If you don't already own a hand immersion blender ...you are really missing out! I wouldn't call this my "most used" kitchen tool, but since cooking from scratch is obviously a requirement for eating real food this is quite possibly my "most practical" one. In fact, it's one of the few kitchen tools I brought from home on our RV trip last summer - I honestly don't know how I ever cooked (especially made soups) without it, and, for the price, you really get a lot for your money.
So, just for fun (read: this is not a sponsored post), here are the top 5 reasons I love my $35 hand immersion blender. And I'd love for you to chime in with your favorite uses in the comments below because I'm sure there are some I haven't thought of, and it would be fun to try something new with it!
- Pureeing Homemade Soups
My first reason here alone is absolutely worth the purchase of a hand immersion blender. Gone are the days of transferring your freshly made hot soup in batches to your blender for pureeing. Not to mention the trouble if you have more soup than your blender will hold, requiring a third container, and then the safety issues of the steam popping the top off the blender when pureeing the hot soup - talk about a mess!
- - Emulsifying Salad Dressings
Sure, you can shake up salad dressing in a jar to get it to mix together nicely, but let's face it - nothing does as good of a job as a high-speed blender. And the hand-held version is the perfect size to make something like this very quick and easy without a lot of clean up! Plus I’ve found that dressings stay emulsified longer when they're made this way, too.
- - Small Batch Sauces (and other homemade goodies)
Sauces are not often made in huge portions so I love that you don't have to get out (and clean) a big blender if you just need a little batch of homemade berry sauce or pesto or even whipped cream. Everyone could use a little batch of whipped cream on occasion. :)
- - Easy Cleaning
I love how the bottom half of the handheld blender just pops right off and goes into the silverware compartment of the dishwasher while the cup fits in the top rack. Again, why mess with washing the parts of a big blender if you don't have to?
- - Small Price and Size
Many of us struggle with small budgets and little storage space in our kitchen. It's safe to say this one is both affordable (especially when it comes to kitchen appliances) and takes up little room in the cupboards.
What other ways have you used your hand immersion blender?
Erma Robinson says
I love my handheld blender,too! I also make a lot of soups with it but that's it. Thanks for the ideas! I need to try using it for other things too! I am happy that it is so easy to clean it! Sometimes I don't even put it for washing in the dishwasher but straight clean it in the sink. It is great to have it! :)
Jennifer Cool says
I use mine to make a small batch of smoothies for my kids. It's perfect for a quick and healthy part of lunch! :)
Erin Fisher says
I love to use mine to make homemade popsicles. A little plain (organic) yogurt, mango (for sweet) and whatever veggie I can hide. We call them "green sparkle pops" My kids think the spinach/kale are sparkles hahahahahahahaha
Laurie says
I received an immersion blender for Christmas and I honestly don't know how I have managed in the kitchen without it! Amazing! I mostly using for blending soups and am so happy this blog helped me realize how much I needed this in my kitchen - it makes all the difference!
Renee says
I also have 2 stick blenders that are used just for making Soap and Bath & Body products.
Corina Lorens says
I want to buy one of these blenders! I think that they are easy to maintain and to clean. I have two year old daughter and she loves pumpkin soups and I think that this blender will be perfect for my pumpkin soups! Regards! Brent Park Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
Dana says
I use mine most for making refried beans after the dry beans have cooked all day in the crock pot--drain and put back in the crock pot, add some salsa or chopped tomatoes and a little bit of the bean liquid and blend. delish and super easy.
Bethany says
Just a word of caution: I almost cut my finger off about a month ago using my immersion blender. I took my finger off the button, put my other finger in the blade to clear out the batter and it turned on. Since my accident, I've heard of other people doing the same thing. It seems to be a glitch with the machine. Make sure to unplug the blender if you're going to stick anything inside!
Eva says
Can you make butter with this?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Eva. You can: http://longestacres.blogspot.com/2012/04/back-country-how-to-le-beurre.html. :)
Angela says
Love mine too! I mainly use it to puree soups. I also use a different one for making soap.
Suzanne says
Angela, I also make soap. I have a recipe that calls for lye water, olive oil, coconut oil, & palm oil. This mixture is stirred until it traces.
What kind of soap are you making? Doesn't the blender mix it too quickly?
Angela says
I use olive oil, almond oil, and Shea or cocoa butter in my soaps. The immersion blender makes it trace in just a few minutes. You have to be prepared with your molds ready. Better than stirring forever! I'm going to write a blog post on it soon, so follow me so you don't miss it.
Angela says
I make Shea butter soap mainly. It will trace within a few minutes, depending on the temperature of the oil mixture when you start. I usually cool it down first by setting it in a bowl of ice water. I need to write a how to blog on this !
Jessica H. says
Makes perfect home-made mayonnaise every single time. I make my mayo with avocado oil from Costco, fresh eggs from a friend's farm, and the guilt-free mayo comes out flawless and tasty with the immersion blender!!
Anna says
I use mine all the time too... Hummus and other bean dips are easy with it... Also the aforementioned smoothies, and soups
Kelly says
Best tool ever for making sure eggs are well blended. No more lemon curd with stray bits of egg!
Alley @ Alley's Recipe Book says
I just got one for Christmas! I've used it several times making soups and sauces, but it seems to only be handy in the winter when I am making those things often. I saw that you can make smoothies with it (instead of making a lot of smoothie and mess in a blender), so I'm going to try that out in the summer. :)
Alisa says
I love to use mine for everything you mentioned, but probably my favorite is making an avocado cream to go on enchiladas. It makes the avocado super smooth and delicious.
Stacey says
Perfect for making baby food!
Suzanne says
I have one of these blenders, but I never use it because I didn't know what to use it for. Thank you for sharing your experience and how you like it for certain tasks!
Mich Muc says
Yes, I totally agree! These are some great suggestions beyond the rare times I need it for soup!!! THANKS!
Pat says
I use mine on roasted tomatoes to make fresh sauce. No need to remove seeds or skin then and comes out perfectly smooth. It's the best to make soups creamy without the cream.
Preiyanka says
I love to use it to make smooth banana pancake batter!
Kathryn Ormondroyd says
I love mine and use it all the time. The best thing was I used it to make all my own baby food!!