Best Immersion Blenders of 2020 – Buying Guide & Reviews

An immersion blender or, as I prefer to call it, a hand blender is a versatile appliance in a modern kitchen. Apart from having a compact size and easy-to-clean parts, it proves to be a great tool for multiple purposes. For example, we can use it to puree soup, beat eggs or cream, chop vegetables, and so much more.

For less than $200,  you can own the best immersion blender with a motor and blades that are sturdy enough to deal with almost all types of greens. It can even remain effectively operational for at least three years with only moderate maintenance.

Unlike a food processor which contains a particular container for processing, or a hand mixer which mixes but does not blend, this tool does a good job of blending without needing a glass receptacle for food or liquids. The users can directly prepare soups, sauces or any pureed ingredients in the vessel in which they’re being prepared.

This means instead of transferring soup to a stand mixer in small batches, which is the main cause of splatters and burns, the machine itself allows you to mix the full quantity of the soup in the pot at once. Not to mention that will save us tons of time and hassle.

With a compact size, solid construction and simple design all coming together in one piece of work, clearly there will be no problem in storing an immersion blender, even if  you have a restricted kitchen space.

It’s very  easy to clean, too. No manual effort is required. All of the attachments can be washed by hand and the wand can simply be wiped down between uses.

Due to limited power compared to the countertop blender, however, it is not a good blender for tougher tasks such as grinding nuts or crushing frozen fruits over time. And while many high-end models can come with a variety of speed settings, from low to high, some other models only offer one speed, so texture consistency can be problematic when blending a large batch of food.

Read more: 7 Best Blenders in 2020 – Buyer’s Guide & Reviews

The Immersion vs The Countertop Blender – An Overall Comparison

When it comes to determining the best blenders for your cooking adventure, with a wide range of models in the market seeming to have the same functions, it’s no surprise that one might feel somewhat perplexed.

Since we all have varied needs and different budgets, randomly picking out an item or following the recommendation of someone who you only know by their name through a computer screen is less likely to make much sense.

So why don’t we take a look at the table comparison below which details precisely the advantages and disadvantages of the two main types of blenders? While both gadgets seem to be designed to perform similar tasks, each has its own attributes, size and power. Let’s check it out.

What Is The Best Immersion Blender? (Buying Guide)

As mentioned above, there are hundreds of blender models on the market right now. Undoubtedly, it’s not that easy to find an immersion blender that can meet every single demand. That’s why the first thing you should do in order to find a unit that you’d be happy with is to understand which key features to consider before buying.

For advice on what to look for in a good immersion blender, here is our fixed set of criteria which is conducted based on our experiences and user reviews. Hopefully, this article can help you single out the most suitable unit for your needs and budget.

Motor Power

The motor is the most important component of any blender. The higher the wattage,  the better the machine performs. So, first off, try to figure out how powerful your hand blender needs to be.

The power output of around 200 W will be enough for the basic tasks of whipping, blending, and chopping. However, if you’re trying to find a winner that is capable of performing heavy-duty tasks such as crushing ice or grinding seeds, a model with a motor that is at least 500 W totally warrants the investment.

Material

I highly recommend models with blade shafts made of stainless steel. As well as being more durable, they play an important role in preventing the risk of warping or cracking.

Speed

As far as I’m concerned, a good blender should have at least three speed settings. But in the case of the immersion blender, due to its small size and limited functions, some models only come with two speed options: low and high. There are, of course, some advanced models that provide multi-speed controls, offering a high level of flexibility and consistency.

Though having a wide range of settings is not really necessary, from my point of view, various speeds are nice to have. Since it may take a bit of practice to operate it smoothly despite the fact that this type of machine is very easy to use, it can be helpful to be able to start slow and progressively increase the speed to avoid spilling or splattering food.

Additional Attachments

Additional attachments are usually available on some of the more expensive models, such as whisks, blades, mixing and chopping cups. These specialist accessories expand the applications of the hand blender and further increase their utility in your kitchen.

Easy to Clean

While it seems as if the most important aspect of a good immersion blender is its motor power, the ease of cleaning is can also be a significant factor. As it isn’t a tool only used for a minute or so at a time, a well-designed blade guard that keeps food from getting stuck and a detachable shaft that makes for easy cleaning will be a real convenience.

The attachments need to be dishwasher-safe as well. If not, you’ll have to wash them by hand. Clearly, apart from prep time, you may have to spend more time on the cleaning process.

Brands

A few quick notes on some well-trusted brands, taken from my own experience:

Cuisinart: Most Cuisinart models are designed for heavy duty applications. With impressive design and construction, they appear to make the cooking process simpler for us users.

Breville: Breville is one of the top kitchen appliance manufacturers on the market today. They provide affordable kitchen equipment which is highly recommended by many professional cooks and experienced homecooks.

KitchenAid:  KitchenAid has always been a personal favorite of mine, and it has yet to fail me when it comes to preparing food.

Warranty

Sometimes, new products fail to do the job for which they’re being advertised,, so choosing a blender with a warranty covering defects at least one year after purchase or delivery is a must.

Review of the Best Immersion Blenders 2020

Once you have gone through our buying’s guide detailing the most important factors of a good hand blender, let’s move on to the product summary of the top 5 blender brands.

1. OXA Smart Powerful Immersion Blender – Best to Buy 2020
2. Breville BSB510XL Immersion Blender – Best Quality
3. KOIOS Powerful 2-in-1 Immersion Blender – Best High Power
4. KitchenAid KHB2351CU Immersion Blender – Best for Baby Foods
5. Mueller Ultra-Stick Immersion Blender – Best Rated by Customer

Top-rated Immersion(Hand) Blenders Comparisons

Here are our picks for the Best Immersion Blenders.

1. OXA Smart Powerful 4-in-1 Immersion Hand Blender – Best to Buy in 2020

Versatile and sturdy, this powerful hand blender has an impactful set of attachments which take the strain out of everyday cooking tasks, turning your green ingredients into an energetic frozen dessert in no time at all.

Pros

• Perfect for a quick mixing task
• Easy to assemble
• Various speed options
• Sleek looking

Cons

• Can’t be used to blend hot liquids

The machine comes with a stick blender (also called an immersion blender), a beaker, and a whisk attachment. Each of these attachments can be easily attached to the motor, which plugs into the wall and controls the speed and power. They are all dishwasher-safe, easy to wash and of high quality.

While the motor housing feels sturdy and the metal parts appear very well made, the blades are not very sharp. That said, they are still sharp enough to chop all kinds of foods whether wet, dry, or even frozen.

There is a lit-up dial that has 6 different speed settings, allowing you to customize the power for what you are blending. These power controls are exceptionally well designed and easy to use compared to others. There’s also a “turbo” button for giving it an extra burst of power when needed without having to turn the dial.

According to the instruction manual, it is inappropriate to blend hot liquids. There’s no detailed explanation given for that issue. Perhaps this is down to splattering hot liquids posing some danger to both the user and blender. Due to this, it is unclear whether or not this machine is suitable for making soup.

The OXA Smart Powerful is built vertically so it sits on the counter corner without dominating the space. Some may think it is too small, but believe me, it’s big enough for everything you could want to do- unless you’re looking to mix cement!

2. Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender – Best Quality

Honestly speaking, I always enjoy Breville products. Their construction and quality are normally very good and the one in this deal is no exception. Powerful yet quiet, the machine itself has made cooking much more convenient.

Pros

• High power
• Useful attachments
• Efficient
• Durable

Cons

• Cannot crush whole ice cubes
• Pretty tall

It’s no wonder that the Breville Control Grip has been rated the best quality immersion blender by a leading consumer magazine. Built with stainless steel, this device ensures machinery durability and long-term functionality without worrying about any breakdown issue.

With 15 variable speeds, it gives users precise control to get the texture they want, ensuring all the ingredients are blended evenly and thoroughly. All of the attachments are easy to clean which is a plus. They’re also very practical.

For example, the whisk attachment does a decent job of beating eggs and making whipped cream. The chopping bowl is just the right size for chopping vegetables, onions and more. You may not have to take out your large food processor for a large batch of very good basil pesto. The Breville is a food processor in its own right.

My only concern is how very tall the unit is; it is top-heavy, leading to some instability when leaving it in a standing position when pausing during use. Regardless of the undesirable length, I’d still highly recommend this product set.

3. KOIOS Powerful 2-in-1 Hand Blender – Best High Power

Apart from blending well, the KOIOS is now one of the most powerful blenders in the market. Although it’s only about half the price of many other popular brands, its exterior design has shown itself to be superior to every passing trend and seems to be built to last a lifetime.

Pros

• Low noise
• Powerful
• Easy to clean & dishwasher safe
• Handy
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Pretty heavy
• Easy to get hot

It has an adjustable dial on the top of the handle that can increase or decrease the speed, helping it to achieve a wide range of textures. It also has an ejection button to detach the attachments for easy cleansing, which is a handy implement that many older models lacked.

Additionally, the instructions are pretty clear and emphasize safe use, and the simplicity of this blender makes it easy to operate. Regarding the stainless steel blades, the motor enables them to reach a high enough speed to create enough friction heat to turn ingredients into hot liquids in under six minutes.

There is a warning not to use the device for more than two minutes consecutively, with the intent to protect it from overheating. My advice: let it “relax” for about 20 seconds between each cycle and then continue using for another 2 minutes.

4. KitchenAid KHB2351CU 3-Speed – Best for Baby Food

Let me start by saying that this product appears well constructed, easy to use, and decently powerful. Not only does this 3-Speed hand blender let you blend, crush, chop, puree and whisk to make smoothies, milkshakes, and soups, it also does an incredible job at making baby food.

Pros

• Simple operation
• Dishwasher safe
• Quickly and conveniently

Cons

• Undesirable blender cup
• Poor constructed food chopper attachment

Unlike others, it comes with a storage bag for some of the attachments, which may be nice if you usually travel around. Also included is a whisk and a small chopper attachment for limitless options and greater versatility.

In particular, the chopper attachment is great for processing hard cheeses, nuts and creating graham cracker crusts, while the whisk is capable of whipping cream, beating eggs, and mixing things. However, it may take a lot longer to whip cream than a dedicated mixer does.

There are some aspects that I’m quite disappointed in regarding the blender cup. Firstly, it is very prone to scratching although I have been very cautious when holding it.

Next, it’s extremely easy to cause splashing, no matter how slowly I try to go. You may get splatters all over the counter and end up wasting a lot of food. It’d be better if this part was built with a lid and a hole in the middle that fits over the immersion part of the blender to keep foods from jumping out.

5. Mueller Ultra-Stick Hand Blender – Best Rated by Customer

Once again, the Mueller brand doesn’t disappoint me. From the outside, this product looks nice and sturdy but a bit on the light side, offering a powerful 500-watt motor and outstanding performance for just under $30.

Pros

• Sophisticated design
• Versatility
• Affordable

Cons

• Inconvenient cord

Owing to the compact size and not being overly heavy, it’s much more convenient than a traditional blender which is normally bigger and bulkier, taking up more space.Thanks to the 2 available pushbuttons (on/off and turbo mode), easy operation is guaranteed, and a vast amount of food can be easily blended whether you are using the blender as a chopper, grinder or mixer.

Additionally, users can take advantage of the S-shaped and whisk attachments to perform a wide range of cooking activities such as whipping eggs, mixing peanut butter, pureeing fruits, beating eggs and blending smoothies.

Nevertheless, the attachment comes off too easily on its own while in operation.

The vacuum created by the blending action inside the stainless steel blending cup causes the attachment to twist off. There should be a more secure way to lock these parts in place. Also, the lack of a lid to cover the attachments is a liability as the exposed blades, when not in use, can be dangerous.

All in all, the Mueller Ultra-Stick is a good device at this price. Is it going to last forever? Not a chance. Can you grind a huge amount of ice cubes at one time with it?  It’s unlikely. Can you run it for 3 hours every day? Not a good idea. But if you need an immersion blender for light home use, then this might be worth considering.

FAQ

1. How do I clean an immersion blender?

Cleaning an immersion blender is a quick and easy process. One of the simplest ways is to swish it around in hot soapy water for a few seconds.

2. Can an immersion blender crush ice?

Theoretically, we can use an immersion blender to crush ice. However, from my personal experience, it would be better not to try crushing too many ice cubes at a time.

3. Can we make fresh whipped cream with an immersion blender?

Rather than using a stand mixer or a food processor for just a small quality of fresh whipped cream, you can utilize a hand mixer to complete this task quickly and efficiently.

Just combine all ingredients in a bowl, then whisk them together on high speed until soft to stiff peaks form (for about 15-20 seconds).

4. Can you put an immersion blender in hot soup?

Absolutely, yes. Making hot soups is pretty much exactly what this machine is designed for. There’s almost no challenge in using it on hot mixtures.

Conclusion

The best immersion blenders should be compact, versatile, and easy to use. Even the basic models should take less than 60 minutes to get the job done as well as come with the ergonomically-designed handles for non-slip and comfortable grip.

All things considered, OXA Smart is a decent hand blender and we highly recommend it to users who want an affordable stainless steel model that can blend almost everything, quickly and effortlessly.