Bella 10-Speed Immersion Blender In-depth Review

On paper, this BELLA is designed to make your kitchen work simpler. However, our years of testing have taught us that a low-priced immersion blender may yield short-term savings but will be a headache in the long term. Such a machine often comes with weaker power ratings, limited capabilities, and inconsistent performance compared to premium blenders. But we wanted to make our own determination about the BELLA 10-speed hand blender so we bought one of our own accord and tested it against a number of other hand blenders.

Key Specs

Where to Buy Price at publication $37.09

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Compared to Other Immersion Blenders

8.0 Performance: Competitive Overall Efficiency

The BELLA wasn’t the perfect immersion blender in any test but it turned out to be a surprise bargain, delivering results that were satisfying enough. The Inclusion of a whisk attachment also means it is one of the most capable models we’ve tried.

7.5 Hot Soup Purée

The BELLA is moderately capable at pureeing soup. In our test, it took around 30 seconds to blend and combine all the ingredients. However, we still found lots of tiny chunks when we ran the soup through a strainer. On the whole, blending didn’t go smoothly since the blender itself created a bit too much suction. At the highest speed settings, it vacuumed itself solidly to the beaker’s bottom, making it very difficult for us to make any movements. For a better performer overall, we recommend the Vitamix 5-speed or the KitchenAid cordless hand blender.

9.3 Frozen Fruit Smoothie

Our BELLA transformed all the ingredients into a drinkable texture in approximately one minute, from start to finish. It didn’t have too much difficulty powering through frozen fruit or kale. The resulting smoothie was acceptable with very few unprocessed chunks.

9.0 Mayonnaise

Making mayonnaise was easy with this blender. Of all the blenders we tested, it was among the fastest, beating our favorite blender — the Braun MultiQuick-5 by up to 30 seconds. That said, its mayonnaise didn’t come out very smooth and creamy. Still, for such a low-priced hand blender, this result is worthy of praise.

6.0 Almond Milk

Our non-dairy milk required nearly a minute and a half of blending, but it still didn’t come out as smooth and creamy as it should. And not only couldn’t the machine blend uniformly, but it also created bad suction, causing a mess when we struggled to lift it upward.

6.0 Whipped Egg-Whites

The BELLA’s whisk attachment drew enough air into the egg whites to create stiff peaks in our test, but its prolonged beating operation left us with exhausted hands and extreme discomfort. So, even though this add-on can do the trick, we don’t think it’s a good alternative to a hand mixer when it comes to preparing emulsified sauces or meringue. There are other immersion blenders that can ensure smoother operations, such as the KOIOS 4-in-1 and the Breville Control Grip.

7.5 Design: Not Really Stand-Out

This machine is one of dozens of nearly identical low-priced hand blenders on the market that have no particular standout features. It sports a mid-powered motor that allows you to switch between various speed settings. And just like any portable item, it is designed for small spaces.

In the Box

• Motor body 
• Blending shaft 
• Whisk attachment
• Food processor
• Beaker   
• User manual

Our set includes six pieces which are all free of harmful chemicals. All parts except the motor section are top-rack dishwasher safe.

Dimensions

So far, we haven’t encountered any challenges caused by this blender’s size. The machine itself is compact enough to store in a drawer, and it isn’t overly heavy. Weight isn’t a hindrance to the machine’s usability.

7.0 Build Quality

The BELLA can be purchased for less than $30, but that low price tag is a clue as to its quality. The machine itself feels relatively solid, but it doesn’t look as sleek as the mid-range ones. With the exception of the blending shaft, all the parts are made of medium-grade plastic which may deteriorate and collect scratches over the years. 

Not only that, but several Amazon users have complained about the inner components. Some claim that the plastic core that connects the blending wand to the main body somehow got shredded, rendering the blender useless. Others were frustrated when the tabs that connect to attachments broke. 

All things considered, we don’t think the BELLA is a reliable performer, even though it’s backed by an impressive warranty (two years).

Speed and Controls

On paper, the BELLA allows the users to easily switch between 10 speed options using the two front buttons and a top dial. Our real-world experience, though, indicates that while they get the job done, it takes a lot of force to press the buttons.

Likewise, the speed dial isn’t really essential. It’s hard to use because both hands are engaged while blending — one hand to maneuver the blender and the other to keep the beaker from jumping around the countertop with the motor’s violent vibration.

7.5 Blending Shaft

The blade has 4 prongs made of medium-quality stainless steel. It comes relatively sharp, but looks a bit fragile. If you use this blender for grinding tough ingredients, the blade assembly may get damaged.    

We appreciate that the blade guard was designed to prevent splattering, but don't think that it works as intended. It creates a lot of suction at the bottom of our beaker. And since it’s made of metal with harsh edges, the blade guard can leave marks on your non-stick cookware unless you blend very carefully.

10 Beaker

The BELLA blender comes with a large beaker that shows measurements in both milliliters and fluid ounces. It’s a simple affair with an easy-pour spout and a flared base for stability.

10 Power Cord

The power cord is long enough to reach your nearby outlets. As a nice bonus, it has a small loop that allows you to hang the whole blender on a hook for easy storage.

Extra Accessories: Whisk Attachment

With the whisk attachment, your blender can act as a hand mixer for certain tasks such as whipping cream, beating egg whites, and emulsifying sauces. That said, it’s rather poorly built, so it may not survive long.

Extra Accessories: Food Processor

We haven’t tested this attachment, but the stainless steel S-blade can probably chop, mix, and shred certain foods just like any other low-grade food processor.

6.3 Usability: A little Bit Disappointing

This blender can't completely live up to its purpose. We were frustrated with it at every turn, from ease of use to cleanability. Below you can read our quick-hit notes on things that will possibly impair your blending experience.

6.0 Ease of Use

The controls are easy to understand, but we never got comfortable actually operating it. While its interface is very intuitive with only two buttons and a speed selection dial, the motor’s vibration made our hands entirely numb. Moreover, the buttons are too stiff and unresponsive, so our fingers got tired in a hurry. In some cases our fingers slipped right off the trigger button, causing unplanned interruptions to our testing process. 

The low rating of this blender’s usability isn’t all due to its controls, though. Throughout most of the tests, the blending shaft stuck itself so tightly to the container’s bottom that we couldn’t lift it up unless we shut off the motor. That’s quite unacceptable, in our opinion.

7.5 Blade Assembly

To blend, attach the blending wand or any mixing accessories to the main body by turning it in a counter-clockwise direction until tightened.

6.0 Handling

Designed with an ergonomic handle, this blender is meant to be comfortable to grip, reducing hand and wrist pain. Due to its violent vibration and stiff buttons, however, our hands got tired anyway.

7.5 Cleanability

All the included accessories are top-rack dishwasher-safe and easy to clean manually. The main difficulties are in a few hard-to-reach spots such as the backsides of the blades. We had to use a bit of elbow grease on the food tailings.