Among our favorite kitchen gadgets, there is one that we have received a lot of questions about recently...questions like "do I really need one?" and "will I use it?" This kitchen utensil is...
...the immersion blender!
Maybe you are like someone we spoke to last week who said, "I have had one of those in my cabinet for years, and I never touched it!"
We love our immersion blender and want to give you some insight and inspiration on this gadget that we appreciate so much!
What is it?
An immersion blender allows you to blend or puree ingredients right there in the pot...no pouring or transferring needed!
Have you tried transferring a hot soup or sauce to a blender?
Working in batches, you have to carefully fill the blender to avoid a geyser exploding all over your kitchen, and we can tell you from experience a couple of our attempts were total disasters! So, after several of these oh-so frustrating experiences, we invested in an immersion blender, and we will never move hot soup to a blender again!
It's sometimes called a stick blender, hand blender, wand blender, or even a boat motor (you know, the large commercial-grade immersion blenders you might see on shows like Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives). These blenders were invented in Switzerland in 1950 and used in Europe starting in the 1960’s, but were not marketed for home use in the U.S. until the 1980's.
Why should you own one?
If you don’t already own one, you may be thinking…I have a kitchen full of small appliances...a blender, a food processor, a magic bullet, a Ninja, a mixer...why do I need another one?
An immersion blender can be an extremely useful addition to your kitchen collection:
- It's lightweight, handheld, small (it doesn't take up a lot of space – it will even fit in a drawer).
- Super-easy to use and clean.
- Immersion blenders range in price, and can be found as low as $25 for a basic model. You can also find them with other attachments such as a whisk, chopper and mini processor.
It just may lead you to kick some of your other small appliances to the curb!
For more than just soups!
Immersion blenders are super versatile and great for sauces, homemade whipped cream, smoothies, homemade applesauce, mashed potatoes, pesto, hummus, creamy vinaigrettes, chopping nuts (trust us, you will want to use the included containers and not try to put the immersion blender on a cutting board to chop nuts!), and it's a convenient tool to make baby food! It will help you be a sneaky chef with the kiddos and can be a great way to “hide” veggies in sauces -- because as we all know, sometimes you have to get creative!
Some useful immersion blender tips:
Work below the surface! Keep the blender head submerged in the liquid as it does its work…this will keep the contents in the pot and not all over you and your walls!
- Rinse right away! Detach and rinse the blender head right after use. Then, it’s a snap to clean with soap and water (no dried food to scrape off the sharp blades).
- Don't accidentally get trigger happy! Always unplug your immersion blender if you are putting your hands near the blades. We know this seems like common sense, but there are many, many stories of people leaving their blender plugged in and accidentally hitting the button while cleaning the blade -- very dangerous to your digits!
We have several ideas on Eat REAL America to take advantage of this handy tool, which includes soups not only for fall and winter, but summer too! Try the Zucchini Basil Soup...if nothing else convinces you to get an immersion blender, this delicious summer soup just might!
Roasted Sweet Potato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons
Chocolate Peanut Butter Avocado Pudding -- with Homemade Whipped Cream!
Venison Meatloaf with Tomato and Apple Ketchup
Creamy Butternut Squash Alfredo Pasta
Mole Sauce in the Sausage and Black Bean Mole Enchiladas
What is your favorite way to use an immersion blender?
Please share with us!
Someone just bought me one and I’m looking forward to giving it a try. YUM!
Thank you for the feedback – please let us know what you think!
I love my immersion blender. It has made making any blended egg dish so much easier and the eggs so much better!
So glad you enjoy yours as much as we do – thank you so much for the feedback!
I inherited my mother’s and do use it on occasion, like when I made the Red Lentil Tomato Soup recipe. Thanks for the suggestions–I’ll have to get it out more often! One thing I’ve appreciated is it’s so easy to clean after using.
So glad this helped – it really is a snap to clean and really easy to use. It definitely is one of those tools that when you have one and need it, you are super grateful!
I used it to puree the roasted carrots to make the pizza sauce for Farmers’ Market Pizza today. Worked very well!
Such a great idea – thank you!
Happy I read this post. I’ve been researching blenders and was on the verge of purchasing a Vitamix, but just couldn’t stomach the high cost. It sounds like an immersion blender is exactly what I’m looking for and will do the jobs I’m trying to do! I’ve never really considered this as a necessary kitchen tool, but now it’s at the top of my list.
We think you will love it! Between the Big Ninja and immersion blender, that pretty much covers all my food processor needs for every cooking job and recipe! Please let us know what you think! Thanks again!