Best immersion blenders for sauces

Top pick: Vitamix 5-Speed Immersion Blender Bundle. For emulsions, control matters more than raw power — five speeds let you start slow and drizzle oil in without the blade whipping air in and splitting the sauce. It also blends straight in a wide-mouth Mason jar, which is exactly how you'd make a small batch of mayo or vinaigrette, and it comes with a whisk for hollandaise.

Who the others suit:

• Vitamix 2-Speed with whisk — the simpler, cheaper Vitamix if you mostly do sauces and don't need fine speed control.
• Cuisinart Smart Stick Variable Speed — the value pick: variable speed plus chopper and whisk, good if you want one tool for sauces and prep.
• bamix PRIME — the splurge for emulsion purists; Swiss-made, built to last decades, but only two speeds and a small motor.
• KitchenAid 2-Speed — solid, well-rated everyday stick for vinaigrettes and soups.
• Hamilton Beach / Bonsenkitchen / VAVSEA / Beautiful — budget starters; fine for thin dressings, less forgiving on a fragile mayo.
• WHALL cordless — only if portability beats control; batteries fade and speed is coarse.
• GE / BrandsMart 500W models — big power and accessories, but two speeds only.

Skip anything without a bell-shaped, vented head if mayo is the goal.