Are immersion blenders all they're cooked up to be?

CLEVELAND - Chef Leslie Lampert is well known for her soups. She makes all kinds and says the key to her success is her immersion blender.

"You just put it in whatever size pot you have, and you can blend the entire contents of the stock pot in one fell swoop," Lampert said.

While Lampert uses a big industrial immersion blender, there are many available for home kitchens. Consumer Reports tested six to see if the blenders are all they're cooked up to be.

"To use these blenders, you hold them in one hand, dip them in whatever you want to mix, and then push a button to start," Consumer Reports' Mandy Walker said.

Some immersion blenders come with a chopper and a whisk. So you can use them to mix smoothies and whisk eggs, as well as purée soup. To test, Consumer Reports puréed soup and blended frozen strawberries and peaches with yogurt to make smoothies.

The most expensive blender tested was the Bamix Professional for $180.

"However it wasn't as good as the others at puréeing soups, and it was the lowest-rated blender," Walker said.

And the Waring Pro professional blender left behind a lot of chunks of unchopped fruit.

But Consumer Reports did find some winners and named the $50 Miallegro Mitutto a best buy. It rated excellent at puréeing soups and did nearly as well at making smoothies.

One good reason to buy an immersion blender -- less mess. Since you're blending everything right in the bowl, there's less to clean up. But be aware immersion blenders can't match the speed or power of countertop models.