Stick Blenders...
OK, I'm ready to get serious about stick blenders. I gave one away many years ago because I didn't find a need for it very often.
I'm out west at Canyon Ranch and I tell you, these chefs have stick blenders growing out of their arms.
Do you have a favorite brand? Is there any difference in RPMs or anything? BF has one by Cuisinart that comes apart which is nice for storage and cleaning but not so much when you're using it. If we were going to invest in one, I'd like to get it right the first time.
Any thoughts? TIA.
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26 Comments:
Mine is a Braun, circa the early 90's. It doesn't come apart so some might consider it harder to clean but I prefer it being all in one piece because it feels sturdy. I don't know its RPM output. When I need to clean it, I stick the business end in hot soapy water and let it run for 10 seconds or so.
I have to say, your description of the chefs conjured up an image of a cheffy Edward Scissorhands with stick blenders for limbs instead of, well, scissorhands.
holdthemayo at 8:03PM on 07/21/08
KitchenAid is the one for me. It's also Cooks Illustrated's favorite.
CI next chose Braun Multiquick and Multiquick Pro but said the Multiquick is plastic and can't be used in heat. They found wattage didn't matter.
bobcatsteph3 at 8:12PM on 07/21/08
I also have a early 1990's stick blender, it's a krups. I can take the blade off for cleaning, but I usually just run it in warm soapy water for a few seconds.
cmtigger at 8:19PM on 07/21/08
I have a newer Braun, not sure about a model name - it comes with a blender attachment, a whisk attachment, a tiny little "chopper/processor" (excellent for mincing large amounts of garlic without getting your hands dirty) and even a vinaigrette shaker (or at least, that's what I think it is and have been using it for:-)).
I love it very much and use it quite a lot (the whisk is probably the least used attachment as I often use my regular hand whisk, or, alternatively, a mixer. Still, I do use it on occasion, when I need something "in between"). The blender itself blends soups and sauces and whatever I need to blend very nicely (including hot ones), and I don't have a bad word to say about it. If I had a sister, I would recommend it to her:-).
brooke29 at 8:42PM on 07/21/08
I'm still stickblender-challenged
srhcb at 9:39PM on 07/21/08
i have a braun multipractic as well. it works great blending soups right in the pot.
cybercita at 10:15PM on 07/21/08
Hi Chiff -- I use a Cuisinart SmartStick. It's only about a year or two old now, but I LOVE it. Handle is sturdy plastic and well-designed, so it's comfortable to hold. The "on" button is easily triggered off and on with the same hand you're holding it with (far from the liquid, etc.). Plastic portion cleans up easily. The lower blender portion is metal, detaches, and cleans easily, too. And it is POWERFUL. Whew! Get it close to the bottom of a pot of sauce, and it is drawn downward -- so much so that I need to use more force that I expected to get it back up into the sauce again. One thing I found: it is almost pure instinct (for me anyway) to lift something -- a spoon, a ladle, etc. -- out of the mixture, without even a second thought. Bad idea with one of these. Thankfully, when I learned that lesson, it wasn't a total disaster. But still something of which to be mindful.
tmj529 at 10:28PM on 07/21/08
I have the same one as @brooke29, albeit with the all-metal blender attachment. It rocks.
Vinaigrette shaker? Heh, I was using it as a milkshake cup. Come to think of it, it's probably both.
jenilowrance at 10:44PM on 07/21/08
@jenilowrance - milkshake cup, huh? I really like the way you're thinking!
brooke29 at 11:05PM on 07/21/08
I think you're both right about the cup, it can also be used for making things like mayonnaisse, hollandaise, whipped cream, etc. etc.
bobcatsteph3 at 11:47PM on 07/21/08
I wore my stick blender out by using it so much and need to invest in a new one. In the restaurant that I work in I use a Robocoupe. I guess a commercial version. When making a huge pot of bisque I get the huge one out it's about 2 1/2 feet long and prob weighs 25lbs. we call it the "boat motor"!
joanpieroni2 at 7:37AM on 07/22/08
I forgot to mention that my older model Braun, which is plastic, has been used in hot soups, etc. with no adverse effects to the blender.
holdthemayo at 8:41AM on 07/22/08
I use the Braun with all the attachments as well. I have the plastic and have used it in hot soup, sauce, apple butter, pumpkin butter...whatev. I love just popping the end off and dropping in the dishwasher. Look for a 20% coupon for bed bath and beyond. I think I got mine for under 20 with it.
ChelleyD01 at 9:04AM on 07/22/08
I "too" have a Braun Multi and LOVE it. It performs incredibly well, and I use it for both hot and cold applications. I would highly recommend the Braun for consistency, durability and value.
Boscompb at 10:01AM on 07/22/08
Thanks for all the great feedback!! LOL@ Scissorhands image. I'm going to be giggling at the demos and the chefs won't know why.
I'm so "old school" sometimes that I forget to use the stick blender which is probably a contributing factor to my giving away the first one I had.
Wow - I can't believe KA got so highly rated in the face of heavy hitters like Braun. That would not have been my first guess. When we get back in town from vacation, I'll go handle a few of these machines and see which feels "at home."
chiff0nade at 10:59AM on 07/22/08
I resisted getting one for a long time. Finally bought a KA about a year ago and it works great. I recommend it strongly. It's a little heavy, but I think that's the price of having a motor that actually works. They go on sale at Amazon quite often.
karen r at 11:46AM on 07/22/08
"... I forgot to mention that my older model Braun, which is plastic, has been used in hot soups, etc. with no adverse effects to the blender..." What about adverse effects to the pot? Lots of good recommendations, but I'm scared a stick blender will scratch my Le Creuset. Can anyone recommend one that will not?
dakotarose at 12:16PM on 07/22/08
@dakotarose...The blades aren't exposed on my model so they can't touch the sides of the pot. I don't really think it would damage the bottom of pots, either, but I I've taken a "just in case" approach to that and avoid letting it sit at the bottom of a pot when I use it. I mentioned that the blender does fine in hot foods because other plastic versions of a stick blender apparently aren't supposed to be used as such.
holdthemayo at 12:47PM on 07/22/08
@dakotarose - I've used my Braun in any pot/bowl imaginable - non-stick, stainless steel, glass, Le Creuset... no damage whatsoever. Like holdthemayo said, the blades physically cannot come in contact with the pot.
brooke29 at 12:56PM on 07/22/08
@holdthemayo ... Thank you for the info! Transferring hot soups to a blender, returning them to the pot gets tedious. Still, Le Creuset is my pot of choice. Off to Google Braun, thanks again!
dakotarose at 1:05PM on 07/22/08
@brooke29 ... Thank you too! All this reassurance is just the excuse I need to buy a Braun. I've been coveting a stick blender for a long time.
dakotarose at 1:13PM on 07/22/08
One question for everyone who recommended a brand or a model - Which ones come apart??
chiff0nade at 4:43PM on 07/22/08
@ chiff - Braun does.
brooke29 at 4:47PM on 07/22/08
KitchenAid comes apart, it's stainless steel. There is a model with other attachments, and one without.
Also the blade is protected, never scratched anything for the person who wondered about that. I'd imagine all of them have protected blades actually.
bobcatsteph3 at 7:00PM on 07/22/08
Re: KA Stick - the chefs here use them. They're red with a stainless steel stick which detaches. Disclosure - the entire kitchen is Kitchen Aid. In honesty though, I asked the chef if he liked that stick blender and he said he loved it. So it looks like it's a tossup between the Braun and the KA. I'll handle both and see which says "buy me!"
chiff0nade at 7:39PM on 07/22/08
I know, thread resurrection. But Re: special containers for using stick blenders – because a regular mixing bowl just won't do it – a wide-mouth quart Mason jar works just fine. Or even a two- or four-cup measuring cup.
gentlyferal at 2:55AM on 01/23/09