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Hand Blenders: Ratings of Sources
Total of 13 Sources

For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.

1. The Washington Post
Feb. 2008
Toward Greater Whirled Peas
by Joe Yonan and Bonnie S. Benwick
5 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Staff writers test 11 hand blenders and recommend the Hamilton Beach 59780, along with four others they say perform well without serious drawbacks. Each blender is tested on its ability to purŽe tomatoes,… mix peanut salsa, blend smoothies and purŽe a can of black beans. Testers do not find a correlation between higher wattage and more power. Since the test could not assess long-term durability, the length of warranty is an important consideration. Reviewers include opinions on ease of use and ease of cleaning.

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2. Cook's Illustrated Magazine
March 2006
Hand (Immersion) Blenders
by Editors of Cook's Illustrated
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Cook's Illustrated tests how well seven stick blenders purŽe marinara sauce, along with how well they mix broccoli soup and chunky pesto. The blenders are all made by different manufacturers and range in… price from $13 to $70. The KitchenAid KHB100 emerged as the favorite for quickly blending the pesto. Interestingly, testers discover a wide performance range among models, and some blenders prove better at some tasks than others.

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3. Food & Wine Magazine
2008
The Best Immersion Blenders
by Kristin Donnelly
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Food & Wine says that it tested 76 small appliances for its nine-category roundup, but we aren't sure how many immersion blenders were included. The Braun Multiquick MR 5000 (now discontinued) wins praise… for its quiet, efficient operation. The Cuisinart SmartStick (the model is not specified) places second, winning plaudits for its simple operation and "noticeably sharp" blade. The deep hood around the blade helps funnel food to the blades. The Dualit 88860 500-watt is the most powerful immersion blender tested, but editors find it somewhat unwieldy.

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4. Only Cookware Blog
As of Sept. 2009
Untitled
by Editors of Only Cookware Blog
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

The Only Cookware Blog includes in-depth reviews on three hand blenders. Although the reviews are recent, blenders aren't compared or rated against each other. The Braun Multiquick MR 5550 and Cuisinart… SmartStick CSB-76 reviews were written in January 2009, while the KitchenAid KHB300 was reviewed in October 2008. All three hand blenders receive favorable reviews, but Braun is no longer making small kitchen appliances.

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5. Wowzio.com
As of Sept. 2009
Best Blenders
by Editors of Wowzio.com
4 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

This new site offers a innovative way to scan reviews from Amazon.com. Wowzio's engine analyzes the user reviews to give a product separate rankings in 10 different categories, such as durability, blending,… mixing and grinding. The ranking criteria include how buyers have rated a product, the number of times buyers have rated a product, how well a product has sold, and how a product's price is trending. The Cuisinart SmartStick CSB-76 receives the top ranking for its ability to blend soups, smoothies and cocktails, as well as its durability. The Cuisinart SmartStick CSB-77, KitchenAid KHB300 and KitchenAid KHB100 receives a lower ranking in all areas.

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6. Amazon.com
As of Sept. 2009
Hand Blenders
by Contributors to Amazon.com
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Because so many hand blenders are rated highly by owners at Amazon.com, it's hard to get an idea which might be best overall. However, this is a great place to find owner reviews once you've narrowed down… your choices. The Cuisinart SmartStick CSB-76, the KitchenAid KHB300 and the KitchenAid KHB100 all receive high ratings from a large number of owners. The pricey Bamix De Luxe hand mixer receives a top rating from a handful of owners, while the top-of-the-line Braun Multiquick MR 5550 (now discontinued) receives a top rating from the majority of owners.

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7. America's Test Kitchen
2006
Immersion Blenders
by Editors of America's Test Kitchen
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

"America's Test Kitchen" is a public television show hosted by Christopher Kimball, the founder, publisher and editor of Cook's Illustrated. The website lists its three favorite hand blenders from season… seven; however, the Braun Multiquick MR 400 is no longer available in the United States and the Braun Multiquick MR 5550 is now discontinued. The review does not specify how many models were tested or what testing criteria were used.

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8. KitchenGadgetGals.com
Not Dated
GadgetGals Gift Pick
by Nancy Byal and Jan Turner Hazard
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Although the exact number is unknown, the KitchenGadgetGals.com test is said to include many brands of immersion blenders. The following models are found to perform well at a variety of blending tasks: Bamix Mono, Dualit 88860, KitchenAid KHB100 and Cuisinart SmartStick CSB-76. We'd rate this site higher if more details about the review process were given.
9. Choice magazine
Jan. 2009
Handheld blenders: review & compare
by Editors of Choice magazine
3 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment

Australia's Choice magazine tests 17 stick blenders ranging in price from $10 to $200. Overall, this is the most comprehensive test we found, but since only a handful of the blenders are available in the… United States, the review is less useful to those in North America. Editors rate each blender's performance and ease of use. The blenders are divided into two categories: units that only blend and emulsify soft foods, and those that come with an attachment to chop, grind and process hard foods. The top picks for soft foods only are the Bamix Basic (Mono), the Braun Multiquick MR 400 Plus, the Cuisinart CSB-76A SmartStick and the Tefal HB802 Click N Mix 600. The Sunbeam StickMaster Plus SM6400 and a discontinued model are the two recommendations for processing hard foods. However, the Braun, Tefal and Sunbeam blenders are not available in the United States.

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10. Bon Appetit
April 2008
Blender
by Editors of Bon AppŽtit magazine
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Editors at Bon AppŽtit name the KitchenAid KHB300 as their choice among hand blenders. However, this article is very brief, and it is unknown how many models were tested and what was used as testing criteria.
11. Epinions.com
As of Sept. 2009
Handheld Blenders
by Contributors to Epinions.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment There are far fewer reviews per product at Epinions.com than Amazon.com, with no one hand blender receiving more than 10 reviews. The expensive Multiquick MR 5550 (now discontinued) received five stars from 10 consumers. Several Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach models received 4.5 stars. The Oster 2611 2-Speed Handheld Blender received poor reviews from six consumers.
12. Cooking.com
As of Sept. 2009
Hand Blenders
by Contributors to Cooking.com
2 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment This cookware retailer allows owners to post brief reviews of their hand blenders. The eight blenders on the site receives an average rating of at least four stars out of five, making it hard to tell which blenders might be better than others. The KitchenAid KHB300 and Cuisinart SmartStick CSB-76 models both receive 4.5 stars from a significant number of consumers.
13. Which? magazine
Not Dated
Hand Blenders
by Editors of Which? magazine
1 stars Credibility Rating
Our Assessment Editors of U.K.-based Which? magazine test seven blenders and identified three as a best buys; however, none of the models are available in the United States.

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