Updated for 2026 — This article has been reviewed and updated with the latest recommendations.
An immersion blender is one of those kitchen tools that seems unnecessary until you own one. Then you use it constantly. Pureeing a pot of soup without transferring it to a blender in batches. Blending a pan sauce smooth in seconds. Making vinaigrettes right in the jar. Whipping up a quick smoothie without dragging out the full-size blender.
They are also called stick blenders or hand blenders, and the good ones are surprisingly powerful.
Here are the models worth buying.
Breville BSB510XL Control Grip
The Control Grip is the immersion blender that professional cooks recommend most often, and for good reason. It has a 280-watt motor with variable speed controlled by grip pressure. Squeeze lightly for a gentle blend. Squeeze harder for full power. This intuitive speed control gives you more precision than any button-based system.
The blade guard is designed with a wide bell shape that reduces suction against the bottom of the pot, which means less splashing.
If you have ever painted your kitchen ceiling with hot tomato soup using a cheap immersion blender, you understand why this matters. The shaft is stainless steel and detaches for easy cleaning.
It comes with a blending beaker, a whisk attachment, and a chopping bowl. The whisk is useful for whipping cream and making mayonnaise. The chopping bowl handles small jobs like mincing garlic or making breadcrumbs.
Price is around 100 to 120 dollars.
KitchenAid KHBV53
KitchenAid's variable speed hand blender is a solid all-rounder at a slightly lower price point than the Breville. It has a corded 5-speed design with a soft-start feature that prevents splattering when you first turn it on. The removable blending arm is dishwasher safe, which is a convenience the Breville lacks.
The motor is powerful enough to handle most soups and sauces without bogging down.
It struggles slightly with very thick mixtures like hummus or nut butters, but those are edge cases where a full-size blender or food processor does a better job anyway. It comes with a blending jar. Price runs about 50 to 70 dollars.
Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick
The Mueller is the budget pick that over-delivers for its price. At around 25 to 35 dollars, it outperforms most hand blenders in its price range. The 500-watt motor is surprisingly strong, though the speed options are limited to a simple high-low toggle. The stainless steel blending shaft detaches for cleaning and the included blending beaker is sturdy.
Where the Mueller falls short is durability.
The build quality is not as robust as the Breville or KitchenAid, and the motor housing is mostly plastic. If you use an immersion blender a few times a month, the Mueller will serve you well for years. If you use it daily, spend more on a model that will hold up to heavy use.
Bamix Gastro 200
The Bamix is the choice of professional kitchens worldwide.
Swiss-made with a powerful motor, it is built to run continuously for far longer than consumer models. Where most immersion blenders are rated for one to two minutes of continuous use, the Bamix can run for extended periods without overheating.
It uses interchangeable blade attachments rather than the single-blade design of most consumer models. Different blades handle different tasks: a chopping blade for rough work, a beating blade for emulsions, and a whipping blade for cream and egg whites.
The motor is compact and the body is slim, making it comfortable to hold and maneuver in deep pots.
The price is the barrier. At 200 to 250 dollars, the Bamix costs more than twice the Breville. For home cooks who use an immersion blender frequently and want something that will last decades, it is worth considering. For occasional use, the Breville offers 90 percent of the performance at half the price.
What to Look For
Power
Wattage is not the whole story, but it gives you a rough idea of motor strength.
For most kitchen tasks, 200 watts or more is sufficient. Below that, the motor can bog down in thick soups or stew. The Mueller claims 500 watts, which may be peak rather than sustained, but it does blend powerfully regardless of the exact number.
Speed Control
Variable speed is genuinely useful. Starting slow prevents splashing, and being able to increase speed for stubborn chunks makes a real difference. Two-speed is the minimum. Variable is better.
Blade Guard Design
A well-designed blade guard prevents food from splattering out of the pot. Wide bell-shaped guards work better than narrow ones. If the manufacturer does not mention anti-splash design, expect to clean up after use.
Cord vs Cordless
Corded models are more powerful and do not run out of battery mid-puree. Cordless models are more convenient for quick jobs and easier to maneuver without a cord in the way. For serious soup-making, go corded. For quick smoothies and dressings, cordless is fine.
Tips for Using an Immersion Blender
Keep the blade submerged at all times while the motor is running. Pulling it above the surface while it is spinning is how you paint the ceiling. Tilt the blender slightly to create a vortex that pulls ingredients into the blade. Move the blender around the pot rather than keeping it in one spot.
For hot soups, let the soup cool for a few minutes before blending. Extremely hot liquids can splash more aggressively and the steam can be a burn hazard. You do not need to cool the soup completely, just take it off the burner and let it settle for five minutes.
Clean the blender immediately after use. Most detachable shafts can be cleaned by running the blender in a container of warm soapy water for 10 seconds. This is much easier than scrubbing dried-on food later.
An immersion blender will not replace a full-size blender for frozen smoothies or a food processor for slicing vegetables. But for pureeing soups, blending sauces, making dressings, and dozens of other small tasks, it is faster, easier, and produces less mess than any other tool in the kitchen.
