4 Best Immersion Blenders, Tested by Experts
If you cook up pots of soup or sauce, one of these stick blenders can be a game-changer
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Immersion blenders may not be helpful if you have frozen margaritas on the menu, but if you have smaller blending tasks to accomplish, you’ll be grateful if you own one.
They’re not as powerful as full-sized blenders or as quick as personal blenders. Still, these handheld appliances are practical for tasks like making a small batch of whipped cream, blending soups, preparing salsas, or combining basil, pine nuts, and garlic for pesto. Two other advantages: They take up little space (they fit in drawers) and can be relatively inexpensive. The models in our ratings range from about $14 to $200.
“Immersion blenders are great for quick tasks, and unlike full-sized blenders, they keep splatter to a minimum, so cleanup is simple,” says Elias Arias, who leads CR’s blender testing.
What Is an Immersion Blender?
An immersion blender, aka a stick blender, is a handheld electric mixing device with a top you grip, a batonlike shaft, and a spinning blade protected by a guard at the bottom. Some come with accessories, such as whisks, choppers, milk frothers, beaters, and blender jars that expand their functionality. Immersion blenders do have their limitations: They’re not suitable, for example, for crushing ice.
To use an immersion blender, submerge the blade directly into a pot, bowl, or other container, press a button, and adjust the speed as needed.
How CR Tests Immersion Blenders
Consumer Reports rates blender performance based on lab testing to help you find the right one for your kitchen tasks.
In our lab, we measure how thoroughly immersion models blend frozen peaches, strawberries, and yogurt for smoothies, and how well they purée vegetables in water for soups. We also test each device’s rotational speed in revolutions per minute (rpm).
Below, in alphabetical order, are the four best immersion blenders from our tests. CR members have access to full ratings and reviews of these models, as well as reviews of immersion blenders from brands such as Blendtec, Breville, Cuisinart, GE, KitchenAid, Mueller, and Vitamix. For advice on shopping for any type of blender, check our blender buying guide.
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The All-Clad KZ750D showed excellent results in our soup purée tests and very good results when blending frozen fruit and yogurt for smoothies. This immersion blender operates at variable speeds, including a turbo speed. It’s heavier than most of the others in our tests. Plus, it’s relatively expensive, especially considering it doesn’t come with any accessories. It has a one-year warranty.
Priced at $33, the Amazon Basics MJ-BH5001W2 is both relatively inexpensive and a top performer in our tests. It’s one of only two immersion blenders to get excellent scores in our yogurt blend and soup purée tests. It has a grip handle and variable speeds, including turbo. It also comes with a variety of accessories: a chopper attachment, a whisk, a beaker, and a silicone baking mat. Because it comes with a chopper attachment, we tested its ability to grate cheese, and those results were only fair.
The two-speed Beautiful by Drew Barrymore immersion blender scores similarly to the All-Clad above in our tests for blending yogurt and puréeing soup but costs a fraction of that model’s price and offers added versatility with a chopper attachment and a whisk. It’s also among the lightest immersion blenders in our ratings and comes with a two-year warranty, twice as long as most other models in our ratings.
It may be relatively pricey, but when you buy the Ninja Foodi Power Mixer System CI101, you get a top-notch immersion blender that comes with a whisk and an attachment that converts the blender’s motor base into a hand mixer with beaters. It also comes with a 3-cup blending jar. As an immersion blender, this Ninja received excellent scores in our yogurt blend and soup purée tests. But it’s on the heavier side compared with other models we’ve tested. This immersion blender comes with a one-year warranty.
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