Best hand blender 2024: Our favourite stick blenders from Braun, KitchenAid, Kenwood and more

Getting yourself a good hand blender means the days of making lump-free soups, sauces, dips and smoothies with a manual whisk or wooden spoon are long gone. In fact, the very best hand blenders will transform your meal prepping, making it much faster and easier, with no need to even bother moving your ingredients out of your saucepan or bowl. Many stick blenders and even some Nutribullets come with their own beaker, though, so you do at least have the option.

It doesn’t stop there, though. Many hand blenders do much more than just blending thanks to their rich array of attachments that whisk, beat, slice, dice, mash and more. These multitasking machines take up less space in your kitchen and require much less washing-up than the likes of a jug blender or food processor.

With handheld stick blenders ranging anywhere from £10 to £300, how much do you really need to spend on one? Do you always get bang for your buck? Which features are genuinely useful and which models would we recommend?Our buying guide below will answer those questions for you and as for the best models, well all you need to do is scroll down to find our round-up of recommendations for every budget.

Best hand blender: At a glance

How to choose the best hand blender for you

How much should I spend?

If you pay less than around £30, you shouldn’t expect a whole host of attachments. But if you buy the right one, you should still wind up with a whizzy machine that makes rich and creamy soups and sauces (the most common uses for hand blenders). Spending more money than that will get you either some useful attachments – generally for chopping and whisking – or a machine that works more quickly, quietly or with more precision.

Alternatively, your dosh may be going on a stick blender that isn’t prone to overheating mixtures such as mayonnaise or one that is really lightweight. But what splashing the cash won’t automatically do is get you a better hand blender, with many low-cost machines outperforming higher-cost ones at the basics.

What features should I look out for?

At the very least, you should expect your hand blender to be comfortable to hold, easy to assemble and use and a good performer at the tasks you need it for, while also being easy to clean afterwards. Beyond that, features are nice-to-haves and you will need to tick these off against your top personal preferences.

Don’t assume the higher the wattage, the more powerful the blendre. Some lower-wattage stick blenders (100 watts) are better at the so-called commercial models (750 watts). That’s because the strong motor has to be coupled with a good design for the food to circulate easily in and out of the cutting zone. And don’t assume the more speeds, the better, either – more than two or three can be overkill in some cases.

What material is best?

Blenders come in a range of materials, but mainly with plastic or metal shafts. Metal shafts are preferable as they are less likely to stain than those with plastic. This is because the blending shaft is the part that gets dirtiest, and if you are blending lots of soup for instance, you might find a metal shaft remains in better condition over time. What accessories are available?

Here are some of the accessories most commonly available. Remember that while they might look tempting, they won’t cover the heavy-duty jobs – you will need a more expensive food processor for that. In fact, don’t be put off if the attachments are only available at an additional cost. We actually think that can be a good thing, as it means you don’t wind up with extras you don’t need. Also: remember that you can also get corded or cordless models – the latter is great if you’re limited with plug sockets.

• Metal whisk (great for whisking egg whites, light batters and cream, but won’t cope with more difficult textures such as cake mix)
• Mini-chopper (good for chopping onions, herbs and nuts, but some don’t chop finely and evenly)
• Grater/slicer (handy for slicing apples or carrots and grating cheese)
• Double beater (use for cake mix and other similar consistencies)
• Beaker (good for making smoothies – and some come with a lid)
• Masher (brilliant for potatoes, parsnips, squash and so on)

READ NEXT: The best hand mixers to buy right now

The best hand blenders you can buy in 2024

1. Braun MultiQuick 1: Best budget hand blender

Price when reviewed: £20 | Check price at Argos This super-affordable machine is ideal for anyone who needs a stick blender for everyday tasks such as blitzing soups or making smoothies. We like the simple one-touch function. It’s surprisingly powerful for the price, meaning it shouldn’t conk out after one use, and it’s easy to keep clean too: you can detach the head and pop both that and the jug in the dishwasher, though a quick rinse with some warm soapy water works just as well.

You will need to move it around a bit while it’s going to make sure everything is fully blended and the jug that it comes with isn’t really useful for much. However, you can use it with other jugs and bowls, so that shouldn’t be a problem if you’re not doing any hardcore blending.

Key specs – Power: 450W; Speed settings: 1; Accessories: 600ml beaker; Warranty: 2 years

Check price at Argos

2. Cuisinart Cordless hand blender: Best cordless hand blender

Price when reviewed: £59 | Check price at AmazonThere really is something to be said for going cordless. A battery-powered blender like this gives you complete control over how and where you blend. And while that might not seem overly important on the surface, once you’ve tried it, you will likely want to ditch the cord forever.

We were impressed at how lightweight this blender was, especially considering how cumbersome some cordless kitchen gadgets can be. It also comes with a mini processor, jug and whisk attachment included in the box, making the price tag a little more palatable. It’s expensive, but you are paying for cordless convenience.

We made an array of soups and sauces (including a chimichurri) with relative ease, but it should be noted it’s not suited to tough, fibrous veg or ultra-thick dips due to its low motor wattage. It’s still a kitchen must-have if you’re fed up of being held back by wires, though, and with up to 30 minutes continuous charge, you don’t have to worry about running out of juice mid-blend.

Key specs – Power: 10W; Speed settings: 5; Accessories: Blending jug, whisk, mini chopper; Warranty: 2 years

3. Morphy Richards Total Control Hand Blender Collection 402061: Best mid-range stick blender

Price when reviewed: £40 | Check price at AmazonWith five speeds and a turbo boost, this hand blender provides proof that low-wattage models don’t necessarily lack might. It’s easy to use thanks to its one-touch control and comes with a couple of decent accessories. The anti-splash head means you won’t wind up covered in bits every time you make tomato soup, the whisk is sturdy and gives you greater control, and the chopper gave us dice-size pieces effortlessly.

It’s fairly quiet, with a great grip and the instructions are easy to follow. While it’s not the smartest-looking blender we tested, it makes up for this with its attractive price and efficiency.

Key specs – Power: 650W; Speed settings: 5 speeds (and turbo boost); Accessories: Whisk, mini chopper, beaker; Warranty: 2 years

4. Smeg HBF02PBUK Hand Stick Blender: Best hand blender for accessories

Price when reviewed: £135 | Check price at AmazonIf good looks are as important to you as functionality, then this is the blender dreams are made of. Smeg’s classic style is iconic and turns your hand blender into a kitchen statement piece. It’s not just a pretty face, though. Variable settings and a turbo button mean this is one powerful bit of kit. Moreover, it comes with plenty of extras. As well as the basic blender head, you also get a whisk attachment, potato masher, mini chopper, and a sturdy plastic jug.

That’s a lot of attachment for your money and each one performed highly at their respective jobs. The only one niggle we had was with the whisk attachment, which we feel could be a little more robust for the price. A thin neck and body meant that we had a hard time controlling it, although it still did a fine job of whipping up our double cream.

Key specs – Power: 700W; Speed settings: Variable speed control (and turbo boost) Accessories: Whisk, potato masher, mini chopper, beaker Warranty: 2 years

5. Bamix Swissline Hand Blender 100.309: Best professional style hand blender

Price when reviewed: £200 | Check price at Lakeland  You can tell this is top-drawer the moment you take it out of the box. While not the lightest of stick blenders, it is nice and compact and sits beautifully in the hand, working quickly and proficiently with just the right level of oomph to transform the toughest of lumps into velvety smooth mixtures. Meanwhile, the accessories make light work of chopping, pureeing, stirring, mincing, blending, frothing and emulsifying, with particularly impressive results when it comes to mayonnaise and whipped cream.

It’s virtually indestructible (many hand blenders aren’t) but you do need to take the time to watch the YouTube videos to get the most out of it and we found it works best with smaller quantities. For anyone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, this is not a purchase you’re likely to regret.

Key specs – Power: 200W; Speed settings: Two (and turbo boost); Accessories: Whisk, beater blades, beaker, dry processor attachment, storage stand; Warranty: 3 years

6. Braun Multiquick 9: Best high-powered hand blender

Price when reviewed: £159 | Check price at AO With a 1,200W motor and bundles of accessories, the Braun MultiQuick 9 is quite simply one of the best hand blenders you can buy right now. It not only blends but also chops, slices, grates and purees. It’s easy to switch between tasks due to the multipurpose motoroised handle, which simply clicks into the top of the accessories. Switching between fine and coarse grating is easy too, with the interchangeable food processor disk.

In testing, the blender, as well as most of the attachments worked like a dream. We were able to julienne and finely slice vegetables in seconds, and the powerful blender produced creamy dips, sauces and soups, even when using tough ingredients. The only real downside was the French fry blade, which didn’t produce the result expected, even when carefully following instructions.

This certainly isn’t a budget hand blender and much of the price comes from those additional accessories. If you’re looking to spend a little less and don’t mind having fewer attachments, the MultiQuick 9 also comes has cheaper models including the MQ9135XI and the MQ9138XI.

Read our full Braun MultiQuick 9 review

Key specs – Power: 1,200W; Speed settings: Variable; Accessories: Whisk, puree attachment, 6 slicing blades, 2 food processor bowls, ice crushing knife, kneading tool, beaker; Warranty: 1 year

7. KitchenAid Cordless Blender 5KHBBV53: Best cordless hand blender for style

Price when reviewed: £118 | Check price at John Lewis  In testing, this cordless blender worked a treat. It had no issue pureeing cooked veggies for smooth soups and was a dab hand at making thinner sauces too. Because it’s cordless, it isn’t quite as powerful as corded blenders in the same price range, so it’s not an ideal choice for making thick hummus or recipes with lots of fibrous veg. For the added benefit of convenience though, and its stylish appearance, it’s still worth considering.

You don’t need to worry about constant recharging either. We got plenty of use from one charge and there’s even a 20 minute, quick-charge feature if you get caught out and need to blend a bowl or two of soup in a hurry.

Key specs – Power: 16W; Speed settings: Variable; Accessories: Pan guard, blending jar; Warranty: 2 years (5 when extended)