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Mueller Ultra-Stick vs. Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Side-by-Side Comparison

Tina Pham
Reviewer
Nguyen Ntk
Visual Specialist
Updated

Mueller Ultra-Stick Hand Blender

Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender

Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated May 19, 2023
Tested Using Methodology v1.0
Updated Apr 4, 2023
The Mueller Ultra-Stick Hand Blender Set including a milk frother attachment, a whisk attachment, a motor body, a blending wand, a paper carton box, and user manuals. The Mueller Ultra-Stick Hand Blender Set including a milk frother attachment, a whisk attachment, a motor body, a blending wand, a paper carton box, and user manuals.
The Breville BSB510XL Immersion Blender is packed in a paper carton box with a motor body, blending shaft, wish attachment, food processor attachment, plastic beaker with lid, and a user’s manual.
Blenders type
immersion
immersion

Our Verdict

7.2
Overall Score
  • Performance (50%)
    7.3/10
  • Design (20%)
    6.8/10
  • Usability (30%)
    7.4/10
7.3
Overall Score
  • Performance (50%)
    6.5/10
  • Design (20%)
    8.7/10
  • Usability (30%)
    7.8/10

Both offer a versatile blending experience, but their performance is just adequate, not great. Despite being higher priced, the Breville BSB510XL Control Grip wasn’t quite as good as the Mueller Ultra-Stick in our tests. While we appreciate the extra convenient features of this fancy blender, we haven't found such goodies contribute much to the texture’s quality. Nonetheless, we still recommend the Breville BSB510XL if comfort is a priority for you.

The Mueller Ultra-Stick did perform a particularly better job of preparing frozen fruit smoothie and pureeing hot soup, but we weren’t comfortable maneuvering it. If you use this blender continuously for more than one batch, your fingertips may begin to feel a bit fatigued.

Fine for the Price

Mueller Hand Blender Performance

Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender Performance: Falls Short of Rivals
7.3
Performance Scores
  • Hot Soup Purée (35%)7.0/10
  • Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)7.0/10
  • Mayonnaise (15%)8.5/10
  • Almond Milk (15%)7.5/10
  • Whipped Egg-Whites (5%)7.0/10
6.5
Performance Scores
  • Hot Soup Purée (35%)6.5/10
  • Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)5.8/10
  • Mayonnaise (15%)4.8/10
  • Almond Milk (15%)8.5/10
  • Whipped Egg-Whites (5%)10/10
7.0

Hot Soup Purée

6.5
The Mueller Ultra-Stick Soup Test
Scooping a spoon of pureéd soup from a full batch in a plastic beaker made by the Mueller Ultra-Stick hand blender.
A batch of soup pureéd by the Mueller Ultra-Stick immersion blender is checked for smoothness by being drained through a stainless steel mesh strainer.
  • Pureeing Time: 30 seconds
  • Result: Slightly chunky
  • Suction: Tightly

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.

Scooping a spoon of pureéd soup from its full batch in a plastic beaker made by the Breville immersion blender.
Scooping a spoon of pureéd soup from its full batch in a plastic beaker made by the Breville immersion blender.
A batch of soup pureéd by the Breville Control Grip immersion blender is checked for smoothness by being drained through a stainless steel mesh strainer.
Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Hot Soup Purée Test
  • Pureeing Time: 30 secs
  • Result: Smooth
  • Suction: Slight

The Breville BSB510XL is not a bad choice if you need to create hot soup purées in a hurry. Breaking down cooked veggies into liquid form is this machine’s forte.

Although our test soup did retain a few unblended chunks, it was acceptably smooth and had a nice creamy consistency even without adding dairy. Our purée test runs for only 30 seconds, though — you will likely get a silkier soup if you blend longer.

7.0

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

5.8
A plastic beaker containing a batch of green smoothie whose parts are scooped with a stainless steel spoon is between the Mueller’s motor body and a smartphone displaying the total blending time (1 minute and 15 seconds).
A plastic beaker containing a batch of green smoothie whose parts are scooped with a stainless steel spoon is between the Mueller’s motor body and a smartphone displaying the total blending time (1 minute and 15 seconds).
Mueller Ultra-Stick Smoothie Test
After finishing blending, the green smoothie made by the Mueller immersion blender was spread evenly throughout a white paper to check for solid chunks.
  • Blending Time: 1 min 15 secs
  • Result: Chunky
  • Suction: Slightly

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.

Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender Smoothie Test
A plastic beaker containing a batch of green smoothie whose parts are scooped with a stainless steel spoon is between the Breville’s motor body and a smartphone displaying the total blending time (2 minutes and 21 seconds).
After finishing blending, the green smoothie made by the Breville BSB510XL blender was spread evenly throughout a white paper to check for solid chunks.
  • Blending Time: 2 mins 21 secs
  • Result: Smooth
  • Suction: Slightly

The Breville BSB510XL produced a silky smoothie with almost zero leftover sediment. The task did seem challenging, though, since it took nearly a full minute longer than average. You may not mind a little extra time, but frozen fruit smoothies are actually best when they’re blended quickly; the extra time and blade contact will thaw the ingredients and give the resulting smoothie a more watery texture.

8.5

Mayonnaise

4.8
A white bowl of mayonnaise made by the Mueller immersion blender with a stainless steel spoon inside.
A white bowl of mayonnaise made by the Mueller immersion blender with a stainless steel spoon inside.
The whisk attachment of the Mueller is immersed in a plastic beaker containing egg yolks.
  • Emulsifying Time: 1 mins 45 secs
  • Result: Smooth
  • Suction: No

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.

Scooping a spoon of mayonnaise from its full batch made by the Breville blender and contained in a plastic beaker that stands between the Breville’s motor and a smartphone displaying the total mixing time ( 2 minutes and 39 seconds).
Scooping a spoon of mayonnaise from its full batch made by the Breville blender and contained in a plastic beaker that stands between the Breville’s motor and a smartphone displaying the total mixing time ( 2 minutes and 39 seconds).
Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Whipped Egg-Whites 1
Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender Mayonnaise Test
  • Emulsifying Time: 2 mins 40 secs
  • Result: Quite Thin
  • Suction: No

The Breville BSB510XL took 2 minutes and forty seconds to create a batch of mayonnaise featuring three egg yolks and 240ml oil. This was nearly a minute and a half slower than the fastest immersion blenders we tested (such as the Cuisinart CSB-175 Smart Stick). 

The sauce had a pale yellow color. It was light and creamy like pudding — neither great nor bad. It lacked the thick texture we prefer, suggesting that better emulsion would demand more oil.

7.5

Almond Milk

8.5
  • Grinding Time: 1 mins 5 secs
  • Result: Coarse
  • Suction: Tightly

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.

A white plate of almond pulp produced by the Breville stick blender being between the Breville’s motor body and a smartphone displaying the total grinding time (55 seconds).
A white plate of almond pulp produced by the Breville stick blender being between the Breville’s motor body and a smartphone displaying the total grinding time (55 seconds).
Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender Almond Milk Test
  • Grinding Time: 56 secs
  • Result: Smooth
  • Suction: Tightly

The Breville BSB510XL performed well in this test. Of all the mid-powered blenders we tested, it was among the select few that pulverized the nuts evenly and drew the most flavor out of the almonds. After we’d removed the pulp with a mesh strainer, it tasted smooth and creamy, too.

7.0

Whipped Egg-Whites

10
Mueller Ultra-Stick Whipped Egg-Whites
Putting a plastic beaker containing beaten egg-white of the Mueller Ultra-Stick upside down on a gray table.
Inside the plastic beaker containing a batch of beaten egg-white prepared by the Mueller Ultra-Stick immersion blender.
  • Beating Time: 2 mins 37 secs
  • Result: Stiff
  • Suction: No

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.

The plastic beaker containing testing beaten egg-white of the Breville immersion blender is put upside down on the white table with its motor body and a smartphone displaying the total whipping time (1 minute and 21 seconds) by its sides.
The plastic beaker containing testing beaten egg-white of the Breville immersion blender is put upside down on the white table with its motor body and a smartphone displaying the total whipping time (1 minute and 21 seconds) by its sides.
Looking at the beaten egg-white of the Breville Stick Blender contained inside a plastic beaker.
Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender Whipped Egg-Whites Test
  • Beating Time: 1 min 21 sec
  • Result: Stiff
  • Suction: No

The Breville BSB510XL was excellent at beating eggs. It requires less than one and a half minutes to churn out a stiff-peaked whip from 100ml of egg whites, which was considerably faster than most of its peers. If you use this blender to make meringue, you won’t need to make any special preparations; the Breville BSB510XL will readily handle it.

Above-Average Quality

Mueller Ultra-Stick Hand Blender Design

Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender Design
6.8
design Scores
  • Blending Shaft (30%)7.0/10
  • Build Quality (60%)7.0/10
  • Power Cord (5%)10/10
  • Beaker (5%)0/10
8.7
design Scores
  • Blending Shaft (30%)7.5/10
  • Build Quality (60%)9.0/10
  • Power cord (5%)10/10
  • Beaker (5%)10/10

In the Box of the Mueller Hand Blender

In the Box of the Breville BSB510XL Immersion Blender
The Mueller Immersion Blender milk frother attachment, motor body, blending wand, whisk attachment, paper carton box, and user manuals lying side by side on a table.
  • Motor body 
  • Blending shaft 
  • Whisk attachment
  • Milk frother  
  • User manual
A paper carton box, plastic beaker with lid, whisk attachment, blending wand with its motor body attached, chopper bowl with lid and stainless steel chopping blades, and user’s manuals of the Breville BSB510XL lying side by side on a white table.
  • Motor body 
  • Blending shaft 
  • Whisk attachment
  • Chopper bowl with stainless steel chopping blades 
  • Blending beaker with dual-purpose storage lid & anti-slip mat
  • User manual

Contributing to the high price tag is a set of well-designed attachments, to include a whisk, a chopping bowl, and a 42-ounce blending jar with dual-purpose lid. All of the attachments are top-rack dishwasher safe, which is definitely a big plus. They’re also very practical and easy to use.

Dimensions

The Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick Immersion Blender standing on top of its blending shaft on a gray table, with the length of the blending shaft being noted to the side as 7.7 inches, and the total length of the unit as 15.55 inches.
  • Height:
    15.6" (39.6 cm)
  • Width:
    2.8" (7.1 cm)
  • Weight:
    2.2 lbs (1.0 kg)
  • Shaft Length:
    7.7" (19.6 cm)

The Mueller Ultra-Stick has a balanced weight that makes it feel good to use. Since its blending shaft is long enough to reach the bottom of even deep pots, making hot puree soups is pretty much exactly what this machine is designed for. With this compact design, it is also very easy to tuck away in your cabinet when not in use.

The Breville immersion blender standing on top of its blending shaft on a gray table, with the length of the blending shaft being noted to the side as 9.3 inches, and the total length of the unit as 16.5 inches.
  • Height:
    16.5" (41.9 cm)
  • Width:
    2.9" (7.4 cm)
  • Weight:
    2.2 lbs (1.0 kg)
  • Shaft Length:
    9.3" (23.6 cm)

At 16.5 inches, this blender’s length is about average. It is top-heavy, though, so it can feel unstable, especially if you want to rest it against the side of your blending beaker when you pause the motor. On the bright side, that length may allow you to reach the bottom of deep pots more easily. Our other concern is the blade housing’s large size; it won’t fit well in all potential containers.

7.0

Build Quality

9.0
A close-up of the immersion blending wand, motor body, and whisk attachment of the Mueller Stainless Steel Hand Blender.

The Mueller Ultra-Stick is mostly made of plastic reinforced with brushed stainless steel, so there is no chance of plastic’s chemicals leaching into your food. Besides being corrosion-resistant, this blender’s unique design gives it an elegant look, though it doesn’t feel as sleek as its higher-priced peers.

The blender has two buttons and a speed control knob. All seem straightforward to use, but are cheaply made. To reduce spatter-related issues, the blades are surrounded by a metal guard. We like this idea, but in our experience, this type of guard can scratch non-stick cookware.

The whisk attachment, motor body, and blending shaft of the Breville BSB510XL lying on a white table.

The steeper price of the Breville BSB510XL is justified by its build quality, which is hard to beat. While we have different opinions about the plastic coating of its motor body, whose finish is likely to be marred with minor scratches after repeated use, most everyone agrees that this blender will offer you great durability overall.

7.0

Blending Shaft

7.5
A close-up of the blade assembly of the Mueller Immersion Blender.
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Type:
    Sharp Blade
  • Guard Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Blade Count:
    2
  • Removable:
    No
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The blades come relatively sharp, but they look flimsy and may dull under regular use, causing the machine to blend less efficiently. Our Mueller’s blades even slightly deformed after the frozen smoothie test.

A close-up of the blade assembly featuring two stainless steel prongs of the Breville BSB510XL hand blender.
A close-up of the blade assembly featuring two stainless steel prongs of the Breville BSB510XL hand blender.
The Stainless Steel Blending Shaft of the Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Type:
    Sharp blade
  • Guard Material:
    Plastic
  • Blade Count:
    2
  • Removable:
    No
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes

The blending shaft is made of high-quality stainless steel to ensure durability. There is a plastic rim around its base, which is meant to reduce head suction and to protect your cookware from scratches. 

The blade has two prongs—one is razor sharp and the other is dull. To keep the former sharp, you should avoid using it to crush whole ice cubes or to grind raw nuts without liquid.

Not Included

Beaker

10
  • Material:
    N/A
  • Capacity:
    NaN fl oz (NaN ml)
  • Measurements:
    N/A
  • Weight:
    NaN oz (NaN g)
  • Height:
    NaN" (NaN cm)
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    N/A
  • Tamper Included:
    N/A

The Breville’s 1250 ml plastic beaker standing on a white table with its lid attached.
  • Material:
    Plastic
  • Capacity:
    40 oz
  • Measurements:
    Ye
  • Weight:
    NaN oz (NaN g)
  • Height:
    NaN" (NaN cm)
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Ye
  • Tamper Included:
    No

The beaker has clearly marked measurements for convenience. It is almost twice the standard size, making it easier for you to maneuver the hand blender around. And since there is more room in the container for the mixture to rise, it also helps to prevent overflow.

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. And for some operations, such as making a smoothie, the handle on the jar gave us a good grip.

10

Power Cord

Power cord
The Mueller Ultra-Stick Immersion Blender on a gray table with its power cord rolled up next to it.
  • Cord Length:
    4.8 ft (1.5 m)
  • Type:
    2-prong plug
  • Detachable:
    No

The power cord is long enough to easily reach our nearby outlets. Like other immersion blenders, there is no place to hide the extra cord, but it has a small loop allowing you to hang the whole blender on a hook.

The Breville Immersion Blender on a white table with its power cord that features a 2-prong plug rolled up next to it.
  • Cord Length:
    6.3 ft (1.9 m)
  • Type:
    2-prong plug
  • Detachable:
    No

The power cord is long enough to reach nearby outlets. It’s notably designed with a finger hole in the power plug so you can easily and safely remove it from the wall socket.

Whisk Attachment

Extra Accessories

Whisk Attachment
The Mueller Ultra-Stick Immersion Blender Whisk Attachment lying flat on a gray table.
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes
  • Removable:
    Yes

With the whisk attachment, your blender can be a nice replacement for a hand mixer for certain tasks, such as whipping cream, beating egg whites, and emulsifying sauces. That being said, we don’t think this additional tool can ensure high durability, given its poorly-built quality.

The Breville BSB510XL Whisk Attachment lying on a white table.
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes
  • Removable:
    Yes

The whisk attachment functions as a hand whisk so you can whip up cream, beat egg whites, and emulsify sauces without a stand-alone mixer. In terms of quality, this part is well built, but one of its wires somehow has a very awkward shape. We can’t say for sure if that happened during shipping or on the production line.

Milk Frother

Extra Accessories

Food Processor
The Mueller Ultra-Stick Immersion Blender Milk Frother Attachment lying flat on a gray table.
  • Material:
    Stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes
  • Removable:
    Yes

We haven’t performed any test on the milk frother, but we’re quite sure this attachment can make foam for your drinks. However, we suppose it will not live up to the expectations of serious latté lovers.

The Breville BSB510XL Food Processor Attachment standing on a white table.
The Breville BSB510XL Food Processor Attachment standing on a white table.
A close-up of the stainless steel chopping blades of the Breville’s food processor attachment.
  • Material:
    Plastic and stainless steel
  • Dishwasher Safe:
    Yes
  • Removable:
    Yes

We haven’t tested this attachment, but we think it could serve you well when making something like basil pesto. It could be a good alternative if you don’t want to bother with a full-sized food processor. The Breville can be a moderate food processor in its own right since the included chopping bowl comes at just the right size for chopping vegetables, onions, and more.

Speed and Controls of the Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick

Speed and Controls of the Breville BSB510XL Control Grip Immersion Blender
A close-up of 8 speed settings and a speed dial of the Mueller Hand Blender.
  • Control Type:
    Press and Rotate
  • Min Speed:
    12,550 RPM
  • Max Speed:
    14,640  RPM
  • Presets:
    No
  • Noise Level:
    78 dB
  • Digital Display:
    No
  • Pulse Mode:
    Yes

The Mueller Ultra-Stick has an intuitive interface, with two buttons and an easy-to-rotate speed control knob. During operation, you can adjust the speed in eight increments by gently rotating the speed control knob. However, as we found out during our testing, there is barely a difference between the Turbo mode and the highest speed in terms of power.

A close-up of the Power button in the front interface and a speed dial on the top of the Breville’s motor body.
A close-up of the Power button in the front interface and a speed dial on the top of the Breville’s motor body.
A close-up of the Breville’s motor body, with a speed dial on its top and the power button in its front.
  • Control Type:
    Press-button & speed dial
  • Min Speed:
    6.014 RPM
  • Max Speed:
    13.224 RPM
  • Presets:
    No
  • Noise Level:
    76 dB
  • Digital Display:
    No
  • Pulse Mode:
    No

The motor has 15 speed settings, giving us precise control over our food’s texture. To switch between different speed settings, simply turn the dial at the top of the blender’s motor body. All the controls, including the power button and the speed dial, demand minimal pressure from your finger.  

To blend at high speeds, the manufacturer recommends that you start with the slowest speed and gradually increase to the higher ones to minimize splattering or over-processing. However, we found it difficult to get this job done when both your hands are engaged while blending — one hand to use the controls and the other fighting the blender’s suction force.

A Little Bit Short On Blending Comfort

MuellerImmersion Blender Usability

Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender Usability Review: An Elite Level of Use Ease
7.4
usability Scores
  • Ease of Use (60%)7.3/10
  • Blade Assembly (10%)8.5/10
  • Handling (20%)6.5/10
  • Cleanability (10%)8.5/10
7.8
usability Scores
  • Ease of Use (60%)7.7/10
  • Blade Assembly (10%)7.5/10
  • Handling (20%)8.5/10
  • Cleanability (10%)7.5/10
7.3

Ease of Use

7.7

It didn’t take long for us to figure out how this blender worked. That being said, the buttons have a very awkward clicky feel. Although they’re not too stiff and demand just a light press to activate, we weren’t entirely comfortable pressing them all the way down. If you use them continuously for more than a batch, your fingertips may feel a bit tired. 

The control knob also makes the blender more complicated to use. It’s tough for one person to use the blender, adjust its speed, and hold the beaker at the same time, so we had to stop it to speed up or slow down.

The Breville BSB510XL allowed for a thorough blending process since food didn’t get lodged around the blending blade or in the blade guard. We could get an even blend without having to pause our blender and dislodge trapped chunks. 

Moreover, the motor operated very smoothly so we didn’t need to hold the beaker throughout the whole job to keep it from moving around (as was necessary with certain other blenders such as the Mueller Ultra-Stick). 

After each task, the cleanup was messier than we anticipated, though. This was because the suction force entirely threw off our momentum when we went to draw the blending wand up. The Breville created a lot of splatter every time we moved it around.

8.5

Blade Assembly

7.5

To attach the blending wand or any blending accessories to the main body, simply line up the parts and make a quarter turn counterclockwise until you hear the unit click into place.

There is a plastic coupler that attaches the removal parts to the motor body. So far, we haven’t found any issue with this add-on. After spending several days going through hundreds of customer reviews, however, we were warned that the coupler can easily be irreparably broken.

The process of assembling your blender is very easy; simply align the top end of the blending attachment with the corresponding end of the motor body and then push until you feel them ‘click’ together. Separating the two pieces is simple as well thanks to the EJECT buttons on either side of the motor body.

6.5

Handling

8.5
Someone uses two hands to control the Mueller Ultra-Stick immersion blender: one for holding the handle and pressing the power button at the same time, the other for rotating the speed dial.

We appreciate that the Mueller is designed with an ergonomic handle to reduce hand and wrist pain. However, because the blender itself vibrated pretty violently in all five tests, our hands got tired anyway.

Someone is holding the Breville’s immersion handle and at the same time pressing its power button, with one hand.

Suctioning problem aside, this blender is among the easiest models to maneuver. You hold the Breville with one finger wrapping over the power trigger rather than just pressing it with a fingertip. Contributing to its comfortable grip is the handle’s rubber coating. Apart from staving off hand fatigue, this feature will help prevent your hands from slipping if they’re wet or covered in grease.

8.5

Cleanability

7.5

All the removable attachments are dishwasher-safe, but we recommend you wash them by hand to prevent their finish from discoloring due to abrasive dishwasher detergents. Thankfully, the manual cleaning process isn’t so difficult.

You can either scrub off the residue under the running tap or let the machine clean itself by blending it in a mixture of dish soap and water. Either method should get it perfectly clean.

With the exception of the motor body, all the pieces are dishwasher-safe. However, we recommend hand washing so as to get the best long-term use.  

While cleaning it manually, we didn’t have to use much elbow grease on food tailings. For the most part, they rinsed off effortlessly under the tap. The only troublesome things were sticky and water-insoluble residues, like mayonnaise, which demanded some scrubbing. Getting that residue off the backsides of the blades was a frustrating process.