Each attachment can be used with the automatic programme, but you can override this with manual settings, using pulse or running the blender entirely manually. While the cup and bowl run at maximum speed only, there’s a choice of 10 speeds with the jug, giving much finer control. Everything is plastic, but it feels robust and hard-wearing. There are nice touches, too. The jug has a clever flip-down lid that prevents liquid from flying out, for example, and the cup has a travel cup lid, so you can blend and go. We selected the best-selling hand blenders from the most popular brands available at key retailers.

However, if you frequently cook several portions at once, or do lots of baking, you might want to consider a food processor or stand mixer instead. These take up more space, but are better for this. The Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor with Auto-IQ is such a versatile appliance, we tried out several of the functions and attachments to give it a thorough test, yet there’s still much more that it can do. Excellent power, dishwasher-safe parts and a redefined base that offers more Auto-iQ programmes makes this one of the best all-round blenders I’ve tested. Design and features

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Whisk An attachment to incorporate air into a mixture. Good for whipping up egg whites, cream cake mixes and batters. We also tried each hand blender with Cambridge simulation gloves , which simulates reduced hand mobility, to see which ones are more comfortable to use for people with limited dexterity or strength. The worst hand blenders left us with chopped nuts and herbs of a variety of sizes, lumpy mash and us wondering if the egg whites would ever reach stiff peaks. Ease of use To finish off, I added coconut milk, yoghurt and mint leaves. Using the Blend option, I ended up with a perfect smoothie: you can see small chunks of coconut and traces of mint, but the overall drink was smooth, free of large chunks. Splash guard Usually sold separately, these fit over a bowl, with a hole for the hand blender to pass through. It helps prevent splashes from going on to your work surface.

You can put all of the parts, bar the base, into the dishwasher, so there’s very little mess to deal with, either. Performance

A space-saving blender and food processor in one

The best are comfortable to hold, even with reduced hand strength, the worst vibrated a lot and were uncomfortable to keep hold of after a minute or so. Washability To chop hazelnuts, we opted for the food processor bowl. After five short pulses with very little change, we switched it on to low speed for 30 seconds. The result was quite coarsely chopped nuts with just a small amount of powder. Measuring 86db on our sound meter, this was the loudest noise level we experienced from the appliance. While it’s the equivalent sound level to a vacuum cleaner, it’s only for a short period of time. The CB350UK comes with a redesigned base. Rather than dedicated buttons for Auto-iQ, there’s now a selector dial, which gives the front of the blender a more attractive look. Options available include Powermix, Blend, Crush, Mix, Puree and Chop – although the options available will be determined by the type of jug attached. Our testers assessed each hand blender's build quality. The best had casing that didn't flex when pressed, premium materials such as rubberised grips and attachments that felt secure and solid when attached to the main handle. Those with difficult-to-reach crevasses or blender heads that couldn't be removed were the worst products we tried. The best hand blenders were easy to rinse out and clean by hand. Build quality

The best hand blenders produced silky-smooth foods with a consistent texture. The worst left lots of chunks behind and our hands tingly after use from the large vibrations. Endurance In the box, Ninja provides a 2.1-litre jug for larger mixes, a 700ml travel cup with lid, and the 400ml Power Nutri Bowl. The jug has both a large blade assembly and a dough hook; the latter two attachments use the same blade assembly.

Mini chopper A small food processor that's well suited to chopping up nuts and herbs, and softer vegetables such as onions and carrots.

Previous Ninja blenders have been good, with the main difference between models being the accessories that ship alongside and the Auto-iQ programmes available. For those not in the know, Auto-iQ is Ninja’s system of running the blender automatically for different jobs. We blended mayonnaise for three minutes, noted how easy to was to keep holding the blender and how much the handle warmed up. While it may be noisy, when it comes to performance, the CB350UK is exceptionally good. I first tried to crush ice, in both the jug and travel cup. With the Crush programme, I soon had a lot of powdered ice with the texture of snow, and no large lumps of ice.Next, I put in the pineapple chunks, including the tough core and gave them a blitz, which soon cut the mixture down. Higher power (wattage) means the blender should spin faster. There is some advice that talks about the different amount of power you need for different foods, but our thorough testing has found no real correlation between the power of a hand blender and the results you get. We hand-washed each blender's main attachment to see how easy it was to remove residual food and liquid.