KitchenAid Variable Speed Hand Blender KHBV53 Best Overall
- Power
- 180 watts
- Speeds
- 7, variable trigger
- Included
- 3-cup jar, pan guard
- Blending Arm
- 8 in., removable
The trigger is the reason this one is our default. Instead of two or three fixed buttons, the KHBV53 ramps through seven speeds as you squeeze, so a pot of potato-leek soup starts at a slow churn that keeps the liquid inside the pot and finishes at full power once the chunks break up. That sounds like a small thing until you have used a two-speed blender and watched a wave of soup climb the side of the pot.
Control is what we care about most in a tool that spends its life inside hot cookware, and this is the best version of it in the KitchenAid lineup. The 8-inch arm reaches the bottom of a deep stockpot with the motor well clear of the surface, and the removable pan guard holds the blade off enameled and nonstick coatings instead of grinding metal across them. The guard also collects more gunk than any other part, which is why we are glad it pops off for washing.
Cleanup is quick: twist the arm off, rinse the blade end, and let the dishwasher do the rest. The 3-cup jar with its lid doubles as a storage cup for dressing or a single smoothie, and the body stows upright in a drawer without much fuss.
Longevity is the honest caveat. Some of these quit after a year or so of steady use, and the warranty covers only the first year, so the sensible way to buy this one is as an excellent tool at a modest price rather than a lifelong purchase. If a long service life matters more to you than the trigger and the guard, the two-speed KHB1231 backs its motor with a much longer replacement warranty.
What We Like
- Variable trigger gives fine control in a hot pot
- Removable pan guard protects enameled cookware
- Arm and jar go straight into the dishwasher
Worth Noting
- No whisk or chopper in the box
- Heavier than the two-speed models at 2.4 pounds
Our pick for most kitchens: the variable-speed trigger and pan guard make blending in the pot genuinely easy, and nothing else in the KitchenAid lineup gives you this much control for the money.
Check Latest Price