The best hand blenders make lump-free soups, sauces, dips and smoothies both quickly and easily, with no need to even bother moving your ingredients out of your saucepan or bowl (although many come with their own beaker so you do at least have the option). And it doesn’t stop there, with many of today’s stick blenders doing much more besides, thanks to their rich array of attachments that whisk, beat, slice, dice, mash and more. Yet these multi-tasking machines take up very space in your kitchen and require a lot less washing up than the likes of a jug blender or food processor.
But with stick blenders ranging from £25 to £300, how much do you really need to spend on one? Do you always get bang for your buck? Which features are genuinely useful? And which models would we recommend? Read on to find out.
How to choose the right hand blender for you
How much should I spend?
If you pay less than around £30, you shouldn’t expect a whole host of attachments. But if you buy the right one, you should still wind up with whizzy machine that makes rich and creamy soups and sauces (the most common uses for hand blenders). Spending more money than that will either get you some useful attachments – generally for chopping and whisking – or it will mean you wind up with a machine that works more quickly, quietly or with more precision. Alternatively, your dosh may be going on a machine that isn’t prone to overheating mixtures such as mayonnaise or a machine that is really lightweight. But what splashing the cash won’t automatically do is get you a better machine, with many low-cost machines outperform higher-cost ones at the basics.
What features should I look out for?
At the very least, you should expect your hand blender to be comfortable to hold, easy to assemble and use and a good performer at the tasks you need it for, while also being easy to clean afterwards. Beyond that, features are nice-to-haves and you’ll need to tick these off against your top personal preferences.
Don’t assume the higher the wattage, the more powerful the machine. Some lower wattage stick blenders (100 watts) are better at the so-called commercial models (750 watts) – that’s because the strong motor has to be coupled with good design for the food to circulate easily in and out of the cutting zone. And don’t assume the more speeds, the better, either – more than two or three can be overkill in some cases.
What accessories are available?
Here are some of the accessories most commonly available – but remember while they might look tempting, they won’t cover the heavy-duty jobs – you’ll need a more expensive food processor for that. In fact, don’t be put off if the attachments are only available at an additional cost – we actually think that can be a good thing as it means you don’t have to wind up with extras you don’t need. Also: remember that you can also get corded or cordless models – the latter is great if you’re limited with plug sockets.
- Metal whisk (great for whisking egg whites, light batters or cream, but won’t cope with more difficult textures like cake mix)
- Mini-chopper (good for chopping onions, herbs and nuts but some don’t chop finely and evenly)
- Grater/slicer (handy for slicing apples or carrots and grating cheese)
- Double beater (use for cake mix and other similar consistencies)
- Beaker (good for making smoothies – and some come with a lid)
- Masher (brilliant for potatoes, parsnips, squash etc)
The best hand blenders to buy
1. Bamix Swissline Hand Blender 100.309: The best hand blender for keen cooks
Price when reviewed:£200
You can tell this is top-drawer the moment you take it out of the box. While not the lightest of stick blenders, it is nice and compact and sits beautifully in the hand, working quickly and proficiently with just the right level of oomph to transform the toughest of lumps into velvety smooth mixtures. Meanwhile, the accessories make light work of chopping, pureeing, stirring, mincing, blending, frothing and emulsifying, with particularly impressive results when it comes to mayonnaise and whipped cream. It’s virtually indestructible (many hand blenders aren’t) but you do need to take the time to watch the YouTube videos to get the most out of it and we found it works best with smaller quantities. For anyone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, this is not a purchase you’re likely to regret.
Buy the Bamix Swissline from Lakeland.co.uk
Key specs – Power: 200W; Speed settings: Two (and turbo boost); Accessories: Whisk, beater blades, beaker, dry processor attachment, storage stand; Warranty: 3 years
2. Kenwood HDP406WH Triblade Hand Blender: The best for big blending tasks
Price when reviewed:£70
If you’re the kind of person that likes making batches of soup to freeze, you’re going to love the XL pan blending attachment – not to mention the fact that this machine is noticeably faster than many others. The manufacturer puts this down to the angled blades that blend more food in less time, coupled with the ribbed design that’s designed to reduce suction. Good news for your clothes is that this blender is not a splasher and we also found it works well with tough foods such as nuts and dark chocolate (many make this claim, but fail miserably). All attachments manage the tasks they’re meant for (the masher makes particularly creamy mash – no irritating tiny lumps) and it’s easy to take apart to wash aftewards, although it would be nice if all the attachments were dishwasher-safe.
Buy the Kenwood HDP406WH Triblade from John Lewis
Key specs – Power: 800W, Speed settings: 8, Accessories: Mashing and pureeing attachment, XL pan blending attachment for soup, whisk, masher, chopper and beaker, 1-year warranty
3. Morphy Richards Total Control Hand Blender Collection 402051: The best for precision control
Price when reviewed:£38
The precision control trigger is the stand-out feature here. It means that the harder you press the button, the faster it works, with no need to bother with fiddly knobs. And with eight speeds and a turbo boost, this hand blender certainly provides proof that low wattage models don’t necessarily lack might. The anti-splash head means you won’t wind up covered in red dots every time you make tomato soup, and the masher produces noticably fluffy, creamy mash while the chopper gave us dice-size pieces effortlessly. It’s quiet, with a great grip and the instructions are easy to follow. Not the most smart-looking blender we tested, but what it lacks in looks it gains in efficiency.
Key specs – Power: 650W; Speed settings: 8 speeds (and turbo boost); Accessories: Potato masher leg, chopping vessel, 750ml blending beaker and heel rest; Warranty: 2 years
4. Philips Daily Collection Hand Blender with Promix Blending Technology: The best budget hand blender
Price when reviewed:£27
This affordable machine with plastic body and stainless steel stem is just the ticket for students or anyone who needs a stick blender for simple tasks such as blitzing lumpy soups or making breakfast smoothies. It’s a good weight, not too loud and is nice and easy to keep clean. You’ll need to move it around a bit while it’s in action to make sure no mixture gets missed – and we found the beaker a bit on the small side. It can also airlock if you use it in a shallow bowl. But if you take into consideration the bargain basement price-tag, these are relatively small gripes and on the upside, even tougher veg such as carrots don’t pose a challenge.
Key specs – Power: 550W; Speed settings: 1; Accessories: 500ml beaker; Warranty: 2 years
5. Stellar Stick Blender: The best no-frills hand blender
Price when reviewed:£40
If you’re after a comprehensive bit of kit with lots of bells and whistles, move swiftly on. There’s no attachments or beaker – zero, zip, zilch, nada. But what you do get is such a powerful stick blender that you rarely have to even bother with the turbo boost – and a nifty illuminated graduated dial on the top that you turn to increase or decrease the power to suit your needs. All of which is great news if you want to make tasty soups, smoothies and sauces. It’s unlikely to win any awards for design, but it feels comfortable in the hand – and isn’t so heavy that it makes it tiring to use for long periods, like many blenders do. The lead could be longer, though.
Key specs – Power: 750W; Speed settings: Variable speed control (and turbo boost); Accessories: None; Warranty: 2 years