KitchenAid KHBBV53 Blender Review

The KitchenAid KHBBV53 is an immersion blender with a long shaft that's suitable for blending ingredients in large pots and dutch ovens. When it's not in use, you can store it in a kitchen drawer, and the shaft is detachable for easier storage.

The KitchenAid KHBBV53 has a sub-par build quality. The motor body is made of plastic, while the blending shaft is made of stainless steel. The two pieces connect using shaft clips on the motor body, which doesn't feel very premium. It also has a plastic motor base transmission and we noticed a black, oily residue around this part after our testing process.

There's also an LED light on top of the blender that indicates the battery level. It takes two hours to fully charge this blender, which the manufacturer says is enough battery to blend 25 bowls of soup. Also, the manufacturer claims that a 20-minute quick charge should give you enough power to blend one smoothie or soup. However, we don't currently test a blender's battery life and your real-life results may vary.

This blender comes with a 24-ounce jar that's ideal for making single serves. There's a thin rubber ring on the bottom of the jar that helps it stay in place while you blend. You can even wash it in the top rack of your dishwasher for an easy clean-up.

This blender doesn't come with an additional jar.

Two sharp blades are fixed to the bottom of the blending arm. They can't be removed, and they should only be hand washed according to the manual.

The jar has a simple lid that seals on with friction. Like the jar, it can be washed in the top rack of your dishwasher.

This blender is battery-operated. It comes with a long charging cable, which can't be used while you're blending. If you don't want to worry about battery life, the KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender is similarly designed.

• Manual
• Motor body
• Blending arm with blade
• Pan guard
• Charger adapter
• Blender jar
• Lid for blender jar

The KitchenAid KHBBV53 has a pressure-sensitive speed trigger, so the harder you press, the faster its blades spin. You can also simulate a pulse mode by pressing the trigger in short bursts.

This blender is disappointing for almond butter. It makes a dry butter that's a little crunchy due to the unprocessed chunks left in the mix. It struggles to process the almonds, and it may get warm or run out of battery before the butter is fully processed.

The KitchenAid KHBBV53 is middling for smoothies. It makes a thin, foamy smoothie. There are grains of unprocessed kale left in the mix. The Cuisinart EvolutionX RHB-100 is a cordless immersion blender that blends a more uniform smoothie.

This blender doesn't come with an additional jar.

The KitchenAid KHBBV53 is terrible for crushing ice. Ice gets trapped underneath the blades, and even when you clean the blades with water, it fails to crush the ice cubes.

The KitchenAid KHBBV53 doesn't have any programs or modes.

The KitchenAid KHBBV53 is decently easy to clean. You can rinse off liquid messes like smoothies using water from your faucet. However, it can be tough to clean up after stickier messes like almond butter, as debris can get stuck underneath the blades. You may need to use a brush to get into these tough-to-reach spaces. The jar and its lid are top-rack dishwasher-safe, but you can only handwash the blades and the shaft.

This blender has a few extra features. It can hot blend ingredients, so you can use it to make soups and sauces. There's also a plastic guard attachment that you can use to help protect your non-stick pans while blending.