Best of immersion blenders

Like plenty of other cooks -- particularly those who make puréed soups -- we swooned the first time we used an immersion (hand) blender in place of a countertop blender. In the two decades since the immersion blender first started showing up in U.S. kitchens, the category has exploded, with models whose wattage is as high as their price points, boasting boxes full of attachments.

We put 11 models through a series of tests and used the blenders to perform four tasks each: We made a pestolike peanut salsa; whipped up yogurt, banana and orange juice smoothies; puréed a can's worth of black beans in their liquid, and a potful of whole tomatoes in their juice. A caveat: This was a series of short-term tests, not a study of durability, which makes warranty information crucial when deciding what to buy.

WASHINGTON POST

Upside: Best performer in the peanut salsa trial; did admirably with puréeing black beans and whole canned tomatoes, too. See-through, petal-shaped flange at the base forces food outward and eliminates clogging. Powerful suction. Button seated on the top is easy to press. Easy to clean.

Downside: Plastic does not seem sturdy; motor sounds like dentist's equipment; attachments are not dishwasher-safe. Not to be used for chopping ice.

Upside: Among the top performers in all our food trials on low and high speeds. Works fast. Stainless-steel shaft and no flange, so no clogging. Motor fairly quiet; easy to clean.

Downside: Spat particles in the first few minutes of the peanut salsa trial; heavy to hold; short cord; high price.

Downside: Annoying, loud motor; button is seated in a rubber-covered indentation that makes it a little awkward or hard to keep pressing. The "stick" part of the device gets very hot when the motor runs for more than 30 seconds.

Upside: Motor was especially quiet, even though had highest wattage. Best at pulverizing skin of black beans and puréeing tomatoes on contact. Comfortable to hold and easy to clean.

Downside: In the peanut salsa test, did not promote action beyond the scope of the flange, meaning that where we plopped it down, it worked. There was a fair amount of "spitting."

Upside: Cordless feature makes this handy. Comfortable to hold, easy assembly, easy to clean. Nifty, built-in plug that seems to be a unique feature.