570849 Sun Nov 09 15:55:25 -0800 2008 11 41 Cookware 0 4160387 I'm putting together a wish-list for the holiday season and, of course, most items are either cookbooks or kitchen things. I have a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer that I love and a small (3 cup) Kitchen-Aid chopper/food processor that I really like. I would like to get a hand mixer or an immersion blender for things like pancake batter, easy brownie and cake mixes that don't need the full stand mixer. So what are people's thoughts about the handheld immersion blenders over the traditional hand mixers? Is one better for certain tasks? I'm leaning toward the immersion blender since it saves space and seems more versatile. I'd love to hear from people about their preferences and any opinions on the usefulness of either. Thanks so much!!! Sun Nov 09 15:55:25 -0800 2008 95441 KrazyB 1 4160405 Hand mixers and hand-held immersion blenders can perform similar tasks but they are really different tools. The hand mixer is, well - handy. It saves having to drag out the stand mixer for small jobs (beating eggs, whipping cream, blending batters, etc.) while the immersion blender, which can perform some of the same tasks, is actually more versatile. You probably wouldn't stick a hand mixer into a few inches of hot liquid on the cook top and start splashing stuff all over the kitchen; the immersion mixer is better suited for that job. I would not want to whip cream or mix a batter with an immersion mixer unless it was of suitable size (in my experience, the smaller models don't do that job as well) so I might choose the hand mixer for those jobs. Everything being equal, I'd go for the immersion mixer. Golly, how I do love mine. Sun Nov 09 16:05:33 -0800 2008 4160387 203621 todao 1 4160509 Mixer vs. blender. I use my hand mixer for cakes, mashed potatoes and stuff where you want to mix. I use the immersion blender for purees, gazpacho, espuma and the like. The immersion is MUCH faster and will blend similar to a blender. If you find the model with the chopper, it is quite handy. Forget if it was Krups or Braun. Sun Nov 09 17:08:28 -0800 2008 4160387 27342 trufflehound 1 4161065 As others have said, they are 2 different tools. But it is possible to get both in one set. The Braun Multimix is basically a hand mixer, with an immersion blender attachment, and also a mini chopper (food processor) attachment. The mixer blades do a quick job of whipping, as well as the slower speed mixing tasks. The Cuisinart Smartstick is an immersion blender, with chopper attachment, and a balloon whisk suitable for whipping cream and egg whites. I wouldn't use the Smartstick for pancake batter or mixes, except loose ones like crepes. Sun Nov 09 23:47:41 -0800 2008 4160387 12139 paulj 1 4163861 Pancake batter with a mixer? Probably not something I would make with either. Using anything mechanical with pancake batter makes for some tough pancakes, hand mixing is best and as little as needed to combine. I have a KA Pro 6 that sits on the counter and anything that needs mixing is done by that, cookies, cakes, mashed taters, anything. I've never felt that I need another mixer. My KA stick blender is also on the counter and always plugged in and ready to use. It's my go to device for blending just about anything except frozen adult beverages. While I have the chopper thingie that goes with it, I'm un-impressed and use a food processor for that. kind of stuff. If I had to choose between a hand mixer and a stick blender it would be a no brainer, stick blender every time. Since it's a wish list for Santa, if you really LIKE you small FP you'd be in LOVE with a larger one. Sounds like you do a bit of baking and my Wonderful Lady gave me a 12 cup KA for my birthday a couple of months ago, I wonder how I ever functioned with a smaller one. It makes the best biscuits, and pie crust and streusel topping. It's earned a place of honor on the counter along with my Pro 6(The Great White), the Immersion Blender(The Red Rocket) and The Black Knight, the only appliances that get to live on the counter. Tue Nov 11 03:08:58 -0800 2008 4160387 215379 Grillncook 1 4166243 I use both for different purposes. For pancake batter, I just use a whisk. Immersion blender is good for puree food ,. Tue Nov 11 19:44:04 -0800 2008 4160387 171261 LadyCook61 1 4166835 In a small kitchen is there an immersion blender that could fully replace a standing one? I don't bake too much, but i do make sauces and purees... also I hear a lot about the kitchenaid- what about the cuisinart immersion blender? thanks! Wed Nov 12 05:51:08 -0800 2008 4160387 233247 qwerty78 2 4167329 An immersion blender is not a total replacement for a conventional blender, but for many tasks is as good, if not better. For example if you've cooked vegetables for a soup, you can cream them right in the pot, without pouring the hot contents into the separate container. It can be used to make a cup of mayo. But for a thicker sauce like romesco or pesto, I use the chopper attachment (mini food processor). Wed Nov 12 08:46:43 -0800 2008 4166835 12139 paulj 1 4166872 Use a hand mixer for things like pancake batter and brownie and cake mixes. Yes, you can use your stand mixer for that too (and sometimes, when I am standing there, holding a hand mixer for the requisite two minutes on medium high, I wonder why I didn't), but sometimes you may not want to drag it out. Immersion blenders are better at chopping small pieces into a smooth consistency -- not dissimilar to a regular blender. I don't think that they do a good job of incorporating dry and wet ingredients, nor do they have the ability to get air into the mix -- something you need for cake mixes. In fact, if you pull the immersion blender out of the bowl and above the ingredients, you will likely splatter the entire countertop. It does a fine job of puree and chopping work, but I wouldn't think of using it for batter. You can get an inexpensive hand mixer for less than $20, and if you shop, you can also score a bargain on an immersion blender if you look carefully. Actually, my Kitchen Aid hand mixer has an immersion blender attachment, but it is not what I use when I want to puree hot soup in a pot -- I reach for the specialty tool for that. If you have to budget (and who doesn't?), spend more on the immersion blender. A cheap hand mixer is an absolutely fine tool. I actually still have a working one, in harvest gold, from my mother's kitchen, so they also last forever. Wed Nov 12 06:09:35 -0800 2008 4160387 87837 RGC1982 2 4166977 Thanks for all the replies, folks! It sounds like they are pretty different tools that can't really do the job of the other. Since I don't do a lot of soups, I may try to find a hand mixer that has an immersion blender attachment. Maybe. Or maybe just ask for both!! Wed Nov 12 06:53:14 -0800 2008 4166872 95441 KrazyB 1 4167436 I hope this doesn't come off as rude, but honestly, I just use a spoon or whisk for things like cake brownie and pancake batter since it's fairly liquid-y and comes together fast. That being said, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my immersion blender. I make soups and sauces a lot more now that I have one since it makes it so easy. Just last night I threw some sauteed then boiled onion, fennel, and potato in a pot and had a beautifully thick soup in about 20 mins. I've expanded my repetoire of pasta sauces as well (thick marinara anyone?). If you already have a full stand mixer, the only thing I can really see a hand mixer being useful for is whipped cream. I think you'll get a lot more mileage out of an immersion blender, imo, and cleanup on an immersion blender couldn't be any faster. Good luck! Wed Nov 12 09:20:42 -0800 2008 4160387 91703 kasiav 2 4170028 I use my immersion blender for whipped cream too. If I have to do a lot, I use my mixer, but for small amounts when it is for DH and I, I just pour cream in a measuring cup and stick the blender in. Much faster and less mess than a hand mixer. Thu Nov 13 07:20:20 -0800 2008 4167436 139219 Sooeygun