Verdict: great for what it’s built for. The George Home GHB301B-19 is ASDA’s black 300-watt hand blender (also called a stick or immersion blender) with two speed buttons and a removable stainless steel shaft. It turned soft boiled pumpkin into a smooth purée in under a minute in my test and costs £12 at ASDA, so it is worth buying as an entry point for soups, smoothies and baby food — but it will not crush ice or blend hard ingredients.
- Price: £12 at ASDA / George (read 30 September 2026). In my verdict video the listing showed £8 on ASDA’s Rollback offer, marked out of stock
- ASDA rating: 4.6 out of 5 from 269 reviews on ASDA’s grocery page — the figure I quote in my verdict video
- Tested by: Jackie, The Smart Kitchen Guide — my own kitchen, three foods: boiled pumpkin, frozen bananas and ice
- Market: UK. 220–240 V with a UK 3-pin plug — it will not work on 110–120 V mains
- Best for: small kitchens, soft food in small quantities, low budgets, baby food, families who travel
- Skip it if: you want to crush ice, blend frozen fruit or hard vegetables every day, or you want a whisk, chopper and jug
- The one thing to know: 300 W and a 60-second limit. Soft food only, and take a pan off the boil before you blend in it
Nobody paid for this review and there are no affiliate links on this page. Below is what the George Home GHB301B-19 does well, where it stops, what the ASDA manual really says, what 280 ASDA customers report, and whether £12 is a fair price in 2026.
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What did I get wrong or leave out in my George Home hand blender videos?
I checked my videos against the ASDA user guide, ASDA’s listings and ASDA’s customer reviews. These are the eight things I got wrong or left out; each is repeated in the section where it matters.
| What I said | What the sources show |
|---|---|
| “Made in the UK” | Not supported. The label and the manual say “Produced for ASDA, Leeds” and name no country of manufacture. |
| “The manual specifically says not to crush hard ice” | The manual says “do not blend overly hard ingredients as these won’t blend”. It never names ice or frozen fruit. |
| UK customers complain that it struggles with ice and frozen fruit | I counted ASDA’s 280 reviews. None mention ice or frozen fruit. The real complaint is units failing early. |
| Blending pumpkin “directly in the pot” | The manual says not to use the blender with boiling liquids or hot fat, because splashes can scald. Take the pan off the heat first. |
| Packable for safaris, road trips and family holidays | True in 220–240 V countries with a plug adapter; it will not work on 110–120 V mains. |
| “Most budget hand blenders have one speed” | Only partly true: some similarly priced rivals have two speeds or a variable dial. |
| Bamix from “butter and mix”, Braun “by the 1970s” | Bamix comes from the French “battre et mixer” (beat and mix), and Braun’s first hand blender dates from 1966. |
| What I left out | The 2-year warranty, the 100-day guarantee and that no jug is in the box. I also said “UK and Europe”, but every review I found is from ASDA’s UK customers. |
George Home GHB301B-19 specifications
The GHB301B-19 is a single-configuration hand blender: a black 300 W motor body with two push buttons, a removable stainless steel shaft with a blade inside a bell guard, and nothing else. It is a UK model for 220–240 V. Official figures come from the ASDA user guide (© 2019 ASDA Stores Ltd) and ASDA’s product listing; the third column is what I found. ASDA’s pages do not print the model number, so I matched it through the manual’s drawing, the 300 W rating and the two speeds.
| Specification | Official | What I found |
|---|---|---|
| Model | GHB301B-19, sold as “George Home Black Hand Blender” (EAN 5054781630661 on ASDA’s listing) | The label on the motor body reads George Home, hand blender, 300 W, 220–240 V |
| Power | 300 W | Plenty for soft boiled pumpkin, modest for anything hard |
| Voltage and plug | 220–240 V ~ 50/60 Hz, UK 3-pin plug with a 3 A fuse, Class II (double insulated) | UK plug on the cord; it needs 220–240 V |
| Speeds | Two push buttons: I, and II for a slightly faster speed. Hold to run, release to stop. No turbo | Low for soups and batters, faster for small frozen pieces |
| Shaft and blade | Removable stainless steel shaft; stainless steel blade inside a bell guard. Fits with a push and a twist until the arrows line up | Click-and-twist, with lock and unlock symbols on the body |
| Size | H 39 × W 6.5 × D 8 cm (ASDA). Which? measured 38 × 5 × 5 cm and 0.5 kg | About 39 cm tall when assembled |
| In the box | Blender body and shaft only. The manual tells you to use a jug that is not included | No jug, no beaker, no whisk, no chopper |
| Run time | No more than 60 seconds continuously; let it cool before carrying on | Ice reaches that limit first |
| Country of manufacture | Not stated. “Produced for ASDA, Leeds” | The label names ASDA Stores Ltd, Leeds, and no country |
The user guide is the best source for what the manufacturer allows: the GHB301B-19 manual on ManualsLib (ASDA’s own PDF, hosted by a manuals site).
What comes in the box with the George Home GHB301B-19?
Two parts: the motor body with its cord and the stainless steel shaft. There is no jug, beaker, whisk, chopper or storage bag. The manual tells you to blend in a jug or deep container, so you need your own — a tall jug or the pot you cooked in works. It is a single-configuration blender: what you see is what you get.
Can the George Home hand blender handle pumpkin, frozen bananas and ice? The three-food test
It handles soft food well, frozen bananas only just, and ice not properly. My results: soft boiled pumpkin was mashed completely, frozen bananas made it struggle a little but it still did the job, and ice was the limit. The three foods run from what the blender is built for to what it is not.
Does it purée soft boiled pumpkin?
Yes. The 300 W motor made a smooth purée in under a minute without struggling, and I ran it directly in the pot. This is exactly what the blender is built for: soft, cooked food in liquid. Take the pan off the heat before you do it (see the hot soup section below).
Can it blend frozen bananas?
Small pieces, yes — on the higher speed and without overloading the container. The result was a thick, slightly lumpy paste rather than a silky one. Large frozen chunks would struggle more, and the manual’s “overly hard ingredients” warning applies.
Can it crush ice?
No. On the higher speed it chipped a few small cubes, but most stayed whole, and running it at ice strains the motor. This is not an ice crusher. Ice also reaches the manual’s 60-second limit before it gets anywhere. I would not try it, and certainly not daily.
One correction on the ice test. In the test video I said the manual “specifically” forbids crushing hard ice. It does not name ice at all. The wording is “do not blend overly hard ingredients as these won’t blend”. Ice is plainly such an ingredient, but I want you to have the manual’s real words. Frozen fruit is not named either.
Can you blend hot soup with the George Home hand blender?
Warm soup, yes; boiling liquid, no. The manual says: do not use it with boiling liquids or hot fat, because splashes can scald. The stainless steel shaft is fine for hot soup — several ASDA reviewers praise exactly that — so take the pan off the heat, let it stop bubbling, keep the bell guard fully under the surface and start on speed I. In my pumpkin test I blended straight in the pot and did not mention this warning. I should have.
How long can you run the George Home GHB301B-19 without a break?
No more than 60 seconds continuously. The manual says longer runs can overheat the motor; let it cool to room temperature before carrying on, and switch off if the body feels hot. Pumpkin purée fits inside that limit; for a large batch of soup, blend in bursts of under a minute.
What do ASDA customers say about the George Home hand blender?
Mostly good: on ASDA’s grocery page it has 4.6 out of 5 from 269 reviews, the number I quote in my verdict video. I counted the reviews on ASDA’s George page on 30 September 2026 and found 4.66 out of 5 from 280 reviews: 231 five-star, 27 four-star, 9 three-star, 3 two-star and 10 one-star. Owners praise the price (about 156 reviews mention value), soup (46 mentions) and easy cleaning (28). Fourteen mention baby food or purée.
Two cautions. First, the reviews are old and incentivised: 243 of the 280 date from 2020–2023, and 138 of the 254 reviews that record it come from George Rewards members. Since the start of 2024 there are 27 reviews averaging about 3.85 out of 5, five of them one-star. Second, the main complaint is early failure, not ice. About nine reviews say the blender stopped working after a few uses, a week or a few months, including 7 of the 10 one-star reviews; about five more say it is weak or slow. None mention ice or frozen fruit, which differs from what I said in my verdict video. Soft-food buyers are happy, and a small number of units die young.
Which? tested the “Asda George Black Hand Blender” in April 2022, when it cost £12, but its score and verdict are members-only, so I cannot tell you what it scored. Which? also says it found no link between a hand blender’s wattage and how well it blends. I found no test of this model by Good Housekeeping, BBC Good Food or The Independent. A search of the GOV.UK product safety database on 30 September 2026 showed no alert or recall for a George Home or ASDA hand blender; I could not read ASDA’s own recall page.
What if yours fails? George Home gives a 2-year warranty: return a faulty unit to an ASDA store for a replacement or refund, provided it was used as the instructions say and only in the home. ASDA does no servicing and I found no spare shaft, so replace-or-refund is the only route. A separate 100-day satisfaction guarantee lets you return it with proof of purchase to a UK mainland store.
George Home GHB301B-19 pros and cons
Pros
- Compact storage. The shaft comes off, so you store two short pieces instead of one 39 cm unit.
- Simple cleaning. Twist off the shaft, wash it by hand, wipe the body: about 30 seconds of work.
- Two speeds at £12. Low and slightly faster gives control for soup, smoothies and batter without paying for a speed dial.
- Cheap, with cover. £12 at ASDA, with a 2-year warranty and a 100-day guarantee.
Cons
- 300 W is modest. Soft food and small quantities only. Not for hard vegetables, frozen fruit every day, ice or nuts.
- 60-second limit. The manual allows no more than 60 seconds of continuous running.
- One attachment. No whisk, no chopper and no beaker. It does one job.
- No jug in the box. You need your own tall jug or pot.
- Hand wash only. The blade is not dishwasher safe, and it is fixed inside the shaft.
- Early failures. The main complaint in ASDA’s reviews is units that stop working early.
- UK voltage only. 220–240 V; it will not run on 110–120 V mains.
Is the George Home hand blender worth £12?
Yes, if you blend soft food in small quantities: soups, smoothies, pancake batter, sauces, mayonnaise and baby food. I think the 4.6 out of 5 from UK buyers is fair: the people who love it understand what it is, and the people who don’t ask it to do a bigger job than it was built for. If you want power or attachments, look elsewhere — for £3 more at ASDA there is a 600 W George blender.
| Seller | Price (30 September 2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| George at ASDA | £12 | In stock; free Click & Collect, delivery from £3.75 |
| ASDA Groceries | £12.00 | Listed as “George Home Black Hand Blender 300w” |
| Trolley price history | Usually £12; lowest seen £8 | The £8 matches the Rollback price in my verdict video |
| McGrocer | £15.04 | Export reseller that ships abroad |
| Which? (checked June 2026) | £12 at George | — |
ASDA is the only UK seller I found. Reviewers say they paid £7 (on sale), £8 and £10, which is why I give “£8 to £12” in the test video. Prices change often; there are no shopping links on this page.
Who should buy the George Home hand blender — and who should skip it?
Buy it if
- You have a small kitchen with limited storage
- You blend soft foods: soups, sauces, smoothies, baby food, pancake batter
- You are on a low budget and want a simple, easy-to-clean tool
- You travel with a few kitchen gadgets and only need a plug adapter (220–240 V countries)
Skip it if
- You need power for hard ingredients
- You want a multi-attachment system with a whisk and chopper (for a chopper, see my Hamilton Beach Stack & Press chopper review; for whisking, my Hamilton Beach hand mixer review)
- You refuse to hand wash anything
- You blend large quantities daily, or expect it to replace a full-size jug blender (see my Hamilton Beach Power Elite blender review, a US 120 V model)
- You want to crush ice or blend frozen fruit daily
Can you take the George Home hand blender travelling?
Yes, in countries with 220–240 V mains, using a plug adapter. Because the shaft detaches, the motor body and shaft pack flat and take up less space than a pair of shoes. That is why I like it for family holidays and road trips, especially for puréeing baby food. But it is a UK product: it has a UK 3-pin plug and is rated 220–240 V, 50/60 Hz. On 110–120 V mains (the USA, Canada and other countries) it will not work properly and needs a transformer, and the manual says it is for household use only.
How do you use, clean and store the George Home hand blender?
- Make sure it is unplugged. Line up the arrows on the shaft and the motor body, push them together and twist until they lock. To remove the shaft, twist the other way.
- Put the food in a jug or deep container — not included — and lower the blade completely into the food.
- Plug in, press and hold button I (low) or II (slightly faster) and move the blender slowly up and down or in a circle.
- Stop after no more than 60 seconds and let it cool if you need to carry on.
- Do not add food while it is running, and never run it in an empty container.
Cleaning takes about 30 seconds because the shaft comes off. Unplug the blender, twist off the shaft (the blade is sharp), wash the shaft in warm soapy water and rinse it under the tap. Wipe the motor body with a damp cloth, and never put the body, cord or plug in water. Dry everything fully before storing. The manual says the blender blade is not dishwasher safe. I said “blade and shaft” in my videos: since the blade is fixed inside the shaft, in practice the whole shaft is hand wash only.
For storage, the motor body can go in a drawer and the shaft in a utensil basket: two short pieces instead of one long unit. I keep mine assembled in a cabinet, but the detachable shaft gives you the choice, and it takes less space than a three-in-one hand blender.
What is it best at? Soft-fruit smoothies, pancake batter (try it on the batter for my banana pancakes), smooth soups, silky sauces, homemade mayonnaise and baby food. For baby food, the manual says to sterilise the blender properly first; children must not use it.
George Home hand blender not working? Quick fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Won’t start, or stopped suddenly | Blown plug fuse, or an early motor failure | Check the 3 A fuse in the plug. If it still won’t run, return it to an ASDA store with the receipt — it has a 2-year warranty |
| Body feels hot | Run for longer than 60 seconds | Switch off and let it cool to room temperature |
| Splashing | Bell guard not fully under the surface, container too shallow | Use a tall jug, keep the bell under the surface and start on speed I |
What are the alternatives to the George Home GHB301B-19 for under £30?
The main reasons to pick something else are more power, dishwasher-safe parts or a beaker in the box. I have not tested any of these; the table is from retailer and manufacturer listings, with prices read at the named shop on 30 September 2026.
| Hand blender | Price | Power / speeds | Compared with the GHB301B-19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Home stainless steel black and silver (same ASDA shelf) | £15 at ASDA | 600 W, dial and turbo | Twice the power and variable speed for £3 more; 4.8 out of 5 from 179 ASDA reviews. It is probably the GHB401SS-21 in the ASDA manuals, but ASDA’s page does not print the model number |
| Braun MultiQuick 1 MQ10.001P | £20 at Argos | 450 W, 1 speed | More power, a 600 ml beaker and dishwasher-safe parts; 4.8 out of 5 from 324 reviews. Only a 1-year guarantee and one speed |
| Bosch MSM6B150GB | £20 at Argos | 300 W, 1 speed | Same power, but with a beaker, dishwasher-safe parts and a 2-year guarantee; the wand is plastic. 4.4 out of 5 from 196 reviews |
| Bosch ErgoMixx MSM66020GB | £24.99 at Argos (was £35) | 600 W, 12 speeds and turbo | Beaker and chopper included; 4.8 out of 5 from 679 reviews. Plastic wand, heavier at 1.1 kg, and about twice the price |
| Russell Hobbs Food Collection 22241 | About £15–16 (ASDA, Tesco, Amazon) | 200 W, 2 speeds | Also has two speeds at a similar price; 4.6 out of 5 from 82 reviews. Less power |
Who invented the immersion blender?
The Swiss engineer Roger Perrinjaquet, who patented it in 1950 and sold it as the Bamix; production started in 1954. The idea was to bring the blade to the food, so you can purée soup in the pot you cooked it in. Professional chefs adopted it first. Braun launched its first hand blender in 1966. In my test video I said “Bamix” means “butter and mix”; it comes from the French “battre et mixer” (beat and mix), and Braun was earlier than the 1970s I gave. These facts come from the Wikipedia entries on Bamix and Roger Perrinjaquet.
George Home GHB301B-19 FAQ
How many watts is the George Home GHB301B-19 hand blender?
300 watts. The label on the motor body and ASDA’s manual both give 300 W, at 220–240 V and 50/60 Hz. It has two speeds and no turbo button.
Does ASDA sell hand blenders?
Yes. ASDA’s George Home range (prices read 30 September 2026) includes this black 300 W blender at £12, a stainless steel 600 W model at £15, a “Scandi” hand blender with turbo at about £16 and a glossy black 3-in-1 with attachments at about £22. The white 250 W single-speed model is rated 2.8 out of 5.
Can the George Home hand blender crush ice or blend frozen fruit?
Not properly. The manual says not to blend “overly hard ingredients”. In my test it chipped a few small ice cubes on the higher speed but left most whole, and it managed small frozen banana pieces only with a struggle. Ice strains the motor and hits the 60-second limit first.
How long is the warranty on the George Home hand blender?
Two years. George Home replaces or refunds a faulty unit returned to a store, if it was used as instructed and only at home. There is also a 100-day satisfaction guarantee with proof of purchase. ASDA does not service the blender, and I found no spare shaft.
Watch the full test: pumpkin, frozen bananas, ice, cleaning and storage
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Related reviews and recipes
- Hamilton Beach Power Elite blender review — a jug blender for smoothies and ice (US 120 V model)
- Hamilton Beach Stack & Press chopper review — the chopper this hand blender does not have
- Hamilton Beach Classic stand and hand mixer review — for whisking and batters
- Mueller Smart Stick 800W review — another hand blender, for comparison
- Banana pancakes — a recipe where a hand blender makes the batter smooth
How this review was made
I am Jackie, the reviewer behind The Smart Kitchen Guide. The tests and photos are mine, taken from my two videos on this exact model. Specifications come from the ASDA user guide, the rating label on the blender and ASDA’s product listings. ASDA’s pages do not print the model number, so I matched GHB301B-19 to the ASDA listing through the manual, the specifications and the 2019 dates. Prices and ratings were read from ASDA, Argos and price trackers on 30 September 2026; the review counts come from the review feed on ASDA’s George page. Which?’s verdict on this model is behind a paywall, so I have not quoted it. This page contains no affiliate links and no sponsored content. Last updated 30 September 2026.
