Food processor blender combo: While this type of blender may be more expensive than a traditional full-sized blender, it's meant to combine two appliances in one. This type of blender tends to offer more accessories to store though. We made soup, houmous and smoothies with each hand blender, running each ran for the same length of time, on the highest setting. The Dualit DHB2 Hand Blender is an excellent choice for any discerning chef. Its 700W motor, upgraded from 500W of its predecessor, means it handles foods better and it comes with all the necessary accessories. There’s also a turbo mode for dealing with super-tough blends. Almost the same way as we do with full-size and personal blenders, with some small differences.We measure blending arm lengthas well as other dimensions.We don't crush a dozen ice cubes at once with an immersion blender like we do for full-size blenders. Immersion blenders aren't given a capacity score since even if a beaker is included, you can use the blender in your own container. The worst hand blenders left us with chopped nuts and herbs of a variety of sizes, lumpy mash and us wondering if the egg whites would ever reach stiff peaks. Ease of use

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. The best hand blender in the budget range we've tested is the NutriBullet Immersion Blender. This simple blender doesn't come with accessories like a beaker or a pan guard. Still, its blending performance is comparable to pricier blenders' like the KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender. It makes a fairly smooth blend with fibrous vegetables like kale and broccoli, so it can produce well-blended soups and sauces. There's also a whisk included for making whipped cream or hollandaise sauce. The Ninja Foodi Power Mixer System is the best immersion blender we've tested. If you need a blender to process hot ingredients for soups and sauces or simply want a compact machine, it's a great option. It smoothlyblends fibrous ingredients, which is important if you want smooth vegetable soups or purees.This model alsostands out from other immersion blenders because it converts into a hand mixer. With the included beaters attached, you can use the blender to mix cookie dough or cake batter. A beaker and a whisk attachment for whipping cream or stirring salad dressing are also included for blending. The blending arm and all the accessories are dishwasher-safe. Ninja Professional Plus: This line of Ninja blenders offers fewer presets and more basic design. Ideal for an individual that knows their way around a blender, how long they want to blend for and what speed would work best for an ingredient, these tend to be cheaper than other lines as well.

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If you’re tired of the all-or-nothing performance of the average hand blender, you might want to consider the Morphy Richards Total Control. It’s equipped with the company’s Smart Response Technology, which builds up speed gradually so blitzing food comes without the usual jerks and splatters.

Ninja Twisti: Our best overall comes from this line and is currently the only model in this line. It features the large built-in tamper pitcher and the blade is a smaller, easier to clean version compared to other full-sized models. Full-sized: This type of blender is the most common type, great for full-sized recipes and larger families.For those with additional extras, we test the ability to knead dough, julienne vegetables and chop and dice. The Tefal Infiny Force is a hand blender with larger ambitions. It comes with three handy attachments to make it a foodie’s friend in the kitchen, including a sauce foot for making your own mayonnaise, if you’ve ever fancied it. Simply choose one of its eight speeds, squeeze the control button and let the blades – which stay sharp for 12 times longer than standard blades, apparently – do their work. They slow down steadily once you release it.

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. Those with difficult-to-reach crevasses or blender heads that couldn't be removed were the worst products we tried. The best hand blenders were easy to rinse out and clean by hand. Build quality Splash guard Usually sold separately, these fit over a bowl, with a hole for the hand blender to pass through. It helps prevent splashes from going on to your work surface. Unlike other kinds of blenders, you must hold onto an immersion blender while using it. They usually aren't as powerful as full-size blenders and process ingredients more slowly. We've found theblender's weight, controls, and the shape of the motor body can all affect how easy a particular immersion blender is to use. Not everyone is on the hunt for a hand blender with lots of bells and whistles, but we still tested every attachment they came with, so we can tell you which ones are the best.

FAQ

The best hand blenders produced silky-smooth foods with a consistent texture. The worst left lots of chunks behind and our hands tingly after use from the large vibrations. Endurance We hand-washed each blender's main attachment to see how easy it was to remove residual food and liquid. For those that have a whisk attachment, we test using cream or egg whites, whipping until we get firm peaks. There are downsides: it's loud for an immersion blender, and the motor body is heavy, so it's more tiring to hold onto than lighter models. If you're not a baker, you might also prefer a blender that doubles as a food processor instead of a mixer. The Breville Control Grip is a sturdy option with a bowl and blade meant for chopping vegetables. You can use it directly in a pot or pan, but it doesn't handle raw fibrous ingredients as well as the Ninja. If all you need is a blender, and any extra attachments will accumulate dust in a cupboard, consider one of the cheaper options below. They were originally designed forhot blending and are well-suited for that. You can blend pureed soup or sauce without pouring hot ingredients into a blending jar. Their compact design is also helpful for blending small batches of dips, dressing, or even single-serve smoothies without pulling out your big full-size blender. You can usually store them in a kitchen drawer, so they can also appeal to people looking to save valuable counter space.

Ninja Foodi: This is the largest Ninja blender line right now, featuring the signature built-in tamper, smoothie bowl cup and many presets with a speed variable dial in large full-sized models. These offer an intuitive design for both blender newbies and pros. We also test each model for ease of cleaning, noting which models are easy to clean up and have dishwasher-safe parts and those that don’t.We also tried each hand blender with Cambridge simulation gloves , which simulates reduced hand mobility, to see which ones are more comfortable to use for people with limited dexterity or strength. Higher power (wattage) means the blender should spin faster. There is some advice that talks about the different amount of power you need for different foods, but our thorough testing has found no real correlation between the power of a hand blender and the results you get. Our testers assessed each hand blender's build quality. The best had casing that didn't flex when pressed, premium materials such as rubberised grips and attachments that felt secure and solid when attached to the main handle. Type of blender: Ninja makes a variety of different blender types to fit into your kitchen and your cooking routine. Generally, blender blades aren't the right shape forfrothing or foaming milk and can't produce the same quality foam as dedicated milk frothers. You also need to heat the milk beforehand, unlike frothers, which also heat the milk. If you want an appliance for lattes and cappuccinos, some immersion blenders have specialaccessories for milk frothing, like the KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Blender and Bamix Mono M133.