Smeg HBF01 Hand Blender review
Smeg HBF01 and its accessory packed twin HBF02 are handsome stick blenders with the power to fix up sauces, soups and more
Smeg HBF01 is a well made hand blender or stick blender with five speed settings and the ability to pull off tricky blending jobs such as rescuing a lumpy white sauce. The HBF02 is the same blender but with some useful accessories – keep an eye out for deals on this
-
+
Blends well
-
+
Looks good
-
+
What more can you ask
-
-
No mixing jug with the HBF01
-
-
HBF02 is better value all round
Why you can trust T3
Fire up the Smeg HBF01 review: a good-looking hand blender in Smeg's usual style, that won't let you down when you're making soups, smoothies and sauces.
Smeg make small kitchen appliances with a very distinctive, 1950s-influenced look. You either like that look or you don't, but in the case of the HBF01 hand blender, it's less of a factor as it largely just looks like a hand blender. There's only so many liberties you can take with this class of device.
It's among the best hand blenders I've tried, although I found myself gravitating back to the KitchenAid 5KHBBV53, because that does much the same job but is cordless. The Smeg is cheaper than that blender, however, yet it looks and feels slightly more premium.
As with all hand blenders, stick blenders and immersion blenders, Smeg's turns solid food into purées, pastes, sauces and soups. And a very good job it does of it, too.
Smeg HBF01 Hand Blender
Corded hand blender
No mixing jar included
5 speed settings
700W power
Smeg HBF01 and HBF02: price and availability
The Smeg HBF01 hand blender is £99 in the UK, $129 in the USA and AU$148 in Australia.
You can also get the HBF02, which is the same blender at heart but with the addition of a small 'food processor'/chopper, a whisk and a potato masher. These are very handy, even though the chopper is not the best I have ever encountered. Pricing for this bundle is £129, $180, AU$220.
Our pricing widget should show prices for both models – you may need to 'view all deals' and scroll down for HBF02.
Smeg HBF01: design and features
The Smeg HBF01 comes in black, blue, red or cream and is made of plastic – but suitably good quality plastic that feels pleasing in the hand – with chrome detailing. As you would imagine, controls are not complicated. There's a button to turn it on and a button to make it go faster. There are 5 speed settings in total, from quite fast to turbo frenzy.
The power cable is pulled away from the back of the blender by a stiff but of plastic as seen below – this keeps it out of your way quite effectively. Cordless would be even better of course, but having a wire means the price is a little lower and there's no danger of the battery ever running out.
The blender arm screws on and off easily, and is dishwasher proof. Get the aforementioned HBF02 bundle and you'll receive a whisk that is useful for cream and egg whites, a potato masher that is good for… well, you can probably work that one out, and a chopper for onions, herbs, breadcrumbs and the like. The latter is not quite as good as the equivalents from KitchenAid and Bosch, but it's fine.
Smeg HBF01: performance
As you'd expect for a hand blender costing around £100 and over $100, the HBF01 is an effective performer. I made a rather unsuccessful roux (white sauce) and it removed the lumps of flour in a matter of minutes. Salad dressings were blended to a fine emulsion, and a banana and kale smoothie also came out better than you might expect. The banana was smooth and the kale – the blender's natural foe – was quite well tamed and chopped.
The smooth but non-slip handle of the device is enjoyable to hold and easy to clean, while the blade can be rinsed easily if cleaned straight after use, or you can put it in the dishwasher. As with practically all corded kitchen appliances, it would be nice if the cable was a bit longer. However at 1.5 metres, it's fine for most situations.
The variable speed control does give you a wide range of speeds although I have to admit I generally default to the fastest setting at all times. The 700W motor means that the HBF01 can deal with most day-to-day blending tasks.
Smeg HBF01: verdict
The Smeg HBF01 is an excellent hand blender that will add a little dash of luxury to your kitchen. The styling is chic, it feels good in the hand and its an effective performer. The price is not excessive either, as premium kitchenware offerings go. If you are short of space, it's particularly good. However, it would be advisable to make room for the HBF02 and its accessories, as this can often be found priced at only a little more than the standalone HBF01, which is so minimalist, it doesn't even come with a mixing jug. Highly recommended in both incarnations.
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
Duncan is the former lifestyle editor of T3 and has been writing about tech for almost 15 years. He has covered everything from smartphones to headphones, TV to AC and air fryers to the movies of James Bond and obscure anime. His current brief is everything to do with the home and kitchen, which is good because he is an excellent cook, if he says so himself. He also covers cycling and ebikes – like over-using italics, this is another passion of his. In his long and varied lifestyle-tech career he is one of the few people to have been a fitness editor despite being unfit and a cars editor for not one but two websites, despite being unable to drive. He also has about 400 vacuum cleaners, and is possibly the UK's leading expert on cordless vacuum cleaners, despite being decidedly messy. A cricket fan for over 30 years, he also recently become T3's cricket editor, writing about how to stream obscure T20 tournaments, and turning out some typically no-nonsense opinions on the world's top teams and players.
Before T3, Duncan was a music and film reviewer, worked for a magazine about gambling that employed a surprisingly large number of convicted criminals, and then a magazine called Bizarre that was essentially like a cross between Reddit and DeviantArt, before the invention of the internet. There was also a lengthy period where he essentially wrote all of T3 magazine every month for about 3 years.
A broadcaster, raconteur and public speaker, Duncan used to be on telly loads, but an unfortunate incident put a stop to that, so he now largely contents himself with telling people, "I used to be on the TV, you know."
-
Move over Gymshark! Built For Athletes launches its first-ever workout clothing line
With styles starting from £9.99!
By Bryony Firth-Bernard Published
-
Skoda Elroq revealed as the first new EV model
The covers have come off Skoda’s compact all-electric SUV and it looks like a winner
By Mat Gallagher Published
-
I visited LG’s HQ in Korea – and these are the 5 LG appliances I want for my house
LG’s latest home appliances are smart, efficient and make your life easier
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
KitchenAid KF8 bean-to-cup espresso maker review: a top performing automatic coffee machine for well-heeled loafers
If you can afford the high price, the new KitchenAid KF8 takes automated coffee making to a whole new level of sophistication
By Derek Adams Published
-
Smart kettles are taking over the kitchen – here’s why you need one
3 reasons why you need a smart kettle for your kitchen
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
KitchenAid’s iconic stand mixer gets a stunning nature-inspired upgrade
KitchenAid launches its Evergreen Design Series Stand Mixer – but will people buy it?
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
COSORI takes on Meater with its own meat thermometer – and it's seriously impressive
COSORI’s Smart Meat Thermometer offers wireless and customisable cooking
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Last updated
-
Dualit Espressivo Pro review: a top semi-auto espresso maker for discerning coffee aficionados
The Dualit Espressivo Pro produces espressos every bit as good as the ‘pro’ moniker suggests
By Derek Adams Published
-
Beko takes on Samsung with its new range of AI-assisted appliances
Beko adds AI enhancements to its appliances, including food recognition technology
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Philips Series 5500 LatteGo EP5546/70 Coffee Machine review: a dream machine for custom coffees
Philips' impressive LatteGo system delivers superb coffees – more than 20 different kinds
By Carrie Marshall Published