A longer arm gives more control, but a 20-inch arm will be trickier to store in a small kitchen than a six-inch one. This is an important factor as you need to immerse a hand blender into food to blend, whip, or stir.

SizeĪ hand blender’s arm can range from six inches to well over 20 inches in length. That way, you can start at a high speed and gradually lower the speed to avoid overbeating. If you will be using your hand blender to whisk, look for one with more than two basic speeds. Hand blenders range from two-speed models (high and low) to models with 15 variable speeds. Tasks that need less energy, like making a simple smoothie, don’t require a turbo-charged engine.

If you will be doing a lot of chopping, look for a hand blender with a lot of power. Hand blenders start as low as 100 watts, while higher-end models reach 800 watts or more. Modern hand blenders arrive with several different blending or whipping blades, plus attachments for chopping, grating, blending, and other tasks. The first commercial hand blenders were hampered by a limited number of blade designs and accessories.

What to look for when buying a hand blender The blender can be put right in the cooking pot to puree. A hand blender is ideal for making soups, such as gazpacho or cream-based recipes.

Blender speed modeling