Immersion/Stick Blenders

[Hub-UK2]

I reckon if my mother had still been alive she could have done with one to get the lumps out of her gravy.

The Bamix will allow you to have many hours of pleasure making the kitchen equivalent of "mud pies" - experimeting is good for the soul!

[mamster]

I got an immersion blender for xmas. It's the basic Oster model. I said I didn't care which one I got because I'm mainly planning to use it for making hot chocolate and the occasional partially pureed soup.

In the instructions, it warns not to run the blender for more than one minute at a time, and then to pause three minutes before starting it again. But when making hot chocolate, I blend for like five minutes straight. I'm planning to completely ignore the instructions and figure even if I'm straining the motor, I won't be using it that often anyway. Does this seem reasonable?

[heyjude]

Mamster, if I had read this thread first instead of listening to the salesperson, I would probably have sprung for a fancier one. Cleaning can be an issue. Mine has never failed me-you decide whether to keep or exchange.

[ExtraMSG]

I have the low-end Braun and have tried the top-end Braun. Honestly, I don't think the high end version is worth the extra money.

I like the Braun and use it a lot. I use it for pureed soups, the kind I like and make the most. I use it for salsas (it's much better than a Cuisinart or blender since you have more control and it's lower powered, but still way easier than a mortar). I also use it for pureed sauces. eg, I like to braise with roughly chopped pieces of all kinds of stuff and then finish the sauce by partially pureeing it. Also, I like my Indian curries finished with a puree. I use it several times a week and find the cleanup and use supremely easy. You can just toss it in the dish washer. Don't bother with the attachments. I do wish I could buy multiple standard sticks, though.

[bloviatrix]

I have a Moulinex. I use it primarily for pureeing soups or whipping cream. Considering I paid $5 for it (they were blowing them out at Zabars) and I can stick the pieces in the dishwashers, I can't complain.

[chezlamere]

Just get one, they're cheap at Wal-mart, Zellers, anywhere, you'll never regret it, the cheaper the better. I've Had mine forever.

[joiei]

I got the little Braun with the cup attachment. It does everything I need and more. I see no need to spend anymore than $30. for this tool. I even got an extra one to mix my glazes for ceramics.

[ronnie_suburban]

I'd avoid models that have plastic shafts. They crack and once they do, the stick blender is trash and you have to replace it. If I had room to store the Bamix I probably would have puchased one. Instead I got a Braun (MR 5550 M BC-HC) with a stainless shaft and it came with a bunch of attachments. I think it'll be fine because my previous Braun was great--except that the plastic shaft eventually cracked.

=R=

[Mottmott]

I'm using a generally satisfactory Braun, except: THE CORD. Is there a good one out there that is battery powered?

(I set up my kitchen pre-immersion blender days and the wall on which I have my longest counter run is against a masonry wall which makes late additions of electric difficult.)

[Katherine]

I'm using a generally satisfactory Braun, except: THE CORD.  Is there a good one out there that is battery powered?

Cuisinart cordless rechargeable hand blender, halfway down the page.

[CRUZMISL]

I had the cordless Cuisinart and sent it back. It just didn't have enough power for my protein drinks. That Bamix thing may be the best thing since pumpkin pie but $200 for a hand blender

I have a cheapy Braun and it's still going after 5 years of abuse.

Joe

[mamster]

For those keeping score, I melted the plastic shaft of my blender on its maiden voyage. It's going back for something, anything, with a metal shaft.

[fifi]

For those keeping score, I melted the plastic shaft of my blender on its maiden voyage. It's going back for something, anything, with a metal shaft.

How the heck did you manage to do that? What kind was it? A friend of mine has had it with plastic blades getting out of whack and got one that is metal shaft and blade. I think he got it at W-S. This one looks like what he got.

[Marlene]

I had the cordless Cuisinart and sent it back. It just didn't have enough power for my protein drinks. That Bamix thing may be the best thing since pumpkin pie but $200 for a hand blender

I have a cheapy Braun and it's still going after 5 years of abuse.

Joe

I'm tellin' ya, the Bamix is awesome. I could throw away my blender and my hand mixer now. And it's soooooo easy to clean.

[bleachboy]

I'm tellin' ya, the Bamix is awesome.  I could throw away my blender and my hand mixer now.  And it's soooooo easy to clean.

I concur. The Bamix is awesome. I got one for Christmas and it has already been used almost every day. So far, no regrets at all.

[Callipygos]

I got the Braun with the whisk and the chopper attachment, and found that the chopper just chops things MUCH too fine.

The blender, though, enabled me to make a decent latte without a milk steamer. (I used to just warm the milk in the microwave and just make do with the fact that I had no froth, but this frothed the milk nicely before I added the coffee. Heh.) I've also used the blender to puree bean soups and such. Haven't tried the whisk yet -- next time I do an omlette, maybe.

[elion_84]

A couple of months ago a bought a stick blender because I've heard many people rave about them. I mainly wanted to use it to puree sauces, not soups. I always shy away from making dishes that suggest pereeing the sauce at the end because of the hassle of cleaning up the blender. The stick blender looked like it would be easy to clean up - more like cleaning a spatule spatula - rinse and stick in the dishwasher.

Well, so far I've been very disappointed in using the stick blender. When pureeing small amount of sauce (1 - 1 1/2 inch deep) it just sends splatter all over the kitchen. This really dashed my "easy cleanup" hopes :). I've tried tilting the pan but then I can't get into the corner, plus keeping a large cast iron pan tilted is a pain. Is there a better way to use the stick blender?

[edsel]

When pureeing small amount of sauce (1 - 1 1/2 inch deep) it just sends splatter all over the kitchen.

I think that's the problem. The stick blender's blades need to be well submerged or you wind up wearing the sauce. Try switching to a narrower sauce pan, or transfer the sauce to a narrow container before pureeing it. Make sure the level is above the cowl that protects the blades. You'll soon learn to love your stick blender.

[Suzanne F]

Another possibility is to drape a towel or plastic wrap over the open part of the pan, around the blender. At least that way, the flying sauce is contained. But as edsel says, if you can transfer the sauce to a narrower, taller pan so the blades are submerged, you shouldn't have that splash.

[Susan in FL]

My immersion blender came with a narrow container with tall sides, which it fits into, to puree small amounts, and any splatter is just collected on the sides ...maybe improvise something like that.

[Mudpuppie]

I never got into mine because it's soooo hard to clean. I'd rather clean the blender any day. Maybe I need to go for a different brand....

[loper]

The kitchenaid model comes apart so you can pop the blender portion into the dishwasher - I'm sure other brands do as well - something to look for.

[chardgirl]

I'm in the "I love my immersible blender" camp. I have the little bowl that attaches to it to do smaller amounts of sauce or dressing... Mine doesn't go into the dishwasher, but it rinses off very easily, much easier than hauling out the 'regular' blender. I make pureed vegetable soups often and always use this toy. But then I probably have too many kitchen toys....

[hillvalley]

I've always wanted one, but I already have a regular blender I don't use a ton. Have those of you who have made the big switch found you blend more? Does it mean I can get rid of my big blender?

[chromedome]

I've just recently gotten one, HV, and I do rather like it.

I tend to only use my "standard" blender during the hot weather, when the kids are demanding smoothies. It's a royal pain to clean fruit pulp out of, let me tell you!

I haven't had my immersion blender long enough to really put it through its paces, but I do find it immeasurably better for soups and (quantity) sauces. Ladling a pot of cream-of-whatever into and out of the standard blender was a too much trouble to be worth it. I've even used my "stick" to turn barley into barley flour, in a pinch.

As for cleanup, well...shove blender under running water, rinse, remove, dry. Much faster, IMO.

Mine's nothing special; just the cheapie Braun that they recommend at school ($20 CDN, less Stateside I'm sure). Works well, though.