Get a blender, they said. You can make smoothies and soups in it, they said. Then you read the instructions which inform you not to, under any circumstances, blend hot liquids and to cool your soup first instead (who does that?). Or you just blend hot soup and eventually crack the jug. Get a handheld blender, we say. It’ll make smoothies and blend hot soup, and it’ll take far less space in your kitchen.
These gadgets also often come with whisking and mashing attachments, and at the more expensive end there are attachments that turn the stick blender into a food processor.
It’s far from the most powerful option on this list, but this affordable blender will get the job done when blitzing parboiled veg and pre-cut fruit into soups and smoothies. There’s only one speed and one attachment, and you will have to demonstrate a little more patience and skill in manoeuvring the stick around to blend as thoroughly as a more powerful unit, but the MultiQuick 1 will get you there given time. The lack of bulky accessories makes it easier to store too.
With a powerful 600W motor and a bundle of useful accessories, this Morphy Richards offers excellent value for under £30. There are five speed options plus a turbo boost setting, which may sound like a recipe for firing hot soup all over your kitchen, but thankfully the anti-splash head will help prevent such accidents. You also get whisk and chopping attachments to make kitchen life that little bit easier.
Buy from AO | £36
Smeg is well known for marrying style with substance, and it stays true to form with this hand blender. It comes in four colours – three appealing pastel shades and black – and the 700W motor is powerful enough to blast through whatever is on your to-blend list. The two buttons make for an intuitive experience too: on/off is paired with a turbo button, and you can easily easily adjust the speed of the blades mid-blend by twisting the top. As ever with Smeg, you’re paying over the odds for the features involved, but the smart design coupled with the powerful performance means that you’re unlikely to be disappointed with your purchase.
This is not just the most powerful device here, but the most intuitive to use as well. If you need to increase the output of the 1,000-watt motor, you just squeeze the handle. What’s more, if you push down on tough ingredients like frozen fruit or dry nuts the chopping blade moves up and down to help liquidise them. Braun’s most powerful hand blender also comes with 14 accessories, a child lock and parts you can chuck in the dishwasher.
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Cordless handheld blenders are usually around the £200 mark, so at £130 this high-quality blender stands out. It has five speeds, whisk and masher attachments, and a battery that lasts 20 minutes and takes 2½ hours to recharge completely. The only downside is that you need to use two hands to turn it on.
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