An immersion blender, also known as a handheld blender, can be a space-saving alternative to a full-size blender since they can be tucked away in a drawer. A variety of everyday kitchen tasks can be done with them, such as mixing pancake batter, whisking eggs, whipping cream, blending smoothies, and pureeing baby food. A blender is essential for blending soups, such as butternut squash soup, right in the pot.
Here are our buying tips and picks for the best immersion blenders.
Cuisinart CSB-179 Smart Stick Hand Blender
Since Cuisinart may be the most well-known name in food processors, we’re confident in the brand’s understanding of spinning blades, regardless of their size. It has a continuous or pulse blending button, as well as a variable speed control so you can select the speed that’s right for you rather than relying on preset speeds that might not be perfect.
The blender comes with a jar for blending smoothies or making mayonnaise, a chopper attachment for making salsa, and a whisk attachment for making whipped cream or beating eggs. If you would like more options of Cuisinart Smart Stick, you can find them in a guide we have compiled.
Kitchen Aid 2-Speed Hand Blender
The two-speed blender features a removable blending arm for easy cleaning and comes from a brand that’s well-known for kitchen appliances and gadgets. Despite its high quality, this blender doesn’t come with many accessories or frills that add to the price.
There is a handy blending jar included with a lid that can be used for storing food before or after it has been blended. When blending, the soft-grip handle is easy to hold, so it’s easy to use no matter how much you have to blend. KitchenAid products come in a wide range of colors, so you can match this to your stand mixer or kitchen décor, or add a pop of color to your kitchen.
Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick 500 Watt 9-Speed Immersion Multi-Purpose Hand Blender
It’s a good alternative to our top picks, if the budget isn’t quite big enough to purchase an immersion blender. For a cheaper price, you don’t have to sacrifice any power, however. With its full copper motor and 500 watts of power, this handheld blender is powerful enough to handle making baby food purees, smoothies, smooth soups and sauces, and even homemade peanut or almond butter. Everything about this blender feels sturdy, durable, well-made, and comparable to blenders that cost twice as much.
It comes with a milk frother for making homemade lattes and a whisk attachment so you can whip cream, beat eggs and make homemade mayo for sandwiches. Cleaning the blender and attachments is as simple as running under warm water or putting them in the dishwasher.
KOIOS Oxasmart 800-Watt 12-Speed Immersion Hand Blender
With 12 speeds and a turbo mode, this immersion blender will whip up perfectly smooth milkshakes and smoothies, as well as salad dressings, mayonnaise, and sauces in no time. There is a chopper attachment for chopping onions or herbs, a whisk attachment for whisking heavy cream or egg whites, and a blender jar for times when you don’t have a container to use for blending and emulsifying.
This blade is reinforced with titanium for extra strength, and the bell-shaped housing keeps the blade off the bottom surface of your containers to prevent splashing. This can be hung on a rack using the loop at the top of the handle.
Waring (WSB33X) 7″ Light-Duty Quik Stik Immersion Blender
This is made for commercial kitchen use, but priced similarly to home immersion blenders. While it’s called a light-duty blender, it’s created for light duty in a professional kitchen so it will be more than enough for your home kitchen.
With its lightweight design, it’s easy to hold and easy to use. The two speeds give you control over the texture of your food, and it comes without any extras; however, it would be an excellent choice for those who prefer commercial appliances.
An Immersion Blender Buyer’s Guide
Design
Compared to regular blenders and food processors, immersion blenders are smaller, more compact, and easier to store, but it doesn’t mean their dimensions, weights, and styles don’t vary.
Consider the size of the blender head; some are too big to fit in a standard smoothie cup; also, choose a corded or cordless model; cordless models require frequent recharging. Finally, look at whether the shaft is detachable; this makes cleaning easier.
Power
Some immersion blenders are ideal for purees, such as when you want to make baby food. Others can slice through ice for smoothies. In general, the higher the wattage, the greater the power.
Speed Settings
Immersion blenders typically come with a high and low speed setting. High speeds work best for blending tough ingredients such as fibrous vegetables and ice, while low speeds can be used to chop vegetables for salsa and retain some texture.
You can adjust the speed of some models, giving you greater control over the texture and consistency of your blends.
Included Accessories
You don’t need lots of extras (that may not be of the highest quality) if all you want is a stick blender. Nevertheless, many immersion blenders come with useful accessories, such as a chopper or whisk attachment. Consider how you will store everything if you buy an immersion blender all-in-one package; some come with storage cases for all the pieces so nothing gets lost.
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