KOIOS 4-In-1 Immersion vs Mueller Ultra-Stick Side-by-Side Comparison

None of the low-range blenders we tested could yield the silkiest puree in 30 seconds, but we think the KOIOS’ results will still be acceptable to most home cooks.  In particular, the soup looked silky but when we ran it through a strainer, too many tiny bits were left behind. Nevertheless, we were still satisfied with this blender, given its consistency and smooth operation. Just in case you’re expecting for silky, restaurant-quality pureés, we recommend the Vitamix 5-speed.

Despite being a low-priced blender, the Mueller Ultra-Stick wasn’t any slower than the others we tested. It took about 30 seconds to yield two servings of pureed soup packed with carrots, pumpkin, and parsley.

That said, it wasn’t so good at drawing ingredients toward its blades, so we needed to move it around for an even blend. Moreover, it sucked tightly to the pot’s bottom, which didn’t cause as much spatter as the Cuisinart, but did cause small scratch marks on our cookware’s surface. It also made it very challenging for us to stir with the blending wand.

Our Mueller soup’s texture was acceptable but not the silkiest; there were still several large chunks of veggies left behind.

The manufacturer recommends this blender not be used to process frozen fruits. That fact made us skeptical about its overall capability. After much deliberation, we decided to stick to the initial plan, putting it through our frozen smoothie test anyway. To our surprise, its result was nearly the same as that produced by the Vitamix 5-speed immersion blender. 

In less than a minute and a half, it churned out a frozen smoothie that was flavorful enough to entice our taste buds. The drink didn’t have a velvety smoothness; it was a bit grainy since the kale wasn’t entirely liquified. Despite that, it was still a sweet, creamy combination that we loved to sip on.

To ensure this portable machine can do the work of a full-sized blender for making smoothies, we designed this specific test for it. We would award it corresponding points if it could create a homogeneous mixture of just kale and frozen fruit. Disappointingly, we found that the Mueller Ultra-Stick isn’t great at blending solid fruit and leafy vegetables. 

In this task, it had a very hard time breaking up the ingredients. This caused it to demand up to 1 min 15 secs to finish the test. 

And although the Turbo mode is intended to give the blender ​​an extra boost at max speed, we noticed the speed increment wasn’t enough to make any difference. Our smoothie came out pretty smooth, but there were many unprocessed chunks of mango. It was also a bit grainy due to a mass of tiny leafy bits. For about $35 more, you can upgrade to the better Braun MultiQuick-5.

As this blender shouldn’t run for longer than 60 seconds at the time to avoid damage, we took a break after 30 seconds. In the meantime, we used a spatula to dislodge the food that lodged in the blade guard.

The KOIOS made short work of incorporating egg yolks and canola oil, churning out a harmonious texture in just over one minute. Apart from being one of the fastest, it was also among the few blenders in our test that produced exceptionally smooth emulsification. Our mayonnaise came out thick, creamy, and spreadable. For such a low-priced hand blender, this performance could hardly have been better.

Although the Mueller’s whisk attachment has thin, floppy wires, it got the job done in less than two minutes. That was 10 seconds faster than the Braun, whose whisk is more sturdy and springy. It was nearly as fast as the high-end Vitamix and handily beat the cordless KitchenAid by a full minute.

It was also easier to clean. For the most part, its mayonnaise tailings rinsed off easily under our running tap. Using the blending shafts, on the other hand, caused the food to get clogged in the blade housing. As such, it was very challenging for us to scrub off the residuals on the blade’s backsides.

It was simple and easy to put together all the ingredients for a preservative-free milk using the KOIOS. Since this blender ground the nuts pretty evenly, our drink came out silky and creamy. That said, blending didn’t run smoothly; the blending beaker was too small, causing the liquid to overflow every time we moved the blender around.

If you intend to buy the KOIOS for drink preparation, don’t use the beaker that is included in its set.

Grinding raw nuts shouldn’t be a challenging task for any hand blender. However, our Mueller couldn’t perform any worse, though part of the reason is due to our blending jar — its small size caused the liquid to overflow all over the countertop every single time we moved the blender. So if you intend to use this blender to prepare watery drinks, it’s best to use a bigger container. 

None of the blenders we tested could avoid suction, but the Mueller’s was so strong that it was hard to stir or withdraw the wand, and when we lifted it up the container came with it. These things caused the liquid to easily overflow.

Not only that, but this blender didn’t grind finely enough for a creamy drink. Our almond milk was drinkable, but quite watery and not as sweet as others.

The KOIOS’s whisk attachment worked well — we got the perfect meringue out of the egg whites we beat with the whisk attachment. Its metal wires are bouncy and agile, so they’re flexible enough for whipping and fluffing. However, we can’t say for sure whether those wires will hold up to thick batters for bread doughs or baked cakes. 

On a pragmatic note, the whole beating process lasted nearly 3 minutes, but it didn’t cause hand fatigue like some models, namely the Mueller Ultra-Stick or the BELLA 10-speed. We felt entirely comfortable in that prolonged operation, from start to finish. Indeed, using this blender for preparing airy, creamy desserts will help you stay creative without springing for an expensive specialty device.

Before we began this test, we presumed that all the whisk attachments would perform well at  beating egg-whites, though some may be more efficient than others. Surprisingly, Mueller's performance proved us wrong.

First, it had an advantage over the blending wand in incorporating enough air into the egg whites, allowing the egg-protein to form a stiff, airy foam. What was until its motor seriously overheated several times, requiring us to let it stop and cool down. This issue didn’t regularly occur with the other blenders, and spending so long with the Mueller was tiring.

Even worse, after this test the whisk attachment had lost its original bulbous shape. The strands of looped wire were all out of their initial order, which would impair its performance in the next emulsifying and beating tasks.