The Takeaway: Black+Decker’s Kitchen Wand is the wireless multitool for chefs of any skill level. It’s easy to use and performs each of its six functions well, combining the most-used kitchen gadgets into a compact stick no larger than a flashlight. These include an immersion blender, a whisk, a dual-chamber spice grinder, a frother, a can opener, and a wine opener. Swapping between each function is a snap, literally, since each tool sits on the end of an attachable head. Click your desired attachment into the main body, select a speed using the adjustable dial, and press the front and rear power buttons to operate the motor. The Kitchen Wand is a bit pricey for the $200 all-in-one tool bundle I reviewed. But for most people, the $129 three-piece option is well worth the investment. It will save time and space in your kitchen while automating whisking, blending, and grinding.
Specs
- Multitool with attachments ($199 for six-piece, $129 for three-piece, or $99 for single-piece) in 12 x 10-inch storage box
- Up to 30 minutes of continuous battery life from a full charge
- Main body is 8 inches tall and weighs just 2 pounds for easy grip and maneuvering
- Available this August for $99, $129, or $199 depending on the attachment bundle
If last year’s Ninja Foodi Grill evaluation or my recent kitchen appliance reviews in the cooking section of the Gadget Awards aren’t clear enough indication, I enjoy putting the latest electronic cooking tools through their paces. So when Black+Decker announced its new Kitchen Wand, I was eager to get some time with it. Black+Decker’s extensive tool history is on full display in the brand’s first of its kind kitchen multitool. Its sturdy metal construction feels solid yet is easy to grab and maneuver. And the main wand itself—as well as the charging base—is compact enough that it doesn’t take up much space on crowded countertops among other appliances. My wand didn’t come charged, so I threw it onto the stand, where a battery indicator relayed charge status via LED lights. There’s no wires to worry about, so you can prep your meals in a wider variety of places without having to consider cable management.
I appreciated that each attachment type had a well-organized and snug cutout. But at 12 x 10 inches each, both storage cases (the six-attachment kit I tested comes with two toolbox-like containers storing three heads each) take up precious counter and cabinet space. I usually keep these in a closet and lay out the six attachments along my kitchen counter for easy access. That way when I need to switch from blending to whisking, I can do so quickly.
Kitchen Wand Functions
Operating the Kitchen Wand is simple; I choose the head of whatever function I need, twist lock it into the main base body (which houses the motor and battery) until I hear a click, then select a speed on the wand’s adjustable dial. And there are five to choose from. But even the middle speed proved to be overkill; this wand is plenty powerful. I easily made smoothies and cakes, frothed milk for my coffee, and seasoned traditional entrees like steak and chicken. I found that the Kitchen Wand streamlined recipes as I switched from whisking eggs for dessert to blending up Sunday sauce throughout my week of testing. Because the tool is so intuitive, even my partner could pick up the device without reading any instructions beforehand.
Immersion Blender
The most useful tool the wand is the immersion blender. It easily adjusts between speeds and creates a powerful vortex on the bottom that ground through even the toughest veggies (like cucumbers) and liquified 6 ounces of chopped bananas. I blended up fruit smoothies, vegetables for soup, and even a hard, sharp aloe vera plant for a facial moisturizer for my partner. Even with crushed ice, the blender didn’t so much as stutter at full speeds. As long as you aren’t making full recipes you’d normally toss in a blender that require full cubed ice, you’ll find that this little blade slices and dices a smooth result.
Whisk
Whipping up scrambled eggs from freshly cracked to yellow by hand normally takes about 45 seconds and leaves me a bit gassed. With the electric whisk attachment, I was getting the same result in less than six seconds at just the second speed setting, plus ripping through the thickest of batters at the third setting. And even at full throttle, the whisk doesn’t make a mess. Both eggs and baked desserts came out noticeably lighter and fluffier while requiring less prep time and without unwinding cords to plug into an outlet.
Frother
Like the whisk above, the frother is the only other stick-tool in the collection that slides into an adaptor piece before clicking into the wand base. Now, if you don’t often make cappuccinos or lattes, there’s a good chance you can skip this tool entirely. But if you love your java, then this frother creates thick, silky foam. Whether I was using a mug or a bowl, the foam consistency was lightweight. And the process was much faster than doing it by hand.
Salt and Pepper Grinder
I prefer larger peppercorns and thick salt on my foods, but I don’t like to ask guests to use a hand grinder every time they want finely ground seasoning. After clicking the attachment onto the wand and loading up the divided chambers with the two spices of your choice, you can quickly select the speed and size of your grind. I filled one side with thick Mediterranean salt chunks and the other with large peppercorns. Then I closed up the doors, removed the cap at the bottom, adjusted the spice size and collar to pick the side I wanted to grind up; either the salt or pepper.
Pressing both of the motor buttons created satisfyingly coarse salt and pepper powder. However, you aren’t limited to these basic spice choices; you can ground up things like garlic flakes and dehydrated onion as well. It works without clogging or delays. I just wish that the compartment doors would snap into place rather than quietly folding up for more tactile reassurance that my unground spices aren’t going anywhere while in use or stored away.
Can Opener
I opened a wide variety of can sizes for things like chickpeas, beans, and tomatoes using this opener. You simply grab the can opener head, twist it into the wand body for a secure lock, then push it down onto the can. Once you flip down the side lever, the can opener grabs on and quickly cutting the lid off.
Larger tomato cans and smaller tuna cans opened just as easily despite a gap in height and can radiuses. The attachment clasps the cans in place so oil and juice don’t drip all over the place for a higher level of overall cleanliness. I just had to carry over the top and release the lever above the garbage. Without spilling a drop between cans you won’t have to wash this attachment as frequently. Plus, the opener neatly decaps cans so there’s no potentially harmful sharp edges.
Wine Opener
The system works as intended—I simply used the foil cutting tool to expose the corks of my bottles, pressed the screw down on it with the insert, and then pressed the power buttons to uncork bottles of reds and whites. But most bottles I pick up these days already have a cork remover built-in, and the wand takes away a bit of the excitement from the pop.
The Verdict
The Kitchen Wand is an incredibly helpful tool for everyday uses. It’s not going to collect dust in my pile of niche appliances like my sandwich presser or waffle maker. Its slick design and versatility guarantee it will sit plugged into an outlet on my counter so it’s ready to go when I need it. But at $200 for the full six-attachment package, it’s expensive, especially so if you only regularly employ just a few of the six possible tools. You can buy the base with a single attachment for $99 and then build around it by purchasing specific attachments separately to save some serious cash.
The Kitchen Wand has greatly streamlined my cook and clean times, saved my hands some energy of beating eggs or mixing batter, and produces a smooth blend with ease. I was happy using the traditional whisk or can opener, but that’s because I hadn’t experienced the ease of this wand. To say I would be hard-pressed to go back to using them now would be an understatement.
Black+Decker’s Kitchen Wand goes on sale later this August in three different configurations: the Wand with a single attachment for $99, the Wand with three attachments for $129, and the Wand with all six attachments for $199.
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