UTALENT 5-In-1 Hand Blender In-depth Review

The UTALENT 5-in-1 is among a myriad of low-range immersion blenders that claim to be efficient in almost every blending task. With most of the models garnering reports of inconsistent effectiveness within our hands-on testing, we cannot trust this advertisement without experiencing this blender personally, though. 

As such, we decided to buy the UTALENT and test it rigorously against several other higher-priced blenders. Based on our testing results, it would be hard to overemphasize this fact: its advertising is more hot air than a genuine promise of product quality.

Key Specs

Where to Buy Price at publication $47.49

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Compared to Other Immersion Blenders

5.9 Performance: Just Average

The UTALENT didn’t perform as well as other blenders we’ve tested. Although it includes all the standard features of a decent hand blender, it still couldn’t blend evenly or cleanly. It is also worth noting that during our testing, we encountered a great deal of frustration with its operation.

5.0 Hot Soup Purée

None of the low-range blenders we tested churned out the silkiest puree in 30 seconds, but the UTALENT’s soup was so chunky that we couldn’t consider it a pass. Most of the unprocessed chunks, including carrots and celery, are large enough to be visible after straining. Some couldn’t even be blended because they got lodged in the blade guard’s holes.

Making hot soup puree is the easiest and most basic task of an immersion blender so it really doesn’t make sense to buy this one. For a greater alternative, consider the KOIOS 4-in-1 or the Braun MultiQuick-5.

5.8 Frozen Fruit Smoothie

The UTALENT is definitely not for you if you like your smoothies packed with frozen fruit or green veggies. Apart from being too weak to blend through tough ingredients, it’s also unable to liquify leafy veggies effectively.  

Our smoothie was churned out with a grainy, leafy texture even after up to 2 minutes of processing. Upon stirring it to check its smoothness, we noticed that there were some grains of unprocessed kale still left in the mixture.

Furthermore, the machine required our intervention to draw all the ingredients toward the blades: We had to constantly stir with the blending wand to ensure everything was incorporated. What a frustrating blending process!

8.0 Mayonnaise

Our mayo sauce was a very simple one: an emulsion of oil blended with egg yolk. We made it in about 1 minute and a half using the blender’s whisk attachment. Regarding its consistency, we wished that it could have been creamier. Although this machine made short work of incorporating all the ingredients, our emulsification came out relatively thick—albeit stable.

5.8 Almond Milk

Of all the blenders we tested, the UTALENT was the slowest performer. It took up to two minutes to complete this task — twice as slow as the winner, the Cuisinart Smart Stick. And even still, the nuts weren’t evenly ground. As a result, our milk couldn’t pack the full flavor of almond. It was drinkable but quite watery and not as creamy as it should have been.

7.0 Whipped Egg-Whites

The low power rating made this blender lag behind its rivals. We had to spend a great deal of time to achieve a stiff peak. Of course, it wasn't a big deal to simply blend for a few more minutes but the prolonged operation caused the motor to overheat, thus impairing its durability. Still, this is a pretty common occurrence for most low-grade blenders. To name a few, the Mueller Ultra-Stick, Hamilton Beach 2-Speed, and the BELLA 10-Speed.

7.0 Design: Not too Much Impression

At first, we were mightily impressed with the blending shaft's unique design, but its disappointing testing results then diminished our excitement. Sure enough, the UTALENT’s distinctive design doesn’t make it any more effective or easier to use.

In the Box

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

Despite being a low-range machine, the UTALENT comes with everything you need to support your culinary creativity. With this generous accessory package, it should be a the new benchmark for immersion blenders.

Dimensions

Our UTALENT is shipped as a very compact package. Sleek and portable, the machine itself is 15-inches long and with a blending shaft that is almost half the length, you can easily immerse it into any soup pot. At only 1.6 pounds, it's also lightweight and feels well balanced.

6.5 Build Quality

Low-range blenders like this UTALENT are often of a medium quality with a few shortcomings in the design. For the most part, their exteriors are averagely built with a shiny look, but the inner core that connects the blending wand to the main body feels flimsy and lacks durability. This is a serious point with wider implications — if the core breaks, it will render the blender useless. The gasket that helps tighten the main body and the attachments is also substandard. We noticed it became discolored after just five times of use.

Speed and Controls

The UTALENT works much like other hand-held blenders sporting multiple speed settings. It allows you to speed up smoothly through the top dial, which doesn't, however, seem to make any apparent difference when it comes to the blended result. That’s why we rarely used this control in our hands-on testing. 

Instead, we often use the Turbo mode located on the front interface— a function that instantly sends the blender into its highest speed. That said, this control, like the power button, demands quite a bit of force from the user.

7.0 Blending Shaft

In terms of shape and size, the UTALENT’s blending shaft differs in two ways from other immersion blenders. So far, we haven’t noticed any benefit from this unusual design. Worse still, the shorter length 4-prong blade reduces contact with the blending food, thus leading to an increment of blending time. 

Not only that, but it also cannot tackle heavy-duty tasks. It is too fragile to blend through solid foods like ice cubes or raw root veggies without being damaged or deformed. 

Together with the smaller blades is a narrower blade guard. If food gets lodged, this makes it trickier to scrape the sides to dislodge the food without the blade getting in the way. Entirely made of stainless steel, the blade guard is also a potential risk for your nonstick cookware surface.

10 Beaker

The included beaker is suitable for a variety of low-volume applications. It shows measurements in both milliliters and fluid ounces and comes with a flared base for stability.

10 Power Cord

The power cord is long enough that we didn’t feel constrained. We like that it has a small loop allowing us to hang the blender and keep it organized.

Extra Accessories: Whisk Attachment

This whisk attachment is capable of whipping cream, beating egg whites, and making emulsified sauces. As a nice bonus, it can go straight into the dishwasher for quick and easy cleanup.

Extra Accessories: Food Processor

We haven't had a chance to test the food processor so we can't comment on its real-world efficiency. However, during our research, we have found several criticisms of its low durability.

Extra Accessories: Milk Frother

We haven’t tested the milk frother, either. Nevertheless, we do not expect it to work as well as a specialized tool.

7.2 Usability: The Lack of Smooth Operation

As mentioned above, the UTALENT is quite complicated to use and cannot ensure smooth operation. More to the point, it lacks a few nice features that we like about some other more user-friendly models.

7.2 Ease of Use

The intuitive interface makes it easy to figure out how this machine works, but it still doesn’t make the blending a pleasant enough experience. Since the blender itself often vacuums to the beaker’s bottom, it may cause excessive splatters when you move your hands. 

In addition, due to the motor’s violent vibration, we couldn’t maneuver the blender comfortably. Our hand muscles had became tired after just two tests, and as a result, we encountered some difficulty in speeding up or moving the blending wand in the subsequent tests.

7.0 Blade Assembly

Setting up the blender is a straightforward process. Simply align the attachment with the main housing and make a quarter turn counterclockwise until you hear it click into place.

That said, if your hands are wet or oily, the whole body’s polished-plastic exterior can be too slippery for a secure grasp. This challenges the detachment process, especially when this machine lacks an accessory ejection button.

7.5 Handling

The handle is comfortable and its ergonomic design helps to maintain a secure grip, but the blender's violent shaking still made it difficult to avoid hand fatigue throughout our tests.

6.5 Cleanability

After each test, we noticed that the blade’s backsides were home to a large amount of residuals that couldn’t be simply rinsed off under the running water tap. And due to the restricted space between the blade and its guard, we couldn’t get our fingers in to remove them. If you want to get a thorough clean, you must use a straw-cleaning brush.