Using the stick blender

[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.

[alanamoana]

although they do have bigger and more powerful stick blenders out there...none of them are as good as a regular blender for ice/smoothies and the like. but that doesn't mean a stick blender (burr mixer) doesn't have its advantages! i love mine and we use the same model at work in the restaurant (most restaurants that i have worked in use them). it is the cheapest model braun and costs around $25US. from what i can tell, they got rid of the $19 model altogether. the next one up comes with a little chopper attachment also which looks great for nuts, etc.

my advice for the "too little sauce in the pan" dilemma is: save your plastic quart containers from things like yogurt or take-out...they are tall and narrow and you won't feel bad if you ruin one with hot tomato sauce or something like that because it didn't cost you anything. saves you the mess...and if you're like me and save everything, you can just throw the container away when you're done to make room in your cabinets!

[elion_84]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I suspected that my problem was that the sauce is too shallow. I wanted to avoid using yet another container, alas it seems that it's not possible.

My stick blender (Braun) came with a tall measuring cup-like thing. I'll try using that next time to puree the sauce.

[ellencho]

If you absolutely must make the sauce in the pans you're currently using, try Alton Brown's trick of taking a frisbee, cutting halfway into the center and cutting out a small hole for your immersion blender and use that as a splatter guard.

[Tracy K.]

When I'm pureeing a small amount with the stick blender (mine is a Braun that's about 15 years old--still going strong), I try to pulse the hand switch very briefly using a light touch and keeping the blade guard (for want of a better term) flat against the bottom of the pan or bowl--picking it up and placing it in another part of the sauce when necessary. Now, the newer models may not do this (pulse easily), but it has worked for me. Also, in terms of cleaning, I make certain that I run it under hot water as soon as I am finished...pulsing it in a bowl of soapy water also helps get stuff out of the little nooks on the underside of the thing...okay, so sometimes I have to resort to a toothpick....sheesh!