A hand blender – also called a stick blender or immersion blender – is a staple kitchen tool for home cooks. Investing in the right one can save you having to fork out for a bulky food processor, and give you extra counter space. As well as being easier to store, they’re often more affordable than countertop blenders and are less involved when it comes to cleaning, too.
Most involve a blade on the end of a detachable arm that you can often just chuck in the sink or dishwasher. Hand blenders range from around the £15 mark to well over £100. If you’re only going to be using it to make soup every now and again, an affordable, classic stick blender will see you right – so long as it’s powerful enough to tackle those lumps in a reasonably swift fashion.
If you’re quite adventurous in the kitchen and have lots of plans for your new piece of kit (or are strapped for space and want to avoid getting a countertop blender), consider spending a bit extra on a more versatile model. With different attachments and blending cups, these all-rounders purée, chop, whisk, mash and froth, for instance, and will earn their place in your culinary toolkit many times over.
The best hand blenders for 2025:
- Best overall – Braun multiquick 5 hand blender MQ5237BK: £91.49, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for handling – Gastroback Design Stick Blender Advanced Pro E: £114.90, Gastroback.co.uk
- Best budget blender – Russell Hobbs desire 3-in-1 hand blender: £32.30, Amazon.co.uk
- Best compact hand blender – Bamix classic hand blender: £109.99, Lakeland.co.uk
How I tested
I tested all my picks with their standard blending attachment, which I used to make soups, sauces and smoothies. Power, practicality, ease of use, cleaning and versatility were our main considerations, alongside the price tag. Here’s my mix of the best.
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Braun multiquick 5 hand blender MQ5237BK
Best: Hand blender overall
Number of speed settings: 21
Accessories: Beaker, whisk, chopper and masher/purée accessory
Dishwasher-safe accessories: Yes
Cordless: No
Why we love it
- Soft grip
- Different attachments
- No splashing
With a punchy 1,000W motor, this blender has some real oomph behind it. The blade is nifty too: it’s specifically designed to have a larger cutting area and make blending extra efficient. It seems to do the job – I was really happy with the texture of my soup.
The black plastic blender has soft grip areas to help with handling, and it’s shaped perfectly for wrapping your palm around. Speed is adjusted by a dial at the top, and a boost button unleashes the motor’s full potential.
The attachments (blender, masher, whisk and chopper) click into place easily and are simple to remove, with release buttons on the side. The stainless steel blending arm cups the blade in a way that prevents splashing, too.
Buy now £91.49, Amazon.co.uk
Russell Hobbs desire 3-in-1 hand blender
Best: Budget hand blender
Number of speed settings: Two
Accessories: Beaker, whisk, blender and chopping attachment
Dishwasher-safe accessories: Yes
Cordless: No
Why we love it
- Affordable
- Matte black aesthetic
Take note
- Not the most powerful option
If you’re looking for a blender that’s not just a one-trick pony but want change from £40, this smart-looking Russell Hobbs offering might be bang on the money. I’m into the matte-black aesthetic and think the accessories – including a whisk, blender and chopping attachments, as well as a handy beaker – make it a real workhorse in the kitchen. They’re all dishwasher safe, too.
With a 500W motor, it’s not the most powerful on the list, but I used it to whip up smoothies and it turned my solid frozen fruit into velvety drinks with ease.
Buy now £32.3, Amazon.co.uk
Bosch clevermixx hand blender
Best: Classic stick hand blender
Number of speed settings: One
Accessories: Beaker
Dishwasher-safe accessories: Yes
Cordless: No
Why we love it
- Robust
- Lightweight
This 600W blender is one of the most compact in size that I tested. It’s relatively light compared to most of the others, has just one function and is really simple to use. It’s a great example of a straight-up hand blender without the frills.
The power button is positioned perfectly and, given its long shape, you can compress it with all of your fingers. That’s ideal if you’ll be working with it for long periods of time, when holding that button in can quickly become uncomfortable. It’s easy to control one-handed and the four-point blade achieved a happily smooth texture for our sauce.
This no-nonsense model is an affordable but robust piece of kit for blending jobs.
Buy now £35.99, Amazon.co.uk
Gastroback design hand blender advanced pro E
Best: Hand blender for handling
Number of speed settings: Five
Accessories: Pitcher with lid, chopper, whisk, masher and emulsifying attachment
Dishwasher-safe accessories: Yes
Cordless: No
Why we love it
- Soft grip texture
- Speed dial
- Versatile
With a beautifully smooth soft grip texture and ergonomic shape, this blender is probably the most pleasing to hold of any I tested. When it’s plugged in, the power button illuminates blue, and there’s a dial at the top to select your speed.
With an 800W motor, it’s a strong and capable tool that makes short work of whatever job you’re employing it for – and its range of duties is wide. Stainless steel attachments for emulsifying (great for making homemade mayo), mashing, whisking and chopping come as standard – as does a large measuring beaker which is spot-on for smoothies.
It’s a bit of an investment, but its versatility, comfort and power justify the price tag.
Buy now £114.9, Gastoback.co.uk
Bamix classic hand blender
Best: Compact hand blender
Number of speed settings: Two
Accessories: None included
Dishwasher-safe accessories: N/A
Cordless: No
Why we love it
- Extra long cord
- Quiet to use
This stick blender works a little differently to the others I tested. The arm doesn’t detach – instead, you change the blades on the end, which just click on and off. It comes with one multi-purpose blade, but there are different attachments to buy separately – from aerators to choppers.
This was the most petite blender of my bunch although it is more stout – being a little thicker around the middle – and is quite hefty in terms of weight.
The cord is extra long (almost 2m), which makes it a really convenient plug-in model, and is great if power sockets are sparse in your kitchen. It’s super quiet – especially considering its power – and vibrations are really minimal when it’s on, meaning it’s easy to manage.
Buy now £109.99, Lakeland.co.uk
Russell Hobbs food collection hand blender
Best: Hand blender for less than £20
Number of speed settings: Two
Accessories: None
Dishwasher-safe accessories: N/A
Cordless: No
Why we love it
- Budget friendly
- Easy to clean
You can pick up this budget hand blender for just over £16 – and it’s all you need if you’ll only be using it occasionally for easy-to-blend mixtures like soup. It’s on the smaller side so is practical in terms of storage, and its plastic arm (which you twist to release) is simple to clean – just detach and wipe it down.
It has two speeds and a modest 200W motor. Despite its size and affordability, it was still powerful enough to see to my batch of leek and potato with decent results.
Buy now £16.95, Amazon.co.uk
Your questions about hand blenders answered
What is the best hand blender?
Picking a favourite from this line-up was a challenge – each blender really does have its own merit. With its whopping 1,000W of power, splash-limiting blending arm, comprehensive range of attachments and reasonable price, the Braun multiquick just about came out on top. That said, the Wahl James Martin number really impressed me too – its handling and great performance make it feel really spenny without even setting you back £50. The attachments for both are dishwasher-safe, too.
How I selected the best hand blenders
Over the testing period, I made sure to pay attention to several key qualities in each blender. These were:
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For more devices to add to your culinary arsenal, read our review of the best blenders for smoothies and sauces
