Immersion blenders (or hand blenders) may not be completely important in each good kitchen arsenal. However they’ll unlock sooner and simpler methods of constructing soups, smoothies, sauces and extra. Plus, they’re smaller than their countertop brethren, which regularly makes them a better option for RVs, boats or residences the place area is a premium. Lastly, as a result of cleansing them is normally so simple as working them in a bowl of sizzling soapy water, there’s much less trouble, too. That can assist you work out which immersion blender is best for you, we’ve put collectively an inventory of our favourite fashions throughout quite a lot of wants and use instances.
Which gadget is best for you?
Earlier than you even take into consideration shopping for a brand new kitchen equipment, it’s necessary to determine the way you’re going to make use of it and the place it suits in with any devices you already personal. In a really perfect world, everybody would have a devoted meals processor, countertop blender and a stand mixer. However the actuality is that many individuals don’t have the room or the funds.
Whereas handheld blenders and conventional, full-size blenders have numerous overlap, there are strengths and weaknesses to each. For instance, when you’re seeking to make smoothies daily, a countertop blender is perhaps a better option. The larger pitchers make it simpler to mix drinks for a number of individuals without delay, whereas bigger motors will make brief work of ice and frozen fruit. Moreover, costlier choices like these from Vitamix, All-Clad, Ninja or Robocoupe may even cook dinner soup through the mixing course of utilizing the warmth generated from the blender’s motor, which isn’t one thing you are able to do with an immersion mannequin. I’d even go as far as to say that you probably have the area for it and don’t already personal one, an everyday blender might be the most suitable choice for most individuals.
That mentioned, immersion blenders are sometimes inexpensive and, because of all kinds of equipment provided by some producers, they are often nice multitaskers. A whisk attachment lets you make whipped cream or meringues rapidly with no need an electrical hand mixer, or danger getting tendonitis in your elbow doing it manually. Some immersion blenders additionally include meals processing bowls, so you may simply throw collectively issues like small batches of hummus, salad dressings or selfmade pesto in minutes. And since immersion blenders are smaller and fewer cumbersome than conventional fashions, they’re an important alternative for residence dwellers or anybody with restricted storage or counter area. Meaning when you’re merely attempting to develop your culinary repertoire with out blowing up your funds, an immersion blender could be an effective way to strive one thing new with out committing too exhausting.
Corded or cordless?
Just like determining when you ought to get a blender or not, attempting to determine between a corded or cordless mannequin relies upon loads on the opposite devices you already personal. Corded variations usually have extra highly effective motors, which makes them nice for individuals who don’t have a countertop blender or meals processor. However when you do personal one among each of these, cordless is the way in which to go. Not solely do you get the comfort of not worrying about wires, however the ease of use makes it quick and straightforward to whip out your immersion blender so as to add some further texture to a sauce, or puree a big pot of soup with out having to do it in batches.
A fast phrase about security
Nobody must be ashamed of being nervous round a tool that’s primarily a motorized mixing wand with a spinning blade on the finish. However with correct care and use, an immersion blender doesn’t must be rather more harmful than a chef’s knife. An important security tip is to be sure you all the time maintain the sharp blades pointed down and away from you or anybody else close by. That features your fingers, together with any utensils (like a spoon), that is perhaps in or round your mixing bowl.
Fortunately, all client immersion blenders are designed to forestall their blade from straight hitting the vessel holding your meals (be it a mixing bowl or a pot). Nonetheless, to be further secure, it is best to keep away from mixing issues in glass containers or nonstick cookware, as glass can chip or shatter whereas the metallic blades and shroud of an immersion blender can injury teflon and ceramic.
You’ll additionally need to be sure you maintain water away from the plug or outlet of corded immersion blenders. And if you wish to take away the blade or clear away any meals which may have gotten tangled, first ensure the blender is off, disconnected from its energy supply (both its battery or wall socket) and in security mode with a lock button or different characteristic.
On the brilliant facet, cleansing an immersion is somewhat easy and easy. All it’s important to do is replenish a bowl or cup with soapy water, submerge the immersion blender, after which run it for 10 to twenty seconds. That’s it. If it’s nonetheless not clear, you may repeat that course of once more till it’s. And if hand washing is an excessive amount of work, the mixing wand on numerous fashions (together with all the ones on this checklist) are dishwasher secure too.
Breville
Beginning at $130, Breville’s Management Grip not solely has one of the vital highly effective motors (280-watts) out there on a corded immersion blender on this value vary, it additionally comes with a wealth of useful equipment. Along with the principle 8-inch shaft/immersion blade, the package encompasses a 25-ounce chopping bowl for slicing and mincing and a 42-ounce mixing jug for making soups and smoothies. There’s additionally a whisk attachment, which signifies that between all of its equipment, the Management Grip can take the place of three totally different frequent kitchen devices: a meals processor, conventional blender and hand mixer.
I additionally admire the two-button attachment system, a security characteristic that ensures equipment are correctly locked in earlier than use. Breville even features a detachable blade guard to assist forestall the chrome steel blender from scratching your different home equipment in storage. And with assist for 15 totally different excessive pace settings, it has numerous versatility and might deal with all kinds of dishes. Alternatively, when you’re searching for an all-purpose immersion blender with much more attachments for making drinks and pureeing soup, you could need to take into account KitchenAid’s 5-Velocity Hand Blender, which comes with two further bell blades to assist crush ice, whisk egg whites and extra.
$130 at Amazon
KitchenAid
For those who simply need an immersion blender that’s easy and straightforward to make use of, KitchenAid’s Cordless Variable Velocity Blender is the one to get. It comes with a dishwasher-safe mixing jar and an optionally available pan guard to assist make sure you received’t nick your cookware. Nonetheless, the actual nifty characteristic is that as an alternative of getting discrete pace settings, you may regulate the blender’s 180-watt motor just by squeezing down on the set off. This makes utilizing it extremely intuitive, and due to its built-in security swap, it’s rather more troublesome to hit the facility button and spin up the blade by chance.
KitchenAid additionally claims the battery can mix as much as 25 bowls of soup on a single cost. And whereas my kitchen is just too small to check this correctly, I by no means bumped into any points. That mentioned, you’re going to need to ensure to prime off its battery beforehand as a result of its charging port is subsequent to the place you connect the mixing arm, which implies you may’t have it plugged in whereas it is working.
$100 at Kohl’s
Hamilton Seaside
For individuals who need one thing that’s versatile and an important worth, Hamilton Seaside’s Two-Velocity Hand Blender is a prime choose. Whereas it isn’t cordless, along with the principle mixing arm you additionally get a whisk attachment and a chopping bowl – all for simply $35. On prime of that, its 225-watt motor is somewhat highly effective for its value, although you don’t get as many pace settings as you’ll on extra premium rivals. With this factor having been in the marketplace for greater than 15 years, this blender has lengthy been a best choice amongst budget-conscious cooks.
$35 at Wayfair
Vitamix
Vitamix is just about synonymous with blenders, so it’s in all probability not stunning that its tackle an immersion mannequin is kind of good. That mentioned, there are a few options that set it aside from its rivals. The primary is a 625-watt motor that’s extra highly effective than just about the rest on the market (except for tremendous expensive, pro-grade blenders). This makes it nice for individuals who need to make drinks that require crushed ice however who might not have a full-size blender stashed of their pantry. Its bell guard additionally has a novel form designed to scale back suction and higher pull substances in the direction of the blade, whereas rubber suggestions assist forestall scratching your mixing vessel (bowls, pots, and so on.). And regardless of being tremendous highly effective, the pinnacle of the blender continues to be sufficiently small to suit inside a one-quart wide-mouth mason jar, which is nice for rapidly mixing up a sauce or salad dressing with out dirtying up a bunch of additional dishes.
$145 at Amazon
