Our top-tested hand blenders quickly blitz up emulsions, purées and sauces.
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Immersion blenders, a.k.a. hand blenders or stick blenders, are versatile, powerful and easy-to-store kitchen gear. These compact blenders give you the freedom to purée ingredients without dirtying a full-size blender or being limited to the capacity of a personal blender jar. The best immersion blenders can handle blending frozen fruit into delicious smoothies and puréeing cooked produce into velvety soups, directly inside a Dutch oven. They should also tackle smaller jobs like emulsifying mayonnaise or blending up a homemade salad dressing in a pinch.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we tested 13 models in our most recent side-by-side test to find those that are easy to assemble, comfortable to operate and deliver on performance. To test each immersion blender, we blend a smoothie, purée a soup and make a mayonnaise. We also consider the weight, power, attachments and settings of each model to find the best options for your home kitchen.
Offering 15 speed settings, this immersion blender 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 blade guard's plastic edge is more gentle on your cookware compared to models with a stainless steel edge. 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. This model also includes a food processor and whisk attachment and all attachments are dishwasher-safe.
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. 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, but at this price, it's a nice buy.
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 because it was fairly quiet (nice in the morning when you're still groggy), 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.
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 does come 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. 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.
A straightforward immersion blender from Vitamix, this 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 2 minutes. While it had the heaviest motor in our tests, we found the grip comfortable to hold. We also appreciate that the speed settings are clearly marked with lighted indicators. It also has a plastic material on the tip of the blade guard that helps protect your pots and pans when you purée soups or sauces inside them.
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In our testing, the stainless steel Cuisinart Smart Stick fully puréed a thick vegetable soup in 90 seconds and crushed frozen fruit for a smoothie with no problem. The Smart Stick's speed is based on how hard you press the button making it versatile for various blending projects, from chopping to puréeing. Take note that while it produced super smooth purées and lump-free smoothies, the Cuisinart immersion blender took about 30 seconds longer to do so than some of the others we tested.
The model comes with a safety lock as well as a variety of attachments, including a whisk attachment, a food processor and a blending beaker attachment which comes in handy when blitzing up salad dressings or sauces that require emulsification. The attachment bowls are plastic and dishwasher safe, while the blender arm is stainless steel, but must be hand washed.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, we tested 13 models in our most recent side-by-side test to find those that are easy to assemble, comfortable to operate and deliver on performance.
When we assess immersion blenders, we put each to the test in common tasks: blending a smoothie in a blending jar, making mayonnaise and puréeing soup directly in a pot.
Whipping up a homemade mayonnaise indicates the immersion blender's capacity to emulsify, which needs to happen smoothly and slowly to create stability.
The puréeing of Broccoli potato soup helps us understand the blender's ability to purée large quantities of ingredients without splattering or leaving chunks, and if the immersion blender is able to do so inside a Dutch oven on the stovetop.
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.
✔️ 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 you risk losing 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 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 into 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 it to be a reflection of quality, performance or comfort.
An immersion blender is great for small jobs like making pesto, dips, mayonnaise, whipped cream and even scrambled eggs.
Why use an immersion blender instead of a full-size blender? Good immersion blenders can do the job of a blender, like whipping up smoothies, milkshakes and frozen drinks for one or two people, and take up much less space.
But keep in mind, when considering an immersion blender vs. a regular blender, immersion blender motors and blades are smaller and can only handle smaller jobs before overheating.
What should you not use an immersion blender for? We 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 you have trouble blending very small quantities.
We 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.
Sarah Wharton led the most recent testing for immersion blenders. She has used an immersion blender at home for years to make soup. She covers all types of kitchen gear including pepper grinders, electric knives and grill thermometers.
Becca Miller has been a food editor with Good Housekeeping since 2018. She writes about all things food and cooking. She swears by her immersion blender for making so many recipes, from potato leek soup to her go-to breakfast smoothie.
Eva Bleyer has professionally tested all kinds of kitchen equipment, from oven ranges to juicers, kitchen scales and blenders. In fact, in the past two and a half years alone, Eva has rigorously tested almost 50 different types of blenders in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab. As a trained chef with a background in health-supportive cooking, she also has years of experience using blenders and especially loves using immersion blenders for homemade soups and whipping up quick sauces.
Becca Miller (she/her) has been working in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen since 2018, where she researches and writes about tasty recipes, food trends and top cooking tools. She graduated from NYU with a liberal arts degree focusing on creative writing. She makes killer scrambled eggs, enjoys a glass of un-oaked chardonnay and takes pride in her love of reality television.
Eva (she/her) is a reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she tests kitchen gear, home appliances and culinary innovations. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor of science in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef through the Natural Gourmet Institute. Eva has more than 10 years of experience in the food industry, working as a food stylist, personal chef and marketing manager.
Sarah (she/her) is a deputy editor in 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).
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