Whereas countertop blenders have been staple kitchen instruments for fairly a while, smaller and extra compact immersion blenders (aka hand blenders or stick blenders) have their makes use of too. They’re nice for shortly whipping up a sauce or making a smoothie earlier than you run out the door. Personally, my favourite method to make use of one is to make mild, frothy matcha lattes (simply blitz a couple of cup of milk, half a teaspoon of matcha powder and a splash of easy syrup and optionally pour it over ice), which is quicker and simpler to do with an immersion blender than their massive countertop brethren. And for mixing soups or emulsifying sauces, immersion blenders not solely offer you a variety of management over consistency, additionally they make cleanup a breeze. However relying on what the remainder of your kitchen tech seems, it will possibly get just a little complicated in terms of selecting one of the best immersion blender to your wants. So allow us to offer you a hand with our picks for one of the best fashions available on the market proper now.
Which gadget is best for you?
Earlier than you even take into consideration shopping for a brand new kitchen equipment, it’s essential to determine the way you’re going to make use of it and the place it matches in with any devices you already personal. In a great 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 price range.
Whereas handheld blenders and conventional, full-size blenders have a variety of overlap, there are strengths and weaknesses to each. For instance, for those who’re seeking to make smoothies day-after-day, a countertop blender is perhaps a more sensible choice. The larger pitchers make it simpler to mix drinks for a number of individuals without delay, whereas bigger motors will make quick work of ice and frozen fruit. Moreover, costlier choices like these from Vitamix, All-Clad, Ninja or Robocoupe may even prepare dinner soup in the course of 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 house for it and don’t already personal one, an everyday blender might be the best choice for most individuals.
That mentioned, immersion blenders are sometimes inexpensive and, because of all kinds of equipment supplied by some producers, they are often nice multitaskers. A whisk attachment means that you can make whipped cream or meringues shortly without having an electrical hand mixer, or threat getting tendonitis in your elbow doing it manually. Some immersion blenders additionally include meals processing bowls, so you’ll be able to simply throw collectively issues like small batches of hummus, salad dressings or do-it-yourself pesto in minutes. And since immersion blenders are smaller and fewer cumbersome than conventional fashions, they’re an ideal alternative for house dwellers or anybody with restricted storage or counter house. Which means for those who’re merely attempting to develop your culinary repertoire with out blowing up your price range, an immersion blender might be a good way to attempt one thing new with out committing too exhausting.
Corded or cordless?
Just like determining for those who ought to get a blender or not, attempting to determine between a corded or cordless mannequin relies upon quite a bit on the opposite devices you already personal. Corded variations sometimes have extra highly effective motors, which makes them nice for individuals who don’t have a countertop blender or meals processor. However for those who do personal certainly one of each of these, cordless is the best way 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 far more harmful than a chef’s knife. Crucial 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 arms, 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 instantly hitting the vessel holding your meals (be it a mixing bowl or a pot). Nonetheless, to be further secure, you need 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 wish 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 that may have gotten tangled, first make sure that 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 function.
On the brilliant facet, cleansing an immersion is reasonably easy and simple. All you must 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’ll be able to repeat that course of once more till it’s. And if hand washing is an excessive amount of work, the mixing wand on a variety of fashions (together with the entire ones on this checklist) are dishwasher secure too.
Greatest wired immersion blender: Breville Management Grip
Greatest wired
Breville
Beginning at $130, Breville’s Management Grip not solely has some of the highly effective motors (280-watts) obtainable on a corded immersion blender on this worth vary, it additionally comes with a wealth of useful equipment. Along with the principle 8-inch shaft/immersion blade, the equipment contains a 25-ounce chopping bowl for chopping and mincing and a 42-ounce mixing jug for making soups and smoothies. There’s additionally a whisk attachment, which implies that between all of its equipment, the Management Grip can take the place of three completely different frequent kitchen devices: a meals processor, conventional blender and hand mixer.
I additionally respect the two-button attachment system, a security function that ensures equipment are correctly locked in earlier than use. Breville even features a detachable blade guard to assist forestall the stainless-steel blender from scratching your different home equipment in storage. And with help for 15 completely different excessive velocity settings, it has a variety of versatility and may deal with all kinds of dishes. Alternatively, for those who’re in search of an all-purpose immersion blender with much more attachments for making drinks and pureeing soup, you could wish to contemplate KitchenAid’s 5-Pace Hand Blender, which comes with two further bell blades to assist crush ice, whisk egg whites and extra.
Greatest cordless immersion blender: KitchenAid Cordless Variable Pace Hand Blender
Greatest cordless
KitchenAid
If you happen to simply need an immersion blender that’s easy and straightforward to make use of, KitchenAid’s Cordless Variable Pace Blender is the one to get. It comes with a dishwasher-safe mixing jar and an elective pan guard to assist make sure you received’t nick your cookware. Nonetheless, the actual nifty function is that as an alternative of getting discrete velocity settings, you’ll be able to alter 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 far more tough to hit the ability button and spin up the blade accidentally.
KitchenAid additionally claims the battery can mix as much as 25 bowls of soup on a single cost. And whereas my kitchen is simply too small to check this correctly, I by no means bumped into any points. That mentioned, you’re going to wish to make sure that 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’ll be able to’t have it plugged in whereas it is operating.
Greatest price range immersion blender: Hamilton Seaside 2-Pace Hand Blender
Greatest price range
Hamilton Seaside
For many who need one thing that’s versatile and an ideal worth, Hamilton Seaside’s Two-Pace 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 reasonably highly effective for its worth, although you don’t get as many velocity settings as you’d on extra premium rivals. With this factor having been available on the market for greater than 15 years, this blender has lengthy been a best choice amongst budget-conscious cooks.