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Dualit’s 700W hand blender blitzes the competition – here’s how

We put this one-stop shop for blending, chopping and whisking to the test

Joanne Gould
Friday 28 January 2022 12:16 GMT
Idiot-proof and comfortable to hold, this is a sleek investment for any kitchen
Idiot-proof and comfortable to hold, this is a sleek investment for any kitchen (iStock/The Independent)

Dualit has a strong history in invention and innovation. Its German-born founder, Max Gort-Barten, created Dualit’s first cocktail shaker out of his South London factory in the 1940s before going on to invent and manufacture the dual light heater (hence the name, Dualit) and the trusty toaster.

The toaster evolved in design over the years, going from strength to strength and finally appearing on sale to consumers in John Lewis & Partners, Fortnum and Masons, and Harrods stores in the Seventies. Other kitchen equipment followed – think more toasters, sandwich makers, kettles and coffee machines – before the brand relocated to West Sussex to focus on launching a new range of countertop products, with one eye firmly on innovation.

Dualit’s hand blender is the result of the brand’s constant focus on new product development, and its quality design and engineering offers the user a convenient handheld way to prep a huge range of foods and ingredients in the kitchen.

Blenders are an invaluable piece of kitchen equipment; they allow cooks to cut down on time and mess in preparing everyday foods and, treated properly, can last many years. Milkshakes, meringues, soups and smoothies are the obvious starting point when it comes to making the most of your blender, but some models – like this Dualit item – can also be used for chopping harder ingredients like onion, coffee beans and spices, so do consider your requirements when shopping.

Picking the right blender is not always an easy decision as the market is saturated with a huge array of different styles and brands of blender, with prices ranging from a few quid up to triple figures. This Dualit handheld blender sits at the top end of the stick blender market, coming in at just under £100, so it’s important to know what you get for your money.

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How we tested

As with all IndyBest tests, we put this blender through its paces to see how it fared in comparison with other similar machines on the market. We used notoriously hard-to-blend ingredients like frozen fruit, spices and sticky textures like peanut butter, tahini and pâté to see how the blender performed, while staying within the manufacturers’ specifications (for instance, on quantities and no go ingredients). We were looking for even, consistent textures, ease of use and how loud the functioning unit was.

Dualit 700W hand blender

Dualit 700W hand blender indybest.jpg

Rating: 10/10

  • Power: 700W
  • Dimensions: W6.4cm x D12.6cm x H37.8cm
  • Accessories: Blending wand, chopper bowl, whisk attachment, 1l jug
  • Colours: Silver
  • Guarantee: One year

Design and features

Dualit has thought of almost every kitchen eventuality with this versatile hand blender. Comprising a sleek polished silver power unit and a range of useful accessories, we found that this was a one-stop-shop for kitchen equipment and could potentially save you some cash in the long run.

While the wand attachment is likely to be the most frequently used accessory, keen cooks will also make use of the other attachments included here. The mini chopper attachment is a godsend for basic kitchen tasks (chopping onions, chocolate, ginger, or making pesto) and is a good size for preparing baby food and purees. Keen bakers, on the other hand, will find the whisk attachment a huge help, allowing you to whip up meringues and aerate cream in two shakes.

Read more: 8 best hand blenders for speedy, mess-free blitzing

We liked that the unit is genuinely extremely comfortable to hold – not always a given, however ergonomically the blender may have been designed – and light enough to hold for a few minutes without discomfort. The one-push button is self-explanatory and easy to use, as is the turbo speed option. The length of the wand means you can easily blitz up soups and sauces either directly in the pan (which won’t stick thanks to its anti-suction technology) or the jug provided without splashing.

Overall, we discovered it to be good quality all-round kitchen blender that will last.

Performance

There’s no fiddly set-up to the machine or accessories: simply lock in your chosen attachment to the power base and off you go. We made a perfectly smooth and silky vegetable soup by blending the cooked veg and stock in under a minute; the recipe advised that the soup should then be sieved to ensure it was the ideal velvety texture, but this blender was so effective that we didn’t need to.

We were surprised how quiet the hand blender was, considering how powerful the unit is, which must also be testament to how razor sharp the blades on the wand are. We tested the mini chopper by making a paste from ginger, garlic, shallots, herbs and spices for a curry base, and found that it cut down kitchen labour significantly – as well as happily avoided garlic-scented fingers.

Read more: 9 best food steamers for quick, easy and healthy meals

This blender and its attachments will cover almost all kitchen eventualities, allowing you to prepare soups, sauces, pastes and the like in double time with much less mess and fuss than with an upright blender, or by chopping the ingredients yourself. Smoothies are also easily doable, with the stick blender and jug function working well on soft fruits, leaves and the like. However, it will stop short of being able to cope with ice or a lot of frozen fruit (one or two pieces in the mix is fine, though, we found).

To clean, it is simplest to immerse the wand attachment into a jug of soapy warm water and pulse until clean. Plastic attachments can be placed in the dishwasher or washed by hand, and the power unit can be wiped clean.

The verdict: Dualit hand blender

The Dualit hand blender is an ideal all-rounder. It’s a quality product, which feels robust and sturdy while looking sleek and smart.

It passed every test we put it through with flying colours, and was a pleasure to use thanks to how comfortable it felt to hold and how idiot-proof the power buttons were to use. It’s a good investment for anyone looking for a one-stop-shop kitchen blender – just don’t try making daiquiris with it.

  1.  £94 from Dualit.com
Prices may vary
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For the latest discounts on blenders and other kitchen accessories, try the links below:

For more blitzing gadgets, try our round-up of the best bullet blenders for speedy smoothies and chilled cocktails

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