I love mine for soups, and hummus. It's so much easier for my college-student self then a blender or food processor.

I LOVE mine, it (along with a food processor) was my birthday gift from my mom when I got my first apartment. Mine has a whisk attachment and a mini food processor attachment (great for when I only want to blend some herbs and garlic for a ragu or something). It boggles my mind that people would mess around with pouring hot soup into a food processor.

I still use my food processor all the time for pie crusts, larger batch blends, slicing and shredding.

I love mine!!! I use it for everything- soups, whip cream, hummus, even for mixing cheesecakes (when i don't let the cream cheese soften enough) I can't say enough good things about it! I gave everyone in my family one for xmas this year!

I have an immersion blender and I like it but I don't love it. Its great for pureeing some things like tomato sauce and some soups but its doesn't completely replace my blender. If I want a really silky smooth texture then my blender can't be beat. And if you want to thicken a soup by just pureeing half of it, it's hard to get half sufficiently blended.

I do like the whisk attachment when making a cup of hot cocoa and just wanting a wee bit of fresh whip cream.

I got one for X-mas this year. I've had a smoothie every morning since!

I have a Cuisinart one and after a couple of passes it makes soup silky smooth even without cream (if that's what I'm going for). Beats having to transfer anything to a blender and super easy cleanup. I don't have a real blender or space for one anyway :) Granted I never make more than what fits into my 5 qt dutch oven anyway.

My mom always had one when I was growing--she still has the same one (going on 25 years!)and actually has gotten rid of her regular blender entirely. She even uses it to make her famous cheesecake!!
It was one of the first things I got when I moved out 20 years ago and I only just got a food processor last month--that's how much I love mine.

I just got the Cuisinart shown above for Xmas. So far I have used it to puree sweet potato and black beans (separately) and it worked great! The stick part detaches for super easy and quick cleaning. So nice to have when you want to make something fast without too much clean up.

Love, love, love our immersion blender!!! We've got two, one we use all the time that was a wedding present (the nice Kitchenaid I believe) and a cheapo one that decorates the kitchen (It's signed by Alton Brown! I brought it with me to one of his book signings. He is the reason I know about the wonders of immersion blending.)

Check our signed stick blender:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sj_sanders/5327814353/

I have the kitchen aid one that is linked to in the post and I LOVE it! I use it a fair amount, mostly to puree soups or often to turn a braising liquid into a sauce. I get nervous about pureeing hot liquids in either a food processor or a "real" blender, so this is great for me

The one great feature of the kitchen aid one is that the bottom part is detachable and dishwasher safe, so cleanup is a snap!

The easy answer is YES!

I love mine! I have a cuisinart stainless steel/black one from Crate & Barrel, now cheaper at Costco. I rarely use the whisk attachment but I use it for protein shakes, saving curdled ice cream base, soups, pureeing berries, I even in a pinch used it for chopping nuts for a project.

It sits nice and tall on my counter and frequently is in use. A must have! My food processor needs a replacement bowl and I only occasionally feel the need to bust it out, and my blender is still at my boyfriend's and I don't miss it.

kj.

I love mine but my adoration might be increased because my food processor is a mini. An immersion blender was one of the first things I bought on my small budget when I began to cook on a regular basis and use I it for soups, salsa, whipped cream and for beans...probably a few more things too.

I love not having to take the soup out of the pot and pour it bit by bit into the food processor. The immersion blender makes it so much easier and it faster to clean!

I adore mine! I have a Kitchenaid. Couldn't be more of a snap to clean and use and surprisingly powerful. I make tomato sauce, soups, coulis, all sorts of things with it and its so small (for an appliance) takes up no more space in your cabinet than a drinking glass. If you cook a good bit, there's no negative to owning one.

It's positively essential! I have a Cuisinart stainless steel, which is excellent. It replaced a Braun (plastic) which I used for a few years b/f it broke

I love mine, too. It's so much better than transferring hot soup into a blender and then back again, and I've even used it in place of my food processor on those occasions when I only need to chop up one small ingredient.

I usually just whiz my immersion blender right in my dish water and then again under fresh water to clean it. By running the blade right in the water immediately after use, it whips off any residue that's there by itself without me having to scrub it. Since I do it right after I use it, it never has gross dried on food that would require me to have to soak it, scrub it, or use the dishwasher to clean it.

I love mine! Most often it gets used for making smoothies, but it's great for soup. I also have a mini food processor attachment, which is pretty serious about doing its job - nuts are chopped in a flash! And all the bits of mine can go in the dishwasher, which is also pretty awesome. :-)

I had a cuisinart for about two years before it stopped working. Replaced it with a kitchenaid last year, and we'll see how long it does the job.

I love, love, love mine as well. I use it for soups and sauces all the time. I also find it invaluable for making salad dressings. It works perfectly in a quart sized take-out container (just enough width), and then I can cover it up and stick it in the fridge.

I will say, however, there are some things (soups especially), that I wish it would get as smooth as a higher end blender. It's still not enough to make me stop using it, though.

I was just telling someone today how much I love mine and that I really need to go through my kitchen and get rid of things like a potato masher and other things I don't need because I have that.

These are absolutely wonderful. They are fast, effective, easy and very easy and quick to clean. You can clean it faster than you can even put together your food processor. Even if I only use it to puree soups and pizza sauce, I consider it to be worth its weight in gold.

Wow...that's a lot of people who love their immersion blenders. Guess I'll go against the grain as usual. I have never ever ever felt the need to have an immersion blender in my kitchen. I'm an everyday cook too. There's nothing that my blender or mini food processor can't handle.

LOVE LOVE LOVE mine. I think it gives soups better texture than the food processor or blender. And it's about 1,000 times easier to clean than either of those. Mine has a detachable wand that is dishwasher safe. I have one that has multiple attachments, so I have the standard blade, a whisk (great for quickie whisk tasks), and a chopping/processor type container to be used with it's own blade. I've only ever used the standard blade and the whisk, because when I need to process something, usually it's more than fits in the pint-sized container. But I keep it just in case I pass on my immersion blender to someone else one day. I can't imagine soup without my immersion blender. Mine is nothing fancy--cost about $20 at a discount kitchen store, but worth every penny. There are plenty of gadgets in my kitchen that get very little use, but I definitely get use out of my blender. Sometimes it's great for whipping up quick sauces too...every once in a while I'll make a sauce that could just use a little fluffing, and this does the trick in seconds without dirtying up a new pot/bowl/blender/etc. It's also great for making small batches of dressings right in a small pitcher. We almost never buy pre-made salad dressing (except for ranch...I just can't seem to get it right at home), so we typically make quick, small batches right before dressing our greens. The immersion blender is my best friend when it comes to quick dressings that stay emulsified. :) Mine is made of a slick, white plastic--nothing fancy--but because it is slick, it cleans up in seconds, so I can use it multiple times in the course of cooking one meal without having to go to any big trouble to clean it. And when I'm all finished for the night, it goes happily into the dishwasher and always comes out spotless. This is an advantage of the models with the interchangeable blades/attachments. The standard ones that don't detach may be sturdier, but certainly less convenient. And I really don't find my cheapie plastic blender has any trouble standing up to tough work, so I'm not sure it is worth a big investment. Typically, I buy great quality items and take good care of them so that they last (as in my beloved Wustof knives), but I just don't see the point in replacing my immersion blender with a more expensive model. There's not real advantage gained for the added expense, in my opinion.

Sold. Just ordered the Kalorik this week, I can't wait to get it and use it for soups and sauces and to see what other kinds of things I can do with it!

I'll echo others: I love having one. I'm not sure I've used my regular blender since getting an immersion. I own the KitchenAid one and have been very pleased. I really like the plastic 'blending beaker' (with lid!) that came with mine, it's perfect for smoothies and pesto. I do get the most use pureeing squash soup, I tried transferring hot soup to a regular blender exactly once - there was hot orange liquid running everywhere - not so with my immersion!

I purchased my first (and definitely not the last) immersion blender a few months ago. It dramatically increased the amount of dishes I am willing to make.

Prior to owning an immersion blender, I would almost never attempt to make soup. The immersion blender makes it so much easier.

My wife and I have also done home made Christmas presents for the last few years. The immersion blender made it so much easier to whip up (no pun intended) salsa, vinaigrette, mustard, etc.

I still love my food processor, but it is something we do not have the real estate for to allow to sit out all of the time. The immersion blender can be pulled out quickly and easily and washed really quickly.

Just one note. Do not make mashed potatoes with them. They suck. :-)

wow, i have one but never really use it. I guess I must be missing a lot of potential here. I will have to try breaking it out more often.

More often I reach for my magic bullet mini blender thing.

I love mine too! I've mainly only used it for soups and sweet potatoes, but after reading this am going to try smoothies.

If you like pureed soups, I think it's a must-have. I'd pretty much given up making pureed soup because it was always such a hassle pouring batches in the blender, it leaks out of the food processor, and if it's too hot, it explodes out of the blender. Immersion blender wins by a mile.

Really worth it's value. Although it doesn't do everything a food processor does.
Over here in Belgium, practically every household owns an immersion blender; whereas food processors are more a foodie thing.

We have one that we use for protein shakes - it can't handle blending a really thick frozen fruit smoothie though. Definitely agree it is super easy to use and clean.

Q: Do they scratch the bottom of your pots? I think everyone has sold me on the usefulness, but my pots are all nonstick hard anodized (I got them before I know about the health debate). I'm worried an immersion blender will scratch the bejesus out of them and thus releasing the nonstick toxins. Or do you just hold them suspended in the middle of the soup, above the bottom of the pan?

I agree with all the "Yes" comments above. Another great use for immersion blenders is if you are making baby food. It's great making small batches of baby food and for varying the texture once the baby grows up a bit.

JMooney, the blades are slightly above the rounded cover and so the blades shouldn't touch your pots. The body of the blender will have to be made of plastic to keep your pots from being scratched.

I just got the Cuisinart immersion blender over the holidays and, so far, it's handled everything I've thrown at it - soups and smoothies - very well. Very easy to clean, and, if you're like me in a tiny apartment with little to no kitchen storage, one main plus is its tiny storage footprint.

I have the Cuisinart Smart Stick and I use it ALL THE TIME. So much easier to use and clean than a blender and/or food processor.

JMooney:
I also have some nonstick pots, and the Cuisinart immersion blender does just fine - it's got a little protective stainless steel cage over the blades, so there's no reason why the blades would come into contact with the nonstick surface. I suppose you could scratch the nonstick with the stainless steel cage, however, you would have to scrape the blender around the pot, which I haven't needed to do in order to get good results. I suspend the blender in the middle of the liquid and then move it laterally around the pot.

I love mine for soups and dips -- so much easier to clean than a food processor.

Even though it's one of the more expensive ones, I got a Kitchenaid because you can buy a separate whip attachment that works great for turning egg whites into stiff peaks. Although it's not great at creaming butter (I can do that buy hand), it's a lot cheaper than buying a stand mixer!

Have the Cuisinart one with the multiple changeable pieces, and I love it. And I just saw today that with some $10 mail-in rebate, it's $20 at Costco. So there you go, no excuses (unless you have no space I suppose?)

I've had the Cuisinart for years, and it's the single most used appliance in our kitchen. It's mobile, it can go right into a pot of soup or whip up some cream, it saves transferring things to blenders---awesome.

We recently received the Bamix immersion blender as a gift, though, and I can't decide if I like it better or not. Anyone have any experience with that one and want to weigh in? It's quite different from all of the ones linked above---just has tiny blades that attach and do all the work, instead of the larger blending attachments. Seems to work well, though I worry that the blades will get lost and it's frustrating that you can't pop the end piece off the way you can with the Cuisinart, so the whole blender has to go over to the sink to be washed. On the other hand, I hate washing the Cuisinart---always seems like there's stuff stuck in there. Should we stick with what we've got and try to exchange the Bamix for something else useful, or give it some time?

LOVE mine! It saves so much time/energy/mess when making soup or creamy tomato sauce so that you don't have to go from pot to blender and back (echo the commenter who talked about exploding hot soup). I upgraded to the Cuisinart one with the attachments and use the small prep bowl and whisk a lot as well. A real all-around appliance.

I've got two and I love them, so I guess you can add me to the rest of the folks who rave about them. I use mine mostly for soups. I haven't tried it for hummus or smoothies, but now I'm going to have to try that. I find that it does a great job at whizzing up a soup. If I want the soup smoother, I simply push it through a mesh sieve. That makes them silky smooth.

My immersion blender is one of the best appliances I own. After getting one, I can't believe I lived without it--so easy to use and clean and it doesn't take up much room to store. Even if you only use it to make soups and sauces this will be worth it.

Yes, yes, yes! I had the Kitchen Aid, and one of the blades broke. I got a Cuisinart, which has been super reliable, but you occasionally have a tiny corner to reach into for cleaning. It's so great, though. Of course a food processor can handle pureeing a soup, but who's got the time for all that scooping? Ugh.

Another vote for the Cuisinart one shown in the photo. I didn't even know I wanted one until I got it for Christmas last year...it's awesome! Totally worth it in so many ways.

I've never had any issues damaging pots, either. You hold it suspended in the middle of the soup- you don't have to scrape the bowl/pot.

You totally read my mind! I was just talking about getting one of these with a coworker today. Now I'm totally sold!!

-Chic Done Cheap

You forgot the best thing you can do with it - Mexican hot chocolate.

My old one broke a while back, and I was debating whether I really needed one for hot chocolate, but you've reminded me of the many other wonderful things I can do with one. Sold.

I finally broke down and bought one and I don't know why I waited so long. I love pureed soups and pouring the soup into a food processor and then into a bowl is a real pain in a small kitchen (more dishes mean less space). I really want to test mine out on chopping garlic, shallots, and onions, which is something I do in the mini food processor when I'm feeling lazy.

I still have an old Braun model -- the one with the metal shaft though -- and it's still going strong after 8 years. It's so good I've never bought a blender or a food processor (I have a mini chopper and a stand mixer though). For bigger batches, I just use it in a stainless bowl. If I need a ultra fine puree (rarely), I then put it through a tamis. It's great and takes up no space.

I would suggest you get one that is metal-- plastic ones melt if you are pureeing hot soup (I speak from experience!)

If you buy an immersion blender with a "kit", it replaces a ton of one-off gadgets including an ice crusher, blender, and food processor and provides an electronic whisk. The Braun that I use has all of these attachments, and allows me to skip having a separate device for each of these other purposes.

That being said, if you are a hardcore user of your blender or food processor (and need large capacity), then you need the real deal. However, for someone who needs the functionality of all of these devices occasionally (or needs small portions), an immersion blender with attachments is a great investment.

From the comments above it appears the only ones who do not find an immersion blender useful are those who've never tried one. Perhaps if they had, they'd also be raving about it's benefits. I used one years ago when I was staying in the UK. In a small kitchen with limited storage, I can't imagine doing serious from-scratch cooking without one.

I miss mine. Someone gave me an immersion blender for graduation a few years ago. I used it so much that the plastic melted.

Love mine, in particular for soup.

I love love love my immersion blender. I am living abroad for a year and I left mine at home. I ended up buy one for my year away, though. I make lots of soup, so it is worth it.

I LOVE mine, and I read the comments to get new ideas on how to use it even more!

Looks like the people who don't see the point to an immersion blender are also people who have a food processor and a blender. I can see how you wouldn't want to buy something that duplicates those appliances. However, I don't have an electric mixer or a blender and my mini food processor is on the fritz, so I use my immersion blender for everything now (chopping, blending, whisking).

So don't assume those of us with immersion blenders are buying unnecessary gadgets! Quite the contrary!

I make soooo many puréed squash/sweet potato/carrot soups, and I was lost before I bought mine. Ladling batches into my normal blender took for ever and always managed to make a huge mess!

Love mine too. We have had an older cuisinart model for well over 10yrs which worked just fine for my purposes (pureeing soups mostly). My husband surprised me with a fancy-schmancy Bamix for Christmas and this one is even better. Our blender no longer works and our Bamix has four different blades that enable me to whip egg whites, chop ice, etc. Great Christmas gift that I didn't even ask for.

Love mine. I actually use mine a lot for single serving sized milk shakes. However I will now totally look into the wish attachment becuase that would make things so much easier for me. I'm not really a soup person though so it doesn't get a lot of use out of that, however i have used it for pear butter. Note: I used mine in my Le Creuset pot and it did scratch the bottom. I don't remember what brand I have but it was a very sad moment for me. I'll definitely not be using it in those pots again or if I do make sure to never touch it with it.

I'm incapable of using one of these without sending waves of hot soup everywhere. No matter how hard I try, the only thing an immersion blender is good for in my hands is creating a giant mess. My parents own one but I have no desire to get one for my place (and my hubby would flip if I came home with one more kitchen appliance). Maybe I'll re-think when we have more space, but it's low on my priority list.

I have one too and particularly love it for the whisk attachment, which makes it so quick and easy to whip a small amount of cream or just one or two egg whites in a small bowl. Love that.

BUT, apparently I'm a bit of a spaz, because I ALWAYS have trouble using it to puree soups--I end up spraying soup all over the place. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? Can someone please tell me? I'm wondering if maybe I'm cooking too little soup in too big a pot, so the liquid is too shallow and the blender doesn't get fully immersed? Would SO appreciate any tips. :-)

P.S. Is that Cuisinart one shown above cordless? Or is that just for the photo?

I'm finding this a very useful post. I don't have a regular blender nor an immersion blender and was looking at getting either one. I don't have a lot of space at home so the immersion blender is looking more appealing. Now all I have to do is to decide which brand I want to go for :-)

whoa...at this point, I think you have your answer, but my immersion blender is one of the best, most frequently used tools in my kitchen. I use it for pureeing soups, mostly, also makes great mashed potatoes, also good for whizzing up a creamy dressing AND makes a one cup milkshake, if you're into that sort of thing. (I am).

also @Brooklynnina, make sure it's submerged in liquid and use quick pulses, moving around through the soup. Really try and place the bottom edge of your IB on the bottom of the pot, the blades will draw the liquid in, but stand back a little bit always, I can't say I have gotten a squirt or two of searing hot liquid on my neck more than once haha.

LOVE mine. I'm getting rid of my regular blender. Although I do need a food processor too for hummus, pesto, and other dips I make weekly.

For big pots of pureed soup this is the ticket! I have a 7c food processor and while the size is great for most things, I find myself having to puree a pot of soup in 2 batches, which has led to many soupsplosions in my kitchen.

I bought the Cuisinart immersion blender and haven't looked back. Hands down it's one of my favorite kitchen tools!

You know what I'm going to answer. I use mine just about every single day. I have a bamix and I have to say it is the most versatile immersion blender I have ever seen. From the "frothing" attachment to the "spice grinder"(basically a mini mini food processor) to the fact that I can make mayonnaise in under a minute, including the time it takes to get the ingredients out of the cupboard. Or make shaved ice with regular sized ice cubes, and the 2 speeds is nice as well. I love it. It's a very expensive model but it is without a doubt worth it.

I love mine so much, it made my gratitude journal. I hated transferring soup from pot to blender back to pot. This fixes that! Plus smoothies make healthy mornings so much easier.

Definitely a necessary appliance for me. I use mine at least a few times a week--especially the food processor attachment that came with mine. The whisk also comes in handy! It's so much easier than having to pull out a much bigger appliance--and much cleaner!

I used to think they were pointless gadgets... that is, until I got one for Christmas. I rolled my eyes and set it aside when I unwrapped it, but the first time I used it, I believe my exact words were "Where has this thing been all my life?!?!"
I usually only cook for two (myself and the boyfriend) so dragging out the food processor and the subsequent cleaning was always a pain I reserved for big batches. But the stick blender I love! So easy to use, takes up almost no room, super easy to clean! I have the Cuisinart one and use it at any excuse. My vinaigrettes are so creamy, and it even turned a lumpy gravy into velvet smoothness!

I used to have the triumverate: blender, processor, and stick. Each had a much-loved set of jobs, but now I've down-sized my life and live in a studio apartment with just the stick and a good set of knives to do the same jobs. I can't make gazpacho or nutella as well-refined without the traditional processor and blender, but if I had to pick again to keep only one, the stick is the handy winner!

Get the KitchenAid kit that has the extra chopping bowl and you'll love how you have fresh chopped onions and or jalapenos with no tears or burned hands! I use mine 4 meals out of 5 for chopping fresh veggies for salads and such! The included whisk in the kit does a great job on egg whites or whipping cream and the multi-speed dial gives you total control. I couldn't do without mine!

My immersion blender almost chopped my finger off and I still love it! I was swooping out a piece of cilantro for a salsa, when i accidentally pressed the on button! Cut the tip down to the bone, but I still have a finger and the blender- and after some hesitation, use it all the time.

I say YES as well!!!! one of my absolutely favorite tools!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm fine with chunky soup, so I just use a potato masher.

OK, I'm sold, I must have an immersion blender. I have been browsing them online and it looks like people over on Amazon really don't like the Kalorik or they love it, and the Cuisinart reviews are very positive but quite a few people say it breaks quickly. Not sure what to do. I'm leaning towards the Cuisinart, any advice?

careful when using! my hubby sliced his finger on one last night making hummus!

I love mine and just started using it to puree baby food, but I'm having trouble figuring out the best way to blend large batches - particularly since the plastic cup mine came with likely has BPA. I noticed scratches on the bottom of my all-clad stainless steel pot, and gray "scuffs" on the bottom on a white porcelain bowl. Should I be worried about the pot? Any other suggestions for what vessel to use for large batch blending?

My immersion blender is actually the one my mom bought about 20 years ago and then gave it to me a couple of years ago. And I'm afraid I haven't utilized it to its fullest potential, but I love it anyways.

@Thorndale... Yes, less is more. And having an immersion blender takes up a whole lot less space and plastic than a blender and food processor. Kinda illogical complaint you got there, no?

Anyway, I'm sold. I had no idea how wonderful they were. I really hate chopping onions, garlic, etc., and I didn't know these did that. Sounds like it's good for everything. Now to decide which one to get!

My mom bought one maybe 13 years ago, and I stole it when I went to college, and I still use the same one. It was great when I didn't have a blender or food processor. The cleanup is also superior--hate hate hate cleaning blender and food processor. Just have to learn to keep it submerged & wait a few seconds before pulling it out of liquid.

I first discovered these in Paris 25 years ago. I wanted to bring one home then but the plug was european. I use my Cuisinart for many things, mainly quick emulsified salad dressings and small chopping tasks with the mini processor. Oh, you can't beat the whisk attachment for quick whipping of cream or egg whites . . .

I have a Cuisinart SmartStick and it is AWESOME. I have a small kitchen and it fits in there perfectly. I use it for hummus and soup mostly, but I make a lot of both. I will always have one.

I have a Cuisinart SmartStick and it is AWESOME. I have a small kitchen and it fits in there perfectly. I use it for hummus and soup mostly, but I make a lot of both. I will always have one.

I ABSOLUTELY love my Cuisinart Smartstick. They were on sale at Sur La Table, and I couldn't resist. With fall coming, all I want to eat are soups! I don't have a working hand mixer, so this (for my amateur and non pro baking) has definitely whipped up eggs for me, sauce, soup, and is worth it! Love love love it!

As a young cook I put some soup into my blender to puree it. When I took the lid off the soup exploded all over the kitchen. If you only use your immersion blender for soup it's worth it. But they do make whipped cream or mayo in mere seconds. I see a lot of them at the Goodwill, fyi.

Cook's Illustrated updated their rating of the Kalorik immersion blender in Sept. 2012 because it had a tendency to stop working after a few uses:

In 2010 we tested immersion blenders and chose the inexpensive and efficient Kalorik Sunny Morning Stick Mixer as our favorite for the way it effortlessly produced velvety soup and airy whipped cream. Unfortunately, many readers who purchased it found that it wasn’t very durable. In some cases, the machine stopped working after the first use. [...] Our new winner is our former runner-up. Recently, its manufacturer updated this model and it performed beautifully and consistently in all of our tests.

They re-tested the model, and found that readers were right about its lack of durability. The "new winner" is the KitchenAid 3-Speed Hand Blender.