Immersion (Hand) Blenders

[digideb]

Okay, so I have been wanting an immersion blender for awhile now & DH mentioned last night that it would be great to have one! So, maybe I'll finally be getting one! Talk to me about them! Likes/dislikes! Which one do you have? Do you recommend it? I've never had one & I want to know all there is to know!
Here are a few I've looked at...
KitchenAid
Oster
another Oster
Hamilton Beach
ETA: Cuisinart

[meems]

oh i love mine! i can't recall the brand and am too lazy to get up and check. but i've had it for years (since the last century in fact ). Got it as some sort of reward from a credit card company.

[Darcy Baldwin]

I love ours. We have a no-name cheapie (probably the Oster from Target or Walmart, but I'm too lazy to walk in and look LOLOL). I LOOOVE it. However, that being said, as much as I love it, i do find it a tool I could probably live w/o. But that's also because I haven't been cooking a lot lately. We've been living off our freezer stock since I've been away so much this summer, so I haven' had to cook from scratch a lot (or we eat out bad bad). I really do love mine.

[mummytothree]

I have the no name one too (but like those 2 slackers above I;m to lazy to look too ) and I LOVE MINE!!! I use it to make milkshakes, pancake mix, and pudding. I use it to make baby food (well not so much anymore since he's moving to chunkier food) and whip eggs. I use it for EVERYTHING!!!! Mine was a great ice cruncher too when I was preggers!!!

OK I just tlloked and mines a Sunbeam and 'm sure I got it at Wal Mart cause that's the only place I shop!!! We've had it for ATLEAST 6years because I used it for baby number #2 and making baby food and she was born in 2002.

[Stacey42]

I have one by Braun. It's my second. I used my first so much I burnt out the motor. I returned a couple before settling on this one. The one thing I think is key is having the immersion part detachable and dishwasher safe. My first wasn't & it was a PITA to clean. My Braun is detachable and came with some additional attachments -a full sized blender, a small food chopper/processor, a whisk and a mixer. Mine resembles this one
http://www.amazon.com/Braun-MR5550CA...4103936&sr=8-1
But the immersion part is metal and it came with an addional large blender container

[meems]

aha! i have a Braun. but very basic model.

[newfiemountiewife]

Originally Posted by meems

aha! i have a Braun. but very basic model.

This is also what I have, mine is about 10 years old. I use that thing almost every day for various chopping/blending/mixing. It's been one of the best kitchen appliances I have ever owned, certainly the one I use the most. I'll be sad when it kicks the bucket, but I definitely got my money's worth.

Plus you can mix drinks with it!

[Brooke W]

We have a Kitchen Aide. Can't say we've used it much, but as a brand, you can't beat the quality and longevity of their appliances

[Leila]

I have one similar to what Stacey posted and I love it!! I will admit that I could live without it, much like Darcy said, but I just refuse to do so, lol! We use it all the time, even the extra attachments. DH loves the miniature food processor so much that he refuses to get me a big girl processor. The kids like to make their own milkshakes with the big metal shake cup. We bought just before we left TX, so we've had it about four years. It's held up well to all the abuse it goes through in this house!

[Mama-to-Elle]

OMG'osh... I totally forgot about these.. I want one too..

[Nonnie917]

Personally I like all KitchenAid products. You can't beat those for performance and longevity. I have owned Hamilton Beach and Cuisinart and wasn't too happy with their product. I have an Oster blender that I like and an Oster food processor which seems to be doing okay for me. If I had my drouthers though all my appliances would be Kitchen Aid.

[digideb]

Thank y'all so much for your responses! I really don't know which way to go! lol I've been looking at the Cuisinart, but have read some not so great reviews. The Oster ones have really bad reviews! My mom said she'd never buy Hamilton Beach, she's had nothing but bad luck w/anything from them! So, that leaves the KitchenAid! And, I don't know that I want to spend $50 for one. I'm gonna search around some more.

[my4boys]

I have one and LOVE it....I really have not used it in a long time but I did use it all the time and have had it for over 15 years and it still works cause I checked when I found it not too long ago......I think it is a Braun too but as some of the others have stated, I am too lazy to find it again and check!!!!

[Brooke W]

Originally Posted by digideb

Thank y'all so much for your responses! I really don't know which way to go! lol I've been looking at the Cuisinart, but have read some not so great reviews. The Oster ones have really bad reviews! My mom said she'd never buy Hamilton Beach, she's had nothing but bad luck w/anything from them! So, that leaves the KitchenAid! And, I don't know that I want to spend $50 for one. I'm gonna search around some more.

As much as that sounds to spend, you're getting a very reliable and sturdily built machine that should last long enough to merit the cost. I love KitchenAid,lol. Seriously, you can't go wrong. You're not going to have to buy another one within a year or two, this one will last.

[newfiemountiewife]

I use my Braun just about everyday, I'm not sure how much it cost as it was a gift about 10 years ago. Seriously, I put this thing through hell every day, and it is still going strong. I definitely think the KitchenAid one should last a lot longer than that too!

[pbumbaca]

So what kind of things do you use these for? I have a big Kitchen and then just a regular hand mixer for quick stuff, will those things do stuff like mashed potatoes?

[Darcy Baldwin]

Pam..if you had a big one, yeah. There are some restaurant sized ones that can do it, but I know mine couldn't. They really are just like having hand mixers, but because they're smaller, they're a bit more convenient. And you can mix things in cups if you're not wanting to drag out the blender. But you can use them to mix anything that's not overly bulky(like potatoes).

Now, someone's probably going to come in and say I do it with my potatoes all the time LOL. But if you're already using a handmixer and love it, there's no reason to go to a stick blender.

[pbumbaca]

Thanks Darcy!

[Stacey42]

I puree soups and sauces with mine. Just stick the blender in the pot & whirl. I make smoothies & milkshakes in the plastic blend cup that came with it. I used to puree baby food when they reached the thicker food stage. I still puree steamed veggies with it to add to other dishes. It blends up ripe fruit for quick ice cream topping. It's good for Jello Instant Pudding too, eggs for an omlette or frittata... I haven't used it for mashed potatoes but I have used it for turnips.

I also have the small chopper attachment & I'm always chopping onions, artichokes, carrots, celery and fruit with it.