All our Triblade blenders have a turbo function, enabling you to use that extra burst of power just when you need it, while the Suregrip™handle and touchpoint makes it comfortable to hold and easy to operate, even when your hands are wet or greasy. Models like the Triblade XL + also offer variable speed settings to keep you in complete control of the consistency of dishes, making them as fine or chunky as you like. Being able to gradually increase your speed as you work also means less potential mess, as it reduces the chance of your ingredients splattering all over the kitchen. We hand-washed each blender's main attachment to see how easy it was to remove residual food and liquid. The Tefal Infiny Force is a hand blender with larger ambitions. It comes with three handy attachments to make it a foodie’s friend in the kitchen, including a sauce foot for making your own mayonnaise, if you’ve ever fancied it. We blended mayonnaise for three minutes, noted how easy to was to keep holding the blender and how much the handle warmed up. The best are comfortable to hold, even with reduced hand strength, the worst vibrated a lot and were uncomfortable to keep hold of after a minute or so. Washability

Not everyone is on the hunt for a hand blender with lots of bells and whistles, but we still tested every attachment they came with, so we can tell you which ones are the best. More power comes in the form of a Turbo button, while a host of accessories make pureeing, blending, chopping, crushing ice, whisking and mashing super-easy. There are even storage lids included for both containers. Fuss-free, easy to clean and plenty powerful, the Morphy Richards Total Control Hand Blender is a versatile kitchen tool that will be your go-to for almost any food-prep task. Read the full review

In all cases, ease of use, suitability for the task at hand, and the final results are taken into consideration in our final rating. We blitzed nuts and herbs in mini choppers, whisked eggs with a whisk attachment and mashed up potatoes if it came with a mashing attachment. If you’re tired of the all-or-nothing performance of the average hand blender, you might want to consider the Morphy Richards Total Control. It’s equipped with the company’s Smart Response Technology, which builds up speed gradually so blitzing food comes without the usual jerks and splatters. The best hand blenders produced silky-smooth foods with a consistent texture. The worst left lots of chunks behind and our hands tingly after use from the large vibrations. Endurance

We made soup, houmous and smoothies with each hand blender, running each ran for the same length of time, on the highest setting.With an 800W motor, variable speeds and turbo function, the Triblade System Hand Blender comes with all the available attachments, including: Those with difficult-to-reach crevasses or blender heads that couldn't be removed were the worst products we tried. The best hand blenders were easy to rinse out and clean by hand. Build quality Higher power (wattage) means the blender should spin faster. There is some advice that talks about the different amount of power you need for different foods, but our thorough testing has found no real correlation between the power of a hand blender and the results you get. Whisk An attachment to incorporate air into a mixture. Good for whipping up egg whites, cream cake mixes and batters. Simply choose one of its eight speeds, squeeze the control button and let the blades – which stay sharp for 12 times longer than standard blades, apparently – do their work. They slow down steadily once you release it.

The Dualit DHB2 Hand Blender is an excellent choice for any discerning chef. Its 700W motor, upgraded from 500W of its predecessor, means it handles foods better and it comes with all the necessary accessories. There’s also a turbo mode for dealing with super-tough blends. But the Triblade blender goes way beyond blending. Interchangeable attachments mean this appliance is a true multi-tasker. With easy twist fittings, you can seamlessly swap between blending and mashing, whisking and chopping; using just one appliance to create creamy mash, chunky soups, featherlight meringues or delicious dressings. And because the Triblade is all about convenience, when you’re finished creating you can just pop most of the wands and attachments straight in the dishwasher, and spend your time enjoying your meal instead of cleaning up. We also tried each hand blender with Cambridge simulation gloves , which simulates reduced hand mobility, to see which ones are more comfortable to use for people with limited dexterity or strength.

However, if you frequently cook several portions at once, or do lots of baking, you might want to consider a food processor or stand mixer instead. These take up more space, but are better for this. Splash guard Usually sold separately, these fit over a bowl, with a hole for the hand blender to pass through. It helps prevent splashes from going on to your work surface.