There’s something about an immersion blender that can make even the greenest home cook feel like a kitchen virtuoso. It’s a culinary magic wand of sorts: You can use one to puree soup directly in the pot, make a healthy smoothie for one, and prepare whipped cream or from-scratch mayo, all within minutes.Immersion blenders are intuitive to use, requiring little more than a press of a button, and they’re easy to clean and store. The space-saving wand can be stashed in a drawer, making it an excellent (if less powerful) alternative to a full-size blender when you’re low on space. They also call for special precautions—watch your fingers, and be mindful of hot spatter.Since we first published our guide to immersion blenders in 2013, we’ve pureed gallons of soups and smoothies and whizzed gratuitous amounts of sauces and whipped cream.In our latest round of testing, the Braun MultiQuick 7 Immersion Hand Blender MQ7035 came out on top. It produced the smoothest results, was the most comfortable to use, and offered whipping and chopping accessories that worked as well as the bladed wand.