Mueller 3-in-1 8 Speed Immersion Blender In-depth Review
Overall Verdict
The Mueller Living 3-in-1 8-Speed immersion blender is best suited for light blending tasks. While its 500-watt motor cannot deliver the same level of performance as higher-end models when it comes to pulverizing frozen fruits, it handles small to medium batches of soups, smoothies, and nut-based milk pretty well. Our Muller even includes a whisk attachment, which turns it into a handy entry-level mixer for whipping cream or eggs and for emulsifying sauces.
At around $35, however, its build quality does not feel entirely solid, and the motor comes across as a bit unstable. With the ergonomic handle, the grip should not slip or strain your hand, but since the motor just keeps producing a noticeable vibration that shakes through the handle, you'll be left fatigued anyway. Despite the low price, we believe the value of this Mueller Living doesn't make it worth buying, especially if ease of use is your top priority.
Things We Like
- Ideal for cost-conscious buyers.
- Easy, intuitive controls, and hassle-free setup.
- Various speed settings ensure you can reach the exact desired texture.
- Cleanup is simple enough once you get the hang of it.
Things We Don’t Like
- The unstable motor can cause intense vibrations while in use.
- It’s quite difficult to maneuver the blender since it often sticks firmly to the vessel’s bottom.
Muller is not a newcomer to the hand blender market. For years, it has been delivering machines that balance style, performance, and affordability. In general, they function pretty well toward basic tasks, but there’s still considerable room for improvement in their usability and performance.
For this reason, with this new version now released, the Muller Living 3-in-1, we really expected it not only to look sleeker, but also to provide a better overall blending experience than anything before it.
That said, nothing truly stands out here; this is a simple hand blender with an equally simple upgrade. Keep reading the review and see for yourself what we mean by that.
7.2 Performance
The Muller Living surprisingly passed all of our tests. Although its results didn't wow us much, they were fairly adequate for most casual home cooks. Nevertheless, several same range hand blenders can provide stronger performance, so make sure to weigh your options before deciding.
7.0 Hot Soup Purée
For this test, we used our hand blenders to make a 30-second puréed soup. None of the contenders felt short in this performance, including this Mueller 3-in-1. Under our steady up-and-down blending motion, it churned out a combination of onion, celery, carrot, and pumpkin that was absolutely smooth to the eye.
We did strain the soup through a mesh strainer and then noticed a trace amount of residue. For the most part, they were soft and too small to pose any choking risk for your babies. For those who are looking for velvety, restaurant-quality soups at home, however, these residues may make the texture feel slightly gritty.
It's also worth noting how frustrating the blending process was. Since the Muller couldn't create a stable vortex to draw in the ingredients on its own, we had to move it constantly, aiming to reduce “dead zones” and make sure everything in the batch pulled into the blade's path.
The problem is that somehow, the shaft suctioned firmly to the beaker's bottom, making it crazily difficult for us to lift it. At this point, our tester had no choice but to force it loose with a hard pull-up, and this caused our soup to splatter all over the countertop and even on her hands. Luckily, she didn't get burned, especially when the soup was still hot, but we're not entirely sure you’ll be as lucky if you handle a larger batch.
6.3 Frozen Fruit Smoothie
Our Muller 8-speed was capable of blending frozen fruits, and that surprised us a lot.
In fact, not many mid-range hand blenders we've tested could generate enough force to crush dense food, especially when it had become solid as stone after being left in the freezer for many days.
This inexpensive model, however, was a rare exception. You might notice small flecks of kale were still visible in the drink, and this made the texture be nowhere near as silky as the ones produced by high-end models. The blending time was also quite longer than we'd expected. Even so, we honestly didn’t notice anything wrong, since the smoothie was absolutely drinkable. Free of large lumps, every sip feels smooth and clean. Sure, you can enjoy it comfortably without chewing or fighting with the straw clogging up.
8.5 Mayonnaise
The Muller 8-speed was one of the fastest performers in this test. There’s no fuss, no complicated steps, just a simple, one-minute mixing that could make all the ingredients come together quickly. We would give it a higher score if the mayonnaise's consistency had been denser, though it was already thick enough to spread easily and hold its shape well.
One more highlight is about the beaker's stability. During our emulsifying process, the blender's excessive vibration caused the beaker to keep moving back and forth as soon as we released our hold on it to adjust the speed dial. This complicated the process and made it harder to maintain our control. Nonetheless, this issue can be improved by switching to a heavier blending container. The added weight helps minimize the vibration's effect, keeping the container to stay more firmly.
7.5 Almond Milk
The blender completed its test in one minute and fifteen seconds, which was relatively quick compared to its competitors. The milk turned out with a fine texture, with the almonds entirely blended. We assessed the pulp by straining it through a cheesecloth. Less pulp means the milk is closer to what we expected from store-bought versions.
And as we noticed, the leftover nut particles were not too gritty and definitely not too coarse. This suggested our grinding process was effective, and the milk was likely to pack with optimal nutty flavor. Plus, it had a nice, creamy texture that didn't feel too thin or watery. Although there’s a slight imperfection, it seemed to be a homemade version that was easy to drink and decently balanced in taste.
10 Whipped Egg-Whites
In two minutes, 100 ml of egg whites were successfully frothed into a stiff peak using the Muller's whisk attachment. We liked how light, airy, and stable the foam was. Even when the beaker was flipped upside down, it held its shape perfectly without deflation or breaking apart. If your main task is whisking or aerating simple ingredients like cream, egg whites, and batters for light cakes, muffins, or quick breads, this blender can certainly do the job.
7.3 Design
Our Mueller 3-in-1 has several design features to really appreciate. One is the ergonomic handle, which ensures a secure grip; the other is the blending shaft of reasonable length that allows you to comfortably reach into larger vessels.
On the other hand, the build quality is somewhat mediocre, though this is to be expected given the low price. You might hear a harsh, odd grinding noise when the blender handles heavy-duty tasks, which sounds like there is something loose inside. Frankly speaking, there’s a certain "cheapness" feel that’s hard to ignore.
In the Box
- Motor body
- Blending shaft
- Whisk attachment
- Milk frother attachment
- Removal blade guard
- User manual
Inside the package, you'll find 6 items. Each of them is securely wrapped to ensure it stays safe during shipping. We also find the wrapping is easy to remove, which makes our unboxing experience both simple and effortless.
Dimensions
The Mueller 8-speed immersion blender is ideal in size. It's short enough to tuck away easily when not in use, yet long enough to let you comfortably immerse it in any mixing bowl, large or small.
7.0 Build Quality
The build quality of this Mueller is pretty average, matching the price you're paying for it. There aren’t any specific features that make it stand out from the crowd, nor will you find the top-quality feel of premium materials here. But the blender is certainly not poorly made either. It's simply sturdy enough to get the job done without falling below what’s expected, considering its budget-friendly cost.
Speed and Controls
Our Mueller offers 8 speed settings, which is nice for giving you precise control over what you’re blending. You can switch between the speeds through the dial on top, but if you need a bit of a boost to get the job done quickly, press the turbo button. It provides an instant burst of maximum power, though it’s not noticeably stronger than the regular speeds.
Also, it's a smooth transition when changing speed, and you can easily tell the difference between settings. The problem is that we often hear a buzzing and rattling noise coming from the inside of the body. Such a sound can be especially overwhelming as the blender works at high speeds or deals with dense mixtures.
The exact reason behind this is under investigation, but we suspect the increased motor strain somehow forces the internal parts to vibrate more intensely, causing the rattling to be more dramatic.
We also consider the possibility of internal components not being completely rigid or tightly secured. Essentially, if something is slightly loose or made from flexible materials, vibrations from the blender while it’s in motion can make the components move or rattle, resulting in a frustrating noise.
7.0 Blending Shaft
The whole blending shaft is made from stainless steel, but don't worry—the metal sharp guard won't scratch your cookware's surfaces if you cover it with a detachable rubber blade protector while blending, which is also included in the package.
Regarding the blade, it has four prongs and can resist corrosion. After repeated washing, it still maintains its sharpness, though compared to higher-range blenders, it doesn't look particularly advanced or heavy-duty.
10 Power Cord
With a 4.8 ft cord, you get maximum freedom of movement around your blending space. No more frustration of the cord pulling out on its own due to limited length, the blender lets you focus on your task without interruption.
0.0 Beaker: Not Included
No beaker is included in the packaging.
Extra Accessories: Whisk Attachmen
Similar to the blending stick, the whisk attachment is moderately built and provides just the right amount of functionality for light mixing use. It can easily beat eggs for simple baking recipes, like meringues, macarons, soufflés, waffles, and pavlova. It also proves to be effective at emulsifying ingredients for salad dressings or sauces, including hollandaise or mayonnaise.
Extra Accessories: Milk Frother Attachment
The frother is designed for foaming all milk types, be it full-fat dairy or plant-based options. We haven't had a chance to test it yet, but we'll keep you updated on its efficiency and performance as soon as we do.
7.4 Usability
We really wanted to love this Mueller, yet after using it for a while, it’s clear that the ease of use isn’t quite as smooth as we hoped. With a balanced weight, it's comfortable enough to hold, but there’s something about the grip and the buttons that just feel... off. You might find yourself switching hands or adjusting your grip a lot to avoid hand fatigue and to get the right balance. Perhaps we’re being a bit too critical in this usability evaluation, but to be honest, we can’t help but admire how much more hassle-free other blenders are to use.
7.2 Ease of Use
Beyond the tendency to suction tightly to the vessel's bottom, making it harder to get an even blend, the buzzing feeling that runs through your hand causes the blending experience to become more tiring than it should be. As mentioned earlier, this buzzing experience is a result of the motor's fluctuating intensity, which, in fact, is harmless, but might point to a lack of smooth power regulation.
Additionally, since the motor often struggles to keep up with thicker ingredients, like frozen fruit or tough veggies, we have to use a lot of effort, pushing it down a bit harder so as to get optimized results. Higher-quality blenders typically have more consistent motor power to ensure a faster, more reliable process.
One more trade-off is about the buttons, which feel responsive, but don't have a natural or ergonomic feel. Long periods of pressing them can end up with discomfort, though we think this issue is quite subjective and isn’t something that would concern everyone.
To look at it from a better perspective, the user-friendliness of this Mueller still holds up better than some other models of the same range. Plus, you can easily grasp its working mechanism without checking the instructions.
9.0 Blade Assembly
In theory, you can easily attach or remove the shaft for cleaning by twisting it clockwise or counterclockwise, in relation to the motor body. In practice, however, the motion is obstructed and quite jerky. Things even become trickier when your hands or wet or oily. This issue might come from small tolerances in the parts or from the friction between the connecting surfaces, which aren’t perfectly aligned or lubricated.
6.5 Handling
Smooth and polished, the ergonomic handle minimizes pressure points quite effectively, but we wish it could feature a soft, textured grip, so our hands won’t get slippery while in operation.
Things only become problematic when it comes to adjusting the speed. Yes, a simple twist of the dial can let you speed up or slow down in no time; however, you won't be able to do that while blending because the blender's intense suction will affect the vessel's stability on the counter, and it relies on your hand to keep it in place. So, with both hands occupied—one for the vessel and one for the power button—you won’t have a free hand for adjustments. For the most part, pausing the operation is a must should you want to switch between the speeds.
8.5 Cleanability
Except for the motor body, which requires only a quick damp cloth wipe for a clean, fresh look, all the attachments can be tossed in the dishwasher. Manual cleaning is equally straightforward, but when you have thicker mixtures stuck in the blades' backside, it’s a bit of a hassle.