blenders

Hand Held Blenders Review

People often buy hand held blenders when they have issues with space in their kitchen. These immersion blenders perform quite like the kitchen mixers, grinders or even food choppers. But the difference is that they are easier to clean, they are convenient and take up less room in your cupboard. Additionally, the stick blender is much cheaper than any other types of larger stand counterparts.

An electric hand blender chopper is an essential kitchen tool for people who love to eat healthy food, mix it well, and for those who take pleasure in an occasional smoothies during hot summer days.

Construction of handheld blenders is really simple as well, which constitute of cutting blades attached to a long motorized handle.

A Touch of History

Introduced as a wand blender by Bamix of Switzerland in 1954, these hand kitchen tools have come a long way as far as technology is concerned. In certain parts of the world they were also known as "Bamix wand".

However, the first blender was introduced by Stephen Poplawski in 1922. He invented the concept of spinning blades in order to blend fountain drinks. In 1935 Fred Osius improved from the original design and introduced the Waring blender. Ever since many companies joined the band wagon and numerous hand held blender and immersion mixer designs floated in the market.

What Features To Look for in a Stick Hand Blender?

Before you plan to buy an immersion blender mixer you must know what kind of design will satisfy your purpose.

  • There are two types of blenders: Work-Top and Handheld Immerson blender. Work top blenders rest on the table or your counter while it is operating, as opposed to hand or stick blenders which you hold on your hand when blending or mixing something in a container in vertical position.
  • The most important features that you should look for is that they should be powerful enough to chop or grind your item in focus. There should be as many attachments as possible. This feature gives it a variation to work on multiple tasks. You should look for attachments like whisks, choppers, food processors, spice grinders and bottle washers.
  • Professional testers advise that you shouldn't worry about its wattage, rather look for RPM. Higher the RPM, higher is the efficiency. Try to look for speed modes. The shafts which are made of stainless steel don't perform as good, but their advantage is that they don't get stained.
  • Ensure that the blender has different types of blade attachments too. The blade attachments ensure that you are able to clean your blender well. Look for hand held blenders which are dishwasher safe. This means that their material shouldn't get chippy when you run them through hot water cycles of dishwasher.
  • Also, ensure that your immersion mixer or blender has strong plastic blade guards or else your container can get damaged if the blender has metal guards.
  • The jar that is part of the system should be deep enough so that you may blend in things easily and faster.
  • Depending on your requirements choose one with standard power cords or a cordless hand blender, like one of those battery operated blenders.
  • On the other hand avoid buying white blenders, as it is difficult to remove stains from the white color background.
  • The stick with which you hold the blender shouldn't be heavy and should have a great grip.
  • The mechanical hand crank blenders are perfect for people who live off-grid, are traveling or boating. Also make sure that they don't make too much noise. The plastic immersion blenders are problematic and are difficult to clean. Just avoid them. Look for items that are within the price range of $20-$40.

Recommended Best Immersion Blenders

Cuisinart-Smart-Stick.jpg

Cuisinart CSB-76 Smart Stick is a cheap hand blender for under $30 with stainless steel shaft. It is dishwasher safe and comes with a 3 year warranty which means that it is very durable. Along with the package a 2-cup plastic beaker is included. Its metal body is very easy to clean as compared to the plastic ones.

The flip side of this hand held blender is that the company asks you to dole out cash for shipping if you need replacements. It is not a heavy duty machine. In addendum don't expect it to smash your boiled potatoes.

KitchenAid-KHB300.jpg

KitchenAid KHB300 is in the list of best hand blender for overall performance and versatility. With a cost of under $90, this is yet another great product as it includes a regular blending blade, a wire whisk for batter and egg beating, an enclosed chopper, a four cup mixing beaker that has a snap-lock lid and a strong motor. The good thing is that this product is durable and comes with a one year replacement warranty.

However, the main problem with these immersion hand held blenders is that the chopper's blade sits at about 1/8 inch from the bottom. Hence it is impossible to chop herbs, which tend to stick at the bottom.

Hand Held Blender Buying Advice

When you buy an immersion hand blender ensure that there are no slits or cuts in it and that it is one piece. This design will not let the blender break into pieces.

The metal blenders tend to overheat after sometime of usage. So test them before buying. Most importantly, always look for warranties including the motor warranties.

Related Reviews & Resources:

Vitamix Professional Hand Blenders and Commercial Food Processors

Kitchenaid Immersion Blender Quality and Versatility Ratings

Braun Multiquick Hand Blender For Multi-Purpose Kitchen Mixing Jobs

Cheap Oster 10, 12, 14, and 16 Speed Blenders

Selection of Home Blenders for Mixing Drinks and Food
Including the most popular brands like Blendtec Vitamix, to standard household names like Tribest and some other back to basics puree and liquid mixers for both hot an cold treats.

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