Immersion Blender: Worth it?

[kdlalib]

I recently got a small gift certificate to Macy's and was considering purchasing an immersion blender. My one reservation is that I have a teeny, tiny apartment kitchen with practically no available real estate. While I know immersion blenders are small, are they worth it if I already have a regular blender and a food processor? Thoughts?

[jester99]

an immersion blender doesnt take up too much space and much more verstile than a regular blender. Just always remember to unplug it before putting your hand near the business end of it.

[happybaker]

I use my IB for soups and jams. As I make heaps of both, it's totally worth it to me.

I do also have a Cuisinart and a blender, and use both as well, often. But for what I listed above (soups and jams) the IP is a stand alone, well worth it, purchase.

(You can store it, in a drawer, you know. That's where mine lives, once it is clean and dry.)

[nomnomnoms]

I am pretty worthless without mine... I have the Kitchenaid one with a food processor attachment, and use it almost everday. Soups, smoothies, purees, ice cream, mayonnaise, dressing, the uses are endless!

[kdlalib]

I've decided to definitely get an immersion blender. Here are the three options I'm looking at. What are your opinions?

Breville BSB510XL Hand Blender, Control Grip
http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/breville-bsb510xl-hand-blender-control-grip?ID=688558&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

Cuisinart CSB-77 Hand Blender, SmartStick
http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/cuisinart-csb-77-hand-blender-smartstick?ID=201621&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

KitchenAid KHB1231 Hand Blender, 2 Speed
http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/ki...

[tcamp]

Dang you. I was perfectly happy with my aged Williams Sonoma IB and now I see these with whisk and FP attachments. Want.

[justalex]

Love my IB! I'll never buy bottled dressing again. Easy to clean and easy to store. It's great for sauces and soups as well, though I realize you said you're not much of a soup person.

[tim irvine]

I am a self-confessed kitchen items junkie and got an IB for Christmas. I love it. It works like a charm to purée things still in the pot and is exceedingly easy to clean. Kaleo is right they are hard to store, but I passed that point in the early 80s. Now I find charm in cookware clutter, as if I were living in Dehillerin.

[Violatp]

I don't love mine for smoothies as it doesn't do a great job grinding up greens like kale. You say you won't do soups, so, hmm. Honestly, I'm not sure you'll get a whole lot of use out of it if you aren't constantly making salad dressings and mayo.

Oh, I do love it for making whipped cream! I don't have a hand mixer or stand mixer right now, but the heavy cream whips up very nicely in a tall container (I use repurposed plastic quart soup containers) with no splatters.

[kdlalib]

When I do smoothies, it's going to be fruit only. I juice vegetables. Would it work for frozen berries and such?

I'm really hoping to have to use my blender and hand mixer less because theyre a pain. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I think an immersion blender will be helpful because it's lighter.

[Violatp]

Ah. Then watch out for the one you buy, if you do. If your hands hurt, gripping the immersion blender may actually be worse. I know on mine, I have to keep the button pressed down continuously and depending on what I"m blending, it does get cumbersome.

But it does work for frozen berries, absolutely.

[Sherri]

No way to know if it's worth it to you; I pack mine when we spend a month at a vacation house knowing there is a blender already there.

re: splatters - if the soup or whatever you are blending is deep enough, I've found I can eliminate them. A shallow pan will splatter while a taller one does not. There's a reason it comes with a tall, narrow jar.
NB: do not remove the IB while it is still running unless you like to clean.

Edit: I should add that the IB does not do everything well. The old standby blender makes velvet purees; the IB produces a coarser product. I use both depending on circumstances. Yesterday's garbanzo bean-red bell pepper soup was an IB candidate while a creamy cauliflower soup needed the blender to achieve the proper consistency.

[kaleokahu]

Hi, kdlalib:

I like my corded IB, too. But I find it is a PITA to store, and I hate spatters. I tend to use my bar blender more, so if I were in your shoes, I'd probably pass.

But the IBs are inexpensive, so YOU might fall in love with it.

Aloha,
Kaleo

[wyogal]

I love mine, and yes, easy to store. I hardly ever use my regular blender anymore.

[kdlalib]

That's why I was considering buying one. My blender is super heavy & doesn't fit on my countertop. It's a PITA to use it.

[StrandedYankee]

I use mine constantly. You can use it for purees, homemade mayo, I often take mine to soups and tomato sauces...and it has a teensy-tiny footprint!

[MrsJonesey]

I love mine. For just a tiny bit more real estate, I recommend the Cuisinart model with the chopper attachment. I hate to pull out the food processor for small amounts and this chopper is great for that. http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-7...

[kdlalib]

Great tip. I love multifunctional kitchen tools.,

[kdlalib]

Has it been reliable for you? I'm seriously considering purchasing the Cuisinart CSB-77 hand blender. I like multifunctional tools. However on Amazon it's getting some bad reviews. What do you all think?

[MrsJonesey]

So far it has been though I don't use it excessively. I've probably had it 4 years. Why don't you check Macy's return policy just in case you get it and don't like it?

[tcamp]

Depends on what you cook. If you partially or completely puree soups, then yes, for sure. So much easier than pouring hot soup into the food processor. I also use the IB for smoothies and salad dressing. I could probably lose my blender as I haven't used it in a long time.

[chloebell]

Agreed. I hardly ever use my blender. I bought an immersion blender at Walmart years ago - $12 bucks. Worth every penny. lol!

[kdlalib]

I think it's going to be more smoothies and salad dressings. I don't like soup that much, so I rarely cook it. Could you use it for sauces as well?

[TheCarrieWatson]

They're great for salad dressings & vinaigrettes for sure. For smoothies they could be ideal but not if you are crushing ice. They take a bit of getting used to if you're accustomed to food processors & blenders (like me), but I don't think there is any reason *not* to have an immersion blender on-hand. They take up almost no space, are extremely versatile, and they're cheap. Given that you're in a small space, the almost complete lack of clean-up these require is a huge asset. You puree or emulsify something, rinse it off, and you're done. If space is at a premium that's a huge benefit. You could also just grab one off Craigslist for a few bucks - they're all over the place there.