Immersion/Stick Blenders

[scubadoo97]

I think it depends on what you are using it for, quantities you expect to blend, and such. The wattage ratings on appliances are fairly meaningless as far as I can tell.  I have had a Bamix Deluxe for over a year and think it is great. About $120 US.

On the other hand, a cordless model would have it's advantages. Threading the Bamix cord over and around objects on the counter is the only thing about it I dislike. Not enough to not use it, but....

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I have a cheap knock off of a Bamix, the Thunderstick, and it is very different from my older Braun style IB. The Bamix design has interchangeable blades, multipurpose, chopping, whisking and beating. I can whip up skim milk into a thick whipped cream consistency. I like the long slender rod as opposed to the thicker design of other IBs. Cordless would be nice but experience with other cordless appliances reminds me that over time there are issues with the increased need to charge over time and the problems of having a near dead battery right when you need it. With the cord you are always at full power. My knock off Bamix is on it's last leg and I would buy a real Bamix to replace it. It's expensive but I think the design is superior.

Edited February 3, 2007 by scubadoo97 (log)

[Mallet]

Based on the tasks you use your blender for, I'd say you're good with what you have. I use an el cheapo Braun blender for the same uses and have no complaints about the single speed.

I'm guessing that benefit of multiple speeds are mostly if you use your blender for other things (like chopping onions etc...)

[Old Timer]

If your intent is to just do a few puree's and emulsify soup, then the cheaper one's will work fine.

The KitchenAid comes with a whisk attachment that makes quick work of egg whites and a chopper attachment that finely chops herbs, nuts, and even coffee beans.

The variable speeds come in handy for me when I blend omelet mix, marinara sauce, and I have even used it for crepe batters.

Here is the product link from KitchenAid.

http://www.kitchenaid.com/catalog/product....eeb056c4b2e1f54

For the extra $20-$30 you get a lot more versatility and great warranty.

[HKDave]

I recently got given a 600w Braun. I think this same model is sold as 500w in the US. Seems absurdly powerful for the task, and works like a charm. 2yr warranty. The lowest speed is all I use for puree-ing soups, but the higher speeds are useful in the mini-processor attachment (which I thought I'd never use, but I do). The 'anti-splash' shaped cowling over the blades really does work.

I wanted a Bamix - I've used one in restaurants before - but they're more than 3x the price of the Braun locally, need to be special ordered from Switzerland, have a worse warranty and no local repair centre. Now that I'm using the Braun, I don't think I'd need anything better. I would have liked a stainless shaft model but they're not sold here, and it turns out the plastic shaft works just fine.

Nice piece of equipment.

[vanveen]

Personally, I prefer the KitchenAid KHB300WH Immersion Blender.

It has full range variable speed and is quite powerful. 300 Watts, I think.

It comes with several attachments

The exact same blender, sans attachments (which seem to be only useful in the special cup that it comes with; I personally find these extras useless if you already have a real stand mixer/egg beater and food processor), can be had with model KHB100.

It's been showing up on the Amazon Friday sale for the past two weeks at $30.

[barbc]

I love my Kitchen Aid it will even chop ice! I have to be careful though because if I want to puree a bit of soup in a pot a couple seconds will puree plenty.

I also love that the immersion part is removeable and can be cleaned easilly.

Barb C (who blew though lesser models a bit too easilly)

[Kerry Beal]

I am a big fan of Bamix, I have one at home, one on the boat, I have given at least 4 as gifts. I like the two speeds, the different blades and the very powerful motor. I've used cheaper immersion blenders at times and found they don't have the power you need.

My favorite thing to do with it, make the caesar salad dressing in the jar you store it in.

Check out Mendelsons on e-bay. This is where I bought the last one I gave away at Christmas. It was new in the box. And the price was excellent.

[helenjp]

I had a Bamix which died, but I'm more than pleased with my Braun Multimix - it's similar to the Braun Multiquick mentioned upthread, except that the Multimix has beaters and is not cordless - but I like the extra power.

If you have other, more powerful mixers and blenders, then "small cordless" might be the right choice. I don't, so the slightly bulky Multimix is quite acceptable for me.

[Fat Guy]

Too lazy to overcome the inertia working against exchanging the Cuisinart, and faced with a need for the tool, I opened the box and used the Cuisinart immersion blender. I like it very much. It's more powerful and a lot quieter than our former unit. It seems as powerful as I need it to be. The shaft detaches. It's an attractive stainless color. For thirty bucks I'm going to keep it.

I think if I ever purchase a price-is-no-object immersion blender maybe I'll graduate to one of the professional models from Dynamic. That would be fun. Example here.

[daves]

I have a bamix. I doubt I would have bought it for myself -- it was a gift from my wife's parents.

That said, it does a great job of everything we've tried it on.

[Richard Kilgore]

One of the great things about the Bamix is you don't have to take it apart to clean it. It is waterproof 2/3 of the way up the housing, so you can just stick it in soapy water, blend and rinse. That also means you are not retricted to the length of the shaft when blending...you have over 10 1/2 inches to work with.

[David J.]

I have burned out two KA stick blenders and now I'm looking for one that can run for more than one minute out of five without going belly up. The instruction book doesn't say a thing about giving it an extended rest every minute as some others do, but after the second died the first time I used it I have to assume that it is just under engineered.

Has anyone had experiece with the "Dynamic" brand of burr mixers? They are commercial with a price to match, but I'll gladly pay it if I can use it as I want without having to keep a timer at hand. I don't need anything huge so I was specifically looking at the "Dynamic Mini Blender". The job that defeated the KA's was blending in callets of chocolate into melted chocolate in my Mol D'Art melters. Other uses would be making ganache and mousse. Those jobs don't require great power, just longer running times.

[DerekW]

Having sworn off home-use stick blenders years ago, weary of feeble little motors which whined and smelled of overheating, I'm deep in the middle of soup season, and remembering the convenience factor of blending in the pan.

Maybe not fondly enough to buy another underpowered toy though. Our regular blender is a second hand Vita-mix, and that thing is a workhorse, but a batch of soup can easily be three beakers full.

Does anyone use a small commercial stick blender at home - maybe something like the 12 inch Waring? - I know that I don't need a double-handed 40 gallon concrete mixer.

Your experiences, good or bad, and recommendations please.

[chefjustinbasta]

Having sworn off home-use stick blenders years ago, weary of feeble little motors which whined and smelled of overheating, I'm deep in the middle of soup season, and remembering the convenience factor of blending in the pan.

Maybe not fondly enough to buy another underpowered toy though. Our regular blender is a second hand Vita-mix, and that thing is a workhorse, but a batch of soup can easily be three beakers full.

Does anyone use a small commercial stick blender at home - maybe something like the 12 inch Waring? - I know that I don't need a double-handed 40 gallon concrete mixer.

Your experiences, good or bad, and recommendations please.

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JBPrince.com has the smallest "graduating" to the biggest blenders available for commercial use. You can view what you are looking for and get the specks on that site i believe. Their products are usually top shelf and the company is very reputable as i have used them for many things in the past. As for a small stick blender, i use one at work that is a BRAUN and that too is a workhorse but im not sure if they have intermediate sizes available. The one i use is small but it gets jobs done. Much luck

[onehsancare]

I've got the Waring at home, and I really like it--it is a workhorse. If I could magically change it, though, I'd love for it to be cordless.

And, if I could grow a few inches, I think it would be a little easier to use. Of course, I can't really blame Waring for that!

Edited February 6, 2008 by onehsancare (log)

[MSRadell]

I've actually got a Kitchenaid immersion blender (model KHB-200) they don't make this model anymore but the only difference between it and the ones they do make use the included accessories. I find it it is very powerful and I have had no problem mixing anything with it. Another nice feature is that it separates into two pieces so the business end can be easily washed. Even though it's not a commercial unit it does the job for me.

[alwang]

In my experience, Bamix makes the best and most durable home-use-sized stick blenders, by a healthy margin.

[scubadoo97]

In my experience, Bamix makes the best and most durable home-use-sized stick blenders, by a healthy margin.

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Agreed

[Grovite]

In my experience, Bamix makes the best and most durable home-use-sized stick blenders, by a healthy margin.

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Agreed

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I'll third the Bamix and add another vote for the Waring. I have both and switch between them on a regular basis.

Also, I recently received a Viking immersion blender and it has been performing very well

[andiesenji]

I do have a commercial stick blender - made by Dynamic and it will work to the bottom of a 16 or 20 quart stockpot.

I recently saw one on ebay that sold for $135.00, which is a fifth of the regular price.

It has the advantage that if one bangs up the business end, the shaft and blades can be switched out for new. One can also get a whisk and possibly other things to stick on it.

When I bought it, at a restaurant supply, they had a brochure showing it with a couple of other attachments. It also comes with a longer cord than the ones for home use.

I had a Bamix years ago but after dropping it a couple of times, it died.

[Richard Kilgore]

I have a Bamix that I got a few years ago based on recommendations here in the eG Forums. It's been fine, but I don't give it hard use compared to a commercial environment. It will work to a depth of almost 11 inches because the shaft and housing are sealed.

I have seen brand name/store brand immersion blenders that look like the Bamix, and may have come out of the same plant, but when I have gotten into the details, they turned out to be less powerful.

[kbjesq]

I've actually got a Kitchenaid immersion blender (model KHB-200) they don't make this model anymore but the only difference between it and the ones they do make use the included accessories.  I find it it is very powerful and I have had no problem mixing anything with it.  Another nice feature is that it separates into two pieces so the business end can be easily washed.  Even though it's not a commercial unit it does the job for me.

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I have the same one and it works great for my purposes. Mine came with the attachments, and surprisingly, they have come in very handy.

Obviously this is not a commercial product, but unless you are making soup in a 20 qt. pot, I can't imagine that it wouldn't be sufficient for a home cook. I also appreciate the ease of clean up - the bottom part goes right in the dishwasher. Just my .02.

[paulraphael]

Here's a commercial Warring for $60 ...

http://www.yourdelight.com/waring_immersion_blender.htm

I think these are 100 watts.

Would these be in the same league as the Bamixes, or more like the home blenders?

Edited February 7, 2008 by paulraphael (log)

[David J.]

Last October I posted about just such a problem.

I ended up buying the "Dynamic Mini Blender" from JB Prince and I'm quite happy with it.

It cost many times what a home model does, but I am able to blend a heavy ganache with this puppy and while it warms up a bit it does the job. I am certain that any home model would have burned out in thirty seconds.

[Lindacakes]

Another vote for Bamix. I use it to do whatever a blender is supposed to do. I threw my blender away after I bought it. Crushes ice, chops nuts, whips cream, liquifys soup.

Very strong.