Immersion Blenders?

[omega lambda]

I haven't made much soup over the years and the kind I have made typically doesn't require any blending.  But I made a butternut squash soup the other day and had to use my regular blender, in batches, to process it.  I am turning into a soup lover and so many of the recipes that I want to try require some sort of blending, so now I'm thinking about whether an immersion blender is worth having. 

Does anyone here have one?  Any recommendations or things to look for?

[Magic Microbe]

I have one...I don't use it often but I love it fir when I really do need it.

[merigayle]

if you make a lot of pureed soups it is worth it. I think mine is a kitchenaid? otherwise, we do not use it more than a few times a year.

[witchypoo]

try to find one that is not made of plastic.  i've broken three of those.  even when they seemed sturdy.

[omega lambda]

if you make a lot of pureed soups it is worth it. I think mine is a kitchenaid? otherwise, we do not use it more than a few times a year.

I've been looking at them online, and another use for them is smoothies.  We drink a lot of those, so I think between soups and smoothies it would get used enough to warrant the purchase.  They're also not that expensive.

try to find one that is not made of plastic.  i've broken three of those.  even when they seemed sturdy.

Do you mean the blender part?  Or the whole stick?

[Run Amok]

This is the home version of what you'll find in most professional kitchens: http://www.amazon.com/Dynamic--Mini-Pro-Commercial-Immersion/dp/B0047DE0GG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352741682&sr=8-1&keywords=burr+mixer

I think kitchen aid, warring, etc all make something similar. The only thing about it is that it's not safe to use in a non-stick pot. I use ss to cook soup in though, so not a problem for me.

[witchypoo]

I've been looking at them online, and another use for them is smoothies.  We drink a lot of those, so I think between soups and smoothies it would get used enough to warrant the purchase.  They're also not that expensive.

Do you mean the blender part?  Or the whole stick?

specifically, the fitting where the blender fits into the handle - all of those i've owned have had metal blenders, but the fittings always have a plastic bit.  and they all totally shit the bed at some point.

[Run Amok]

I've been looking at them online, and another use for them is smoothies.

I don't love immersion blenders for smoothies. A regular blender is faster and does a better job, ime. But, of course, ymmv.

[omega lambda]

This is the home version of what you'll find in most professional kitchens: http://www.amazon.com/Dynamic--Mini-Pro-Commercial-Immersion/dp/B0047DE0GG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352741682&sr=8-1&keywords=burr+mixer

I think kitchen aid, warring, etc all make something similar. The only thing about it is that it's not safe to use in a non-stick pot. I use ss to cook soup in though, so not a problem for me.

Is this the one you have?  Thanks for the link.  It looks like it is metal where the blender fits to the handle - so perhaps more sturdy than the ones witchy is talking about. 

Are there other uses that I haven't considered? 

The ones I started looking at range from $50-ish to $100-ish so this one is a bit more.  But I'll pay more if I only have to buy one instead of 3 or so, like witchy said.

[omega lambda]

I have one...I don't use it often but I love it fir when I really do need it.

What kind do you have?

[cgraz]

I have one and haven't used it a ton but I like it. Mine is a Cuisinart, this model: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/cuisinart-smartstick-immersion-hand-blender/s458317

It seems pretty well-constructed although I haven't put it through its paces, for sure. And I haven't used the attachments at all. It was given to me as a gift, so I didn't pick the specific model - I knew I wouldn't need those, but since I have them, I'll probably try them at some point. I just haven't been doing much of that kind of cooking lately.

[Magic Microbe]

What kind do you have?

I just looked...its a hamilton beach.

it is safe for nonstick pots because the blades are protected but I would never assume it could crush ice even though it says it can. It also has a handy egg beater attachment which I used to make merangue once. It does have the pesky plastic parts that Witchy breaks though.

[merigayle]

Mine may be cuisinart

[Run Amok]

Are there other uses that I haven't considered? 

Not really. I have an immersion blender and I pull it out from time to time. But, I don't get a lot of use from it, and, in general, I'm not a huge fan.

I don't eat a lot of pureed foods though and am not a huge fan of pureed soups. If I do them at all, I prefer to puree a portion of the soup and leave the rest whole, and a blender does a better job of that. Even so, I'm lazy, so I usually skip this step all together.

I like a regular blender for smoothies and pureed soups.

I like a foodmill, ricer, or potato masher for things like mashed potatoes.

I like a hand whip for sauces.

It's just one of those things that is nice to have very occassionally, but I could totaly live without it.

Some people really seem to love thiers though!!

[merigayle]

Mine is Kitchenaid. Personally, i would not buy an expensive one unless you wanted to or thought you would get a ton of use out of it.

[onawhim]

Mine is Kitchenaid. Personally, i would not buy an expensive one unless you wanted to or thought you would get a ton of use out of it.

1.  And I am with RA on the whole smoothie issue as well. 

[omega lambda]

Maybe I should get an inexpensive one to start and if I'm using it enough to break it, then I'll upgrade.

[OldBaldHippie]

Mine is Kitchenaid. Personally, i would not buy an expensive one unless you wanted to or thought you would get a ton of use out of it.

mine is a cheap one and I've had it for several years now...I mainly use it for making salsa...I have a lot of gadgets that I should just give to Goodwill, but this is not one of them...I do find it useful, even though I don't use it that often...

[nadra24]

My hand mixer has an immersion blender attachment.  I've never used it since I just opened my hand mixer yesterday, but I wonder how well that would work.  I also wondered if just a hand mixer would work for blending up soup, since I used it yesterday to mash bananas for the banana bread I was making.  I suppose it would depend on what kind of soup it was.  I would think it would work for butternut squash, but probably not for tomato or lentil or something like that. 

[omega lambda]

My hand mixer has an immersion blender attachment.  I've never used it since I just opened my hand mixer yesterday, but I wonder how well that would work.  I also wondered if just a hand mixer would work for blending up soup, since I used it yesterday to mash bananas for the banana bread I was making.  I suppose it would depend on what kind of soup it was.  I would think it would work for butternut squash, but probably not for tomato or lentil or something like that. 

I was wondering the same thing, but I think the difference is the resulting texture.  My regular blender resulted in something less than smooth.  It was perfectly edible and I didn't mind little bits of squash in my soup, but typically these soups are very smooth.  So I suppose if you're not picky about the texture, anything that blends it all together into a soupy mix is fine.  It's my birthday though, and Mr. OL wants to get me something, so I thought this would be cool!