a very specialized task: making Thai curry paste. This is a job that's best suited to the forceful smashing power of a mortar and pestle, but for convenience's sake (at the cost of slightly worse results), it can also be done in a food processor or a high-speed blender.

We first became aware of the fact that you could successfully make a Thai curry paste using the Breville Control Grip specifically from this 2017 YouTube video from Hot Thai Kitchen. What we wanted to know was whether a similarly performing immersion blender with a different form factor could also accomplish the task.

Left: the curry paste made by the All-Clad corded blender, which chopped up the tough ingredients but left behind longer strands of fiber, along with seeds. Right: the paste made by the Breville, which fully minced everything, with only the pepper seeds escaping its blades.

Serious Eats / Joel Russo

What emerged was interesting, in that it revealed how differently the two blenders work. Like a traditional blender, the All-Clad creates a vortex, pulling foods and liquids down into the blades before ejecting them again. This can make it very powerful and quick, but its effectiveness relies on having enough liquid to make the flow of the vortex possible.

With the much drier ingredients of a curry paste, the All-Clad had a harder time continuously processing. It got there, kind of, but even after lengthy blending, there were still visible long strands of fibers in the paste.

The Breville, on the other hand, is deliberately designed to avoid that vortex. Instead, it acts more like a hammer (for lack of a better comparison), requiring more of a manual up-and-down motion that plunges it in and out of the food until its job is done. Once we understood this design difference, we found that the Breville did an impressive job of mincing these fibrous and dry ingredients to a fine consistency.

The Criteria: What to Look for in an Immersion Blender

Serious Eats / Emily Dryden

The most important quality of an immersion blender is its ability to blend things. In a perfect world, an immersion blender would be able to execute the same tasks as a full-sized blender, from silky cauliflower purée to smooth nut butters.

Unfortunately, there are inherent limits to what an immersion blender can do. The manufacturers of every model we tested warned that the units should be in continuous use for only a minute at a time, to avoid overheating the motor. This automatically rules out some full-sized-blender tasks, such as cooking soup in a blender from start to finish. But for any briefer tasks, we wanted a hand blender that could hold its own.

We also looked for immersion blenders that were comfortable to hold and operate. Since an immersion blender is not stabilized, like similar blending and puréeing tools, it needs to be easy to grip and operate with one hand. We took note of the design of the trigger, as well as the circumference of the shaft: Models with wider shafts were unwieldy, while those with tapered grip designs were easier to hold for testers of all hand sizes.

Given that it's a tool you'll reach for again and again, an immersion blender needs to be easy to clean. All but one of the models we tested had a detachable blending wand, making them easy to wash without fear of getting water in the motor housing; several of the blending wands were also dishwasher-safe.

Variations in blade design made some models simpler to clean than others. The best required little more than a quick rinse to remove thick purées from the underside of the blade, while the worst left behind a dangerous tangle of vegetable fibers and sharp metal.

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What we liked: The All-Clad Stainless Steel Immersion Blender often produced results comparable to those of a countertop blender. It easily demolished tough celery for soup, though it did leave a few stray fibers trapped in its vents. It accomplished lightweight tasks, like processing the cream and making mayonnaise, almost instantly, but difficult jobs, like ice-crushing and puréeing beans, were done nearly as fast.

This model has the widest blade guard of all the ones we tested, with a diameter of three inches, resulting in a readily exposed blade that's capable of easily chopping and blending thick or tough items. It also has large vents, which produced a vortex while blending liquids. It comes equipped with an extra-long, five-foot power cord, giving you room to maneuver in your kitchen. There's an easy-to-use dial at the top for adjusting the speed, and even a turbo button if you need to kick it into high gear.

And, while this was the heaviest of the immersion blenders we tested, at two and a half pounds, we mostly appreciated its form: The tapered grip was easy to hold, and the nine-inch blending wand meant you could reach deep into a large pot without much trouble.

What we didn't like: Although the twist-off blending-wand design on the All-Clad has arrows to illustrate which direction to turn, we much preferred the release button some other units had for quick removal. Once removed, the blender wand is not dishwasher-safe, and is, in fact, hollow. The manufacturer warns against water entering the wand, so extra-careful washing is necessary. (Through long-term use, we've discovered just how stinky it can become if you do get dirty water in there.) This model does not come with any attachments, but a whisk attachment is available for purchase separately.

Price at time of publish: $120.

Key Specs

Serious Eats / Emily Dryden

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What we liked: The Vitamix Immersion Blender was so powerful that, at its highest setting, it pureed the celery soup almost entirely, leaving less than three grams of solids in the strainer. It created deep vortexes that drew food in quickly, and made short work of incorporating food dye into the chickpeas. We really liked the plastic-tipped blade guard, which made it safe to use in more types of containers without fear of scratching nonstick or enameled cast iron cookware. We also appreciated how easy it was to swap between all five different speeds by pressing a single button, which was helpful when blending smaller volumes. When on its highest setting, we found it was able to fully purée soups while still in the pot, cutting out the need to blend in batches. 

What we didn’t like: At times, the vortex this immersion blender produced was too powerful, causing soup to sputter and spit as it was dragged down below the blade guard. That was easily rectified by just blending larger amounts at a time. We also found that it shredded the ice into snow so fast it blocked up the blade guard and took a little muscling to crush everything. 

Price at time of publish: $125.

Key Specs

Serious Eats / Jesse Raub

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What we liked: We're fans of a lot of the Breville gear we test, and the Control Grip Immersion Blender is no exception. It's rugged and has a nicely designed ergonomic grip and an easy clip-on blending shaft.

It also comes with a boatload of accessories, making the price seem reasonable by comparison with our other top picks. Not only do you get the blender itself, you also get a whisk attachment, a mini chopper, and a spacious blending jar. The mini chopper nests neatly inside the blending jar for storage, while the lid does double duty as a nonslip base during blending.

The Breville excelled at all of our tests. For those of you who read an earlier version of this review, you may remember that this wasn't our initial impression. But, as described above, further testing has led us to conclude that success with the Breville Control Grip depends on understanding how it works—when you do, you won't find much that it can't do.

Unlike other immersion blenders that create a vortex to suck the ingredients down into the spinning blades (just as a countertop blender does), the Breville is designed to not make a vortex. This eliminates one of the more annoying features of stick blenders, which is that they suction themselves stubbornly to the bottom of the vessel. To blend properly with the Breville, you have to move it all around, and up and down. That's not particularly difficult to do, especially since you don't have to fight against those suction forces.

What we didn't like: If you're short on space, all those accessories could be more of a nuisance than a perk.

Price at time of publish: $130.

Key Specs

Serious Eats / Emily Dryden

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What we liked: At just over one and a half pounds, the lightweight Hamilton Beach 2-Speed Hand Blender held its own next to much more expensive models in multiple rounds of testing.

The two-and-a-half-inch-wide blade guard, coupled with large vents, created a considerable vortex, making quick work of purées, whipped cream, and even ice. It blended soup as well as some other serious contenders, but at a fraction of the cost. Its petite design and nonslip grip make it comfortable to hold—it's a tool you'll reach for without a second thought.

The Hamilton Beach also comes equipped with a whisk attachment for batters and egg whites, and a three-cup chopper attachment perfect for nuts and garlic. The attachments and the blending wand are top-shelf dishwasher-safe. The blending wand is eight inches long, allowing you to reach deep into various containers.

What we didn't like: We're unsure of its longevity against tough tasks, such as blending ice for smoothies. The twist-off blending wand never felt particularly secure, and it doesn't click into place or provide any other indication that it's been securely attached.

Price at time of publish: $29.

Key Specs

Serious Eats / Emily Dryden

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What we liked: A cordless immersion blender may not sound like much, but in practice it's quite a nice feature. Anyone who's ever switched from a plug-in drill or screw gun to a battery-powered one knows what we're talking about—being free to wield the tool without having to be tethered to the wall or worry about what obstacles a cord might get snagged on is a significant improvement. Given that kitchens are filled with flames and hot liquids and other accidents waiting to happen, eliminating that cord is more than just a convenience; it's a safety feature.

All-Clad's cordless immersion blender performed beyond our expectations. When we first powered it up, we weren't all that impressed; it seemed weak, especially compared with its plug-in counterpart. But when put to the test, it excelled, keeping pace with the other top picks. It made a nicely smooth and silky soup well within the two-minute time limit, crushed ice in 25 seconds, and thoroughly puréed the beans with food coloring in a mere 17 seconds.

Its charging base requires a permanent spot on your countertop, which may not be ideal for smaller kitchens, but if you do have the space, it's great to have a blender always at the ready. As convenient as immersion blenders are compared with countertop ones, most still require being dug out of a drawer or cabinet, and the power cord unwound and plugged in, before you can use it. With All-Clad's cordless blender, you can just grab it, clip the blending shaft on, and go.

We also liked the cordless All-Clad's safety lock, which requires you to tap the top button before pressing the trigger; if you don't hit the trigger soon after unlocking the blender, the unit will lock itself again, and the trigger won't work. This is an important precaution on a cordless blender, since you can't just unplug it for safety's sake before you start monkeying around near the blades. An accidental trigger press is even more of a risk with a cordless blender, and All-Clad has dealt with that risk well.

What we didn't like: Like the plug-in All-Clad, the cordless one doesn't come with any accessories, which, given the price, is disappointing. And speaking of price, this thing isn't cheap. Without a window into what it costs to manufacture it, we're not questioning whether the price is fair, but given how much more affordable some of our other picks are, this is an expense that will be hard to justify for some people.

Price at time of publish: $203.

Key Specs

Serious Eats / Emily Dryden

The Competition

A few quick notes on the other immersion blenders we tested for this review:

FAQs

What is an immersion blender?

An immersion blender is like a hand-held blender (which is why it’s often called a hand blender). A small motor that you can hold in your hand is attached to a blending wand with a fan-like blade at the bottom. The motor powers the blade’s rotation to puree foods right in their container. Some immersion blenders are designed to be able to power attachments like whisks and mini choppers, too.

How do you use an immersion blender?

To use an immersion blender, hold the container with one hand and the blender in the other, inserting the blade end of the wand into the food and then pressing the power button. Usually a vortex is created just as it is in a regular blender, but often you will also need to slowly move the device up and down or side to side to aid in blending.

What's the difference between an immersion blender and a blender?

Regular countertop blenders have a container with a blade at the bottom, while immersion blenders work the other way around: they’re like a blending stick that can be used in a plastic deli container, tall measuring cup, Dutch oven, stock pot...you get the idea. An immersion blender is especially useful when blending hot items, like soup, right in their cooking pot and without having to blend in batches as you likely would with a standard blender. They’re also much lower in profile and can often be stored in a drawer.

The Best Blender for You: Expensive Versus Budget Buys, Tested

Top 5 Food Processors Eldorado's Choice

8 min. for reading

Eldorado's Choice Kitchen Appliances

October 20 is World Chef's Day. The best gift for a professional and an amateur cook will be a multifunctional device that will help save a lot of effort and time. Simply put, a food processor equipped with many attachments. It is these devices that we will consider in more detail in today's review.

Kitfort KT-1320

If you only need basic features, why pay extra for an expensive model? The Russian brand food processor will perfectly cope with cutting, chopping, grinding and mixing products. Appropriate tools are attached to it - a double blade made of durable steel and a circular knife.

Interesting fact

The Kitfort food processor complies with current safety requirements. It starts only if there is a bowl and a knife. Rubber suction cup feet keep it firmly on a smooth table top.

The device provides you with two speed modes. The first is ideal for working with dense products - apples, carrots, chocolate and cheese. But greens, tomatoes, peeled citrus fruits and peppers can be chopped at a higher speed. The second high-speed mode will also please pancake lovers — it allows you to knead batter.

Moulinex Doubleforce Compact FP542132

But this model can already be classified as an advanced level - it is capable of performing 19functions. The spacious main bowl of the combine is equipped with a sharp chopper knife. It also comes with a double-sided blade suitable for slicing and fine shredding. And the kit also includes a plastic emulsifying nozzle for making mayonnaise, thick sauces, creams and desserts.

Interesting fact

A pleasant surprise for lovers of a healthy lifestyle will be a blender with a large bowl. It is ideal for mixing sports shakes and making thick smoothies.

Its sharp blades cut through hard vegetables and fruits with ease, producing a smooth cut in minutes. Using the blender is very easy - it is installed in a standard connector on the motor unit without any adapters.

The food processor is not only convenient, but also practical. All of its removable attachments are dishwasher safe. They are made of high-quality plastic and durable stainless steel, so they will look fresh even after a year of active use.

Bosch MCM3200W MultiTalent 3

The German company thoroughly approaches the development of each of its products. The dimensions of the main bowl of this food processor are impressive - it can knead up to 800 grams of thick dough at a time. And this amount is enough to make a pie, a dozen cupcakes or a lot of cream cakes. Complete with the device, you get two discs at once. They can be installed on both sides - for rubbing and chopping products into small or large pieces.

Interesting fact

Bosch emphasizes that only high-quality materials are used in the production of the food processor. All attachments are dishwasher safe.

A sharp blade made from heavy-duty steel that can handle everything from chopping nuts to crushing ice. By the way, in these cases it is better to use the pulse mode to protect the device's motor from overload. And for whipping cocktails, a blender nozzle with a cross-shaped knife is provided. Its curved blades grind food evenly without leaving lumps even at the base of the bowl.

Redmond RFP-3904

If you are a conservationist, this model is for you. The food processor is equipped with a universal attachment that can accommodate five different knives. They allow you to cut food into small and large straws, as well as cubes. In addition, classic blades for grater and shredder are available to you.

Interesting fact

An interesting design feature is that there is a box for storing interchangeable nozzles in the lower part of the body. It can be easily reached by pulling the protruding handle.

Separately, it is worth noting the plastic nozzle without knives. It is ideal for kneading thick dough. By choosing the first speed, you can not be afraid of overloading the motor - its power when blocked reaches an impressive 1900 watts. The kit also includes other useful accessories, including a culinary spatula for applying creams and a knife for cutting dough.

The device is also equipped with suction feet and a safety system that prevents the motor from starting if not properly assembled.

Bosch Multi Talent 8 MC812W620

Our review included another model of the German brand, which belongs to the top series. Even upon external examination, its differences are striking. The main bowl holds up to one and a half kilograms of dough. And in a removable blender, you can prepare cocktails, cream soups and smoothies up to 1.5 liters.

Interesting fact

But the main advantage of the food processor is its intelligent control system. It recognizes the installed nozzle and “adjusts” the speed mode to it.

Also includes more attachments:

You can adjust the output manually if needed to get perfect results every time.

We should also consider the design of the blender attachment. Its bowl is made of ultra-durable Tritan plastic, which remains transparent for a long time and is easily washed from stuck food. The lid is securely locked during operation, eliminating the splashing of the pulp.

Conclusion

Food processors are an extensive group of appliances. It has simple models like Kitfort and Redmond. They are ideal for preparing salads, chopping food and preserving. But experienced chefs can take advantage of Bosch and Moulinex multifunctional devices that can perform a variety of tasks - from slicing to kneading dough, crushing ice and whipping cocktails.

Maria Semenenye

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Food processor with meat grinder and dicing


Nowadays, the kitchen cannot do without a variety of household appliances, which greatly facilitate the daily work and cooking of the hostess. Among the appliances that are in demand today, food processors with a blender and other attachments can be distinguished. These are multifunctional assistants that can reduce the time for processing various types of products such as potato pancakes, in contrast to manual cooking. The choice of the unit is not as simple as it might seem, since it is important to take into account not only the reviews of the models and the rating of the manufacturers, but also the functions of the food processor. To acquire a truly reliable and useful assistant for yourself, you should study in detail the features and characteristics of this device, as well as reviews and ratings of popular models.

A food processor usually consists of a motor unit controlled by buttons, several bowls and various attachments. This device is capable of performing various functions, for example, there are food processors with a juicer, as well as appliances with a blender, meat grinder, mini options. There are food processors with a grater, as well as with attachments that cut vegetables and knead the dough. To understand which unit is better, the studied reviews and customer reviews of the models, as well as the ratings of manufacturers, will allow.

Content

  1. Varieties
  2. multifunctional
  3. MINISH
  4. Land
  5. with a nozzle to knead the test
  6. Construction Pattern
  7. Material 900 Popular models
  8. TEFAL QB508GB1
  9. Bosch MUM 56340 Styline

Varieties

Before making a choice, you should know what types of food processors exist, understand their features and functions. Among the popular models are: multifunctional, with a meat grinder, blender, mini options, with dicing, a grater for making potato pancakes, manual, for dough, etc.

Multifunctional

These models are equipped with a large number of functions. Their advantage lies in the absence of the need to purchase additional equipment, which will save space in the kitchen. Universal food processors can handle the processing of different types of meat, play the role of a juicer, a small mill, a blender. The set includes a large bowl, it is possible to adjust the speed mode. Multifunctional devices are distinguished by a power of more than 700 watts.

The universal model often comes with attachments such as:

Mini models

Mini harvesters are somewhat different from their classic counterparts. They are not so overall, and also have fewer functions and low power. But this technique performs its direct duties well. The bowl of a mini-combine usually comes with a volume of 2.5 liters, and the power of the device is 650 watts. Among the advantages, one can single out the saving of electricity, in comparison with the classical model, a lower cost. It is appropriate to use such options in a small kitchen, when every centimeter of space is important. The mini-combine will perfectly cope with blanks for potato pancakes, meatballs, salads, etc.

The appliance can only be purchased with a standard set of functions or it can be purchased with additional options:

Manual

This is a portable type of food processor. The unit is simple and convenient to use, it takes up little space in the kitchen and does not require an electrical connection. The hostess can independently control the process of processing products, which is impossible to do when working with a classic type of combine. A manual model is useful when you need to go out of town to nature.

With kneading attachment

This unit is suitable for lovers of home baking and regular cooking. It will perfectly cope with the preparation of the dough, and also has a number of other positive qualities, for example: the presence of a blender, figured nozzles in the kit. When choosing a food processor with a dough mixer, it is important to pay attention to its power, functionality and the material from which it is made.

This instrument can be used for the following test:

A separate item is food processors with a meat grinder, as well as a blender. Thanks to this device, you can quickly and easily prepare dinner for the whole family. The meat grinder will allow you to make meat blanks for meatballs, meatballs, cabbage rolls, potato pancakes and other dishes. With the built-in blender, you can prepare fruit and vegetable purees, smoothies and baby cereals.

Design Features

When choosing a food processor with a meat grinder, you should start by studying the ratings of manufacturers, as well as reading reviews about models and customer reviews on the Internet. Be sure to pay attention to the following characteristics:

Bowl material and volume

Reviews of food processor models show containers of various sizes: from one to six liters. The choice should depend on the amount of food to be processed at a time, and this, in turn, is influenced by the number of family members and their culinary preferences. For a large family, you should choose a bowl volume of at least 3-4 liters. It is important to know that the manufacturer usually claims more capacity than it actually is. Some models are equipped with two or three bowls of different sizes at once. They are convenient to use depending on the amount of processed products.

High-strength food-grade plastic is used as the material for the containers. Much less often you can find bowls made of impact-resistant glass, not subject to the negative effects of temperature changes. More expensive models have a stainless steel bowl. All three materials are reliable and durable, so everyone should choose the option that he considers best.

Power and number of speeds

The characteristics of the food processor motor determine the speed at which the appliance functions. For example, low-power equipment will not cope with kneading dough, crushing ice and grinding ice cream.

The larger the container, the higher the motor power must be. If the bowl has parameters of 1.5 liters, then 300 W of power is enough and, accordingly, for 2 liters - 400 W, for 3 - 700 W. To purchase a truly reliable device, choosing from two models with the same bowl volume, it is better to give preference to the one with a more powerful motor.

A slower speed can be used to mix different ingredients, but cutting, chopping and kneading dough require a higher speed.

Attachments

The final cost of the appliance depends not only on its rating, but also on the number of attachments for the food processor that are included in the kit. The more of them, the, accordingly, the unit is more expensive. Some nozzles are never used at all in everyday life, so before you buy one or another model, you should think about whether all the attached parts will come in handy or whether it will be a waste of money. Fortunately, many manufacturers equip their equipment with only the most necessary accessories, and the buyer himself has the right to supplement the model with the necessary nozzles by purchasing them separately.

Types of bits:

Other functions

Often, a food processor with a meat grinder comes with a juicer, which can be intended only for citrus fruits or be universal. The press for oranges and lemons is a ribbed rotating nozzle, thanks to which the juice from the half of the fruit flows into the container.

Universal juicers allow you to get a delicious drink from any kind of fruit, berries and vegetables. If juicing is a regular procedure in the family and it is done in large volumes, for example, for preparations for the winter, then it is better to purchase a separate juicer, rather than a combine attachment. Since a specialized household appliance functions much more efficiently.

Popular models

To understand the range of household appliances, you need to study reviews of food processors from popular manufacturers. High ratings and numerous positive reviews about some models speak for themselves.

TEFAL QB508GB1

The Tefal QB508GB1 food processor is one of the stylish modern innovations. This is a multifunctional stationary model with a power of 900 watts. It has a red metal body, which will certainly make the combine a bright accent in any kitchen.

The appliance comes with two bowls: a 4.6 liter main bowl and a 1.5 liter blender container. The combine has six speeds and various types of nozzles, among which there is a meat grinder that allows you to cook meat for various dishes: cutlets, potato pancakes, meatballs, etc. There are also other attachments, for example, a grinder, a juicer, a blender, a dough hook, a whisk for whipping.

Food processors with juicer and meat grinder have splash protection, which ensures a clean work surface during use. Rubber pads on the feet will prevent the food processor from sliding on the countertop. A recipe book is included with the model, which is a nice bonus to the purchase. Bosh MUM 56340 Styline Bosch is one of the most popular kitchen appliances in the world.

900 watt model with 3.6 liter stainless steel bowl. The set includes a blender, a meat grinder, a citrus press, as well as six additional nozzles, among which there is a hook for kneading dough, a grater for making potato pancakes, etc. The food processor can operate at seven speeds, has a pulse mode and planetary rotation for better mixing of ingredients.

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