Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Even if you do not have one, have you heard or read of one that has great reviews, and people are happy with it? Can they make pesto sauce with it? Smoothies with ice? Thanks
My mother stole my Cuisinart.
I bought another one.
Both of us use it nearly every single day.
Still going strong and working well (hers after 4 years, mine after 3).
I have one of those that I won through a reward program also. I didn't use it at first (had it for years) but I started using it about a year ago. I LOVE IT! I use it mainly for salad dressings, marinades sauces, and smoothies.
I usually just use a shaker for dressings - guess I should dig it out and try it (or sell it!)
Went thru two cheapie models before I finally bought Kitchen Aid. In kitchen appliances i find you generally get what you pay for.
I bought the cheap models thinking "I won't use it that much" which is true but when I do need one I want to know it will work properly. Consequently I find I use it way more than I ever dreamed i would. I've had it for 3 years and love it.
Braun from the early 1990's. Still going strong. Lots of different attachments that we really dont use to much anymore. Superhandy for quick mixing and EASY cleanup.
Due to the excellence of their design and manufacture there is still a lot of brand loyalty, and I see there's a brisk trade in them on eBay. Also, I haven't checked into this because I haven't been in the market for one, but I read that DeLonghi bought the rights to the Braun designs.
I can make that easy for you... anything by Kitchenaid is better than anything by Cuisinart. Better design, better quality, better company to deal with.
I'd also check out Breville, another company whose products are better across the board than anything Cuisinart makes.
Thanks, that does help! Still trying to work out where different brands fit - not just kitchen stuff, everything! Breville *is* a brand I'm familiar with, but I'll also check out what DeLonghi has. For some reason I associate them with coffee machines.
... Yeah, now that you mention it... I've thought about tossing mine out because I never use it. And besides, I can do a better, faster job with a hand whisk.
Like others have mentioned, I use mine most often making soup. My family likes squash, tomato, potato, leek soups, etc., and an immersion blender cuts the effort to make those. It also makes them better since I don't have to cook the vegetables to death to get them disintegrated into soup form. (Retaining vitamins, no?) Also, when I make pea or bean soups, also favorites, I use the immersion blender to mash up some of the peas or beans, to give the soup a more pleasant texture. I don't have to add any other thickener to get a soup that is full-bodied AND chunky, in whichever proportion I wish. I could never do that with a hand whisk.
I've also used it for some sauces and gravies. I don't make those things very often, so I am not as skilled as avoiding lumps as my grandmother was. I have a regular blender I use for things requiring complete smoothing or blending and things I don't already have in a pot.
My hand immersion blender is a very simple Braun model — no attachments. I've had it so long (15-20 years?) I don't even remember for sure where I got it. I think it was a gift. And even though I don't remember the giver, I AM grateful to have it.
Which hand immersion blender do you have, what is the speed, what do you use it for most of the time? Does it have any attachments? How often do you use it? Is it under warranty, if so, for how long? Are you happy with it?
Thanks in advance
Ok, lots of questions.
I own two.
A Black and Decker for home use (light duties)
Mostly used for pudding and sauces.
A Hobart for work. Industrial sized. 36" shaft,
It can puree' 5gal potato - leek soup in two minutes.
Also awesome if you have only 5min to throw together 25lb of hummus.
B&D, yes attachments for whipping and a bladed cup for coarse chopping.
Hobart, no attachments. pure brute force.
Warranties expired on both units.
B&D=1yr.
Hobart=5yr.
Both units approximately 10yr in use.
Both units used frequently.
Happy?
No complaints yet!
Last edited by gr8cakes; 10-02-2013 at 05:30 PM..
Reason: typo
I've had immersion blenders, but found that whenever I used it, I ended up with the liquid splattering all over the place. Hot soup in the pot. Whipping cream in a bowl. Everything left bits of liquid on me and the countertops. I finally gave up and donated it when we moved cross country.
But I keep reading on here and other sites how much people love these things. And I DO recognize their usefullness.
Was I buying the wrong kind? Was I buying one that was too cheap? Was I using it incorrectly?
I have a Cuisinart Smart Stick and have no problems with it. I like it for applesauce, pear butter, and to thicken soups. I keep the blade head part submerged in whatever I am blending. If I lift that blade higher or out of the food it will splatter everywhere.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Immersion blenders
