Hand blender vs jug blender: What's the difference and which should you buy?

Buying a blender but not sure how to choose one that is right for tasks you do regularly? Learn the differences between a hand blender and a countertop blender and choose the best appliance for the job.

Both types of blenders are commonly used to blend soups, baby food, smoothies, emulsify dressings, and puree sauces. Jug blenders are also great for crushing solid ingredients like ice and processing ingredients into fine pieces, pastes, and purees. 

In this article, we will look at the best hand blender and jug blender from the Braun SG household series, to compare their features, functions, and strengths to help you confidently choose the right appliance for fuss-free and enjoyable cooking. To start, let's understand more about hand blenders. 

What is a hand blender?

A hand blender (Also known as an immersion blender/ stick blender) is a compact hand-held appliance that uses a rotating blade to mix and process ingredients into smooth pastes and liquids. To operate the hand blender, a user holds down the power button. 

Nowadays premium hand blenders come with attachments and accessories that expand the functions beyond liquefying, giving the user flexibility when prepping food, like the MultiQuick 7. 

Hand blenders are compact and take up little space in your kitchen drawer. When placed upright on your countertop, they’re easy to access and make a centrepiece in your kitchen.

The MultiQuick 7 Hand blender 7045X comes with a range of accessories, including a jug blender attachment. How does the jug blender attachment differ from a Jug blender, which should you use, and for what task? 

Read on to discover the differences as we compare the MultiQuick 7 Hand blender MQ7045X with the Braun Identity Collection Jug Blender and learn how they match up in terms of functions, features, and usability.  

What is a jug blender?

A jug blender, like the hand blender, uses a rotating blade to mix and process ingredients into smaller pieces or liquids. Unlike the hand blender, the jug blender has a dedicated jug fixed to a motorised base, and sits on the countertop when in use. There are pre-set speeds on the base that you adjust to achieve your desired texture and consistency.

The chart summarises the two blenders' capabilities by comparing key features and blender functions.  

At one glance, the MQ7045X hand blender can perform the same functions as the Identity Collection jug blender since the hand blender comes with a jug blender attachment. But there are differences in how you use each appliance and details to consider before deciding which is the best appliance for your needs.

Let's look at how both appliances match up in 5 scenarios: 

1) Blending large quantities

The MQ7045X hand blender's jug blender attachment’s capacity is 350ml less than the Identity Collection Jug blender and it has a fixture in the middle of the jug which reduces the amount of food you can blend in one go.

If you have a large amount of food to blend, that will take more time. Immersing the hand blender in the pot is an option but it will take time and hand effort to break down large quantities of ingredients till it's silky smooth.

2) Handling hot and cold temperature foods

The Thermal-resistant jug in the Identity Collection Jug blender handles hot and icy cold liquids without you needing to worry about cracking the jug or health concerns over pouring hot liquids into plastic jugs. The jug blender cover has a removable lid in the middle, which is handy for adding ingredients or pouring liquids while the blender is running. Focus on pouring melted butter through the opening for emulsifying, e.g. hollandaise sauce and have better control over blending.

When blending hot liquids, the opening in the cover allows for steam to escape, preventing pressure build up inside the blender jug which can cause hot liquids to spill out and hurt you.

When the jug blender attachment is fixed to the MQ7045X Hand Blender, there isn't an outlet to release steam or add ingredients while it’s turned on. Use the jug blender attachment for processing lower-temperature ingredients and crushing ice. It's perfect for making healthy smoothies, fast and easy.

3) Ease of Operation

This is where the biggest difference lies between the jug blender and the hand blender.

The Identity Collection Jug blender has five preset modes, a pulse button, and a crush-ice button. Our instruction manual provides a guide that suggests the suitable speed/mode and timing for blending soup, making icy drinks, mixing cake batter, and more. Press your selected mode button to start and stop the blender. There's also a neat feature where the blender turns off automatically after 2 minutes of processing.

On the other hand, the MultiQuick 7 hand blender has one main button which you squeeze continuously throughout to operate the appliance and vary the speed. It’s an intuitive feature, but you may end up with a sore hand after prolonged use and a heated motor. If you have hand and wrist issues, this might not be a suitable appliance for you. As with anything, test out the appliance and have a good feel of it before purchase. 

4) Ice crusher

The jug blender attachment features an ice-crushing blade. Squeeze the on/off button on the hand blender arm and crush away, adjusting your hand pressure to achieve your desired size of crushed ice.

The Identity Collection Jug blender comes with a pre-set timer that automatically crushes ice cubes into fine pieces of ice. If you wanted bigger pieces of crushed ice, activating the pulse function will do the job, giving you control over the size of crushed ice. Crushing ice has never been so simple.

5) Smoothie2go cups

Only available with the Identity Collection Jug blender, drink healthy homemade smoothies on the go with our blend-easy Smoothie2go cups. Waste no time transferring the smoothie or cleaning the jug blender. Fill the cups with your favourite fruits and yogurt, and throw in some ice. Attach to the base and blend. After blending, cover with our secure pop-up lids and you’re good to go with a morning breakfast smoothie and a pre-workout smoothie for after work.

Conclusion

Based on above comparison, the Identity Collection Jug blender fares well in these areas: 

• Working with large quantities - With its 1.6L capacity jug, innovative blade systems, and power technology, this jug blender ensures your foods are blended and processed to the right fine-ness and smoothness.
• Operate with a few touches - 5 pre-set modes with boosted pulse functions, so you can confidently select the right mode for your tasks and let smart technology take over. 
• Hands-free - Less strain on the hand and wrists as the blender sits on the countertop and runs on its own after the mode is selected. 
• High heat & Icy cold resistant - Thermal resistant jug handles all food temperatures without the glass cracking.
• Smoothie2go - Blend smoothies directly in the cup and conveniently carry them with you. Saves you washing the jug and transferring drinks.

The hand blender has its merits in working with small quantities, is useable with any vessel, and is versatile when paired with accessories that expand functions to include chopping, whisking, grinding, and mixing ingredients for convenient food preparation.    

Verdict

If you often make big batches of food and drink or want an appliance that is durable and powerful for heavy-duty jobs, the Identity Collection jug blender is the right blender for you. The large capacity allows you to process more ingredients at one time, while the powerful blade system and 1000W motor cut through food faster for smooth results. 

You neither have to worry about overheating the appliance nor making too much noise at full speed. The die-cast motor base is stable and durable, allowing the blender to operate for long periods at high speeds without straining the motor.
Invest in an Identity Collection jug blender to power through tough jobs efficiently so you can cook healthy meals for your loved ones every day without effort. Discover its full range of features and capabilities here.