Immersion blenders, also called hand blenders or stick blenders, are handy kitchen tools that save you the trouble of pouring ingredients into a blender jar. You can blend directly in a container, such as a pot or pan, which is especially useful for hot ingredients for soups and sauces. The best stick blenders can also serve as multi-purpose blenders, especially if you want to save space with something that can fit in a kitchen drawer. Many immersion blenders come with beakers or jars for blending, as well as a whisk attachment for mixing salad dressing or eggs. Some models include food processor or hand mixer attachments, which can help with chopping and mixing batters.
We've tested over 20 immersion blenders, and below are our recommendations. While immersion blenders can offer comparable performance to conventional plug-in models, allowing you to move around the kitchen, most aren't as powerful or versatile as the best standard blenders. They also aren't as well-suited for making large batches of smoothies, preparing thick recipes like hummus or nut butter, or crushing ice. For options suiting those needs, check out the best blenders and the best glass jar blenders.
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Best Immersion Blender
Soups9.2Fibrous Ingredients (Full Capacity)7.6Build Quality6.5Noise7.5See all our test resultsWeight2.0 lbs (0.9 kg)The best immersion blender we've tested is the Vitamix 2-Speed Immersion. This straightforward model is a great option if you mainly need your immersion blender for blending soups, sauces, and other hot dishes directly in the pot or pan. It creates a very smooth blend with fibrous ingredients like kale or broccoli, allowing you to make well-blended soups and purees. It's not very loud, making it more pleasant to use. It's also well-suited for blending big batches or multiple servings.
While Vitamix's full-size blenders typically stand out for their sturdiness, this model is mostly made of plastic, and its build quality is only average. Also, while it's a great option for blending in your own pots and pans, if you're looking for a more multi-purpose hand blender, you might prefer one of the options below that comes with more accessories.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Immersion Blender
Soups9.4Fibrous Ingredients (Full Capacity)8.0Build Quality8.0Noise6.7See all our test resultsWeight2.2 lbs (1.0 kg)If you're looking for something with even more versatility at a lower price point, the Ninja Foodi Power Mixer System is a smart pick. Like the Vitamix 2-Speed Immersion, it can handle hot ingredients but also works as a multi-purpose blender in a pinch. It makes a smooth blend with fibrous ingredients, making it a great choice for blending hot ingredients for soups and sauces. It also comes with a beaker and whisk attachment for whipping cream or mixing salad dressing. Plus, it converts into a hand mixer. With its included beaters attached, you can use it for mixing cookie dough or cake batter. The blending arm is detachable for easier storage, and all accessories are dishwasher-safe.
There are a few downsides: it's loud for an immersion blender, and the motor body is heavy, making it uncomfortable to hold onto after a few minutes of blending. It's important to note that this model has been discontinued, and availability is inconsistent.
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Best Mid-Range Immersion Blender
Soups9.1Fibrous Ingredients (Full Capacity)6.8Build Quality7.0Noise7.7See all our test resultsWeight2.1 lbs (0.9 kg)If you're looking for a mid-range option, consider the KitchenAid Go Cordless Hand Blender. Unlike the Vitamix 2-Speed Immersion and the Ninja Foodi Power Mixer System, it's cordless, which is beneficial if your kitchen is short on outlets or you'd rather not manage a cable near the stove. This well-built blender comes with a beaker for blending and a matching storage lid. It takes longer to process fibrous ingredients than our top pick, but it produces similar results, so recipes like kale smoothies or broccoli soup will have only a few small, unprocessed pieces left over. A plastic pan guard is also included to protect non-stick cookware from scratches by the blade cover.
The manufacturer advertises 30 minutes of battery life, although mixing thicker mixtures and harder ingredients depletes the battery faster. Unlike most immersion blenders, this one has a removable battery. You can use the included battery with five other KitchenAid Go appliances, including a portable personal blender. Once you have one battery, you can save money by purchasing the other appliances without the battery included. This blender isn't very loud when it's running, but keep in mind that it's not as well-built as the Ninja Foodi Power Mixer System despite its higher price, and it's even less suitable for tough blends like nut butter or hummus.
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Best Budget Immersion Blender
Soups9.0Fibrous Ingredients (Full Capacity)6.0Build Quality6.5Noise5.2See all our test resultsWeight1.6 lbs (0.7 kg)The best budget immersion blender we've tested is the Cuisinart Smart Stick Two-Speed Hand Blender. This inexpensive option takes more time to blend fibrous ingredients, but produces mostly smooth results, comparable to those of the Vitamix, especially when working with smaller batches. It's fairly well-built, with a reasonably sturdy plastic design, and it includes a 24-ounce beaker for blending smoothies or smaller batches of sauces. It's also quite light, which is a plus when blending larger batches.
However, it's loud, so the noise gets annoying quite quickly. While none of the blenders here are suitable for tougher blends like nut butter, it's particularly unsuitable, as the motor base can overheat if you use it to power through thick recipes.
Notable Mentions
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All-Clad KZ750DGT:
The All-Clad KZ750DGT does a good job of processing fibrous ingredients into a smooth blend. It has a longer blending arm than the Vitamix 2-Speed Immersion, but it's louder and has a less sturdy design.
See our review -
Breville Control Grip:
The Breville Control Grip comes with a food processing bowl and blade, adding to its versatility. It has a more premium build quality than the Vitamix 2-Speed Immersion, but it's heavier and louder.
See our review
Recent Updates
Feb 13, 2026:
We removed the Braun MultiQuick 5 because it's no longer available and made minor edits to the text throughout.
Jan 12, 2026:
We've made minor updates to the text and checked that our picks are still in stock.
Dec 09, 2025:
We've removed the KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Blender as a Notable Mention since it's been discontinued, and replaced it with the Breville Control Grip.
Nov 05, 2025:
We've removed the nutribullet Immersion Blender since it's been discontinued, and replaced it with the Cuisinart Smart Stick Two-Speed Hand Blender as the budget option. We've also added the Vitamix 2-Speed Immersion Blender as our top immersion blender, and made the Ninja Foodi Power Mixer System our mid-range pick instead.
Apr 23, 2025:
We've made minor updates to the text for clarity, but our recommendations haven't changed.
FAQ
What is an immersion blender?
Immersion blenders, also called stick blenders or hand blenders, are designed to process hot ingredients directly in a pot or pan. They can also be used for a variety of other blends, although they don't usually offer the same power as full-size blenders. Their smaller design can save space in your kitchen.
Unlike other kinds of blenders, immersion blenders require you to hold them while using them. They usually aren't as powerful as full-size blenders and process ingredients more slowly. We've found that the blender's weight, controls, and the shape of the motor body can all affect how easy a particular immersion blender is to use.
How do we test immersion blenders?
We test them almost the same way as we do with full-size and personal blenders, with some small differences. We measure blending arm length as well as other dimensions. We don't crush a dozen ice cubes at once with an immersion blender, like we do for full-size blenders. Immersion blenders aren't assigned a capacity score, as they can be used with any container, including a beaker.
What are immersion blenders used for?
They were originally designed for hot blending and are well-suited for that. You can blend pureed soup or sauce without pouring hot ingredients into a blending jar. Their compact design is also helpful for blending small batches of dips, dressing, or even single-serve smoothies without pulling out your big full-size blender. You can usually store them in a kitchen drawer, so they can also appeal to people looking to save valuable counter space.
Can you use immersion blenders for smoothies?
Yes, but other blender types are better. Some can make a mostly smooth blend with fibrous ingredients like blueberries and kale in liquid recipes, which is important for well-blended smoothies. Some models come with beakers that are a good size for single-serve smoothies. However, immersion blenders usually don't process ingredients as quickly as personal or full-size blenders.
Can you froth milk with an immersion blender?
Generally, blender blades aren't the right shape for frothing or foaming milk and can't produce the same quality foam as dedicated milk frothers. You also need to heat the milk beforehand, unlike with many frothers, which also heat the milk. If you want an appliance for lattes and cappuccinos, some immersion blenders have specialized accessories for milk frothing, like the Bamix Mono M133.
How do you clean immersion blenders?
Immersion blenders are usually pretty easy to clean. You don't need to deal with blades fixed to the bottom of a jar, which is the most common design for full-size blenders. The blending arm is almost always detachable, so you can easily rinse it in the sink.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best hand blenders for most people. We factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.
If you'd like to choose for yourself, here's the list of all our immersion blender reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no blender is perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.