Which Stick Blender

[SoapPapaw]

Which stick blender do you recommend? I bought a Procter-Silex from Amazon, spen less than $20 on it. But it burned out in the middle of my second batch. So I need to get another and maybe a backup as well.

What does the group suggest?

I saw a 200 watt Cusinart on Amazon for $34. It has a detachable head that can pop in the sink or dishwasher.

 

[lsg]

This is the one I bought.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HIWI5U/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[ruby61]

I have that cuisnart and it is great! I have been through 3 stick blenders and that has lasted over a year of soapmaking. I love the detachable head and you can buy more heads if you need them.
Edited to add I paid over 54.00 for mine, good price!

 

[christinak]

That detachable head sounds great! I have a Hamilton Beech from Walmart. No issues with it yet and I use it quite a lot.

 

[Moot]

I have a Cuisinart Smart Stick. I've been using this almost daily and it works awesome! I've had it for quite a while and no problems....I hope I don't jinx myself now!

 

[SudsyPM]

I also have a Cuisinart that works great and even better I found it at the thrift store for $5 :-D

 

[melstan775]

If you don't mind a pink blender, bramble berry has a pink cuisinart for 32.

 

[lizflowers42]

Yup, my PS burned out after a handful of batches. I upgraded and got a Kitchenaide one from Target on sale for $35 I think...it has the detachable wand as well and is really great so far!

 

[Shannon_m]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004VXB2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I got that one. works like a dream so far. I wish it had the detachable head though... that would be nice lol

 

[new12soap]

my cheap $10 stickblender from walmart has lasted me several years and it's still going. I always get curious when people say theirs burned out. How many batches of soap are you making in a day? when using a stickblender, turn it on and move it around for say 30 seconds, then stop blending and just stir with it for 30 seconds, and keep alternating on and off. If you haven't reached trace within 5 minutes of stirring (and you may not, especially with a castile soap), walk away and let it stand for just a few minutes, then come back and stickblend/stir again. that will help add life to your stickblender.

btw, I have heard that the more powerful ones can actually be TOO powerful and blend too fast, cheaper ones may be better, but I can't confirm it.

 

[Genny]

my cheap $10 stickblender from walmart has lasted me several years and it's still going. I always get curious when people say theirs burned out.

I've had mine for years as well & I always wondered how people burn theirs out.

 

[lizflowers42]

Oh my Proctor Silix worked great...until I was making a batch of facial soap, I had just turned it on for a few seconds, got the oil/lye bath lightly emulsified, and turned off to stir by hand for a few minutes. Then when I turned it back on you could literally see the motor through the plastic burn out, it was a flash of light and poof! It was toast.

 

[MaitriBB]

My next stick blender will have a removable head /mutters about cleaning issues

 

[Mindyw86]

I got a Hamilton beach one from Walmart for 20 bucks, I was impressed with the power, only used it once so far but it seems good, and has a removable head

 

[LovelyMalia]

Shame on me, but I own a really expensive stick blender. I believe its a Cuisinart and it cost me upwards of $50 a few years ago. I bought it since my father LOVED his. I, however, had very little luck using it for cooking. I just made a mess with mine.

So, my $50 stainless steel immersion blender is used for soaping. It does have a wisk attachment that I use for baking, though, so not all is wasted!

 

[danahuff]

I got this one: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EGA6QI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20, but there is a newer model with two speeds, similar price. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ARQVKM4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

All of the colors of the newer model are priced the same, but the one I have has different prices based on color. Since I didn't care what color it was, I got the cheapest. I love it. Works great. Even on one speed. Mine has a detachable head, which I highly recommend.

 

[gratia]

This is my stick blender. Love it have had it for over 4 years and no problems. (knock on wood). No but the only reason I have this is my husband got it off a job for me so it was free.

 

[Badger]

I am getting more and more paranoid about my PS stick blender. I have been gentle with it and so far it has behaved through the soap I have done. If it does die on me, I will likely pick up one of the less expensive Cuisinart models that have been posted.

 

[misskat22]

I have..geez I don't even know what kind it is! I'm worried about it burning out on me since it was my MIL's before (and she actually used it for cooking), but I got it for free since she was going to put it out in a yard sale and I had mentioned I wanted one, so she just handed it over. Glad to know where I can get a new one if this one does die on me though!

 

[DeeAnna]

I have an expensive Bamix stick blender that was a Christmas present from before I started soap making. I tried it a couple of times for soap (cleaning meticulously each time!), but decided it needed to be for food only. The splatter shield was not stainless or plastic -- I suspect something like zinc -- and it started to slowly discolor from the lye. Also, the "stick" part has ball bearings at the bottom near the mixer, which I learned from someone else's tale of woe is a no-no for soap making.

So I bought a cheapie Hamilton Beach from Walmart for my soap and lotion making. A huge plus for the HB is that the bottom detaches from the motor, so it can go right in the sink or dishwasher for cleaning. The HB only has a simple bushing at the mixer end -- no complicated ball bearings. It's light so it's easy to hold for long periods. It's also inexpensive, so no heartache when it finally fails.

I think I'd buy the Cuisinart from BrambleBerry if I were in the market for one and making a BB shopping list.

I pulse the stick blender on for 10-20 seconds, off for about the same amount of time, etc. If you can smell the motor heating up, back off on how long and hard you are running the blender. This is true for a fancy Bamix as well as the cheap HB. They are not meant for continuous, hard running.