The 6 Best Immersion Blenders of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

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Our top picks quickly blend, purée, emulsify, and whip with easy cleanup.

Katie Macdonald is the Director of News & Deals for the Food & Drink Group. She has written over 600 articles on food trends, cooking techniques, recipe roundups, and product reviews.

In This Article

Food & Wine / Russell Kilgore

When it comes to time-saving kitchen tools, an immersion blender is a speedy superstar. Also called a hand blender or stick blender, it does much of the same work as a full-sized blender — blending, emulsifying, whipping, and pureeing — without the limitations of a fixed blade, cumbersome base, and tough-to-clean carafe. Instead, you can make soups directly in the pot, dips in the serving bowl, and smoothies in a travel-friendly tumbler. (That means less mess to clean up, too.)

Just as immersion blenders are incredibly versatile, there are an abundance of options to consider. To find the best immersion blender, we put 15 top-rated models through a series of tests to measure design, performance, and value. Read on for our results, and the best options according to our tests.

Incredibly powerful and very easy to operate, this blender created some of the smoothest textures and was the fastest to emulsify.

It's longer and heavier than other immersion blenders, making it bulky and harder to store.

All-Clad is known for its impeccably constructed stainless steel cookware, but the Pennsylvania-based brand also makes standout appliances. Its immersion blender has two buttons—one to turn the machine on and another turbo option for pulsing — with speed controlled by a dial at the top.

The All-Clad made a perfect mayonnaise in record time — just four pulses and 12 seconds of blending the first time we tried it and a mere 3 seconds in another round of testing. Its large blending head seemed ideal for a thick and creamy emulsion, with little danger of breaking. We were impressed by how smooth the All-Clad's results were in all three tests; our crushed ice was perfect and uniform, and our soup was smooth and silky.

This immersion blender is made of nearly 3 pounds of stainless steel and has an extra-long 9.25-inch blending arm, which is convenient for big jobs but made it feel bulkier than competitors. It's top-heavy and can be difficult to wield, plus it needs extra storage space. It also doesn't include any attachments or extras, not even a measuring cup.

Weight: 2.8 pounds | Power: 600 watts | Speeds: Variable, turbo | Dishwasher-Safe: No | Accessories: None

This blender performed just as well as more expensive options, giving us smooth purees quickly, and we loved its easy-to-clean design.

The plastic body doesn't feel very substantial, and the motor got hot during testing.

Nutribullet made its name with a small-but-mighty personal blender, and the brand's immersion blender is equally impressive in power and performance for its size, especially with its low price.

In the soup test, this model pureed the veggies in just 35 seconds and reached a velvety texture after a minute without any major splatters. While it was in the middle of the pack in the mayo test, we did appreciate that its dual-speed dial and button design helped when transitioning between pulsing and blending. We also noticed that the base didn't have holes for blended food to flow through, which made the cleaning easier; nothing got stuck, and we didn't have to put our fingers near the blade to clean it.

It's well-made for the cost, but this model felt a bit unbalanced compared to other blenders we tested. We also noticed some heat coming off the motor, which gave us some pause. You should give it a break to cool down during long blending sessions.

Weight: 2 pounds | Power: 350 watts | Speeds: 2 | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes | Accessories: Whisk attachment, 20-ounce chopper attachment, 30-ounce blending cup with lid

We loved the smart design of the blending head and were impressed with how thoroughly this model blended everything.

It didn't feel very sturdy or durable.

Breville's blender performed well during testing with minimal splatter or suction. In all our tests, it took a few extra seconds to really get going, but once it had time to blend everything, it gave us some of the most thoroughly combines results of all our tests. Our mayo was perfectly emulsified, and our soup was totally smooth and creamy. It was particularly slow in our ice test, but it crushed the ice to a perfect snowy texture after it managed to break the big pieces into smaller chunks.

We really liked this blender's head design. It's shallower than other models we tested, making it easier to clean, and it has a rubber-covered base to prevent damage to nonstick cookware and other delicate surfaces. However, the plastic accessories and even the steel blending arm felt a bit cheap and flimsy. It didn't feel very sturdy, and we were left wondering about its long-term durability after our tests.

Weight: 4.1 pounds | Power: 280 watts | Speeds: 15 | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes | Accessories: Whisk attachment, 25-ounce chopper attachment, 42-ounce blending cup

We loved how straightforward this blender was, and it did great with a range of tasks.

It lacks the power of the very best performers.

Cuisinart's variable-speed blender was easy to use during testing. It has a solid stainless steel body and excelled in the emulsion test. It did pretty well with ice-crushing, too, making it great for everyday blending. The blade head is narrow, which made it easy to fit into a Mason jar during our mayo test. You get all the standard accessories — whisk, chopper, and measuring cup — for a very reasonable price. The extras and blending wand are all dishwasher-safe, making cleaning effortless.

However, the 300-watt motor didn't feel like it could handle long, tough blending for huge batches or heavy-duty ingredients. If you plan to break out your immersion blender, say, once a week rather than every day, this could be the perfect choice.

Weight: 3.3 pounds | Power: 300 watts | Speeds: Variable | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes | Accessories: Whisk attachment, 24-ounce chopper attachment, 16-ounce blending cup

This impressively powerful blender has lots of thoughtful features that make it a joy to use.

It's one of the most expensive and loudest options out there.

Vitamix makes our overall favorite blender, and as with the brand's countertop models, its immersion blender is amazingly powerful. It was the speediest of all the immersion blenders we tried in the soup test. Equipped with a 625-watt motor and four-pronged blade, it pureed our mixture in just 20 seconds and gave it the creamiest texture we tasted, to boot. Mayo took just 5 seconds. The ultra-powerful motor can be used for long periods without overheating, making this blender perfect for meal-prepping creamy pumpkin soup or smoothie bowls for a big brunch. Because of its power, the Vitamix seems especially handy for large batches, and the hard plastic bottom prevents scratches when blending in stockpots and Dutch ovens. It's also fairly light and designed for one-handed use, with separate power and speed control buttons right where you hold the grip.

You do have to pay for the mighty motor and Vitamix brand name, however. This is a pricey model, especially considering that it doesn't come with any accessories. It was also one of the louder models we tested at 89 decibels, which is roughly equivalent to heavy traffic on a highway.

Weight: 2.9 pounds | Power: 625 watts | Speeds: 5 | Dishwasher-Safe: No | Accessories: None

The cordless design is convenient, and the powerful motor blends and emulsifies with ease.

The battery takes a while to charge and must be recharged often.

KitchenAid's cordless model was tops in our test at emulsifying and created the best consistency and texture of all the mayos we made. We were thrilled with how fast this blender gave us ultra-velvety soup; the texture was absolutely spot-on, and it took very little time and effort.

The cordless design is very convenient, giving you the flexibility to blend anytime, anywhere; you could bring this out to the grill to puree a sauce or make tableside Caesar salad dressing at an outdoor picnic. The downside is that the battery is limited: Under ideal circumstances, you can get a maximum of 30 minutes of run time before needing a few hours to recharge.

Weight: 2.4 pounds | Speeds: 3 | Dishwasher-Safe: No | Accessories: Removable pan guard, 24-ounce blending jar with lid

If you're looking for an excellent all-around option, the All-Clad Immersion Blender is the best immersion blender we tested due to its incredibly powerful motor and stunning performance. For a budget option, the Nutribullet Immersion Blender Deluxe Set does a great job and throws in a range of accessories at an excellent price.

Food & Wine / Kevin Norris

Based on research of best-sellers and top-rated models, along with the results of previous rounds of our own testing, we chose 15 immersion blenders to rate and review. We set up each model and rated general design, weight, grip, and maneuverability before moving on to a series of specific tests.

After testing, we revealed the price of each immersion blender to rate value for money. At the time of testing, the prices ranged from $50 to $170, with an average of $117.

Food & Wine / Kevin Norris

An immersion blender is undeniably easier to maneuver than its full-sized counterpart, but some are more agile than others. Heavy motor bases and longer blending arms can be unwieldy and top-heavy, and difficult to store because of their larger size. However, if you know you want to blend soups in a deep stockpot or need the power a heavier motor can provide for larger blending projects, it might be worth it to sacrifice a little maneuverability.

Another design element to consider is the blending head shape. Some have a silicone or plastic cover that prevents the metal from coming in contact with your container or cookware, which is great for coated or nonstick pans. Many also have openings at the bottom or sides to help pull liquid through and circulate ingredients more thoroughly.

Another possibility to consider is a cordless immersion blender. Using a rechargeable battery for power, these models don't need to be plugged into the wall to work and offer a lot of flexibility. However, corded blenders can support a more powerful motor and are generally less expensive than their cordless counterparts.

Smooth, creamy soups are likely the first thing you associate with an immersion blender, and while that's undoubtedly an important function, it's capable of so much more. You can also use the appliance to emulsify sauces like mayonnaise or crush ice for frozen cocktails. The best immersion blender has a strong enough motor to power through tough ingredients, as well as sharp blades to create creamy consistencies. The wattage for immersion blenders starts around 200 watts and goes up to 1,000 watts. However, our testing found that more wattage didn't necessarily mean better performance, especially at the higher end.

Power isn't the only thing, though. Lower blending speeds are great if you want to retain some texture, as in homemade salsa, while higher settings are ideal for getting silky-smooth purees. Some immersion blenders have just an on button and single speed setting, while others have a handful of set options or a fully variable-speed dial. The more control, the better, but more speed usually means a higher price as well.

The great thing about an immersion blender is that it doesn't need a special pitcher or bowl — it can do its job anywhere you need it. But many models come with some helpful extras anyway. One common option is a whisk attachment, which can automate and speed up the laborious process of making whipped cream and meringue. Other models come with a chopper attachment, essentially a mini food processor for dicing and chopping. This might not be as large as a full-sized food processor, but it's great for prep jobs that don't need a full purée.

A very helpful accessory you might overlook is the blending cup. Many immersion blenders come with a container sized to fit the head just about exactly. This ensures that the contents you're blending mix thoroughly and continually, especially when you're mixing liquids in an emulsion like mayonnaise.

Cleaning an immersion blender can be easy or...less easy, depending on how it's designed. A detachable blending wand helps, so you can put it in the sink and rinse it off without worrying about getting the motor wet. Some of the blenders we tested even had dishwasher-safe wands for ultimate convenience.

In many cases, a quick but careful hand-wash inside the head and around the blades with a soft sponge does the trick. But for stickier messes, fill a tall, narrow jcontainer with hot, soapy water and run the blender in it for a few seconds. This should help loosen up food so you can rinse everything away.

One important rule is never to submerge or rinse the actual motor base — the part connected to the power cord or battery. Use a sponge or damp towel to wipe away any messes and avoid shorting out the electrical parts.

“An immersion blender is a hand-held blender with a rotating blade at the end of a stick. It’s most often used to purée or blend soft or softened ingredients that are in some sort of liquid base, like soup or canned whole peeled tomatoes, whereas a blender can be used to blend items with less liquid, as well as crush ice and grate hard cheeses,” says Anthony Contrino, chef and food stylist.

Unlike an immersion blender, a hand mixer is most often used to combine, beat, and whip liquid ingredients. Hand mixers don't have blades and generally won't do a very good job of chopping or breaking down food like an immersion blender can.

“You use an immersion blender by submerging the blender head into the product you’re looking to puree or blend," says Contrino. “Be sure to fully submerge the blender to avoid splattering.”

Liquid is the secret to successful immersion blending. These appliances work best when the blending head is mostly submerged. A standard countertop blender or a food processor is better for drier mixtures.

“An immersion blender is a great way to beat eggs. The rotating blades not only mix the whites with the yolk but aerate the eggs, resulting in a fluffier finished cooked product. Just be sure to beat enough eggs to fully submerge the blade head,” says Contrino.

Yes, but even the best immersion blender can't quite froth milk to barista standards, according to Contrino. “It will not create the same small microbubbles that a milk frother would, resulting in a less-thick foam that won’t last as long," he says. But for a quick home latte, an immersion blender can work in a pinch.

It depends on the ingredients. "As long as there’s enough liquid and you use soft fruits like very ripe melons, berries, and bananas, you can make a smoothie using an immersion blender," says Contrino. Some immersion blenders, however, may struggle to break down ice cubes, so you would need to use a standard blender for more heavy-duty jobs to avoid damage.

KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender ($60 at Amazon)We were impressed by how quickly and quietly the KitchenAid blended ice, though its performance with the soup and mayo were middle-of-the-pack. For its price, this is a solid pick, and we don't have many bad things to say about it.Hamilton Beach Professional Variable Speed Hand Blender ($73 at Amazon)With nine speeds and a comfortable handle, Hamilton Beach's blender was easy to hold and operate. We were impressed with its speed and velvety results when making smoothies and soup, but we noticed a fair amount of suction that made moving the device around inside the container challenging.

SMEG Retro Hand Blender with Accessories ($140 at Williams Sonoma)

Like all SMEG products, this immersion blender won points for style. It performed well in all our tests, but we didn't love the rubber gasket design and the unbalanced weight. The high price is the main thing that knocked this model out of the top.

We tested several more immersion blenders, including other models from KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Hamilton Beach, and Waring. Some common themes among these low performers were lack of versatility, power, and consistency. Across the board, two-speed models fell behind their variable-speed counterparts in terms of performance, particularly when it came to achieving a smooth consistency in purees and smoothies. In addition, we noticed that some of the lower-end models came with plastic bodies that felt flimsy and also struggled with overheating. Some other models lacked the performance to justify their high price tags, while others had several design features, such as a short blending arm attached to the motor, making it difficult to maneuver and clean.

Katie Macdonald is the director of news and deals for Food & Wine, covering everything from chefs' must-have classics to the latest and greatest kitchen deals since 2017. For this story, she researched competitor-tested guides and performed some of our in-depth tests. In addition to Food & Wine, you can find her work on Allrecipes, Cooking Light, and Food52.