Our testers assessed each hand blender's build quality. The best had casing that didn't flex when pressed, premium materials such as rubberised grips and attachments that felt secure and solid when attached to the main handle. We made soup, houmous and smoothies with each hand blender, running each ran for the same length of time, on the highest setting. Wash straight away Washing straight after use doesn't give food time to dry into any hard-to-reach edges and corners. We found just swirling attachments around in the water a few times was enough to remove most bits.

Need to know 700W; 41cm tall with main attachment; comes with a 1.4-litre measuring jug with lid, chopper, whisk and masher attachments; other colours available 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.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.

The plastic used in the construction of the product is really very thin I take it in my hands for fear that I will break it at any moment, I was expecting a better quality material, but it can still be usedNeed to know 600W; 38cm tall with main attachment; comes with a 1.1-litre measuring jug, chopper and whisk attachments 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. 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