Some good tips here: 24 Essential Kitchen Tricks and Tips
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mariadnoca
Moderator
This is a really good list - thanks for posting! Q: do y'all love your Immersion Blender?
(it's on that list) because if so, what is wrong with me? (Carefull! smileys/wink.gif
Every time I tried to use mine, say in a pot of soup, it never blends well enough, so end up using a blender anyway.
Unless it's a very deep pot: Splatter!
I never even try to use my immersion blender anymore. Should I be?
(it's on that list) because if so, what is wrong with me? (Carefull! smileys/wink.gif
Every time I tried to use mine, say in a pot of soup, it never blends well enough, so end up using a blender anyway.
Unless it's a very deep pot: Splatter!
I never even try to use my immersion blender anymore. Should I be?
Yes, I use mine all the time just like Sylvia. It only splatters if
you pull it up to high. Just don't do that. ~~~smile~~~ And It doesn't take long at all to get whatever smooth and much easier to clean up than a blender. I just put soapy water in a glass, bowl, whatever and turn it on for a minute. Done
you pull it up to high. Just don't do that. ~~~smile~~~ And It doesn't take long at all to get whatever smooth and much easier to clean up than a blender. I just put soapy water in a glass, bowl, whatever and turn it on for a minute. Done
mariadnoca
Moderator
Speeds? Made me look-it has 9! It never purees like I want
I'll admit one of the things I don't like is having to hold down the button. With carpel tunnel it's painful every second. (Hate it doesn't have a button you don't have to hold.)
I often like to make a quick tomato soup and I've tried using it to puree the canned tomatoes to finish it, but it always has some chunks in it and I have to give up/use the real blender. Also, splatter. It seems to splash more than puree. Gawd only knows what speed I had it on.
I'll admit one of the things I don't like is having to hold down the button. With carpel tunnel it's painful every second. (Hate it doesn't have a button you don't have to hold.)
I often like to make a quick tomato soup and I've tried using it to puree the canned tomatoes to finish it, but it always has some chunks in it and I have to give up/use the real blender. Also, splatter. It seems to splash more than puree. Gawd only knows what speed I had it on.
steve2-in-la
Well-known member
Big vote for my immersion blender. Been using it for years, always a gift choice for newbies.
Me too. Love it for soups. If you tip the pot and keep the stick in the deepest area, it
avoids splatters.
But speeds? I'm going right now to see if mine has different ones. Certainly not 9! Are we talking stick blenders or blender blenders?
(pause for commercial...)
Okay, I'm back....Cuisinart...one speed, "hold in the button to activate" style. That button caused the situation I had with the whirling Nutella jar spewing chocolate all over my kitchen. Remember that time? I jammed the whip attachment into the jar, added a good slug of heavy cream and pressed the button. It tried to whirl...it really did. But then the jar JUMPED out of my left hand and I was so shocked I kept pressing the button with my right hand and the jar--stuck on the whip end--started whirling around the room, taking my stunned arm and hand (STILL pressing the button!!) along with it and splattering chocolate-colored heavy cream EVERYWHERE.
Oh ya...the good times.
avoids splatters.
But speeds? I'm going right now to see if mine has different ones. Certainly not 9! Are we talking stick blenders or blender blenders?
(pause for commercial...)
Okay, I'm back....Cuisinart...one speed, "hold in the button to activate" style. That button caused the situation I had with the whirling Nutella jar spewing chocolate all over my kitchen. Remember that time? I jammed the whip attachment into the jar, added a good slug of heavy cream and pressed the button. It tried to whirl...it really did. But then the jar JUMPED out of my left hand and I was so shocked I kept pressing the button with my right hand and the jar--stuck on the whip end--started whirling around the room, taking my stunned arm and hand (STILL pressing the button!!) along with it and splattering chocolate-colored heavy cream EVERYWHERE.
Oh ya...the good times.
mariadnoca
Moderator
Oooooooh gawd that has me laughing so hard I have tears running down my face!!
Yeah, I had to go look because I was thinking, speeds? I don't recall speeds. Mine is a KA and sure enough it has a dial on top that goes from 1-9, but they all have that "hold in the button to activate" insanity.
Now your story, though without the jar, reminds me of trying to blend a small batch of soup one time. I'm guessing it must've not been quite deep enough and then, BAM, 360 degrees of tomato soup! Then I tipped and stood there running it, and running it, and running it, and running it some more and my hand was screaming in pain for the love of god this is the 7th circle of blender hell if it takes this long why is there no on/off switch, why must you hold the switch down, will you just give up and use the real blender already?
So that was the end of the immersion blender. It now lives in the dead zone cabinet above the range hood with all it's attachments save one. I use it's beaker cup all the time.
Yeah, I had to go look because I was thinking, speeds? I don't recall speeds. Mine is a KA and sure enough it has a dial on top that goes from 1-9, but they all have that "hold in the button to activate" insanity.
Now your story, though without the jar, reminds me of trying to blend a small batch of soup one time. I'm guessing it must've not been quite deep enough and then, BAM, 360 degrees of tomato soup! Then I tipped and stood there running it, and running it, and running it, and running it some more and my hand was screaming in pain for the love of god this is the 7th circle of blender hell if it takes this long why is there no on/off switch, why must you hold the switch down, will you just give up and use the real blender already?
So that was the end of the immersion blender. It now lives in the dead zone cabinet above the range hood with all it's attachments save one. I use it's beaker cup all the time.
yes but (rant)
I had a cordless Breville which I really liked but it just died on me and Breville would not replace it which they lost my business forever because of that. For that matter I also had an awesome Breville toaster oven which likewise just died on me so it seems to be a pattern. Great function, very poor durability and the manufacturer doesn't back up their product. (yes I am bitter about it)
I replaced the blender with a corded Cuisinart which I got cheap at Costco. Has been reliable but the cord is a bit of a hassle in my kitchen because I need an extension cord to be able to use it where I can reach the stove. Also if the head is not fully immersed you ( I ) can have quite a mess. And I should add that while I have not had to return the blender, I did have to return a cuisinart grind n brew years ago and they replaced it free of charge.
I had a cordless Breville which I really liked but it just died on me and Breville would not replace it which they lost my business forever because of that. For that matter I also had an awesome Breville toaster oven which likewise just died on me so it seems to be a pattern. Great function, very poor durability and the manufacturer doesn't back up their product. (yes I am bitter about it)
I replaced the blender with a corded Cuisinart which I got cheap at Costco. Has been reliable but the cord is a bit of a hassle in my kitchen because I need an extension cord to be able to use it where I can reach the stove. Also if the head is not fully immersed you ( I ) can have quite a mess. And I should add that while I have not had to return the blender, I did have to return a cuisinart grind n brew years ago and they replaced it free of charge.
mariadnoca
Moderator
Hummm, was just talking with a friend who is thinking of buying a Breville toaster oven
The reviews were so good and Test Kitchens rated it #1. Plus, they are on sale at Sur la Table right now, so she was thinking of getting one (based me me hearing such good things about them). I've never had to deal with Breville though.
A cordless stick blender sounds good, now if they didn't all have dead hand switches...
The reviews were so good and Test Kitchens rated it #1. Plus, they are on sale at Sur la Table right now, so she was thinking of getting one (based me me hearing such good things about them). I've never had to deal with Breville though.
A cordless stick blender sounds good, now if they didn't all have dead hand switches...
operationally great oven
we used it every day and it was large enough where you could replace the full size oven for a lot of jobs. My wife liked it and the kids used it. I was really disappointed when it died. More disappointed in Breville though who would not back up their product(s) and the repair costs were prohibitive.
we used it every day and it was large enough where you could replace the full size oven for a lot of jobs. My wife liked it and the kids used it. I was really disappointed when it died. More disappointed in Breville though who would not back up their product(s) and the repair costs were prohibitive.
mariadnoca
Moderator
How long before they died?
My friend wants one for the garage (she has a nice sink/counter area out there) to use when it's hot so not to heat the house. Plus, her $$$$ Thermador double ovens are awful - I could barely make cookies in it the one time I used it.
My friend wants one for the garage (she has a nice sink/counter area out there) to use when it's hot so not to heat the house. Plus, her $$$$ Thermador double ovens are awful - I could barely make cookies in it the one time I used it.
Reminds me of when we got our first dishwasher. Altho the manual said not to use liquid
detergent, my engineer, not-quite husband decided he'd like to help me and get the dishes really, extra clean. So of course, that required liquid detergent. What did the KA people know anyway??
This was a portable, front-loading.
He's in the kitchen, I hear all this yelping, my name in screams. From the kitchen doorway, I can see him calf-deep in soap foam that continues to spew out of the machine, puffs of it floating into the air. "What do I do", he asks pitifully. "Turn around and pull the plug", says I.
"I feel so stooopid," he mumbled. He never forgot.
and never suggested liquid soap in the machine again.
I married him anyway.
It's surprising how we can lose it when something is going wrong.
detergent, my engineer, not-quite husband decided he'd like to help me and get the dishes really, extra clean. So of course, that required liquid detergent. What did the KA people know anyway??
This was a portable, front-loading.
He's in the kitchen, I hear all this yelping, my name in screams. From the kitchen doorway, I can see him calf-deep in soap foam that continues to spew out of the machine, puffs of it floating into the air. "What do I do", he asks pitifully. "Turn around and pull the plug", says I.
"I feel so stooopid," he mumbled. He never forgot.
and never suggested liquid soap in the machine again.
I married him anyway.
It's surprising how we can lose it when something is going wrong.
I feel your pain. My is a Cuisinart and I really don't care for it
It is hard for me to hold down that button with arthritis at the base of my thumb. Mine says it is a professional model, but I can tell you that no chef is going to wait for this thing to do its job. Maybe I don't know how to use it properly.
It is hard for me to hold down that button with arthritis at the base of my thumb. Mine says it is a professional model, but I can tell you that no chef is going to wait for this thing to do its job. Maybe I don't know how to use it properly.