Growing up, my mom always kept an immersion blender in our drawer of small kitchen appliances. We only used it to puree mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving — the rest of the year it collected dust. But when I became an avid Food Network watcher and discovered my love for cooking, I realized how versatile an immersion blender can be. I learned to use it to make soup, whipped cream and scrambled eggs. A few years ago, I also started selling small batch baked goods at farmers markets and making custom desserts for clients. Instead of setting up (and cleaning) my stand mixer every time I baked, I used my immersion blender to quickly whip up cake, cupcake and brownie batter.
My immersion blender quickly became a kitchen tool I couldn't live without. When I moved into my first apartment, I bought an immersion blender before I bought a mattress.
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What is an immersion blender and how to use it
An immersion blender is a handheld tool that purees, whips and blends ingredients. It’s shaped like a wand with a long arm that has blender blades at the end. It's useful for anything you would normally use a blender for, like making smoothies, tomato sauce and mixed drinks. But instead of pouring ingredients into a blender’s cup, you can use an immersion blender directly in whatever you’re using to cook, like a pot, mixing bowl or deep saute pan.
Immersion blenders are simply designed and intuitive. They equip a power button and some have a speed switch — that’s it. Immersion blenders either have to be plugged in before use or they’re cordless and rechargeable. Some immersion blenders boast longer arms than others, which increases how much food you can blend at once. I recommend buying one with a detachable arm. They’re easier to clean and you can usually put the arm and blade in the dishwasher. I’ve found that the higher priced immersion blenders are heavier and have sharper blades, allowing them to blend ingredients faster and create a smoother texture.
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Immersion blender attachments
Many immersion blenders come with attachments like a whisk, which I looked for so I didn't also have to buy a hand mixer. Milk frother attachments are also included with some immersion blenders. They’re useful for making lattes at home, and eliminate the need to buy a separate milk frother. Immersion blenders can also come with beakers, juicer attachments and chopper attachments that snap on to the end of the immersion blender. I make smoothies directly in my immersion blender’s beaker, and use the chopper to make (and serve) guacamole.
7 best immersion blenders of 2021
We rounded up some of the most highly rated immersion blenders from Shopping reader favorite retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target. It’s a great tool to have on hand to cook with year round, and when it’s not in use, it doesn't take up much room in a drawer or cabinet.
1. KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender
KitchenAid’s immersion blender earned a 4.8-star average rating from over 1,100 reviews on Amazon. It’s available in many of the same colors its stand mixers and hand mixers come in, like Matte Black, Pistachio, Empire Red and Aqua Sky. The immersion blender is designed with a detachable, dishwasher safe 8-inch arm with a stainless steel blade, and it’s controlled by a speed trigger switch that allows you to tailor how much you want to blend ingredients together. It comes with a removable pan guard and a 3-cup blending jar with a lid, useful for making, storing and serving dips and smoothies. KitchenAid also makes a cordless immersion blender.
2. Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender
Breville’s immersion blender has a 4.7-star average rating from 2,800 reviews on Amazon. It features an ergonomic handle that was designed to comfortably fit the shape of your hand. The immersion blender is controlled by a trigger switch and has 15 speed settings to choose from. The bell-shaped base of the immersion blender features internal ribbing to prevent the device from suctioning to the bottom of your bowl or pot. It’s built with a 6-foot long power cord, as well as a non-scratch base. The immersion blender comes with a whisk attachment and a 42-ounce blending jug, as well as a chopping bowl attachment that acts like a food processor. Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach also make similar highly-rated immersion blenders.
3. Vitamix Immersion Blender
This immersion blender has a 4.8-star average rating from over 400 reviews on Amazon. It’s designed with a bell-shaped blade guard that protects pots, pans and other cooking containers from getting scratched while you use the appliance. The immersion blender has five speed options and a powerful motor — beyond blending liquids together, you can use this immersion blender to grind nuts into nut butter. Its 5-foot long power cord allows you to bring the device with you around the kitchen. The arm of this immersion blender also detaches from the motor, making it easy to clean and store.
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4. All-Clad Cordless Rechargeable Immersion Blender
All-Clad’s cordless immersion blender has a 4.4-star average rating from over 890 reviews on Amazon. Its rechargeable base fully charges in two hours. It can be used for up to nine consecutive minutes, and since it’s cordless, you can bring the device outside to make mixed drinks and smoothies during the warmer months. The immersion blender’s stainless steel arm is detachable and dishwasher-safe. It has five speed options as well as a safety lock to prevent the device from turning on when it’s not in use. The immersion blender is available in Black and Silver.
5. Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick Immersion Blender
Mueller Austria’s immersion blender has a 4.6-star average rating from over 36,800 reviews on Amazon. It’s built with a stainless steel S-shaped blade that quickly blends ingredients, as well as a copper motor that remains powerful after continuous use. The ergonomic handle has a non-slip grip, and the detachable arm is dishwasher-safe. This immersion blender has nine speed options. It comes with whisk and milk frother attachments.
6. Utalent Immersion Hand Blender
This immersion blender has a 4.6-star average rating from over 4,000 ratings on Amazon. Beyond the immersion blender itself, this device comes with four additional attachments: a chopper, beaker, milk frother and whisk. All of the attachments are dishwasher-safe, including the immersion blender’s detachable arm. It has eight speeds to choose from, as well as a turbo setting that can be used to blend milkshakes, smoothie and soups with a smooth texture. The immersion blender is made from chemical-free and BPA-free materials, which the brand says makes it safe to make baby food with.
7. Bamix The Cosmopolitan Immersion Blender
Bamix’s immersion blender has a 4.5-star average rating from over 120 reviews on Amazon. Instead of coming with attachments, this immersion blender features interchangeable blades. It’s sold with stainless steel aerating, blending and chopping blades, and has two speed settings to choose from. The immersion blender’s shaft is built from heat resistant nylon and chromated brass, allowing you to use it in boiling liquids. It is sold with a wall bracket that you can install in your kitchen to store the immersion blender when it’s not in use.
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