Immerse me in handheld blender recs

April 5, 2023 8:25 PM

Radiation treatment is making it very hard for me to swallow and I have a very sore throat, so I think I'm going to need to make some smoothies and milkshakes and stuff like that in order to get calories in. If you like your CORDED immersion blender, tell me why!

I recently got diagnosed with multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer) and am going through the treatment whirlwind, starting with radiation on the vertebrae that are damaged (I have a big-ass hole in my spine, basically). Since it's on my throat, this is making it hard to swallow and my throat is sort of like having a bad case of strep. I'd like to try smoothies and shakes again for getting food down the gullet, but the last time I had a cordless immersion blender, it was instantly out of juice after like one milkshake, which was really disappointing when you're trying to make a round of alcoholic shakes for movie night parties, you know?

It seems like options have improved since then, but I definitely DON'T want to go the cordless route again. I was eyeing a couple corded immersion blenders that are under $100, but I'm willing to go a little above if you can sell me on why I should (my medical bills are probably going to kill me before the cancer does). Don't necessarily need a lot of attachments, though I admit the whisks might be nice. Tell me what you like about yours!

(Please note: I do not want a big blender; I have neuropathy right now in one arm and holding on to things is challenging, nor do I want to try taking them apart to clean in my current condition. Thanks in advance for not telling me to get a regular countertop blender.)

posted by kitten kaboodle to Home & Garden (19 answers total)

Best answer: I have had a Breville control grip immersion blender for years and it’s great. And corded. Definitely recommend it. I use the stick blender bit and sometimes the mini food processor bucket thing. Looks like it’s a bit over $100 these days.
posted by janell at 8:37 PM on April 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I have this KitchenAid one and it’s great. Powerful, good quality, easy to clean. Can’t think of anything I would change.

(Note: Despite the fact that they’ve photoshopped the cord out of the picture, it is indeed a corded hand blender that plugs into the wall.)
posted by mekily at 8:50 PM on April 5, 2023 [2 favorites]

A few years ago I was feeling flush and bought my wife - who loves to cook but didn't have much time for hand blenders - a Bamix.
It has become a mainstay of the kitchen. You can do pretty much anything with them, and if they break you can send them back for repairs. They're made in Switzerland. I imagine one will outlast a number of the others.
They're also expensive. Think three or four plastic ones.
If I was looking for another one, that's what I'd buy.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 10:03 PM on April 5, 2023 [1 favorite]

I like Chef Jean Pierre's cooking videos - he is a charming guy who speaks from a lifetime of experience as a chef and teacher of cooking. He recently made one about the "Must have equipment" he recommends. -where he recommends an immersion blender. The text of this video recommends links for seemingly everything else he features- but misses out the blender. With a little detective work, I can see he is using the same KitchenAid model recommended by mekily above. Wirecutter did a review of blenders where they did not choose this model - but where they did look seriously at what makes a good blender.
posted by rongorongo at 10:03 PM on April 5, 2023

Mine is a Cuisinart. I use it at this time of year for Cauliflower cheese soup. I wouldn't be without it. I had one by Oster many moons ago, that also worked great but eventually gave up the ghost.
Depending on your hand strength you may want to see if you can get one that switches on and off without you having to hold onto the button. I have to hold the button down on mine.
posted by Enid Lareg at 11:48 PM on April 5, 2023 [3 favorites]

American's Test Kitchen (i.e. Cook's Country) had a rating show back in 2019, but their reviews tend to last a long time. They recommended Braud Multiquick 5, MSRP about $70, but is not available on Amazon (!), but you can get a $85 bundle with a bunch of other accessories. Strangely, the same blender bundle in red is only $68. it's light enough, comfortable to hold, only 2 speeds are necessary, ergonomic, and does everything, from blend to mix to food process and mash.
posted by kschang at 12:08 AM on April 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: In my view the Braun Multiquick series is the gold standard. They just last forever. I'm using one from the ´80s and it's great.
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:21 AM on April 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

Also super happy with the Breville. Does the job well, I like the food processor if I’m doing a small amounts of stuff. Not all parts are dishwasher safe (might be worth checking on others - obviously the motor body is not) but it isn’t too hard to clean and doesn’t seem to hold food in the hollows. Mine comes with a whisk, I don’t know that I have the knack of that one, I always make a mess!!
posted by AnnaRat at 1:14 AM on April 6, 2023

We got a nutribullet for my MIL when she was having similar symptoms from radiation. It might be easier for you to use as it's a push down function rather than finger buttons. The very easy to clean. Reasonably priced.
posted by Ftsqg at 3:56 AM on April 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

My impression is that the Bamix is the gold standard, and I have one, and it is very good.
But at our farm, we have an old Braun bundle (at least 20yo) and it is as good and much cheaper, and the accessories are very much in use. So what I am saying is that I am not sure the Bamix is worth the much higher price.
posted by mumimor at 5:02 AM on April 6, 2023

I have the Breville, which I like because of the detaching tools (my previous one was old enough that it was only a blender that did not detach and was a PITA to clean) that go in the dishwasher. I also like the plug, which is ergonomic.

I love it for a quick hollandaise, which could help you with easy smooth calories.
posted by Dashy at 5:13 AM on April 6, 2023

I am extremely irritated to find the corded KA multispeed cannot be obtained with the mini-chopper and whisk set, because the chopper at least is worth having. I helped care and recipe-develop for my grandfather over years of surgery and radiation for head/neck cancer, which left him with dysphagia, and you really want a tool with enough oomph to puree savory stuff and fibrous vegetables. It tends to be a lot of fussy butter-churning work to do with just the regular end blade.

But, to be fair, you can get a very nice mini-chopper on its own for not much, so maybe it's not a priority.

I've been let down in the past by 2-speed blenders. If you go for a big name - KA, Braun, Breville - it's probably not so big a deal but at least compare their high and low RPMs to one of the variable-speed or 3- or 5s of similar quality. I don't think you can go horribly wrong with those, or a higher-end Cuisinart.

I do recommend that when you pick your favorite top 2 or 3, check Amazon, Target, the brand's shop, and QVC, which has been my surprise winner for higher-end kitchen appliances (Vitamix, air fryers, immersion blender) in the past few years, as it's either cheaper or comparable but with better accessories. They make their own deals with the brands. Shipping is incredibly fast, too.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:11 AM on April 6, 2023

I have a mild anti-recommendation for the Cuisinart immersion blender. My first one I got when some friends got an extra one from their wedding registry. It worked fine for several years, and I blamed the blade getting wobbly on my roommate being too rough with it, so I bought another after I moved out. It is also now failing in the same way a few years on, and I’m not even blending hard things with it - mostly soups and smoothies without ice.

Reading this thread with interest for its eventual replacement.
posted by momus_window at 7:20 AM on April 6, 2023

I am not generally fussy about storage, but I patiently and neatly wrap the cord around the stick part when I put it away, and now the cord is coiled and it makes it easier for me to use it.
posted by theora55 at 8:58 AM on April 6, 2023

Best answer: This is not an answer to your specific question, but you should ask your radio-oncologist for a prescription mouth/throat rinse to try to address this. It usually takes a compounding pharmacy to mix viscous lidocaine in a carrying agent (sometimes a bismuth compound similar to pepto-bismol). You can gargle with this prior to eating (or anytime the pain spikes).
I am both a dentist who manages patients with conditions similar to this and a former radiation patient who experienced it and I can tell you it helps immensely.
posted by OHenryPacey at 9:04 AM on April 6, 2023 [9 favorites]

Response by poster: These are all super helpful, thank you, everyone! I’d love to have the cash for a fancy one, but I marked best answers for the ones I’m going to have to decide among.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 12:49 PM on April 6, 2023

Best answer: The mouthwash I used to recommend for patients with apthous ulcers (mouth sores) as an effect of interferon treatment was generally called "Magic Mouthwash" and included 1/3 viscous lidocaine, 1/3 maalox, and 1/3 pepto bismol. We ordered it to rinse, gargle, and spit as frequently as necessary for comfort. Sounds very similar to OHenryPacey above. I think it was originally a non-standardized compound devised by doctors and possibly some pharmacists before prescription medications became so regimented. I found that some independent pharmacists had their own "Magic Mouthwash" formula, so I always asked when calling it in.

And to directly answer your question, I have had a Cuisinart handheld plug-in mixer that is very easy to use and clean, though I've never put the blade in the dishwasher. It has an easy button to release the blade portion for cleaning, and "slow" and "fast" buttons for blending. I mainly use it to puree cooked food, so can't say how it will stand up to pureeing uncooked fruits or veggies.

Good luck to you!
posted by citygirl at 2:32 PM on April 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

I'm going to buck the trend here. If you're not out and about, could you get a friend or family member to check a thrift shop or two? I've had one immersion blender for 25+ years, and I think I paid 8 bucks for it. If you find that it's not up to the task, you could look at getting a swanky new one without having lost much.
I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. All the best as you go through treatment.
posted by kate4914 at 4:56 PM on April 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I found the Kitchenaid model hard to use, because it requires two hands to operate. And then the blade fell apart and the replacement wand I ordered wouldn’t click into place, so it requires three hands.

I replaced it with a Braun Multiquick and it is both more powerful and easier to use. I think it cost $120.
posted by Just the one swan, actually at 7:39 AM on April 7, 2023