Hand blender vs hand mixer

If you are new to baking and have decided to take it up recently, particularly given its massive surge in popularity, then the question of immersion blender vs hand mixer might be a topic of interest to you. This will be especially relevant if you are just beginning to research into what equipment you will require to achieve professional-style baking results.

The interest in baking is in no small part down to the plethora of factual and reality television programs based around the art of the cake, the biscuit, the muffin, and the cookie! It seems that everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and looking to prepare their own artisan-style breads, pastries and baked goods.

We certainly think that is to be applauded but appreciate that there is a lot of confusion on the subject especially around the immersion blender versus hand blender debate, and also what is known as a mixer, so we’re going to try and clear up some of the common misconceptions today.

What does it mean?

Immersion blenders go by a variety of different names from wand blender to hand blender, hand held blender to stick blender and the terms are frequently interchangeable. They are all characterized though by their shape and function and are a very different looking kitchen gadget to what is known as a mixer.

Mixers and blenders look and perform differently but are still both incredibly useful and versatile tools to have as part of your cooking appliance arsenal. Plenty of customers get the two mixed up (pardon the pun), and it’s easy to see why there is so much confusion regarding what’s an immersion blender, a hand blender or even a hand mixer.

Let’s Look at Hand Blenders vs Hand Mixers First

Fundamentally a blender turns things into liquids. In some regions, like the United Kingdom, for example, a blender might even be categorized as a liquidizer, yet another synonym for this popular kitchen product. A blender is perfect for making sauces, batters, and mixtures.

With a mixer, the action is that of combining ingredients together, and the functionality is intended to bind ingredients together rather than optimizing them to be turned into liquids. So bakers will use a mixer to make dough but a blender to create a batter. Both machines are designed to be held in the hand which gives them their ultimate versatility and neither, of course, are as powerful as the more robust countertop versions that come with a sturdy motor.

An Immersion Blender Uses For

Immersion blenders are cylindrical and long and made with multiple steel blades. Because of their long body, they can be immersed in a pot or other bowl to puree the contents directly where they will be cooked or served in. For this reason, this type of blenders is usually called immersion blender. They make it possible for you to create your own mayonnaise, make smoothies and puree your soups right in the pot.

With a powerful motor and blades that rotate these are great items for kitchens to have. They have different speeds at which they can operate depending on what you are mixing or blending. For smoother mixtures all you have to do is run the unit for a longer time or choose a faster speed – sometimes even both.

Hand blenders can be taken apart easily so that they can be cleaned easily as well. Some hand blenders offer you the opportunity to chop garlic, nuts, and herbs with attachments. There are also some that allow you to whip up egg whites, whipping cream, and pudding.

Any kitchen can benefit from having both a hand mixer and a hand blender. They tend to be on the small side and so won’t take up too much space in your kitchen. Since the two kitchen appliances typically perform different tasks then you will find which one you choose whether the hand mixer vs hand blender is all dependent on the primary use of the item.

You have to pay careful attention to the specs of any device you are interested in purchasing to ensure that it offers the features and has the capabilities that you need it to have.

To use an immersion blender is fantastic for smoothing out a chunky soup, even while it’s bubbling away on the stove top. It’s a much more practical way of pureeing something than attempting to pour the hot contents into a blender. Immersion blenders are also fabulous for recreating lots of fresh recipes like salsas, salad dressings, and soups.

They are typically compact in design and take up virtually no storage space, which makes them an excellent option for anyone living in a smaller apartment or who might have a galley-style kitchen where space is minimal. A good quality immersion blender can be purchased relatively inexpensively which makes them a budget-friendly choice. They are fast and easy to use, efficient and straightforward to clean up too which has to be a huge bonus.

Just clean the blending stick element of your device in hot water and any bowl or pot that you were using to blend together your latest culinary creation. It’s that simple. For salsas, smoothies, soups and sauces, an immersion blender really can’t be beat.

A Hand Mixer Uses For

Hand mixers are made with two beaters. It can be used to prepare the dough and to make cake batters. You can sometimes use a hand mixer like a hand blender but a mixer can be useful in ways that a blender cannot.

You can purchase several attachments to use with your hand mixer depending on the brand that you choose. With these attachments, you can expand the capabilities of your mixer to make it more versatile than a blender can be.

Mixers are used to work well for many baking tasks. They can be used to whip egg whites, whipping cream, or pudding and can be used to mix the dough.

With a hand mixer, you will be able to really effectively beat egg whites in a bowl, create fluffy meringues and create recipes that include waffle and pancake batters or anything that requires cream. It establishes a whipping type of action as opposed to a liquidizing one.

How Do Both of These Differ from a Food Processor?

With a motorized food processor, you can take things a stage further and carry out the functionalities of both an immersion and a hand blender in the one convenient but much bulkier kitchen appliance, but you clearly can’t take it to the stove top with you for on demand blitzing of fresh, hot soups.

Immersion, Stick and or Hand Blender

Whatever you choose to call it personally, immersion, stick and hand blenders are one in the same. The principle is that all three must be actively immersed within a food in order to blend without making any mess. It’s this immersive quality which makes up their principle design, and it’s that function which allows you to use them equally effectively on hot as well as cold foods, in a bowl, a pot, a container of some description and even on the oven top.

Immersion, stick and hand blenders are great for blending smaller quantities of food and are particularly effective for taking leftover dinner and turning that into your baby’s next fresh meal. While their practical uses are nowhere near as varied as those of a Mixer, they can conveniently come in cordless versions too which makes them super useful to have around the kitchen.

Versions with stronger and more powerful blades are a good option for blending ice to make smoothies, but it’s always best that you refer to the manufacturers recommended uses first to make sure that the model you have bought is robust enough to for all the jobs you need it to perform.

One thing for sure is that they are incredibly popular and practical. Immersion or hand blenders already have a popular and well-earned special place in many domestic kitchens because of their convenient and practical application as well as their compact design and effortless cleaning.

While not to be confused with their larger countertop blenders or food processors, if you are short on space or restricted by budget, then a stick-style Blender offers a viable alternative with the versatility to create a whole host of family favorite recipes including sauces and soups and all kinds of liquid-based batters and mixtures.

Conclusion

No matter which device you find yourself favoring, they both are incredibly useful in the kitchen. There are a number of fusion type devices on the market today that allow you to change out mixer blades with an immersion stick.

If you don’t want to clutter up your kitchen with both of these similar appliances, you have two options: First, you could choose the one that seems most useful based on their stats. Otherwise, you could buy a fusion device that has the power of both. Remember that most cooks prefer the immersion blender while bakers often prefer the hand mixer!

No matter what you choose, you cannot deny how useful both of these appliances can be!
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