November 28, 2010

 

Immersion Blender: Tools of the Trade

Cuisinart CSB-77 Smart Stick Hand Blender with Whisk and Chopper Attachments
If you are looking for gift ideas to give to a loved one or to put on your wish list, an immersion blender is something worth considering.  Until I purchased this one several months ago (with the help of Kohl’s cash), I had never used an immersion blender.  That means I’m really not an expert on using it.  I had read about people using them for things like butternut squash soup, but their usefulness seemed pretty limited.  Still I was interested.  Then when I was looking for one to purchase, I found this Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender with Whisk and Chopper Attachments.  I thought the mini chopper enhanced the usefulness of the tool, and I was right.

I’m still limited in my use of the immersion blender.  It can probably be used in ways I haven’t tried, but what I have used it for it is very good at.  I have really enjoyed making butternut squash soup this fall, and I can’t believe how fast the immersion blender turns it into a smooth soup without ever having to transfer hot liquid to and from my blender. 

The whisk attachment which came with this blender is handy, but not my favorite choice for a whisk.  I can also attach a whisk to my hand mixer, and that is my preference because the mixer has different speed settings.  The hand blender is either on or off.  That’s it.  And it’s pretty fast for a whisk.  We’ve had more than one mess to clean up from stuff being flung out of the bowl and spattered around my kitchen!  If you do use the whisk, make sure you use a deep bowl, and monitor the kids while they use it. J

The mini chopper attachment is very handy.  It’s size is perfect for chopping an onion, a couple of carrots or some nuts.  I find that if I leave it out on my counter, I use it pretty frequently.  If I put it away, I tend to forget about it and out of habit use a knife and cutting board.  If getting uniform pieces of onion is important in your recipe, use a knife; if it doesn’t matter, the chopper sure is quick.  I also like the fact that the bowl is small so it doesn’t take up much space in my dishwasher or on the counter.

If you are only interested in the immersion blender, there are plenty to be found without the other attachments.  For me, the mini chopper made this particular purchase worth while.  I love the immersion blender, but since I don’t use it frequently, I feel that the whole thing is more useful combined with the chopper. 

I’m interested in finding more ways to use my immersion blender.  If you own one, what do you use it for?

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Comments:
I've had an immersion blender for nearly 20 years. It's great for mixing and chopping smaller quantities and is easier and faster to clean than dragging out a larger blender, chopper or mixer. Especially important as I'm typically cooking for only one so the last thing I want to do is make a huge mess just for a meal for one person. I find I have more control to ensure that things get mixed or chopped more evenly (because I can move the blending/chopping blades to the parts that need blending/chopping. My blender has three different types of "blades", for blending, whipping and chopping. The whipping blade is particularly good for making whipped cream.
 
I received one for Christmas a few years ago. I would have never bought one for myself, but now I don't know what I would do without it. I use it for smoothies, protein shakes w/crushed ice, pancake batter (great for blending the shortening). Very easy to clean.
 
I had an immersion blender, and used it until it's death. (literally)

I loved how it saved me a few times; when I had unwanted lumps in gravy, or puddingss due to lack of attention.

Loved it!

Once you get use to having it, you will use it often.
 
FOr those that have babies that eat baby food this is a great tool to puree homemade food. I have a cheaper version and it works well for that job. I also like it for drink mixes. The trick is finding a cup that the you can get the hand blender all the way to the bottom of the cup. Once you find this the possibilities are endless. Smoothies or just adding fruit to your drink mixes are much less work.
 
When I make homemade jello from fruit it is so handy to puree the fruit. I also make several soups where I puree the veggies, so this is handy too. Eddie, my husband, makes a great red pepper sauce that he uses the immersion blender for. And milkshakes and puree fruit with yogurt to make frozen yogurt.
 
Um, well, I have this one and I use for . . .everything. Salsa. Hummus. Pumpkin Latte's (the immersion blender froths the milk wonderfully and the cup that comes with it can go in the microwave). I have used it on gravy, sauces, soups, smoothies, whip cream, and pretty much everything else. Not sure what I did before this little joy, but I picked mine up at Costco and it is by far my favorite thing in my kitchen. Except maybe my knives.
 

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