Immersion Blenders

[bleachboy]

I have a Bamix that my wonderful wife bought me last year. I use it frequently, and so does she. Any kind of emulsified sauce (mayo, hollandaise, vinaigrette, etc) is a breeze and during the colder months I use it a LOT for pureeing soups. It's great because if you are making a bean soup or something where you want it mostly pureed but you still want a few chunks, you just pulse it until it's just how you want it, and you can do it all in the original pot.

My wife recently also used it to grind spices (to make spice blends) and reported good results. That requires a little spice grinder attachment thing, which was included with my Bamix.

And the best part is... they are REALLY easy to clean. Clean it right after use, and it takes about 8 seconds.

Enjoy your new toy! I'm sure you'll love it!

[snowangel]

Fifi, our hypnotist, must be lurking, because I do need an immersion blender, and now.

[bloviatrix]

In preparing dinner for 8 last week I used my immersion blender to puree soup, emulsify the marinade, and break down the grapes which were used to make sorbet (less messy than the food processor). I love mine so much that I bought a back-up for "just in case."

[lovebenton0]

Wonderful for all the above. I use mine all the time, blending in cooking pot is a dream! Soup weather right now -- I used it last night for creamed cauliflower soup and tonight for tortilla soup. It's one of the early Brauns with an attachment for grinding nuts and spices. The tall cup mine came with is ideal for whipping (very cold) cream or milk.

Dips, dressings, sauces, glazes, gravy . . .

Hot cocoa!

Fifi, our hypnotist, must be lurking, because I do need an immersion blender, and now.

Susan, get thee to thy local mart and get one today!

[jackal10]

Make foams and "airs" - try carrot air from fresh carrot.

Mash potatoes, if you fix the starch first

Instant sorbets, from frozen fruit and sugar

[Marco_Polo]

Make foams and "airs" - try carrot air from fresh carrot.

Can you explain how to do this, please, Jack.

[fifi]

Fifi, our hypnotist, must be lurking, because I do need an immersion blender, and now.

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Nope... Not me... Not this time.

I actually don't have one now. When the son moved out, he took it with him. He is a buttless string bean and we got the thing for him to make these disgusting protein shakes. Of course, I appropriated it for soups and such. I miss it. That is where the true magic is and I would buy one just for that. You have great control over texture, all in the same pot, and no hot soup geyser blenders. I will probably need a new toy under the tree.

[jackal10]

Make foams and "airs" - try carrot air from fresh carrot.

Can you explain how to do this, please, Jack.

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We had a discussion on this some time ago.

Here we go:

Take some carrot (here 60 gm) of prettty rough old carrot, but that was all there was in the vegetable basket and 100 ml of water

Put in food processor. I guess you could chop the carrot and use the stick blender

and whizz

Strain out the solids

Then fillter some more (this is though a bit of kitchen towel)]

You might want to correct seasonings at this point.

Have at it with a stick blender, holding the blender just at the surface so lots of air is incorperated.

Skim the foam off as it forms.

Carrot Air!

Since the foaming is quite a tedious process and must be done a la minute, I find it easier to do it before hand as a mise, and freeze the product. As a solid frozen foam it is much more stable.

[Marco_Polo]

Very cool. Thank you very much.

[Wine_Dad]

I was going to describe my "roasted red pepper sauce" but after seeing the "Carrot Air" it seems pointless.

Anyway!

Take three roasted red peppers, 2-3 cloves of crushed garlic, splash of lime juice, and hot peppers of your choice (I use chipotle) and grind them into a sauce. You can add (or not) oil to get the perfect consistency. Depending on our respective girth at the time dictates how much oil we add.

Carrot air - I'm going to town with that one.

[marie-louise]

Fifi, our hypnotist, must be lurking, because I do need an immersion blender, and now.

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Nope... Not me... Not this time.

I actually don't have one now. When the son moved out, he took it with him. He is a buttless string bean and we got the thing for him to make these disgusting protein shakes. Of course, I appropriated it for soups and such. I miss it. That is where the true magic is and I would buy one just for that. You have great control over texture, all in the same pot, and no hot soup geyser blenders. I will probably need a new toy under the tree.

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I'll step in for Fifi (we're a team here at eGullet, right?)

I just use mine for soups, but I agree, it is so much easier than repeatedly spooning small amounts in a blender, FP, or food mill that it's worth owning this tool if you ever want to make pureed soups. At someone's suggestion here, I recently bought the made-by-Bamix Williams-Sonoma version to replace my old Braun that either sprayed me or stuck to the bottom w/ suction. Wow-what a difference. It works much better. It costs about $100. but I bet it goes on sale now and again. I highly recommend it. I think the real Bamix is about $150.

Edited to say that the real Bamix is $125 at Sur La Table but

ta-da...

Williams Sonoma has the one I like on sale for $69.99 (regularly $99) http://ww1.williams-sonoma.com/cat/pip.cfm...95164&cmsrc=sch

You need one.

Edited November 23, 2004 by marie-louise (log)

[marie-louise]

The Williams-Sonoma ad also shows a picture of one of those Batter Pitchers, and mentions other uses for the blender: vinaigrettes & batters. I have the older version of that pitcher-mine doesn't have measuring lines-but that would be a real fast way to make pancakes, popovers, and more.

Damn-now I want I new Batter Pitcher. Don't 'ya just hate when they improve things like that?

Anyway, the rest of you should buy both with the $$$ you saved by buying it on sale.

[Clerkenwellian]

The carrot air looks incredible; I'm amazed it foams so much without gelatine or egg white. How long does it take?

Also, if you freeze it, how do you defrost without it losing all the air?

[jackal10]

The carrot air looks incredible; I'm amazed it foams so much without gelatine or egg white. How long does it take?

Also, if you freeze it, how do you defrost without it losing all the air?

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Carrot has natural saponins (soaps).

It was Ferran Adria's original idea and recipe. There was a discussion some time ago about how to make it, and I posted my attempt then. It was just going to post a reference, but the original photos had disappeared. Fortunately I had them on a back-up disc, so I redid the post.

The carrot foams quickly, provided you keep skimming off the froth. I guess that small bowl took a few minutes.

Its a bit of a cheat really. Unless you freeze it, or incorporate a gelling agent, the stuff doesn't last more than a few minutes. The tiny particles of carrot puncture the gas cells as the walls thin as the water drains. Adria lets his carrot juice stand for a few days, then decants off the clear juice. He also serves it over an orange sorbet, wich disguises the liquid run-off.

I freeze it fast, and then serve it frozen as a super-light sorbet. Lot of work though.

You can also flavour it (orange, corander etc), or use other root vegetables. However foams are now a bit past...

[NancyH]

Whatever you do - don't buy cordless! My mom gifted me with the Cuisinart Cordless a few years ago; it retails for well over $100. First, the supposedly dishwasherable blending end got waterlogged from the dishwasher. Since it was out of warranty, I had to pay $18 plus shipping for a new part - and the darn thing still doesn't work - it limps and whines.

Just got a new Braun - sprang for the $100 model with all the gizmos even though Alton Brown recommends the $29 model - and I am thrilled with it! Two speeds (one of them adjustable) and lots of power.

[marie-louise]

The Braun I didn't like was 5-10 years old. It had a bell-shaped device that covered the blades. There were slotted holes in this bell-shaped device, but not enough so that the device didn't create its own suction and stick to the bottom of the pan. I never quite mastered the coordination of turning it off & lettling come to a complete stop before lifting-so I was ALWAYS spraying myself w/ soup. (Plus, it was a pain-in-the-ass to have to keep stopping it.) The Bamix has prongs instead of this bell-shaped device, so enough air gets around the blades to prevent suction.

Hopefully, Braun has fixed this flaw by now.

[andiesenji]

I love mine so much that I bought a back-up for "just in case."

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We so think alike!

I have more than one "just in case" and also because I need one really long one for working in deep stock pots but it is too large for most other uses. (Waring WSB60 with 16"shaft)

I have one that lives permanently by the cooktop (and for which I have an overhead plug recepticle for which I am eternally grateful as it keeps the cord from dragging through stuff) as I am always using it for sauces, and so many other things, and another in my prep area that is instantly handy for use. I have a bright red KitchenAid that was a gift, still in the box.

My housekeeper, new to the American way of having gadgets for so many tasks, bought one for herself, her very first kitchen appliance, which she uses to chop herbs for a lunch/snack she makes to take to school. She could use mine but wanted one of her very own.

Edited November 23, 2004 by andiesenji (log)

[Adam Balic]

It occurs to me having seen the carrot air that the IB could be used to make syllabubs, would be interesting to bring these desserts up to date.

[Angela Alaimo]

I love my immersion blender! It also came with a little container with a blade that you chop nuts, etc., and make breadcrumbs. It also has a rather odd attachment that you screw onto the bottom of the blender itself and ta da! You can whip cream in a minute.

Just make sure you wash it off well first if you used it for say, pureeing soup, before you want whipped cream.

Robyn, maybe you could make parsnip foam to go with the parsnip puree.

Angela

[snowangel]

So, what kind of immersion blender should I buy?

[Gifted Gourmet]

So, what kind of immersion blender should I buy?

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Cuisinart

Kitchen Aid is also a good idea ...

[foolcontrol]

You can use it to fix a broken custard.

[Marlene]

So, what kind of immersion blender should I buy?

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Bamix

[robyn]

I love my immersion blender!  It also came with a little container with a blade that you chop nuts, etc., and make breadcrumbs.  It also has a rather odd attachment that you screw onto the bottom of the blender itself and ta da!  You can whip cream in a minute. 

Just make sure you wash it off well first if you used it for say, pureeing soup, before you want whipped cream. 

Robyn, maybe you could make parsnip foam to go with the parsnip puree.

Angela

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Hi Angela (Angela and I go way back - and I lured her to eGullet - she's a terrific cook ). It's not a parsnip puree - it's a rutabagas/turnip/parsnip/sweet potato/carrot puree . And I found that the immersion blender won't turn 7 pounds of these veggies into a puree . So I had to go through my old routine - first the food mill - then a quick spin in the food processor. Doesn't sound too bad - but it's bad - because I have to do multiple batches when I'm making so much. My kitchen winds up looking like some people were having a food fight. Oh well - at least I got the messiest thing out of the way today.

Tomorrow is soup and pie and a couple of veggies day. I'm making a corn chowder - which usually has chunks of potatoes in it. I wonder if it would be more elegant if I gave the immersion blender a whirl? Perhaps I'll experiment with a little and see what happens. Or maybe I shouldn't mess with a Julia Child recipe. Robyn

[irodguy]

You just need a "real" immersion blender

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=mo...cmd=si&img=5588

I have the 20 inch model. I freqeuntly use it to make large batches of Tomato sauce. I don't cut anything up to speak of and then hit it for a few seconds with the blender.

I also have a kitchen aid for small batches, but don't use it often.