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These multi-tasking gadgets make food prep a doddle.

We love a good kitchen appliance, but once you've got a few, they quickly dominate your cupboards and worktops. That’s where our expert-tested pick of the best hand blenders comes in.

Small but powerful, these compact blitzers take up far less space than a classic jug blender and make blending soups and sauces a doddle (turn to hand mixers for all things baking).

Given many models come with versatile attachments such as whisks, mini food processors or grinders, hand blenders are the definition of a multi-tasking buy.

In general, the more you spend, the more your hand blender will do, so decide which culinary tasks you need it for and look for one with the required accessories. If you only really want to make soups, a basic model will suffice, but you’ll need to shell out more for a stick blender that can double as a food processor.

Comfortable handles are pretty key – you need a reliable grip that won’t slip mid whiz – as are intuitive, smartly placed controls.

Finally, a pulse function offers extra control when it comes to tackling those tougher ingredients.

House Beautiful's home experts tested 41 different hand blenders to find the best buys for your kitchen. They used each model to blend a banana milkshake, prepare mayonnaise and batter, puree chickpeas and (if possible) chop onions, hazelnuts, ice and parsley. Lastly, they whisked egg whites and cream.

Each hand blender was judged on how it handled the different tasks and, of course, on the quality of the resulting food. Scores were awarded for design, ease of use and product information.

Grab your apron, it's almost cooking time...

Our star performer eased through all our food prep; think glossy batter, smooth milkshakes and hummus-ready chickpeas. Our tester found it comfortable to handle and its attachments – including a chopper, whisk, coffee and spice grinder, ice blade and blending jug – make it a great buy for versatility. They do need hand washing, but you can rely on this outstanding blender for all kitchen tasks.

There’s no job too tricky for this good-looking sous chef. It effortlessly blended, chopped and whipped, showing off with silky mayonnaise that was ready in under three minutes.

It has five speeds and a turbo mode, and comes with a trusty set of dishwasher-safe attachments, including a chopper, whisk, potato masher and jug. Best of all, it comes in an array of colours that match Smeg’s other appliances, giving you the perfect excuse to add to your collection.

Affordable and practical, this is a real winner when it comes to getting your money’s worth. It performed reliably on test, holding its own against pricier competitors, and it comes with a storage stand, chopping bowl and whisk.

The power cord is on the short side and it's not the most comfortable to hold for long periods of time, but minor niggles aside, it’s a well-designed gadget that does a lot for its budget price.

Say goodbye to twisted cords with this nifty cordless hand blender that recharges in a speedy two hours. It served up smooth milkshakes and flawlessly pureed chickpeas, ensuring delicious results every time.

It looks good and comes with a pan guard, which slips over the blades to keep your cookware pristine, and a blending cup. Its punchy power makes it a touch tricky to control, even at slower speeds, but overall, it’s a reliable, fast worker.

If you don’t have the room to store copious attachments, look to this simple yet powerful blender that only comes with a dishwasher-proof jug.

Its precise blades drew all our food together, preventing ingredients from clumping and clinging to the jug’s base. In fact, it breezed through every ingredient we threw at it, and the sturdy design proved ergonomic and comfortable to use.

Not only can this blender tackle hearty soups with aplomb, but it also comes with a masher for putting fluffy mashed potato on the menu.

It’s a speedy worker that impressed our tester across the board. They found the speed switch slightly awkward to navigate when using it one-handed, but it’s otherwise thoughtfully designed, with a rubber handle that stays comfortable at all speeds.

This great-value gadget aced our milkshake, chickpea, onion and egg white tests and did a good, if slightly slow, job of whisking cream. Its design is simple, but with an accompanying chopper, whisk and beaker, it can do the works. Just don’t pop the accessories in the dishwasher or use them to crush ice.