Cuisinart Power Advantage 5-Speed Hand Mixer, 220W-Motor Hand Blender Electric Mixer with 5 Speed Settings, Extra-Long Dishwasher-Safe Beaters, 60-Inch Swivel Cord, HM-50, White

Why it's worth it

Cuisinart's mixer has more torque than its 220-watt rating suggests and a 60-inch swivel cord that reaches wherever you need it. Its beaters have no center post, so batter doesn't pack into them — but there's no gentle start.

It's more powerful than the spec sheet implies. Owners who came here after cheaper mixers failed to stiffen egg whites report this one gets there without complaint, and more than a few call it almost too strong for small jobs. If your last mixer bogged down, this is a real step up.

The extra-long beaters are a smart design. With no center post, batter doesn't wad up in the middle where you'd have to dig it out — you rinse them and they're basically clean. They're dishwasher-safe, and an eject lever drops them out without you touching the messy end.

From our review of 5 hand mixers, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +It's more powerful than the spec sheet implies
• +The extra-long beaters are a smart design
• +That 60-inch swivel cord solves a real annoyance
• +But the missing slow start is a persistent complaint, and it's why this lands behind the KitchenAid

What to know

• –No gentle start, and combined with a strong motor that means splatter
• –There's no storage case, so beaters end up loose in a drawer