3 Benefits to Using a Stick Blender

If you’re not hip to the latest trends in kitchen gadgets, you may still think that the big, bulky blenders of the 80s and 90s are still a thing. In actuality, they do still exist, but they’re far less popular than the latest iteration of them, known as the stick blender or the immersion blender. Regular ‘ole blenders still have a place in the kitchen, for instance, if you want to whip up a smoothie or make yourself a blended drink quickly and easily. But the benefits of a regular blender versus the newer and more streamlined stick blender pretty much end there.

What’s a Stick Blender?

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A stick blender, or immersion blender, is a small stick-like (shocking, right?) gadget that is used like a spoon to help blend ingredients in a pot or bowl – hence the name “immersion blender” since you’re immersing the blender into the food mixture. A stick blender has a lot of benefits – especially given that living spaces in general (and by default, kitchens) have gotten smaller in recent times, so space is a constant consideration for most people.

Here’s three reasons why we think the stick blender is a much better choice over the traditional blender for home kitchens.

1. They’re Incredibly Versatile.

Whether you’re pureeing a soup on the stove top or just want to whip up a quick salad dressing in a bowl, a stick blender can take care of it. They’re excellent at getting rid of food chunks, and since you can easily move the blender around a bowl, you don’t miss any sections. Compare that to a standalone blender or mixer, and you’re sort of at the will of the machine given that they aren’t easily maneuverable. Plus, these handy little devices cut down on the number of steps you have to take for a lot of recipes. For instance, taking soup off the stove top to puree it in a separate blender, just to put it back on the stove five minutes later is kind of a buzz kill. A stick blender just makes the process a whole lot easier.

2. It’s Small and Portable

Like we mentioned earlier, in many homes today space comes at a premium – and that includes space in the kitchen. Immersion blenders are small and easy to store, and they don’t take up large swaths of coveted counter space when you need to use them. It should also be mentioned that cleaning one is a breeze. Many of them come with machine washable parts, so throwing part of it in the dishwasher is no problem. And because of its size and the fact that it’s lightweight, washing it in the sink is almost just as easy. Taking apart and washing a blender or mixer? Not nearly so simple.

3. It’s Really, Really Affordable

In a world of pricey KitchenAid mixers (not that we don’t love ours), it’s really refreshing to find a useful gadget that runs anywhere from $20 – $50. Traditional blenders are comparable in price, but standalone mixers can easily run into the hundreds of dollars or euros. And saving on kitchen gadgets means that you have more money to spend on ingredients – and that’s always a good thing.

Those are three good reasons to have a stick blender and here are 4 recipes you can make with a stick blender in video form!

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Do you have a stick blender or immersion blender? Do you love it? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook.

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