In-depth review
Breville Control Grip Review (2026)
Breville Control Grip review: trigger speed control, anti-suction bell, 15 speeds, and how this immersion blender compares to Vitamix and KitchenAid.
Breville Control Grip
The trigger-grip benchmark for control.
Our verdict
The Control Grip is the connoisseur's stick blender: a trigger for gas-pedal speed control and an anti-suction bell that solves the most annoying immersion-blender problem. The trade-off is power per dollar. At 280 watts and a premium price, it concedes raw muscle to the Mueller and Vitamix. Buy it for control and soup; buy the Mueller for wattage per dollar.
What we like
- Trigger operation gives variable speed like a gas pedal
- Anti-suction bell design reduces the blender sticking to the pot bottom
- Ergonomic grip stays comfortable during long pureeing sessions
What to watch out for
- 280 watts is modest next to 500-plus-watt rivals
- Premium price for the wattage
- Larger head can be awkward in narrow jars
Who it is for
Cooks who puree soups and sauces weekly and value finesse over brute force.
Trigger control and the 15-speed range
The trigger is the defining feature. Instead of stepped buttons, you squeeze for more speed the way you would a gas pedal, which gives genuinely analog control over texture. Fifteen speed settings back it up for repeatable results. Published reviews consistently highlight the same use case: easing into hot soup at barely-a-simmer speed, then climbing to full power for the final silk. No stepped-button rival replicates that ramp.
Anti-suction bell: the detail that matters
Immersion blenders suction themselves to flat pot bottoms; every cook knows the stuck-head yank. Breville's bell geometry is shaped to break that seal, and published testing notes the head glides where flat-bell rivals grab. It is a small engineering detail with an outsized effect on daily use, because a blender that moves freely purees faster and more evenly. The included 42-ounce jug with lid gives you a proper blending vessel out of the box.
How it stacks up
Against the Vitamix Immersion Blender, the Breville wins on control and loses on power: the Vitamix's 625 watts more than doubles the Breville's 280, and its 5-year warranty dwarfs Breville's coverage. But the Vitamix has five stepped speeds against the Breville's trigger plus fifteen, so texture finesse belongs to Breville. Against the KitchenAid Variable Speed, both offer trigger control, but the Breville adds the anti-suction bell and more speed gradations; the KitchenAid counters with a lower price and an included storage jar.
Power limits and who should skip it
Two hundred eighty watts is enough for soups, sauces, mayo, and soft-fruit smoothies. It is not enough for routine frozen-fruit duty or fibrous green blends; the motor will do it slowly and complain. If your blending skews toward the heavy end, the honest move is the Mueller's 500 watts or the Vitamix's 625. The Breville is a precision instrument, not a workhorse, and it is priced like one.
What owners report
Commonly praised
- The variable speed dial gives fine control, and soups come out smooth quickly
- The wand feels solid in the hand, and many owners say theirs has lasted years
- The bell-shaped guard keeps splatter down and avoids scraping the pot
Common complaints
- The plastic chopper bowl attachment is the weak point, with reports of it cracking
- Water can get inside the wand if it is submerged or put in the dishwasher
- It is bulky for small jobs, and some find the grip tiring with weak hands
Recurring themes from owner reviews on retailers and forums, summarised by our editors. Updated October 2026.
Key specifications
- Motor
- 280 watts
- Speeds
- 15
- Included
- 42-oz jug with lid
- Design
- Anti-suction bell, trigger grip
Also consider
Mueller Austria Ultra-Stick
500 watts and a full attachment kit for less.
- Motor: 500 watts, copper
- Speeds: 9
KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender
The 4-point blade and a jar in the box.
- Speeds: Variable-speed trigger
- Blending arm: 8-inch removable, 4-point stainless blade
Research-based assessment. ThePickLedger has not hands-on tested this product; this evaluation synthesizes manufacturer specifications, retailer documentation, and published expert reviews.
Questions, answered
Is 280 watts enough for soup?
Easily. Soup is a control job, not a power job. Two hundred eighty watts purees cooked vegetables smoothly; power only becomes the limiting factor with frozen or very fibrous ingredients.
Does the anti-suction design really work?
Published testing says yes: the shaped bell breaks the vacuum seal that flat-bell blenders form against pot bottoms, so the head moves freely instead of sticking.
Can I use it in a nonstick pot?
With care. Keep the head moving and fully submerged so the bell never rests on the coating. For frequent use, stainless or enameled pots are safer.