# Anyone Have an Immersion Blender? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 17, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050 "2012-10-17T19:23:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/41 "2012-10-18T14:48:58Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > Not sure why everyone is giving it such a bad rap. šŸ˜• Who is ā€œeveryoneā€? Thereā€™s only like two or three posters with tepid opinions of the immersion blender. To be honest, though, Iā€™ve never had a regular blender that purees stuff to a completely smooth consistencyā€“I just have one of those Oster beehive blenders. As I said above, anything that needs to be silk-smooth gets pushed through a chinois/strainer/sieve. That mostly means sauces for me, as Iā€™m not a fan of the ultra-pureed style of creamy soups, which seems textureless to me. But, even if you were going that direction, if you demand perfection, wouldnā€™t you push it through a chinois/strainer/sieve anyway? Do the high-end countertop blenders really do such a good job that they render it perfectly smooth? Iā€™m honestly curious about that. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/42 "2012-10-18T14:52:10Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > Not sure why everyone is giving it such a bad rap. > > I have one and love it. Cleanup couldnā€™t be easier. > [@pulykamell](#): > > šŸ˜• Who is ā€œeveryoneā€? Thereā€™s only like two or three posters with tepid opinions of the immersion blender. So, I made a very nice mushroom soup and mixed it using my immersion blender. Know what sound it made? Kind of a ā€˜whoooshā€™. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/43 "2012-10-18T14:53:17Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > So, I made a very nice mushroom soup and mixed it using my immersion blender. > > Know what sound it made? Kind of a ā€˜whoooshā€™. :smack: Hey! I havenā€™t had my morning coffee yet. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/44 "2012-10-18T14:58:35Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > šŸ˜• Who is ā€œeveryoneā€? Thereā€™s only like two or three posters with tepid opinions of the immersion blender. > > To be honest, though, Iā€™ve never had a regular blender that purees stuff to a completely smooth consistencyā€“I just have one of those Oster beehive blenders. As I said above, anything that needs to be silk-smooth gets pushed through a chinois/strainer/sieve. That mostly means sauces for me, as Iā€™m not a fan of the ultra-pureed style of creamy soups, which seems textureless to me. But, even if you were going that direction, if you demand perfection, wouldnā€™t you push it through a chinois/strainer/sieve anyway? Do the high-end countertop blenders really do such a good job that they render it perfectly smooth? Iā€™m honestly curious about that. Yes, and itā€™s much faster than a stick blender. I may send cream of asparagus through a strainer, but even that is easier to do out of a blender carafe. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/45 "2012-10-18T15:01:37Z")
I donā€™t have one. I donā€™t even have a regular blender. It doesnā€™t fit my cooking style, and I prefer to do things by hand anyway. Itā€™s a rare case where I would really need one. No objections to them though, use the tools you like. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/46 "2012-10-18T15:06:43Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > but even that is easier to do out of a blender carafe. Thatā€™s the main reason I do sauces with hot peppers in my blender: bit easier to pour it out of a carafe into a strainer. It does blend the reconstituted peppers better, too, but thatā€™s not as much a consideration, as those types of sauces generally go through the strainer. But, Lordy, do I hate digging that thing out and cleaning it up afterwards. Same thing with my food processor. Love having it, hate using it. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/47 "2012-10-18T15:17:50Z")
I donā€™t like my immersion blender. I LOVE IT! ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/48 "2012-10-18T15:26:47Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Thatā€™s the main reason I do sauces with hot peppers in my blender: bit easier to pour it out of a carafe into a strainer. It does blend the reconstituted peppers better, too, but thatā€™s not as much a consideration, as those types of sauces generally go through the strainer. > > But, Lordy, do I hate digging that thing out and cleaning it up afterwards. Same thing with my food processor. Love having it, hate using it. Thatā€™s interesting, because I never have to dig mine out. Iā€™ve worked with Vitamixes in the past, but now just have a Viking. Itā€™s okay, but nothing extraordinary. Still gets the job done, and just goes straight to the bottom of the dishwasher. I use it to make a lot of chili (and chile) powder. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/49 "2012-10-18T15:28:28Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > I donā€™t like my immersion blender. > > I LOVE IT! Ah, but is it easy to clean? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/50 "2012-10-18T15:31:01Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Thatā€™s interesting, because I never have to dig mine out. Iā€™ve worked with Vitamixes in the past, but now just have a Viking. Itā€™s okay, but nothing extraordinary. Still gets the job done, and just goes straight to the bottom of the dishwasher. I use it to make a lot of chili (and chile) powder. Ah. You have a dishwasher. That helps. Unfortunately, I donā€™t have enough counter space, so I have to keep the blender, food processor, etc., buried in the back of a cabinet behind more regularly used items or ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/51 "2012-10-18T15:32:23Z")
The ones where you can separate the whole shaft from the motor are much easier, but I think pretty much every current model is like that. Most of the time you donā€™t even need to take the blades off (you do if youā€™ve used it on something very fibrous, such as pumpkin). > [@pulykamell](#): > > Do the high-end countertop blenders really do such a good job that they render it perfectly smooth? Iā€™m honestly curious about that. I donā€™t think any of ours qualify as ā€œhigh-endā€, but they certainly render things smooth enough that putting them through a cloth strainer will not make them smoother. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/52 "2012-10-18T15:36:42Z")
Wouldnā€™t you clean these things by sticking them in a bowl of soapy water and letting them spin? I can see some fibrous stuff getting stuck on them occasionally, but thatā€™s about the only cleaning problem I could predict. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/53 "2012-10-18T15:37:04Z")
Double post. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/54 "2012-10-18T15:41:50Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Wouldnā€™t you clean these things by sticking them in a bowl of soapy water and letting them spin? I can see some fibrous stuff getting stuck on them occasionally, but thatā€™s about the only cleaning problem I could predict. I just take the shaft off and run cold water over it; usually whatever Iā€™ve used it on is water-based enough to not need soap at all. If there is fibrous stuff, remove by finger (or, if that isnā€™t working, use tweezers). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/55 "2012-10-18T15:42:07Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I donā€™t think any of ours qualify as ā€œhigh-endā€, but they certainly render things smooth enough that putting them through a cloth strainer will not make them smoother. Well, thatā€™s not like my blender or any of the blenders Iā€™ve worked with. They always leave tiny, tiny particulates, so if you want a perfectly smooth sauce, you have to push it through a fine-meshed chinois. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/56 "2012-10-18T15:45:52Z")
I love mine as well. It has a whisk attachment, soā€¦ homemade whipped cream. With cardamom. Cool Whip can suck it; there is no better pumpkin pie topping. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/57 "2012-10-18T15:47:41Z")
Actually, hereā€™s a good video that shows you what happens [with me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktbt-yRBTsE#t=02m20s). It gets to that liquid state, but still has particles that need to be pushed through a strainer (as the woman there doesā€“well, she doesnā€™t really push it for the video, just lets it sit in the strainer, but thatā€™s what is usually done.) Iā€™ve never had a blender that can break up seeds and skin to such a level where you can get a perfectly smooth sauce. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/58 "2012-10-18T15:57:48Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Actually, hereā€™s a good video that shows you what happens [with me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktbt-yRBTsE#t=02m20s). It gets to that liquid state, but still has particles that need to be pushed through a strainer (as the woman there doesā€“well, she doesnā€™t really push it for the video, just lets it sit in the strainer, but thatā€™s what is usually done.) Iā€™ve never had a blender that can break up seeds and skin to such a level where you can get a perfectly smooth sauce. If youā€™re saying a blender canā€™t do better than that strainer then I donā€™t see any compelling reason to get one. Iā€™ve pushed through finer strainers than that when necessary. The blender will save me some prep time and reduce waste a little, but that would be it if I have to strain anyway. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/59 "2012-10-18T16:05:28Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > If youā€™re saying a blender canā€™t do better than that strainer then I donā€™t see any compelling reason to get one. Iā€™ve pushed through finer strainers than that when necessary. The blender will save me some prep time and reduce waste a little, but that would be it if I have to strain anyway. You could probably find ways around it, if you really donā€™t want to use a blender of any sort. But it makes life easy, because you want the liquid you strain to be in a fairly fine mash and well-mixed before you push it through the strainer. I suppose you could always mash what you need to in a mortar and pestle, if you want to. And, hey, I have one of those. But when it comes to making smooth chile pepper-based sauces, I find a blender of some sort helps a lot. Besides, Iā€™ve also been able to use it (the countertop blender) to blend things like chicken bones into a fine bone meal for the dog, which I canā€™t really do using any other method that comes to mind (except, perhaps, if I wanted to deal with a mortar and pestle.) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050/60 "2012-10-18T16:14:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > You could probably find ways around it, if you really donā€™t want to use a blender of any sort. But it makes life easy, because you want the liquid you strain to be in a fairly fine mash and well-mixed before you push it through the strainer. I suppose you could always mash what you need to in a mortar and pestle, if you want to. And, hey, I have one of those. But when it comes to making smooth chile pepper-based sauces, I find a blender of some sort helps a lot. > > Besides, Iā€™ve also been able to use it (the countertop blender) to blend things like chicken bones into a fine bone meal for the dog, which I canā€™t really do using any other method that comes to mind (except, perhaps, if I wanted to deal with a mortar and pestle.) Well I donā€™t have any chicken bones to deal with so thatā€™s not an issue. And for anything requiring that much prep Iā€™d leave plenty of time to let the results of chopping sit and soften up for a while before straining. I would like a spice grinder for my Kitchen-Aid, and I can see it being useful for dry ingredients. But I actually enjoy the repeated chopping needed to pulverize stuff, itā€™s a good way to relieve stress. Iā€™ve lived without a blender so far, I think Iā€™ll continue to do so. But Iā€™d never say thereā€™s anything wrong with someone getting the gadgets they like. I may have simple cooking tools, but I have about a dozen different types of power sanders for woodworking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-an-immersion-blender/638050.md?page=4)