What Is An Immersion Blender?
Let's go back to the basics. If you don't have one of these handy little deals in your kitchen, you're a few fries short of a Happy Meal. You weren't really going to transfer batches of cooled soup from your stockpot to your blender, only to have it probably explode on you anyway, right? You were? Okay, allocate $30, purchase one of these immediately and listen up. (Edit note: I'd recommend the Cuisinart SmartStick.)
An immersion blender, also known as a stick blender or hand-blender (blending with your hand, not blending your hand, obviously) is one of the most useful tools in the kitchen. With it, you can whip up salad dressing, salsa, milkshakes and smoothies in no time flat, and turn that non-aesthetically pleasing chunky hot or cold soup into a velouté right before your eyes. It scrambles eggs to their very fluffiest for breakfast in a flash, and it's excellent for smoothing out sauces, as well. That's because you stick it right in the pot (or large cup attachment that typically comes with the appliance); no pouring hot liquid into an unsuspecting blender pitcher necessary.
Unfortunately it's not a cure-all for whatever needs to be blended. For instance, you'll still want a classic blender for crushing ice and making frozen drinks. But that can easily be remedied by popping open a beer.
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