Hand Blenders Reviews

While they can't totally replace full-size blenders (covered in our separate report on blenders ), hand blenders (also called stick or immersion blenders) are handy for puréeing soups or frothing milk right in the cooking vessel. Cook’s Illustrated magazine has published the best review of hand blenders. Editors gathered nine models priced between $13 and $90 and put them through rigorous paces, whizzing up marinara sauce, pesto and broccoli soup. Consumer Reports devotes a couple of paragraphs to handheld blenders in its review of traditional blenders, but this short article is not nearly as detailed as the write-up in Cook's Illustrated. Australia's Choice and U.K.-based Which? magazines each tested a dozen stick blenders, but only two of the tested blenders were available in the U.S., and both of those models have now been discontinued.

In an interview in Cook's Illustrated magazine, Chef Jean-Louis Gerin says that he uses a hand blender to emulsify sauces with purées of aromatic vegetables, such as shallots and garlic, and thereby reduces the amount of butter added. Immersion blenders also aerate sauces more than whisks can, which gives the finished product a lighter texture. Cook's Illustrated recommends using tapered containers for handheld blending: in tall containers that are wider at the top than at the bottom, blades can be submerged which makes for a smoother sauces and vinaigrettes and less mess.

Most hand blenders are simple devices, and most get similar ratings ranging between good to very good. A few models, however, don't work as well as others in testing. The Dualit 88860 500-Watt Immersion Hand Blender (*est. $80) has accumulated a handful of owner-written reviews at Amazon.com. In Food & Wine's tests, the Dualit's powerful motor earned praise, but editors found it heavy and a bit awkward to hold. Owners posting to Amazon.com are divided: Some say it works well, while another says that the shaft became hot to the touch after just a minute of use.

Although many cooks prefer the convenience of a cordless blender, the one cordless hand blender we found isn't a standout. The Cuisinart Cordless CSB-44N Rechargeable (*est. $50) failed to turn nuts and herbs into pesto during testing at Cook’s Illustrated. Editors say that the blender itself lacks power, and its components are not fastened together securely. The Cuisinart Cordless receives a middling rating in owner-written reviews at Amazon.com. Some owners say that the shaft is difficult for small hands to grip, while others say that the nickel cadmium batteries won't hold a charge long enough.  ... Continued

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All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Braun and KitchenAid dominate reviews of hand blenders, but Braun has discontinued both the basic and professional Multiquick models, and has so far not replaced them with other models (except in Canada). Therefore, the KitchenAid KBH100 gets the strongest overall reviews. The Cuisinart SmartStick is a good basic immersion blender.