Get into making your own smoothies, baby food, soup and more with the best immersion blenders on the market today. These unique kitchen appliances are also known as hand blenders and offer a ton of versatility when it comes to blending your own food right from the comfort of your kitchen counter. Finding a good handheld appliance can get a little tricky, so we purchased the top 15 immersion blenders to test them out in real kitchens with real food to find out which one would be the best for the most kitchens.
When we got our blenders, we got to work pureeing foods, making smoothies and blending up frozen fruit. As we mixed things up, we specifically looked for blending consistency, power, and variable speed settings. We also switched out attachments (if included) to see how easy the immersion blenders were to use. After eating more than enough blended food, the Breville BSB510XL Immersion Blender came out on top. With its 15 different speed settings, tons of helpful attachments and powerful blending capacity, it was really an easy choice. Keep reading to learn more about the Breville hand blender and our other top picks so you can find the best immersion blender for your needs.
Top 5 Best Immersion Blenders Compared
#1 Breville BSB510XL
Award: Top Pick/Best for Frozen Fruit
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender is powerful and versatile with multiple speed settings and attachments. If you’re looking for something to blend frozen fruit, this is the immersion blender to consider.
- 15 speed settings
- Includes helpful attachments and accessories
- Unique, ergonomical handle
- Heavier than other models
- May not fit into some cups/jars
- Doesn’t lock onto the chopping bowl
If you want enough power to cut through ice, tough veggies and other challenging recipes, then this Breville model is the answer to all your kitchen needs. It has a powerful 280-watt motor, a lengthy 8-inch depth for tall glasses and pots and internal ribbing that gives you greater control and “pressure” when operating the immersion hand blender.
Related: Learn about the best countertop blenders.
Of course, there’s customization here, too. In fact, the Breville Control Grip blender features an impressive 15 different settings on its variable speed controls. Other useful features include a unique pistol grip, an extra-long cord for awkward outlet situations and a guard that’s intended to prevent accidental scratching. You also get a larger-than-usual container to blend food in. All in all, this is one of the best immersion blenders for frozen fruit, heavy-duty use and ambitious projects where other immersion blenders have failed before. If you would rather get healthy with a juicer, the best masticating juicer is a good choice.
#2 Philips ProMix HR1670/92
Award: Honorable Mention/Best for Food Processing
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Philips ProMix HR1670/92 is a solid and reliable immersion hand blender that features a unique approach to variable speeds. It also features a super durable design that will last you for years to come.
- Titanium-coated blades
- Single button release for accessory changes
- Dishwasher safe shaft
- Doesn’t include many accessories
- Variable speed control isn’t very precise
- Doesn’t perform well with frozen objects
The Philips ProMix hand blender offers a powerful 300-watt motor that performs well in plenty of different applications, including making soup, whipping eggs and pureeing vegetables. Unfortunately, it doesn’t do as well with frozen foods as we would have liked, but can handle most everything else. This excellent blending capacity is made possible with the titanium-coated blades that are six times harder than steel. With this kind of durability, you can expect the blades to last a long time, even after extensive use. You may also want to check out the best blender for green smoothies.
One of the most unique features of the Philips ProMix is its variable speed control. To change the blending speed, simply squeeze or release the trigger. This functions well enough, but unfortunately doesn’t give you quite the precision that you get with set speed controls. Another great feature you get with this hand mixer is a super-simple single button release to easily swap out attachments and accessories. This also helps you more easily clean the blender. If you’re looking for an immersion blender that can handle all-around food processing, the Philips ProMix fits the bill.
#3 Braun MQ505 Multiquick
Award: Best for Baby Food
WHY WE LIKE IT: The Braun MQ505 Multiquick is a simple immersion blender that’s perfect for blending smaller batches of food, including baby food. If you’re planning on
- Quiet operation
- Lightweight and easy to use
- Splash-proof design
- Only 2 speed settings
- Can’t blend frozen items well
- Constantly need to press power button
The Braun MQ505 Multiquick hand blender uses proprietary technology called PowerBell to give you reliable and consistent blending power. Best of all, this immersion blender operates super quietly so you don’t have to disturb the whole neighborhood just to puree some food. The blender features two different speed settings, which is admittedly not as much as other options, one of which includes a Turbo Boost for a little more power. With these simple settings, blending processes like baby food are made even easier. The best blenders should always have these features.
The Ultra-Stick is built to last, with a copper motor, stainless steel blades and durable housing. This durability is backed up by an excellent 2-year warranty in the unlikely event that something breaks or stops working on this blender. Unfortunately, the Ultra-Stick has some design quirks that we found a little disappointing. For starters, this immersion blender requires two hands to change the blending speed, which is inconvenient and sometimes difficult to do during operation. The cord also feels a little short sometimes, but this was easy to get used to after a few blending sessions.
Related: Have a look at the best portable blenders for travel.
Update: The newer version of this blender, the BraunMultiquick 7 Immersion Blender has a powerful 400-watt motor, and instead of a speed setting with two speeds, this stick blender uses a squeezable Smart Speed throttle, and also comes with a whisk attachment, a mixing cup, and a chopper attachment, al these being easy to clean and dishwasher-safe.
#4 Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick
Award: Best Budget/Best for Smoothies
WHY WE LIKE IT: Extra affordable and super comfortable, the Cowin E7 headphones are an excellent choice for anyone looking for comfort on a budget. With good noise cancellation and sound quality, these headphones are sure to treat your ears (and wallet) nicely.
- Super powerful
- Excellent, durable design
- Long, 2 year warranty
- Two-handed speed control
- Warms up after long periods of use
- Cord feels too short
Mueller Austria isn’t necessarily a household kitchen appliance brand name, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good brand. On the contrary, the Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick is an excellent product that offers a powerful 500-watt motor that can pulverize fruits and ice into smoothies with ease. The best thing about this power is that it comes to you at a budget price. If you want to make tasty frozen treats at a price under $30, this is an excellent choice.
The Ultra-Stick is built to last, with a copper motor, stainless steel blades and durable housing. This durability is backed up by an excellent 2-year warranty in the unlikely event that something breaks or stops working on this blender. Unfortunately, the Ultra-Stick has some design quirks that we found a little disappointing. For starters, this immersion blender requires two hands to change the blending speed, which is inconvenient and sometimes difficult to do during operation. The cord also feels a little short sometimes, but this was easy to get used to after a few blending sessions. The best blenders under $100 are also a good budget choice.
#5 KOIOS oxasmart
Award: Best Value/Best Heavy Duty
WHY WE LIKE IT: Sometimes you just need a heavy duty hand blender to take care of the tough jobs for you. This is where the KOIOS oxasmart comes into play with its incredibly powerful motor, stainless steel shaft and titanium coated blades. This immersion blender can handle most everything you throw at it.
- Most powerful motor on the list
- 12 speed settings
- Easy to change attachments
- User manual isn’t great
- Struggles a little with vegetables
- Heavier than other models
The KOIOS oxasmart is another immersion blender that’s super popular on Amazon, with almost 4,000 reviews and an average of 4.5 stars. People love this hand blender and it’s easy to see why. For starters, the oxasmart features the most powerful motor on our list, which measures in at a whopping 800 watts. This is enough power to handle most food items you want to blend, including ice and frozen items. We did notice it struggled a tiny bit with some of the tougher vegetables, but it still blended them in the end, which is what matters most. So it won’t crush ice like the best blenders for crushing ice.
You can also fine-tune your blending experience with 12 different speed settings and an included Turbo mode. To change speed settings, simply twist the dial on top of the unit to the desired level and off you go. Keep in mind that it’s easier to choose your speed before you start blending. The unit is a little heavier than others and changing speed in the middle of blending can be a little tricky. In the end, this powerful immersion blending can breeze through most anything you want to blend, making it the perfect choice for frequent use or tough jobs.
How We Choose
The best immersion blenders for soup, smoothies, and other recipes are all about practical use.
When we choose the best of the best, we look for versions that are easy to hold, powerful enough to actually blend through tough ingredients, and durable enough to use for years. Versatility is also a key part of our review process: A blender that can fit in many different containers – and comes with various accessories for ease of use – is far more useful in daily life for making quick immersion blender recipes.
Finally, we have the cost. You’ll notice a lot of very different price points on our list, because we wanted to offer options for all budgets: Ultimately, there are a lot of choices here depending on how much you want to pay.
Why You Should Buy
Not everyone needs a massive traditional blender in their kitchen, especially if they only make a few smoothies or mixes a week and want to save some money. An immersion blender is highly portable, less expensive, and uses for stick blenders include whisking, chopping, and stirring for a variety of recipes. When used well, it can become a kitchen tool you always reach for.
Key Features for a Good Immersion Blender
- Versatile Attachments: Our top immersion blenders all have a variety of different attachments, and it’s not hard to see why. A single whisking or chopping attachment isn’t going to do you much good, especially if you are buying a blender for multiple purposes or ingredients. Plus, with several attachments, a handheld blender can take on multiple roles in your kitchen and become an everyday tool while cooking.
- Speed Options: Variable speed can be a wonderful thing – especially when you’re in the middle of mixing. You need to be able to switch speeds based on how well the blending/whisking/chopping is going. One speed just doesn’t give you the necessary control for the best outcome. Look for an immersion blender that has at least a few speed options that you can easily switch between while working.
- Comfortable Grip: With a stationary blender, your grip is occasionally important. With an immersion blender, you are always holding the blender, so your grip is vital. If you slip, it can cause damage and a huge mess. Always try to test a grip in person – or check out our reviews to see what we think – before buying a blender. For an ergonomic grip, our #1 pick, the Breville BSB510XL has one of the best grips, a pistol-like control grip that’s comfortable to operate.
- Powerful Motor: If immersion blenders have one fault, it’s that they tend to be a little too weak – and that causes them to malfunction if used improperly. To help prevent this, look for a powerful motor that can handle more demanding tasks. You’ll be glad that you did.
- Accessories: Our top immersion blenders come with some type of container accessory to blend inside and measure. This is remarkably useful: you don’t always have another container handy that can deal with an immersion blender, and the best accessories have lids and locks that help prevent accidents.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Never Using an Immersion Blender Before: It’s difficult to pick a great immersion blender if you’ve never tried one out before. They don’t act like traditional blenders at all, especially if you are trying to make smoothies or other recipes. If possible, try out a friend’s immersion blender before you make a final decision on which one to buy.
- Ignoring the Cord: We have suggested both wired and wireless options, but there’s a big difference. A cord can really get in the way of using an immersion blender if you have few outlets in strange locations around your kitchen. Don’t just assume a cord will work out – take a look at your workspace first, and then choose the best cordless immersion blender if it looks like a cord is just going to get in the way.
- Using on Scratchable Kitchenware: Yes, immersion blenders can scratch your stuff, especially when it comes to any kinds of metal containers. This can happen without you even noticing: Be careful where you use the blender, and don’t take too many risks!
What Else You Should Think About
It’s all about why you need this type of blender. If you want a device that you can use around the kitchen for a variety of casual blending options (while not paying much), then the Breville hand blender is a great option. If you’ve been disappointed in immersion blenders in the past or want a tool that can replace many of the kitchen tools you use today, then the Kitchenaid Pro Line is an excellent option. But if you want a powerful blender that can crush ice and whip out smoothies, you may want to go with the hefty Breville model.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a compact but very powerful tabletop blender, consider the KOIOS oxasmart, which has plenty of power and versatility for tough jobs. If you aren’t sure what kind of blender you want, check out our list of the best blenders for 2019. If you’re more interested in a blender that can heat as well as puree (something a bit beyond immersion blenders), then you may want to look at something like the Soup3rb Heat. As for other kitchen tools, there’s nothing like the best knives around for chopping up your ingredients or an automatic icebreaker for getting those smoothies ready!
