The stainless steel Cuisinart SmartStick fully puréed a thick vegetable soup in 90 seconds, and crushed frozen fruit for a smoothie with no problem in our test. The push-button control gives you a continuous or pulse action. You'll also get a three-cup mixing cup.
KitchenAid's immersion blender can tackle everything from delicate whipping cream to a big batch of ice cubes for a frozen margarita. This tricked-out model features 5 speed settings and comes with a chopping bowl, interchangeable bell blades, an extra large pitcher for blending, and a whisk attachment.
This sleek, stainless steel immersion blender from All-Clad was a top performer in our test. Choose between the two speed settings, or use the pulse feature for extra control. Its 9.25-inch shaft is perfect for blending inside of deep pots, pitchers, and bowls.
The inexpensive Betty Crocker Hand Blender can quickly purée large batches of soup, is lightweight, and comfortable to grip. Though it's a smart choice for soup, this one doesn't come with a food processor. The included beaker is perfect for smoothies and single servings.
Utalent's 5-in-1 Hand Blender has tons of great features, including a stainless steel blending shaft, a whisk, and a chopper attachment. It can fully purée a thick soup at high or low speeds, but wasn't as effective on frozen ingredients. Bonus? It (and all the attachments) are dishwasher safe.
Betty Gold is an experienced food writer and editor who worked at Good Housekeeping from 2013 to 2019. As the former Senior Editor & Product Analyst in the Kitchen Appliances Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, she tested and wrote about pretty much every type of cooking tool and food-related item on the market.
