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Want the most versatile hand blender we tested? Go for the Cuisinart Power Blend. It handled everything we threw at it, comes with a food processor attachment and costs under £50. On a tighter budget? The ProCook Hand Blender delivers solid everyday performance for £39 and is a strong pick if you only need the basics.
A good hand blender is one of those kitchen tools you don’t realise you need until you have one. Unlike a traditional jug blender or food processor, a stick blender takes up far less space and can go straight into the pot, no decanting hot soups or sauces into another container while cooking. Most models come with safety guards so your pans and casseroles won’t get scratched, with plastic or steel casings drawing ingredients up to the blades cleanly and efficiently.
The best hand blenders can tackle everything from silky soups and smooth sauces to homemade mayonnaise and frozen fruit smoothies. Some models go further still, coming with food processor attachments and whisks that replace several appliances at once, though if you simply want smooth soups and sauces, even a basic model will make a noticeable difference to your cooking.
With prices ranging from under £40 to well over £100, we tested nine models against the same recipes and criteria to find the ones genuinely worth buying.
The latest additions were tested and reviewed by Annie Collyer.
Best hand blenders at a glance
- Best hand blender for versatility: Cuisinart Power Blend Immersion Blender, £49.99
- Best cordless hand blender: KitchenAid GO cordless hand blender, £144.95
- Best professional-quality blender: Ninja Foodi 2-in-1 Food Prep System, £99.99
- Best multifunctional hand blender: Gastroback Design hand blender, £91.92
- Best hand blender for large quantities: Kenwood Triblade XL+ hand blender, £143.99
- Best budget hand blender: ProCook hand blender, £39
- Best designed hand blender: Bamix Classic hand blender, £109.99
- Best mid-range hand blender: Russell Hobbs Desire 3-in-1 hand blender set, £49.99
- Best for occasional use: Salter Cosmos 3-in-1 blender set, £27.99
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How we tested hand blenders
We tested nine hand blenders against the same recipes and criteria, so results were comparable across the guide. All testing was carried out by Annie Collyer, a freelance journalist with more than eight years’ experience reviewing home and kitchen products.
Rather than relying on controlled conditions, I used two recipes that expose a hand blender’s real strengths and weaknesses:
Mayonnaise: This is the control test. Making mayonnaise requires slow, steady emulsification: too fast and the mixture splits. This tested how well each blender handled delicate tasks, how easy the speed controls were to reach and adjust mid-use, and whether the results were consistent. Blenders that curdled the mayonnaise or made speed control difficult were marked down.
We also assessed each blender for:
- Weight: Annie noted how each blender felt during extended use, whether it became tiring to hold, how easy it was to grip and control and whether the balance felt right with different attachments fitted. Hand blenders vary significantly in weight and size, and a model that feels fine for 30 seconds can become exhausting over a longer blend.
- Speed and control: Annie assessed how many speed settings each model offered, how easy they were to reach while blending and whether the range felt genuinely useful. For delicate tasks like mayonnaise, fine control matters as much as raw power.
- Cleaning: After every test, our tester cleaned each blender and noted how easy it was to rinse, whether any food got trapped in hard-to-reach areas and which parts were dishwasher safe. Models with complex attachments or tight nooks that held onto food were marked down.
- Versatility: Our tester considered what came in the box (blending shaft, whisk, food processor attachment, beaker), and whether the accessories added genuine value or felt like extras for the sake of it. Models that replaced multiple appliances without sacrificing performance scored higher.
- Design and build quality: Annie noted the overall feel of each blender, including the quality of the casing, the clarity of the controls and whether the attachments fitted securely and felt robust enough for regular use.
- Value: Finally, Annie weighed up whether the price felt justified by the performance and what was included. A hand blender at twice the price should deliver noticeably better results or significantly more versatility.
Best hand blenders to buy in 2026
Cuisinart Power Blend immersion blender
Available from Amazon (£44.17), Cuisinart (£49.99)
Best hand blender for versatility
Pros:
- Sub £50 price tag
- Includes a storage bag for all accessories
- Food processor attachment included with two blades
- All accessories dishwasher-safe
- Safety considerations: lock button and covers over blades
- Blend directly into cookware
Cons:
- Takes a little longer than a blender to make a smoothie
- Packaging wasn’t the most sustainable
Star rating: 5/5
A lightweight, versatile machine at under £50, the Cuisinart Power Blend immersion blender makes easy work of most tasks, whether that’s whisking eggs, blending soup or chopping an onion. Behind its one-button operation is a 400W motor – simply put, the harder you press, the faster it blends. Crafted from stainless steel and BPA-free plastic, you can use it directly in a pan since its no-scratch bell protects cookware.
A stainless steel blending shaft and a whisk attachment are included with the main unit, both compatible with the 700ml cup, which has a lid for fridge storage or on-the-go. There’s also a separate 950ml food processor attachment with two blades and a storage bag to keep all the parts together.
I made homemade mayonnaise with it, which it handled easily. It did take longer than a standalone blender and initially struggled with frozen berries, though it got there in the end and produced a smooth, velvety smoothie. It does splash a little with the 700ml cup, so expect some mess on the worktop. Otherwise, cleanup is straightforward since all parts except the main unit are dishwasher safe.
Available from:
KitchenAid GO cordless hand blender
Available from KitchenAid (£123.30), Harts Of Stur (£144.95)
Best cordless hand blender
Pros:
- Cordless
- Powerful
- Easy to store
- Lightweight
Cons:
While this is undoubtedly an investment purchase, its cordless functionality is worth the money alone – meaning no more dangling cords near your chopping device.
It’s a part of KitchenAid’s GO range, which comes with a rechargeable battery that’s compatible with other appliances in the range, including a mini chopper and food processor.
It’s lightweight but powerful, and though there’s a bit of a knack to handling it – we had to grip it with both hands during our first few uses – our blending was controlled and efficient.
A 700ml BPA-free beaker is also included for blending smoothies and sauces, but if you want to mix ingredients straight in the pan, there’s a protective guard that prevents any scratching.
Ninja Foodi 2-in-1 Prep System
Available from Very (£99), Ninja (£99.99), Currys (£99.99)
Best professional quality blender
Pros:
- Professional-sized, robust hand blender
- Easy to hold and use
- Super-speedy
- Attachments included
- Motor recognises each attachment
- Optimised speed settings for attachments
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
The Ninja Foodi 2-in-1 Food Prep System is a serious hand blender. It is weighty at just shy of 2kg, so for some, it may feel a little heavy, but the weight distribution is even, so it feels lighter. Behind that weight, there is an 850W motor driving this machine, which makes short work of anything in its path.
The hand blender has just two speeds, and toggling between the low and turbo settings is easy. The box also includes a five-speed hand mixer attachment and two beaters, making this an incredibly versatile package. However, there is no beaker for mixing smaller quantities, so a jug is needed.
Read our full Ninja Foodi 2-in-1 Food Prep System review.
Gastroback Design Hand Blender Advanced Pro
Available from Harts of Stur (£91.92), Amazon (£192.10)
Best multifunctional hand blender
Pros:
- Five speeds
- Attachments included
- Potato masher attachment
- Powerful 800W
- Generous 800ml beaker with lid
Cons:
Star rating: 5/5
The Gastroback Advanced Pro hand blender is, as suggested by its name, a professional looking and sturdy machine capable of tackling most blending jobs in the kitchen.
From its ergonomic soft-touch handle, the 800W motor that makes light work of most ingredients, five easily adjustable speeds, and titanium coated four-fold blade, this is a serious hand blender.
And, if that is not enough, the Gastroback Advanced Pro also has an enviable range of accessories included in the box with a 500 ml mini chopper, whisk and a generous 800 ml beaker with a non-slip base, which turns into a lid for the beaker and a special attachment for mashing potatoes.
Read our full Gastroback Advanced Pro review.
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Kenwood Triblade XL + Hand Blender HBM60.307GY
Available from Amazon (£89.99)
Best hand blender for large quantities
Pros
- Variety of attachments
- Larger blades for bigger dishes
- Long wand
Cons
- Expensive
- Space needed to store accessories
- Wide blade may not fit in smaller containers
Star rating: 4.5/5
So much more than just a hand blender, this set from Kenwood comes with lots of accessories to help around the kitchen. There’s a useful metal whisk, an attachment for smooth mashing and puréeing and a handy 0.5L chopper attachment that’s perfect for herbs, nuts and fine grinding.
Safety first with this model, especially as the three blades are very sharp indeed, but the wand has a soft-touch cover that makes it non-slip as you hold it.
Although weighty, this added to the quality feel, rather than making it difficult to use. The power to this robust 1000W unit is controlled by a sliding control on the wand, with a turbo button for extra power for pulsing.
Longer than many models, with an extra-wide blade, we found it extra speedy at blending large volumes, with a double batch of creamy leek & potato soup smooth and aerated without any lumps or fibres.
The beaker with pouring lip is a generous size, but we had a tricky time making our favourite basic mayonnaise recipe and resorted to our own narrower container in the end, which created more of a vortex for the ingredients to emulsify. The super berry smoothies we tried were whizzed up in no time, with silky results.
ProCook hand blender
Available from ProCook (£39)
Best budget hand blender
Pros
- Great price
- Easy to use
- Compact
Cons
- Accessories sold separately
- Short power cord
- Glossy casing shows fingerprints
Star rating: 4.5/5
If you’re looking for a more basic model that can handle simple blends with ease, this is a great choice. No bells and whistles here; the ProCook hand blender comes with a single power unit wand and a twist-on stainless steel blade attachment, arriving in a surprisingly small box.
No need for anything larger as there aren’t beakers, attachments or extra blades, although they’re available separately. But considering the ProCook’s performance and price, this was still a top choice for us.
There are speed settings from one to six (as well as a boost button) we used to pulse a fibrous butternut squash soup as well as blitzing through the oats and fruit in our favourite berry smoothie.
The quality stainless steel attachment to the main power wand gave plenty of clearance for ingredients to whizz around underneath the blades, and it was narrow enough to use in smaller containers for kids’ milkshakes and single-serve salad dressings.
The glossy black casing of the main handle did slip once or twice when dealing with a buttery bearnaise sauce, but that served more as an important reminder not to use any blender without clean, dry hands. We’d have liked a slightly longer power cable, but overall, our list of gripes with this budget blender was also short.
Bamix Classic hand blender
Available from Lakeland (£109.99)
Best designed hand blender
Pros:
- Powerful
- Long cord
- Easy to clean
Cons:
Star rating: 4.5/5
This is a design classic that’s been around, pretty much unchanged, since 1954. No fancy bells and whistles here, just a sturdy hand unit with three stainless-steel discs to chop, whisk or blend.
The Classic model comes with the basic stainless-steel attachments but with interesting designs. Instead of the usual balloon whisk, we made whipped cream using the flat whisk ‘disc’ with perfect results. These small additions could be easy to mislay in the kitchen drawer though, and although this set comes with a basic stand for the main unit, it could do with somewhere to stash those precious blades.
There are lots of extra accessories available to buy for your Bamix, like mincer blades, shredders, jugs and beakers and a processor for grinding spices. There’s also a deluxe stand with those all-important cubby holes for the attachments if you’d like to upgrade.
We liked the simple black casing of this model, which was easy to clean and didn’t require too much effort to remove the end pieces as we moved from recipe to recipe.
Russell Hobbs Desire 3-in-1 hand blender set
Available from Amazon (£34)
Best mid-range hand blender set
Pros:
- Dishwasher-safe detachable components
- Really quiet
- Simple two speed settings
Cons:
- Backwards locking system
- Narrow 700ml beaker
Star rating: 4/4
Sleek with a matte-black finish design, this hand blender set felt more powerful than its 500 watt motor and was notably quiet during use. It’s covered by a three-year manufacturer’s guarantee which indicates the brand’s confidence in its performance.
Additional accessories include a 700ml beaker, which is tall with a sturdy base but it’s also quite narrow and could be broader. It was fine for smoothies and lumpy soups, but whipping cream with the whisk attachment would be better done in a large mixing bowl than in the beaker.
The long, stainless-steel blender arm was easy to clean and allows for plenty of height if batch-cooking large quantities of soups. Plus, there are smart design sections, like the 500ml chopper, which has a silicone lid that doubles up as a non-slip base during chopping.
All the components except the motor unit are dishwasher-safe on the top shelf. All the attachments are compact enough to be simply stored in a cupboard, while the blades have blade guards, so the blender arm and whisks could also be put in a utensils drawer.
Read our full Russell Hobbs 3-in-1 hand blender set review.
Salter Cosmos 3-in-1 blender set
Available from Amazon (£26.84)
Best hand blender for occasional use
Pros:
- Affordable
- Lightweight
- Useful storage stand
Cons:
- Cheaper plastic parts may not stand the test of time
- Short cable length
- Whisk feels flimsy
Star rating: 3.5/5
With only two speed settings – ‘on’ and ‘turbo’ – there’s not a lot of choice in terms of control with this model, but you do get attachments to blend, chop and whisk, with the addition of a lidded chopping bowl.
We found this model more than capable when making smoothies and mayonnaise, but we’re not sure how long it would last with constant use. There were no lumps in our smoothies and nothing got caught up in the wide mouth of the blender attachment, but we had less success with the small chopping bowl accessory.
This blender’s motor parts are plastic and we think these might wear down faster than the other, more robust models we looked at. The plastic also means it was louder in use than other models tested, especially on the faster speed setting.
However, if a hand blender only gets occasional light use in your kitchen, then this budget choice may just fit the bill. And when it’s stashed away in a cupboard, the different components won’t go missing as a handy plastic stand can be placed on top of the mixing beaker to keep everything together. Just slot all the components on there to keep everything in one place.
Good Food in partnership with Tower hand blender
Available from Amazon (£42.78), Tower (£69.99) – save 30% with code GOODFOOD30
Blend, whisk, froth and more with this powerful five-in-one hand blender developed in partnership with Tower. A 1000-watt motor and five interchangeable stainless steel blades offer impressive versatility, while the ergonomic grip and coiled cord ensure comfortable, tangle-free use. From soups to smoothies, it handles every task with ease. It also comes with a holster stand and accessories holder, so your kitchen stays tidy.
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How to use a hand blender
Assembling a hand blender is super easy. There are usually just two sections: the motor housing, where the control buttons are, and the blade section.
Many blenders come with beakers for preparing smaller amounts of food, such as spice pastes or salsa. The beakers are tall and narrow, and the blender should fit comfortably.
- Use tall jugs or bowls to avoid splashing if you do not have a beaker
- When processing anything with hot liquids, start at a low speed if your hand blender’s speed is adjustable. If not, approach the hot liquid carefully to avoid splashing, which can burn
- Never overfill the beaker. Otherwise, you will struggle to puree and must force the blade down, which can cause the beaker to slip or the food to spill out, which is dangerous
- Overfilling and forcing the blender can also cause a vacuum in the bottom of the beaker, which prevents it from working correctly. To avoid a vacuum, tip the beaker slightly at an angle, which allows any trapped air to escape
- You can use a hand blender directly in pans and mixing bowls. Be careful not to drag the blade housing on the bottom of a pan, especially a non-stick pan, as it may scratch
- Always carefully handle or clean the very sharp blade section. When cleaning your hand blender, never submerge the motor housing in water; wipe the handle clean instead
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Do you have any hand blender recommendations? Leave us a comment below…