KitchenAid Immersion Hand Blender on a counter next to an Avocado

Small Appliances

What Is An Immersion Hand Blender?

Immersion hand blenders can help you prepare your favourite comfort foods or create a sauce that will elevate a meal from run of the mill to high-end. 

So what is an immersion hand blender? This article will introduce you to the purpose and benefits of this small kitchen appliance, help demystify if a hand blender can be used as a food processor and also showcase some dishes they can be used to make.

What is an Immersion Hand Blender?

On a wooden surface are cut avocadoes some with the pits still in, whole avocadoes, jalapeno peppers, a KitchenAid immersion hand blender, pita chips, a bowl of salt, and a bowl of pita chips and guacamoles.

A multi-purpose small kitchen appliance, an immersion hand blender can help you perform a variety of cooking techniques for a wide range of recipes.

Also referred to as hand blenders or stick blenders, an immersion hand blender is designed for you to immerse the blender blades right into your ingredients, instead of pouring the ingredients into a blender jar.

A handheld immersion blender can perform many of the same tasks as a standard blender. In many recipes, you can even substitute an immersion blender for a blender if you need to blend or process ingredients.

Immersion Hand Blender vs. Regular Blender

Immersion hand blenders and regular blenders are designed differently. Regular blenders, or countertop blenders, have plastic or glass jars that are affixed to the top of a motorized base. Immersion blenders do not have a container attached to its base. It’s just a blender arm with small blades on the end.

A red KitchenAid immersion hand blender stands upright on a counter. Next to it is a glass filled with guacamole, a bowl of jalapenos and some avocadoes sliced in half.
On a counter from left to right is a green serving tray and black cutting board leaning against the wall, a jar of herbs, a bowl of strawberries, a red KitchenAid food processor, a bowl of sliced strawberries, a line of glasses filled with pink smoothie with someone garnishing the middle glass and a jar of honey.

You can use an immersion blender for different tasks than you would a regular blender. As mentioned, you don’t have to pour your ingredients into a blender jar. Instead, place your ingredients in a pot, bowl, glass, or another safe container and then immerse the blades directly into it. You can even blend hot foods like soups right on a stovetop, rather than transferring the ingredients to and/or from a blender jar. Unlike a regular blender, an immersion hand blender can blend or emulsify small amounts of food like 1-2 servings of a salad dressing or chopping a handful of nuts to use as a topping.

Convenience is another benefit of handheld immersion blenders. Cleanup is considered to be quick and easy. All you have to do is rinse the blender arm and blades. Immersion blenders are also easy to store because they can be tucked into a drawer.

Often, you can buy attachments for your handheld immersion blender to turn it into a handheld food processor or a powered whisk or other useful appliances. 

Buy your immersion blender bundled with accessories to maximize its potential. KitchenAid offers the Cordless Variable Speed Hand Blender paired with a chopper and whisk attachment so you can blend, whisk and chop with one appliance.

PRO TIP
Regular blenders are better suited to crushing ice than stick blenders. If you plan to make icy drinks often, you might be better off with a countertop blender like the KitchenAid® K400 Ice Crushing Blender.

What Can You Make With A Hand Blender?

Whether chopping nuts and fresh herbs for a pistachio pesto or emulsifying oil and vinegar to form the basis of a salad dressing, an immersion blender can perform many of the same tasks as a standard blender.

These handheld appliances are great for making a large pot of your favourite comfort food while it cooks on the stovetop. An immersion blender lets you cook your meal in a single pot or dish from beginning to end, meaning there are often less dirty dishes (and no blender jar) to clean up.

Hand blenders aren’t just great tools to make savory recipes like salsas. They are also adept at creating sorbets, shakes and even oat milk for an extra-creamy dairy alternative. You can also mix smoothies directly in your favorite travel container.

A person in a grey shirt and beige pants makes whipped cream with an immersion hand blender and whisk attachment. In front of them is a bowl filled with strawberries and blueberries and a cutting board with two glasses on top. In the background is a chair. Using a black KitchenAid immersion hand blender, someone purees ingredients as it cooks in a pot on a gas cooktop. Next to them are bowls filled with herbs and spices, another filled with ginger root and a cutting board with sweet potatoes and an onion sliced in half. Behind the cutting board are two potted plants.

Cordless Hand Blender

Red KitchenAid cordless Hand Blender

If you’re shopping for an immersion hand blender, check out the KitchenAid® cordless variable speed hand blender with chopper and whisk attachment. This model has a pan guard to help protect cookware, 4-point blade design and can cook 25 bowls of soup on one charge1. It comes with a 3-Cup BPA-Free Blending Jar with Lid, making it great for both individual blending or to serve in.

1) Based on 12 ounce bowls (354 ml), 7 batches, Tomato Basil Soup.All the power you expect, without the cord.