Though immersion blenders are easy to clean, we prefer models that have a removable blender attachment that is dishwasher-safe. ✔️ Design: Look for a model that's compact enough to store in a kitchen drawer. We found non-slip rubber handles to be softer and easier to grip. Ideally, your fingers will fall naturally on the buttons when you hold the handle. Also, the buttons should be easy to press without much force. Your hands will fatigue if the handle is too large, if the buttons are too small or awkwardly placed or if the blender feels heavy. ✔️ Handle and grip: To operate an immersion blender, you’ll grip the handle with one hand and press the on, off or speed buttons with your fingers, so it needs to feel comfortable to hold and operate simultaneously. Just make sure the blade guard will fit easily into your favorite pots and smoothie cups. They are also easier to clean because food stuck under the blades is more accessible. We found that wide blade guards with large vents do a better job circulating the food for better and faster blending. ✔️ Blade guard vents: The blade guard is the dome-shaped part of the blender arm that covers the blades. Cordless models are portable and convenient, but they need to be charged between uses or you risk losing power before you can finish the job. cordless: A cord offers constant power, but it can get tangled or burned or could knock things over on a busy kitchen counter and stovetop. This is helpful when trying to maneuver around a busy countertop - though if you'd prefer no cord at all, we were also impressed with KitchenAid's cordless model. One of our favorite features is the thick power cord that doesn’t bunch up or get tangled. It doesn’t come with a lot of accessories, but it does come with a lidded 3-cup mixing jar that makes it easy to store leftover smoothies or dressing in the fridge, though we wish the jar was lipped for easy pouring. The handle is rubberized for a comfortable grip and the trigger is easy to press. It also didn’t suction to the bottom of containers as much as other immersion blenders we tested, and the blender attachment is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. It was able to effortlessly blend the ice and whole strawberries in our smoothie into a creamy drinkable consistency. It quickly became our go-to for smoothies because it was fairly quiet (nice in the morning when you're still groggy), powerful and easy to use. We were impressed with the quality of this KitchenAid immersion blender - one of the more affordable ones we tested. This model also includes a food processor and whisk attachment, and all attachments are dishwasher safe. The jar's lid doubles as an anti-slip mat to place under the jar while blending.

In our test, we found that the jar was too large for a small-batch mayonnaise but that the blender itself made a beautiful mayo in a smaller vessel. This pick came with the largest lidded mixing jar we tested (42 ounces), which is helpful for larger batches but does require more maneuvering for smaller servings.

The blender attachment clips onto the motor with ease and feels secure. The nonstick edge on the blender arm means you can blend in your pots without fear of scratching. The rubber handle is soft, narrow and comfortable to grip, and the “on” button is easy to hold down. It requires more up-and-down motion to blend uniformly, but we still found it easy to operate. Some models create a vortex that pulls food into the blades and results in suction on the bottom of the container, but the Breville’s blade guard is uniquely shaped to reduce this, which allows you to raise the tool more easily as you blend and helps prevent splatters. This immersion blender offers 15 speed settings and has a lot of great features that make it our top pick.

Ambiano portable blender