Why you should trust us

I’ve been cooking professionally for almost 20 years, and I’ve been testing blenders and hand blenders at Wirecutter for three years. For this guide, we brought Matt Shook, founder of Juiceland, into our test kitchen to get his hands-on opinion, and we interviewed superfood chef Julie Morris, who uses both a full-size and personal blender for home and work. We also scoured editorial reviews from sources like America’s Test Kitchen and Consumer Reports and read many customer reviews.

Who should buy a personal blender

A personal blender is a convenience item for the dedicated smoothie lover who’s short on time in the morning. If you want to quickly make a morning smoothie and run out the door without having to wash a blender pitcher and lid, a personal blender is for you.

Even if you’re not drinking smoothies daily, or you’re happy with your full-sized blender, a personal blender can do small batches of sauces and dressings with less cleanup. Think of a personal blender as a complement to your regular blender, the way a mini chopper is to a food processor.

Personal blenders are good for small jobs like smoothies, but their motors aren’t as powerful as the ones found in our picks for full-size blender. This means you’ll need to use more liquid and cut fruit smaller. Personal blenders also aren’t made for crushing large chunks of ice or blending hot liquids. If you want an all-around kitchen workhorse that can puree soups, sauces, and make multiple rounds of frozen margaritas, you should consider getting a full-size blender.

How we picked

From left to right: NutriBullet Pro 900, NutriBullet, Cuisinart CPB-300, Jamba Juice Quiet Shield, Vitamix S-55, Nutri Ninja, Tribest PB-150, Bella Rocket Pro, Bella Rocket. Photo: Michael Hession

The perfect personal blender is powerful, hands-free, and simple to use. We looked for blenders with a small footprint to accommodate small apartments and dorms or people who don’t want a lot of countertop clutter. A sturdy cup with secure travel lid is a major plus, especially for commuters. Finally, we scoured user reviews to get a read on durability and long-term reliability.

Most importantly, a personal blender needs to make relatively smooth purees in about a minute. In our testing, we found more powerful blenders could puree thick mixtures and blend faster. Smaller machines got hot and smelled of burning after making thick smoothies. Smaller blenders needed up to ¾ cup more liquid than the more powerful models to make a continuous vortex, which resulted in thin, watery smoothies.

All the models we brought in to test except for one were hands-free: once the cup was locked into place, you could take your hands off the machine. This is a superior design to cups that need to be held in place, as a minute can seem like a long time when you can’t step away. While you shouldn’t leave the blender running unattended, you can still multitask while making your smoothie.

Matt Shook of Juiceland (right) considering the variable speed dial of the Vitamix S-55. Photo: Michael Hession

We found personal blenders that had only one speed and powered on by engaging the cup with the base were the easiest to use. High-priced personal blenders offer speed controls and pre-programmed settings, but we appreciate a no-frills user interface. Variable speed dials didn’t improve the user experience. In fact, having to choose a speed or program added an unnecessary step to what should be simple.

Since these are single-serving blenders, we wanted them to be small enough to leave on the counter because you’re more likely to use an appliance if it’s in sight and accessible. If you already have a regular blender and you’re looking for a second appliance to handle smaller jobs with less cleanup, a small footprint is even more important.

Cups that are comfortable to hold with secure travel lids that snap shut are an added bonus for commuters. Two of our picks have lids that seal tight and can be tossed into a backpack or tote. Although the openings in these travel lids are pretty small across the board, our smoothie drinkers in the test kitchen all agreed they would use a straw with extra thick smoothies. All of our picks should fit in most car cup holders.

To get an accurate read on the longevity of these machines, we sifted through the glut of online reviews to find patterns of wear and malfunction. We’re confident that our picks, when used responsibly and within their abilities, will last a long time.

How we tested

Matt Shook of Juiceland blending a thick banana and berry smoothie in our top pick, the NutriBullet Pro. Photo: Michael Hession

To see how these blenders could handle a thick smoothie, we blended frozen bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and juice for the recommended running time of each specific model. If any blender couldn’t make a puree in that amount of time (usually one minute) or the base began to get noticeably hot, it was disqualified.

For round two, we blended curly kale and water, then strained the mixture through a fine sieve. We evaluated the amount of solids and fibers as well as particle size. To see if these blenders could tackle tough fiber, we made a smoothies with ½-inch-thick pieces of ginger and frozen peaches (all the smoothies from this test had noticeable fibers). We also made a hearty shake from dates, banana, peanut butter, ice, and almond milk. Dates are difficult to puree into a smoothie, and we found that each of our picks could handle the task.

The Nutribullet Pro blending a shake of dates, frozen banana, ice, and almond milk. Photo: Michael Hession

After each smoothie was blended, we attached the travel lid (where applicable) and gave each tumbler a vigorous shake over the sink to check for leaks. We also tried to drink thick smoothies from the opening in the lids.

We took decibel readings while the blenders were full and running since we read some complaints about the motors being too loud. All the blenders ran around the same noise level, between 92 and 98 decibels 5 inches away from the machine. (This is about the noise level of a garbage disposal.) There was only one exception: the Jamba Juice Quiet Blend, which has a large plastic muffler that decreased the noise by 10 decibels. Noise level didn’t account for pitch, though. One of our dismissals was so high-pitched, we winced every time we ran it.

Our pick: NutriBullet Pro 900

Photo: Michael Hession

Out of the models we tested, the NutriBullet Pro 900 has the best balance of power, ease of use, and price. It blended everything we threw at it without straining. The Pro comes with a secure-fitting travel lid, and the large cup has a blending capacity of 24 ounces. With a 5½-inch-diameter footprint, it’ll tuck away neatly on most kitchen counters, and its 15-inch height clears standard upper cabinets. NutriBullet Pro comes with a limited one-year warranty, but a four-year extended warranty is available.

The NutriBullet Pro had no problem blending thick, spoonable smoothies. Our banana-berry smoothie came out lump-free. The kale puree wasn’t the finest blend we saw, but it wasn’t as fibrous as the kale from the Nutri Ninja. The NutriBullet blended dates well, leaving only a few small, pleasantly chewy pearls in the bottom of the cup that didn’t clog the straw. None of the personal blenders did an exceptional job on fresh ginger fiber, but that’s an extremely tough thing to break down. Matt Shook of Juiceland was impressed with the force and smooth results of the NutriBullet.

The NutriBullet blends thick mixtures, like this date shake, without straining. Photo: Michael Hession

The travel lid on the NutriBullet screws on tight and a hinged plastic cap snaps over the opening to make it easy for commuters to travel without the risk of spilling all over themselves. We shook the sealed cup over the sink and saw no leakage. We will be testing the effectiveness of the travel lid long-term to see how it fares in a backpack or a tote on hectic commutes.

The “colossal” 32-ounce NutriBullet blending cup has 24 ounces (three cups) of blending capacity, which is plenty of room for a satisfying smoothie. Our runner-up pick, the Tribest PB-150, only allows for 300 ml, or just over 10 ounces (or 1¼ cups).

The NutriBullet Pro is intuitive and simple to use straight out of the box. There aren’t any dials or buttons to navigate. The motor is engaged when the blending cup is twisted onto the base, and it has one speed. Unlike some other models we tested, the same blade assembly works on all the different cup sizes included (depending on where you get it, there’s a variety of 32-ounce, 24-ounce, and “short” cups), so there’s no guesswork about what goes where.

At around $80, the NutriBullet Pro isn’t cheap, but it’s in the midrange of what you can pay for a personal blender. We tested models four times the price and found they don’t offer much more than speed variation and a die cast metal drive shaft (the part that turns the blade). The drive shaft on the NutriBullet is rubber and plastic. We also looked at blenders as inexpensive as $25, but these offered weak motors and leaky gaskets.

We think the Pro is worth the price increase over the original NutriBullet 600-watt model. The original NutriBullet strained a bit with thicker mixtures, and it produced smoothies with a couple of small lumps. And surprisingly, in our head-to-head comparison of all the NutriBullet models, the Pro also beat out the larger, more powerful NutriBullet Rx. It’s all about design: The Pro has six long blades, whereas the Rx has only four shorter ones. That said, the NutriBullet Pro won’t blend berry seeds, which is something that an upgrade, full-size blender like the Vitamix 5200 can do. But most of the personal blenders we tested left whole seeds intact.

NutriBullet Pro is offered in a couple of different packages. The package offered on Amazon has 13 pieces, which includes two colossal cups; the company’s website offers a seven-piece package with one colossal cup and one 24-ounce tall cup; and Bed Bath & Beyond offers a 10-piece package with two blades. They all cost around the same price, although you have to pay shipping on the NutriBullet website.

Extra cups, lids, handles, and blade assemblies are widely available for purchase through NutriBullet or Amazon. NutriBullet offers a limited one-year warranty that protects against manufacturer defects. The warranty is only honored if the product is bought through an authorized dealer, which includes Amazon. For around $12, you can buy a four-year extended warranty that protects your purchase for a total of five years. Misuse and abuse aren’t covered.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Even though we like the tight-fitting travel lid, the spout for drinking is very small, measuring 1 inch by ¾ inch. It’s very difficult to drink a thick smoothie without using a straw. But we prefer straws to smoothie sipping, so this doesn’t bother us one bit.

The NutriBullet Pro isn’t the sleekest machine we tested. The branding is splashed all over the front, and if you’re logo averse, this can be troubling. If aesthetics are that important to you, consider getting the Breville Boss To Go.

In 2014, Consumer Reports declared the NutriBullet Pro a “safety hazard” after a piece of the blade broke off due to a stress test where they blended 7 large ice cubes 45 times. Later that year, after an initial investigation, the Consumer Product Safety Commission concluded that there was no reason for a recall. In September of 2016, Consumer Reports restored the NutriBullet Pro to their product rankings, giving it an overall score of “good.” We think a stress test of that magnitude is unrealistic. Personal blenders aren’t meant to crush large cubes of ice over and over again. CNET conducted stress tests on the NutriBullet Pro and found no problems of breakage or malfunction.

Runner-up: Tribest PB-150

Photo: Michael Hession

The Tribest PB-150 is a durable, no-frills personal blender. We like the Tribest for its tiny footprint and minimal clutter. At 16 ounces, the blending cups are smaller than those on both the NutriBullet and Breville blenders, and the travel lid doesn’t have a seal, so you can’t throw it in a bag. The Tribest made thinner smoothies than our top or upgrade picks because more liquid was required to get a consistent puree.

Julie Morris, California-based chef and author of Superfood Soups and Superfood Smoothies, has been using the Tribest personal blender for almost 11 years and is currently on her second one (her first lasted seven years). Julie uses her Tribest for little jobs like dressings and sauces, as well as small pureeing and grinding tasks with fruits and nuts. For her, it’s like how a mini chopper serves a full-size food processor.

Smoothies in the Tribest require more liquid, but we think this tiny blender will be a go-to for small kitchen tasks. Photo: Michael Hession

The Tribest is the smallest blender of our picks with a 4½-inch base and 12¼ inches of height. It also includes the smallest cup of all our picks, which has a maximum blending capacity of 10 ounces (a 24-ounce cup is available to purchase on the Tribest website). This little blender can be easily stashed in a corner or on a shelf, and the two 16-ounce blending cups won’t add too much clutter to your kitchen.

The PB-150 is the most streamlined package available from Tribest. The more expensive PB-250 and PB-350 have the same motor base, but with more attachments. Extra accessories like additional cups, blades, and even a plastic ring that makes the motor base Mason jar compatible are available for purchase through the Tribest website. All Tribest personal blenders come with a one-year warranty.

Upgrade pick: Breville Boss to Go

Photo: Michael Hession

In our tests, the Breville Boss To Go delivered the thickest, silkiest smoothies. It’s super powerful and easy to use out of the box. The Breville is the only one of our top picks that has a metal base and driveshaft. Since the Boss To Go is brand new on the American market—it debuted in the US in 2016—there aren’t a ton of user or editorial reviews at this time. However, we feel confident about this recommendation because of Breville’s reputation for making quality appliances and from our own testing experience. At around $160 at the time of writing, it’s a splurge, but if you want sleeker design and velvety smoothies, it’s the one to buy.

The Breville Boss To Go blended smoothies in the same amount of time as the NutriBullet Pro, but produced smaller berry seeds and the finest kale puree of all our picks. The Boss To Go could handle super thick blends, and the motor never showed any sign of straining. Unlike the NutriBullet, the Breville pureed dates until only tiny brown flecks of skin were detectable.

Like our other the NutriBullet Pro and Tribest, the Breville has hands-free operation, and the single-speed motor engages when the blender cup is twisted onto the base. This straightforward interface gave the Boss To Go a leg up over other high-priced blenders we tested that had variable speed dials.

The Breville Boss To Go is one of three personal blenders we tested this year that has a die-cast metal drive shaft. The other two are the Vitamix S-55 and Jamba Juice Quiet Blend. Photo: Michael Hession

We liked the build quality of the Breville’s blade assembly and driveshaft. The blades spin on a metal plate embedded in the base, and the texture of the matte plastic was easy to grip when screwing and unscrewing the blade assembly from the cup. The driveshaft is die-cast metal, as opposed to the rubber and plastic on the NutriBullet Pro and Tribest PB-150.

Since the Boss To Go is relatively new, we will be using it vigorously in our test kitchen along with our top pick to gauge long-term performance. We will use them as they should be used in a home setting, and we’ll report back in six months.

Care and maintenance + tips for success

Personal blenders are meant for small jobs like single servings of smoothies and small batches of sauces like vinaigrettes. Be reasonable about what you can put in these blenders. They are convenience machines, not kitchen workhorses. Here’s a list of tips for success to ensure a long life from your blender base and accessories:

• Respect the fill line on the blending cup. Overfilling leads to seal leakage, which is the number one complaint about personal blenders on Amazon.
• Don’t blend hot liquids or anything carbonated.
• If blending ice, cubes should be on the small side. We used bag ice in our tests.
• Frozen fruit is good to use out of the bag. If using frozen bananas, cut into one-inch sections before blending.
• Read the instruction manual and corresponding recipe book to get an idea for liquid-to-solid ratios.
• Most personal blenders have a maximum amount of time they can be run continuously, usually one minute. Be conscious of this to avoid motor burnout.

The competition

The NutriBullet Rx is absurdly large for a personal blender, and despite having a higher wattage than the Pro 900, it’s actually less effective. That’s because it has just four short blades (compared with the Pro’s longer six), which left marble-sized chunks of frozen banana in our smoothies.

The NutriBullet Balance comes with a built-in scale and connects via Bluetooth to a recipe app on your phone. When you use the smoothie recipes, you’re prompted to add the ingredients one by one to the blending cup, and the scale tells you when you’ve added the correct amount. That’s a useful feature for some people who want to easily track their calorie intake, and the Balance blends on a par with the Pro. But for now the recipe app is limited, and you could do a similar thing just using an inexpensive kitchen scale, so we don’t think the Balance is worth its usual $150 price tag for most people.

The Jamba Juice Quiet Blend (made by Hamilton Beach) performs well. The single-serve blending cup is sturdy and comfortable to hold, and the travel lid is one of the best we tested. The cup and blender pitcher have a die-cast metal driveshaft, and the quiet shield reduces the noise by 10 decibels (yes, we tested that too). But we didn’t like the variable speed dial, bulkiness of the whole unit, or lack of power. When you turn on the blender, there’s a lull before the blades get to full speed. When removing the blade assembly, the blade disk can get stuck by vacuum, and releasing it causes some smoothie to spray out. Matt Shook said, “Well, your blouse is ruined right before you’re about to walk out the door!”

Matt Shook was impressed by the performance of the Bella Rocket Extract Pro, especially after he learned of the very economical price. America’s Test Kitchen recommends this model, too. But we dismissed this blender after reading 32 Amazon reviews regarding leakage and broken blades, 25 claims of motor burnout and smoking, 15 instances of a black substance coming from the blade assembly or motor, and 2 complaints sparks shooting from the motor base (even though we didn’t observe any this in our testing).

The Nutri Ninja, the best personal blender according to America’s Test Kitchen, made noises that were very high-pitched, which made it seem louder than the others in our tests. It also had the poorest performance blending kale, leaving the largest fibrous pieces.

The original 600-watt NutriBullet, America’s Test Kitchen’s runner-up pick, wasn’t as efficient at blending frozen fruit or kale as its 900-watt sibling, our main pick. Spend the extra $20 or so for the Pro.

The Cuisinart CPB-300 is okay, but in our tests it couldn’t blend thick smoothies without the motor getting hot. The cups are small and the travel lids don’t seal.

At a cost of around $400 at the time of writing, we thought the powerful and well-built Vitamix S-55 would’ve been a formidable competitor. While the S-55 blended thick ingredients into a super-smooth puree, the strong motor also caused the blender to turn and move across the counter in repeated tests using one small frozen banana, 4 ounces of frozen berries, and and 6 ounces of orange juice. We reached out to Vitamix for comment about this and their chef recommended using the less convenient 40-ounce container with tamper and using pre-sliced frozen items. Vitamix also suggested, “The movement could also have something to do with the surface you are blending on. If it is more of a granite top or a slicker surface, the machine may be more inclined to move.” However, this is still problematic as many people have smooth, granite countertops. We also had a difficult time figuring out the controls. Matt uses Vitamix blenders in his juice shops, and he couldn’t figure out the fussy, complicated interface in which you need to turn the dial and push it in. We disqualified the S-55 after the first round.

The Bella Rocket leaked from the first test and was disqualified before the second round.

This guide may have been updated by Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

When readers choose to buy Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commissions.

Why you should trust us

Senior editor Christine Cyr Clisset, who wrote our original guide to immersion blenders, has spent hundreds of hours for Wirecutter researching, testing, and writing about kitchen gadgets that whirl, cut, and chop. That includes writing our original guides to food processors and blenders. Before that she was a cookbook editor at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Kitchen staff writer Michael Sullivan, who contributed to our 2016 update, has reviewed everything from wine glasses to toaster ovens for Wirecutter. He is a graduate of The International Culinary Center, where he also worked as an editor. He previously worked as a recipe tester for the cookbook Meat: Everything You Need to Know. Sharon Franke, who worked on our 2018 update, tested and wrote about kitchen equipment at the Good Housekeeping Institute for more than 30 years. Before that she spent seven years wielding a knife and wrangling pots and pans as a professional chef in restaurants in New York City.

In 2015, we spoke with Rudy Speckamp, a former restaurateur who logged countless hours using immersion blenders as an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, as well as Volker Frick, who worked with immersion blenders for 20 years as the executive chef at the soup manufacturer Kettle Cuisine. In our research we also read reviews in Cook’s Illustrated (subscription required) and Serious Eats, and we looked closely at owner ratings on retailer sites such as Amazon, as well as comments from Wirecutter readers.

Who should get this

An immersion blender is definitely worth investing in if you make pureed soups. “You could use a blender or a food processor, but an immersion blender just makes it one-pot cookery,” chef Rudy Speckamp told us. Having an immersion blender makes it easy to puree soup directly in the stockpot, rather than ladling the cooked ingredients into a blender in several batches and then pouring each batch into another bowl or pot before finally combining them and reheating them in the pot. Immersion blenders also work well for small batches of smoothies, baby food, or even dips, pesto, or mayonnaise. If yours comes with a whisk attachment, it can make whipped cream to top a pie or an ice cream sundae.

An immersion blender won’t work for heavier tasks, and most won’t make a silky-smooth texture. A food processor, with its various blades and disks, works best for most chopping, dicing, or shredding, and a full-size blender makes smoother purees and smoothies. (If you want more details on the differences between blenders, processors, and mixers, we’ve covered the subject in some depth.)

An immersion blender is definitely worth investing in if you make pureed soups.

We recommend upgrading from an old immersion blender only if your current model fails to make smooth textures, if it’s difficult to hold and use, or if you want more attachments, such as a mini chopper or whisk.

How we picked

For our 2018 update, we tested six new models against our previous top pick, the Breville Control Grip (second from right). Photo: Michael Hession

For our 2018 update, we checked to see what new models had been introduced since our last guide, as well as whether any models we’d previously reviewed had been updated or discontinued. We read the latest reports from other review sites and looked at the best sellers on Amazon and other retailer sites. We also paid close attention to comments on our existing guide as well as on Amazon, noting the design features that people loved or hated. Taking all of that into consideration, along with all of our past research into immersion blenders, we established the following criteria for a good model.

Purees quickly and smoothly

The most important feature of an immersion blender is its ability to puree to a fairly fine texture in a reasonable amount of time. An immersion blender’s motor needs to have enough torque to create a vigorous vortex so that food circulates in the mixing vessel and passes through the rotary blade multiple times. “If there’s a lot of movement, that’s good,” said Volker Frick, the executive chef at Kettle Cuisine at the time of our interview in 2015. “How deep does [the vortex] go? And how quickly does it spit it back up?” An effective vortex creates a smooth puree, while a subpar one leaves stringy or chunky bits in soup or smoothies.

Comfortable to use

Because these machines are designed to be used one-handed (you’ll probably hold a pot or mixing cup with your other hand), the best ones are comfortable to hold. That means the controls should be easy to press or adjust, the handle should feel good in your hand, and the machine should be light enough for you to grip without fatigue for at least a minute. (Many non-commercial immersion blenders aren’t designed to be used for longer than a minute at a time, or they’ll overheat.)

Removable blending wand

Immersion blenders with detachable blending wands are easier to clean without risk of getting the motor wet. These designs also allow you to connect different attachments (such as a food chopper or whisk), and some are even dishwasher safe. That said, more expensive models (such as those by Bamix) and those made for commercial use typically have wands that don’t come off. In part, the fixed wands may be why these pro-grade blenders tend to be more durable than home models; they simply have fewer pieces that can break. (We couldn’t find an official appliance engineer to confirm this theory, but we spoke with a process engineer who agreed with this assessment.) But we haven’t had any durability problems with the detachable wand of the Breville during more than five years of testing, and we ultimately prefer that style for its convenience.

Stainless steel construction

We preferred models with wands that were primarily made of stainless steel because, in addition to being more durable, they’re heat resistant. Plastic components have the potential to warp in a batch of hot soup (or if they touch the hot side of a pot). We read at least one Amazon review and a mention in the comments of this Kitchn article complaining about just that problem with cheaper, all-plastic models.

The shape and size of the cage around the blade varies, but we preferred designs that were mostly or entirely stainless steel and wouldn’t warp. Photo: Michael Hession

Minimal spattering

In our tests for the 2018 update to this guide, we noticed that the least expensive models we tested had openings in the cage that surrounded the blade. These models were the only ones that spattered during our blending—which wasn’t pleasant when we were pureeing hot soup, and in one case left us with lots of messy splotches to clean off the countertop, cabinets, wall, and clothing.

Useful attachments

As for attachments, many models come with a food chopper and whisk. Chefs Volker Frick and Rudy Speckamp agreed that these attachments were really just gravy, since the main task of an immersion blender is to blend. In our own testing, we’ve found a chopper attachment useful for grinding small batches of bread crumbs, blending a quick vinaigrette, or making filling for ravioli, but it’s not always great for chopping things like onions, which it tends to pulverize. And more often than not, we found dirtying the mini chopper attachment to be more trouble than it was worth. Whisk attachments, meanwhile, were particularly useful for whipping cream quickly, and gave us much fluffier results than the blending wand.

Length of the blender

Some brands make models with taller wands, advertising them as better for blending in deep pots. Speckamp agreed: “[Length is] important, especially for quantity cooking, because you want it to go to the bottom of the pot for pureeing. If the shaft only goes to the middle of the pot, I don’t think it’s as successful.” The flip side is that if it’s too tall, the immersion blender can become more cumbersome to maneuver, which we experienced during testing.

Other features to look out for

Multiple speeds are nice to have, as it can be helpful to start slow and progressively increase the speed to prevent spattering, but not necessary. However, our testing confirmed that people really need only two speeds: low and high.

You can also find a variety of cordless immersion blenders, but these tend not to be as powerful as their corded counterparts. In our 2015 review, we didn’t find any cordless models that topped editorial or buyer reviews, and we decided not to include any in our testing.

Nearly every major brand that manufactures small kitchen appliances makes an immersion blender, but there’s not much consensus—at least in editorial reviews—about which brand makes the best. America’s Test Kitchen (subscription required), Good Housekeeping, and Serious Eats tested different models, and we didn’t find any agreement in the smaller reviews we read, so comparing results was difficult. Because of this, we looked at Amazon reviews more closely than we would usually.

For our 2018 update, we tested six models—the Bella Hand Immersion Blender, the Braun MultiQuick 5 Hand Blender MQ505, the Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender MQ725, the Cuisinart Smart Stick CSB-175, the Hamilton Beach 2-Speed Hand Blender, and the Philips ProMix Hand Blender HR1670/92—as well as our previous top pick, the Breville Control Grip. Across our previous reviews over the past five years, we evaluated 57 models.

How we tested

We pureed large batches of soup—containing fibrous root vegetables, ginger, and almond—directly in a 6-quart pot. Photo: Michael Hession

In previous tests, we started by pureeing a full pot of root-vegetable soup until it looked smooth (which is how most people use their immersion blender at home). We timed how long it took, and then we strained the results to see if the blender left behind any chunks. For our 2018 update, we decided to test each blender for exactly four minutes, after noting that most of the models in our lineup took around that long to produce a smooth-looking pot of soup. Again, we pureed large batches of soup consisting of fibrous root vegetables, ginger, and almond directly in a 6-quart pot, straining the results to look for any unblended bits. We also made smoothies with kale, frozen strawberries, a few ice cubes, orange juice, and yogurt in each blending cup (or in a Pyrex 4-quart glass measure for models that didn’t come with a cup). Although we recognize that many immersion blender manufacturers don’t recommend using their blenders to pulverize frozen ingredients or ice, we know that many smoothie recipes call for ice and frozen fruit, and that some people like to make smoothies with their immersion blenders. As with the soup, we strained the smoothies after blending.

We made smoothies to see how effectively the immersion blenders could pulverize frozen ingredients and ice. Photo: Michael Hession

To judge how efficiently the immersion blenders could emulsify, we made small batches of mayonnaise using both the blending wand (attempting to make quick immersion blender mayonnaise by blending all the ingredients at once) and the whisk attachment (adding oil in a slow drizzle). In the process, we noted how easy it was to maneuver each blender in the blending cup and whether the cup stayed stable on the countertop as we worked.

We made small batches of quick mayonnaise to judge how efficiently the immersion blenders could emulsify. Photo: Lesley Stockton

During testing, we also checked to see if the blender suctioned to the bottom of the cup or pot, which can make it difficult to continue blending without pulling up and causing spatter. In addition, using the whisk attachment—or if the blender didn’t come with one, the blending wand—we whipped heavy cream, measuring the result to see if the volume at least doubled. In the chopper attachment (if the blender came with one), we diced onions to judge whether the machines could chop them evenly without pulverizing them.

Our pick: Breville Control Grip

Photo: Michael Hession

In our tests, the Breville Control Grip immersion blender processed soups and smoothies to an even texture and did so quickly. We also found it easier and more pleasant to use than most other hand blenders, which means it’s more likely to get regular play in the kitchen. A rubberized handle and a power button that you squeeze like a trigger make it one of the most comfortable models to operate of all the blenders we tested, and it didn’t spatter or suction to the bottom of our pot or our mixing cup. The Breville’s 42-ounce cup has almost twice the volume of the cups that come with other blenders we tested—enough for two smoothies. And its wide range of speeds and its useful attachments help elevate it above the competition.

In our original 2013 tests and those for our 2016 update, the Breville made the smoothest pureed soups and left almost zero food waste behind when we strained the results through a sieve (impressively, it even ground peanuts into a smooth peanut butter). Our 2018 test played out much the same even when we pureed a soup of fibrous root vegetables, ginger, and almond, although two of the new models we tested made soup with a silkier texture. The Breville left behind only a few pieces of almond skin. Maybe best of all, it didn’t splatter in the process.

In our smoothie test, the Breville created a thick texture with very small flecks of kale and only fractions of an ounce that didn’t pass through a fine sieve. Photo: Michael Hession

None of the blenders we tested previously excelled at green smoothies, but the Breville has always come out on or near the top in that regard. In 2018, when we used ice cubes in our smoothie recipe, we found that the Breville, as well as several others, created a thick texture with very small flecks of kale and only fractions of an ounce that didn’t pass through a fine sieve. In a previous test, the Dualit Hand Blender was only about on a par with the Breville, even though it’s a much more powerful immersion blender (400 watts versus the Breville’s 280 watts). This year we found that the Philips ProMix Hand Blender HR1670/92 (our upgrade pick, 300 watts) and the Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender MQ725 (400 watts) produced even smoother results—virtually no bits or pieces remained when we strained their smoothies.

In addition to blending well, the Breville was one of the most comfortable blenders to use.

The Breville’s low and high speeds were more extreme than those of the other models we tested, and its noticeably higher high may be why it blends efficiently. Although we found the 15 available speeds mostly overkill, that range was helpful when we needed to start slow and gradually increase the speed to prevent ingredients from spattering. A small dial at the top of the blender controls the speeds, and it’s easy to adjust as you blend.

In addition to blending well, the Breville was one of the most comfortable blenders to use; as a result, we more easily processed things that took several minutes (such as our pot of soup or mayo). Parts of the Breville’s handle are covered in rubber, so they’re easy to grip. Because you hold the Breville trigger style and rest the side of your finger on the power button rather than depressing it with a fingertip, the Breville is also among the easiest models to operate.

The Breville is one of the few models we’ve tested over the years with a plastic rim around the base of the metal cage, which prevented all but slight suctioning to the bottom of the mixing cup or pot. We also appreciate that the nonstick surface keeps the blender from scratching the bottom and sides of pots.

Left to right: the jars that come with the Breville Control Grip, the Braun MultiQuick 5, and the Philips ProMix. Photo: Michael Hession

Over our years of long-term testing, we haven’t used the Breville’s mixing cup all that often, but we do appreciate that it’s bigger than the cups that come with other models. At 42 ounces to the top fill line, it’s close to twice the size of others we tested, and it was the only cup in our 2018 testing that comfortably accommodated the ingredients for two smoothies. Its larger capacity made it easier for us to maneuver the hand blender around when we used it to make traditional mayonnaise (slowly drizzling in oil). For storage, the cup comes with a lid, which then snaps onto the bottom of the cup to keep the container from moving on the countertop when you’re blending. For other functions, such as making a smoothie, the handle on the jar gave us a good grip. The Breville’s mini chopper also fits directly into the cup to save space when you aren’t using them.

The Breville comes with a large pitcher, and both a chopper and a whisk attachment. Photo: Sarah Kobos

The Breville comes with a selection of high-quality extras, including a mini chopper, a whisk, and a guard for the blade. In our tests, the chopper evenly diced an onion in mere seconds, and using the whisk we were able to make clouds of whipped cream and creamy mayonnaise. We’ve also appreciated the guard over the past few years; it will save you from accidentally slicing a hand on the blender while the machine is stowed in a utensil drawer.

The chopper attachment stores neatly inside the pitcher. Photo: Sarah Kobos

The Breville has a rather average one-year limited warranty. We expected more coverage, considering that the motor on the company’s food processor has a 25-year warranty, but many of the immersion blenders we’ve evaluated have had similarly short warranties. And in our years of long-term testing since 2013, the Breville has held up well.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Although Braun and Philips do not put limitations on how long you can use their respective hand blenders continuously, Breville recommends that you use the Control Grip for only a minute at a time, with a minute of rest between blendings. However, this is customary procedure for many hand blenders, and it helps to prevent the machine from overheating and therefore keep it in good working order longer. In some of our tests, we tried using the Breville continuously for up to four minutes, and it did not overheat or stall.

In our tests, the Breville couldn’t make super-speedy mayo (which involves combining all of the mayo ingredients in the cup and emulsifying them with the blending wand). That said, the recipe for basic mayonnaise included in the Breville instruction booklet says to “gradually drizzle oil into [the] egg mixture.” When we used this more traditional method, the Breville made mayonnaise effectively, taking only about a minute or two longer than with the speedy method. We don’t think this is a dealbreaker because most people don’t make homemade mayo on a regular basis, if at all, anyway.

The Breville can’t make “speedy mayo” (when you combine and blend all of the ingredients in the cup together), but it does a great job when you slowly drizzle the oil into the egg mixture. Photo: Lesley Stockton

Also, if you’re not careful, the Breville will totally pulverize an onion in its chopper attachment. We suggest pulsing judiciously and checking the consistency of the items in the chopper attachment after just a few seconds to keep from overprocessing.

And in our long-term testing, we’ve noticed that the Breville is a little tricky to clean under the blades, particularly after we’ve used it for thick purees or mayo. But this is a problem with all immersion blenders. Sometimes, getting the gunk out requires a little prodding with a utensil (never, never do this while the blender is plugged in). Running the immersion blender in a cup of soapy water also makes for easier cleanup.

Long-term test notes

Several Wirecutter staffers have helped us long-term test the Breville Control Grip over the past five years, and we now use it in our test kitchen. We’ve made smoothies, pureed soups, created fillings for ravioli and other recipes, and used the whisk attachment to whip up batches of egg whites. Some of the printing on the side of the handle has worn, but the blender still performs as if it were new.

Budget pick: Braun MultiQuick 5 Hand Blender MQ505

Photo: Michael Hession

Although the Braun MultiQuick 5 Hand Blender MQ505 is only about half the price of the Breville Control Grip, it is almost as good at pureeing. When we strained our root-vegetable soup, barely any vegetable fiber or almond skins were left behind. This blender easily handled kale, frozen strawberries, and ice, turning them into a thick, drinkable smoothie. What you don’t get for a lot fewer bucks is the ease of use and versatility of the Breville. To operate the Braun, you have to depress either the low-power or high-power button with one fingertip the entire time you’re blending, which gets tiresome. On the Breville, you can squeeze the on button with the side of your finger as you hold it trigger style. Even though the Braun has only two speeds, we didn’t find that to be much of a handicap; after starting out on low, we used high speed most of the time and got very good results.

The Braun MultiQuick 5 Hand Blender MQ505 comes with a mixing cup and a whisk. Photo: Michael Hession

One of the best things about the Braun MultiQuick 5 is that in our tests it didn’t spatter or suction to the bottom of the pot, things that were real problems with the other budget-priced models we tested, including the Cuisinart, Bella, and Hamilton Beach blenders. It also did an excellent job of whipping up a speedy immersion-blender mayo, whizzing it to a fluffy texture in under a minute. In the manual we found no limitations on how long to run the blender continuously, whereas the makers of most other hand blenders we tested (including Breville) caution against running the motor for longer than a minute without rest. And when we used the Braun for four minutes, we did not experience any problems. The wand is removable and safe for dishwasher cleaning.

Although you get a mixing cup with the Braun, it’s less than half the capacity of the Breville’s and has no handle so it’s not as convenient to use. You also get a whisk but not a chopper.

To operate the Braun, you have to depress either the low-power or high-power button with one fingertip the entire time you’re blending, which gets tiresome. Photo: Michael Hession

Overall, this Braun model comes close to the Breville Control Grip at blending soup and smoothies, and with its whisk it does as good a job of whipping cream. If you’re not quite ready to commit to a more expensive model, we think this one is a great choice.

The Braun MultiQuick 5 is among the highest-rated hand blenders on Amazon at this writing, and its two-year limited warranty beats the one-year warranty of the Breville.

Upgrade pick: Philips ProMix Hand Blender HR1670/92

Photo: Michael Hession

The Philips ProMix Hand Blender HR1670/92 was simply the best at pureeing in our tests, and it came the closest to producing professional results. It created silky textured soups, leaving virtually nothing behind, and it blended a smoothie so thick and smooth that the result resembled the machine-made frozen margaritas you can get at happy hour. As with the Breville Control Grip, you hold the Philips ProMix trigger style, with the side of your finger resting on the wide power bar, so it’s comfortable to use over several minutes. But despite costing the same as the Breville, it doesn’t come with any accessories other than a blending cup.

The Philips has a clever speed-control mechanism: To adjust the speed, you put more or less pressure on the power bar, so changing the setting with one hand is easy. In truth, however, we found that after exerting light pressure initially, we tended to grip tightly, increasing the pressure to high and keeping it that way throughout the remainder of the blending process. In comparison, on the Breville you spin a dial on top of the handle to change speeds.

To adjust the speed on the Philips ProMix, you just put more or less pressure on the power bar; changing the setting with one hand is easy. Photo: Michael Hession

Philips’s manual for this model gives no limitations on how long the blender can operate continuously; we were able to use it for four minutes without any signs of it overheating or struggling. The removable blending wand attaches with a satisfying click and is safe for dishwasher cleaning. However, because the bell-shaped cage surrounding the blade is deep, cleaning this model’s blending wand by hand takes a little more effort.

In spite of this Philips model’s virtues, we are not recommending it as our top pick because for its steep price tag, you get only a 24-ounce beaker and no other accessories. You can choose the even pricier Philips ProMix Hand Blender HR1686/92, which does come with a whisk and chopper, but at $150 currently, that version costs way more than what we think most people want to spend on a hand blender considering how capable the Breville Control Grip is at a much lower price. The whisk and chopper accessories are also available for purchase separately.

As a whisk attachment was not included with the Philips model, we used the blending wand to make both whipped cream and mayonnaise. It was able to thicken cream only slightly, failing to produce the kind of fluffy whipped cream that you can swirl on top of a pie or a bowl of ice cream or fold into a mousse. We were able to make a good quick mayonnaise with the blending wand, though not as quickly as we could with the Braun (this may have had to do with the nearly triangular shape of the blending jar, which was a bit harder for us to maneuver in).

The Philips ProMix comes with a 24-ounce beaker and no other accessories—although you can purchase a whisk and a chopper attachment separately. Photo: Michael Hession

Like the Breville Control Grip, the Philips ProMix comes with a one-year warranty. If you puree soups on a regular basis, prefer a velvety texture, and don’t mind spending more while skipping on accessories, the Philips could be a very good addition to your kitchen.

Care and maintenance

If you’re used to the multitude of safety features on food processors, you might find immersion blenders a little less, well, idiotproof. In January 2013, The New York Times (now the parent company of Wirecutter) published an article (“Bandages Not Included“) about how easy it is to hurt yourself with an immersion blender. The author mangled two fingers on her immersion blender and quotes multiple other people who have cut themselves.

As the author writes, it’s apt that these machines are often called “hand blenders.” Unlike with food processors, the only thing protecting you from the whirring blade of an immersion blender is the cage that surrounds it. Always be mindful of where you’re pointing the blade end of the blender, don’t put your free hand in its path, and unplug it when you aren’t using it.

If you’re used to the multitude of safety features on food processors, you might find immersion blenders a little less, well, idiotproof.

However, the experts we spoke with said the greater danger is spattering yourself with hot liquid. “The biggest thing is probably getting burnt,” culinary teacher Rudy Speckamp told us. To avoid this fate, soup pro Volker Frick said, always use the lower speed or pulse setting if you’re working with a smaller pot or saucepan.

Immersion blenders tend to have short duty cycles. Many of the manufacturers of these machines advise against running them for more than one minute at a time, and they recommend giving the blenders one to three minutes to rest before using them again. It’s important to follow these directions, or you risk overheating the motor and ultimately breaking it. In our 2015 test, we accidentally did this with the Panasonic immersion blender we tried. In 2018, we deliberately ran all of the models in the test group for four minutes continuously; although none of them stalled, the Cuisinart CSB-175 became uncomfortably hot to hold at the end of the four-minute time period.

According to the manual for the Breville Control Grip (PDF), owners should operate that model for only one minute at a time, with a one-minute cooling period before running it again. (When you’re blending especially thick or heavy mixtures, the Breville manual says to operate the machine for only 15 seconds, with one minute between each use.)

You can also burn out an immersion blender by using it for heavier tasks that it’s not suited to handle. For example, although we’ve found the whisk attachment on the Breville useful for whipping eggs or cream, avoid using it for something like a thick meringue. Opt for a hand or stand mixer instead.

Immersion blenders are generally easy to wash. Wipe the motor base with a damp cloth and wash the wand with soap and water. Running the immersion blender in soapy warm water in the blending cup should loosen thick or sticky ingredients that lodge in the blade housing.

The competition

The Cuisinart Smart Stick CSB-175 has replaced the CSB-75, our previous budget pick. Like its forerunner, the CSB-175 pureed soup evenly and quickly, but it was the only model we tested that couldn’t crush ice, even though the manual includes recipes with ice cubes. After blending longer than the time required by any of our other models to make a smoothie, it left two cubes totally unblended. This Cuisinart model also spattered a bit, and it became too hot to hold when we used it to blend for four minutes (the manual recommends blending for no more than a minute at a time, but the same is true for other blenders that didn’t overheat when we ran them for a longer stretch). This model also has the same safety lock that we (and many owners on Amazon) found particularly irritating on the CSB-75.

The Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender MQ725 produced silky-smooth soup and thick smoothies, besting the Breville Control Grip on both tests. Like the Philips ProMix, this model is designed for you to hold it trigger style, and it has a power button that you press harder to increase the speed. Unlike the Braun MultiQuick 5, this model comes with a full array of accessories, including a beaker, a whisk, and a chopper. Unfortunately, the Braun MultiQuick 7 features a safety lock similar to the one on the Cuisinart CSB-175, but you have a few seconds after pressing the unlock button to press the start button (whereas on the Cuisinart you have to press both simultaneously). This design makes the MultiQuick 7 slightly less inconvenient than the CSB-175 but still creates an annoying additional step.

For its low price, the Hamilton Beach 2-Speed Hand Blender performed surprisingly well, and was even able to crush the ice in our smoothie recipe. Unfortunately, it suctioned to the bottom of our pot during blending and spattered badly. If our soup ingredients had been any hotter, it could have been dangerous; as it was, we had quite a mess to clean up. And when you attach the blending wand, you need to be careful to turn it to lock it into place so that it won’t fall off in your soup.

A top seller on both the Amazon and Walmart sites, the Bella Hand Immersion Blender is usually available for under $20. In our 2018 test, we found it hard to control and noticed that it tended to spatter and suction to the bottom of a pot. It is, however, able to puree soup, if not quite as smoothly as other models, so if spending as little as possible is your main priority and you won’t be using your blender often, this model might be worth considering. Although it doesn’t come with a beaker, a whisk attachment is included.

We found the Cuisinart Smart Stick CSB-75 (our former budget pick) to be a surprisingly efficient blender given its low price, although it produced a slightly chunkier puree. In previous tests, it blended soup on a par with the Cuisinart Smart Stick CSB-77, the KitchenAid 3-Speed, and the KitchenAid 5-Speed but left behind pieces of ginger and parsnip. It made a pretty good smoothie too. Cuisinart has discontinued this model, replacing it with the Smart Stick CSB-175, described above.

The Cuisinart Smart Stick CSB-100 boasts 700 watts of power, about 400 more watts than the Breville Control Grip offers. But watts aren’t everything—as our testing proved. This Cuisinart model still left behind small bits of almonds after pureeing soup, which wasn’t the case with the Breville. We also found the safety-lock feature particularly irritating: You can’t start the blender unless you press the safety-release button and the power button at the same time. Although you can release the safety button once the machine is running, it’s an annoying, unnecessary step.

Even after nearly 5 minutes, 40 seconds of blending, the KitchenAid 3-Speed Hand Blender left behind a chunky soup. Our testers had problems with this model suctioning to the bottom of the pot, and complained that it spattered a lot. It also didn’t puree smoothies as well as competitors, leaving behind small nut pieces and raspberry seeds.

The KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Blender was well-reviewed at the time of our 2013 testing, with higher ratings than the KitchenAid 3-Speed. It comes with a big box of attachments, including interchangeable blades, a chopper, and a whisk. But in our tests, the 5-Speed didn’t perform any better than the 3-Speed, and we didn’t think we’d use all of the attachments.

The All-Clad KZ750D left behind two large pieces of ginger that were virtually untouched after pureeing. This model doesn’t come with any accessories—not even a cup—yet still costs around $100 at this writing. This was one of the tallest and heaviest immersion blenders we tested, and it was more cumbersome to maneuver compared with the Breville.

The Dualit Hand Blender, despite its obnoxiously large, vibrating handle, performed as well as or came in second to the Breville in almost all our tests in a previous year. It actually has a nicer chopper attachment (the only chopper attachment we’ve seen with a feed tube). But we couldn’t get past the uncomfortable handle, and we found that twisting the blending wand on and off was tricky, particularly if it was slicked with oily ingredients. The Breville’s snap-on handle is a much better design. The Dualit is also expensive, and we don’t think it’s worth the extra money over the Breville.

Several years ago, Good Housekeeping chose the Cuisinart Smart Stick 2-Speed Hand Blender CSB-79 as one of its top picks, writing, “It offers excellent performance and it’s easy to use.” Food & Wine also recommended this model at that time, saying, “The noticeably sharp blade purees beautifully, and the hood around the blade is extra-deep, which helps pull food through the blender.” In our 2013 testing, this model pureed on a par with the less expensive KitchenAid 3-Speed, KitchenAid 5-Speed, and Cuisinart Smart Stick CSB-75, but was nowhere near as effective as the Breville.

We had high hopes for the Bamix Mono, as the Bamix brand has a reputation for making sturdy, long-lasting machines. We chose the Bamix Mono because it’s one of Bamix’s least expensive models, and at the time it had great reviews on Amazon. In testing, we found that it had a comfortable handle and easy-to-push buttons, but sadly the blender failed to create a great vortex and therefore was notably slow in blending soup and smoothies. Surprisingly, it was the worst in our puree test, leaving a ton of fiber in the sieve. Also, the blending wands of all Bamix models are permanently attached (although most come with interchangeable blades), which makes them more difficult to clean than models with detachable wands.

As with Bamix, we were intrigued by Waring’s professional-grade immersion blenders because they seemed particularly durable. The Quik Stik is the smallest model that Waring makes, and like the Bamix Mono it has a fixed wand and no attachments. The Quik Stik actually did a better job of pureeing than the Bamix or the Cuisinart and KitchenAid models we tested, and like the Bamix Mono, it felt very sturdy. But this model doesn’t come with a blending cup and isn’t as convenient as the Breville Control Grip with its removable shaft and attachments. If you were doing major quantity cooking and actually needed a pro-level tool at a moderate price, this model would be one to consider, but most people are better served by the power and speed of the Breville.

In our 2015 testing, we found that the Panasonic MX-SS1 pureed decently but required a lot more maneuvering around the pot than the Breville or even the Cuisinart Smart Stick CSB-75, which put a lot more strain on our wrists. The blending cup doesn’t come with a handle and is rather small, but in our tests the food-chopper attachment worked nicely to dice onions. Unfortunately, the Panasonic died on us midway through testing, perhaps because we ran it past the duty cycle of one minute. To be fair, you should run most immersion blenders for a maximum of one minute, and we ran the Panasonic for at least two on several occasions. Still, we did the same with all the other blenders in our test group, and none of them died.

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