You’ll want the right tool for the right kitchen job. We compare a food processor against a stick blender to show which ones work best in different scenarios.
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I just read this report, with a view to possibly replacing an old stick blender: jumped to the link for stick blenders, but - the first thing I looked for in the full test details, was the power of the unit… Nada!
Was this an oversight??
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Forgive me, I’m not overly familiar with this type of appliance and I want to make sure I am understanding your query correctly before I speak to our product testers. I couldn’t see much of a basis of comparison on the market in terms of factors like Wattage, RPM and so forth. We test stick blenders based on their ability to process food into a paste or sauce, on chopping ability and how easy they are to use. Is it possible to view blenders based on their power, and would this factor trump their performance for certain applications? Apologies once again, I’m sure I’m probably missing something obvious!
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Maybe or maybe not. We have only had 2 stick blenders but thought the newer one, with a higher wattage motor, was noticeably better than the previous one. But this NDTV review squarely addresses their experience with wattage. It appears our new stick blender is probably better for another reason than wattage 
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My s/b is quite old, but when I purchased it, it was apparent that the more power that a motor offered, the more effectively it would work. Which is the main reason I looked for that particular specification. I went to the Breville website: one of the models I checked out had a 700w motor - I wanted to compare it with the the others, without having to go to individual websites.
I realise that the power consumption for this kitchen appliance isn’t important for environmental/electricity purposes, but I do think that a motor’s power should be a standard inclusion in any tests.
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Thanks all, I’ll pass on the feedback 
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Thanks for the NDTV review, The BBG! It made very interesting reading (& watching Oz MasterChef, I have been surprised at the variety of uses with s/b & accessories - the model must be far more powerful than mine…).
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I concur with @evanstrish3. I always look for more wattage, as they tend to be able to deliver more power to cope with harder/thicker/more ingredients.
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I’ve had my Breville BSB400 for about 5+ years now, and it works a treat. I don’t do as much cooking as I used to, and only occasionally use my food processor (usually for baking), but use the s/b quite often, especially for soups. It’s also good for chopping up small quantities of things like nuts.
I particularly like that the moving parts are detachable from the handle, which makes it safer, and compact to pack away in the jug.
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I’m looking to replace my Ninja Auto IQ with a machine that is more hygienic.
It’s very very very difficult to get the gasket out of the blending blade unit. And when I do dig the thing out, regardless of how thoroughly I scrub in the groove with a special small brush every time I use the machine, there’s always a putrid load of gunk still in the groove.
I pointed this out to Ninja, but there’s been no response from the company.
Can anyone recommend a reliable machine that has all food-containing parts completely cleanable?
Thank you to the two people who tried to answer my question. This isn’t a stick blender problem, nor a blender problem. It’s about those specialised smoothy machines.
I can’t figure out how to use this forum, so I appreciate that those two people’s messages came to my email address, even thought they weren’t what I was looking for. Thank you.
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Welcome @B13
I have moved your post into this existing topic regarding blenders and stick blenders, hopefully you will receive some good information.
The following CHOICE article published on their website may also offer some guidance
There is a CHOICE review of blenders and if you are a member of CHOICE you can see the individual results, if not a member you can join to get access. You will be able to select units based on a number of criteria. This review was completed in November 2022, so should remain very current for your needs.
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We have a traditional type blender which is a few years old (a Sunbeam model no longer sold) where the blending jug and blades are easily separated for cleaning (the blades screw out and the donut shaped seal can be easily removed for washing - see photo). We leave it separated when storing to ensure it can air and fully dry out to prevent mould growing.
It might be worth going to a retailer with blenders on display and seeing how easily they separate to allow good and easy cleaning.
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Welcome to the community.
There is a members content stick blender review on the Choice website that may help you with your decision making.
We too use a traditional blender which can be dismantled (similarly to @phb 's photo above) for cleaning after every use.
All the stick blender we have ever used (many different brands) are poor when it comes to hygiene, and they don’t seem to last long.
The big advantage of the ‘traditional’ blenders is that they are able to:
- be cleaned properly, and I can get my big paws inside to clean all the food residues,
- cope with harder material (nuts, ice, etc) and also much larger volumes and than a stick blender, and
- be used for other things when creating culinary delights in the kitchen.
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I use a stick blender for soups that need blending because it can be done in the pan. Other than that I use a food processor which has more options than a blender. Both are easy to clean.
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