Stick Mixers

A stick mixer (also called a stick blender or immersion blender) is a space-saving and easy-to-use appliance to make light of everyday tasks. Stick mixers are roughly wand-shaped and designed to be gripped and held at the top, where the motor and controls are located and feature a rotating blade at the opposite end. The stick is designed to be immersed in thick liquids and food solids, where the blades can be directed and moved around for finely chopping, puréeing, mixing, liquefying and blending.

Since they can be used in any bowl, saucepan or pot, stick mixers are a great way to cut down on clean-up after cooking – especially seeing you don’t need to transfer food to blend it so fewer dishes will get dirtied. Also, many stick mixers have a detachable blade for easy cleaning.

Stick blenders can be used for emulsifying homemade mayonnaise, blending nutritious baby food, whipping up batter, blending smoothies, making homemade sauces and creating smooth, creamy soups right in the pot.

Although they have similar names and are used for some of the same tasks, hand mixers and stick mixers are quite different appliances.

A stick mixer functions like a blender, using fast, rotating blades to cut and pulverise foods and liquids, while a hand mixer can be viewed more like a less expensive stand mixer. Stick mixers and hand mixers are operated by hand while stand mixers do the heavy lifting for you. The body of the hand mixer houses the engine and two beater attachments, which will spin at variable speeds when a trigger or button is pushed. The two metal beaters move past each other as they spin, churning through the ingredients in the bowl.

Because the two beaters of the hand mixer are blunt and the blades of the stick mixer are sharp, they produce quite different results for different types of foods or ingredients. Hand mixers are generally favoured by bakers, who use them for tasks like mixing batters and whipping egg whites. Stick mixers are better suited for chopping and liquifying, and some can be used to whisk with the right attachment.

The wattage of a stick mixer will largely determine how powerful the motor inside your stick blender will be. Whilst raw power is certainly something to look for in a stick blender, particularly for blending things that are thicker, heavier or harder, it is not the only factor at play when it comes to performance.

If you are primarily blending soft foods or preparing simple smoothies, then a stick blender around 250-plus watts is sufficient to handle any task you would ordinarily use a stick blender for, while some models go up to around 1000 watts for heavier tasks such as mashing.

For optimal performance and longevity with your stick mixer, look for efficient designs and good build quality. For more intensive tasks what matters most is how the power is being utilised, rather than the outright power itself. The design of the motor will determine how efficient the blender is at producing speed. The design of the blades themselves and the guard that surrounds the blades can also have a huge impact on the efficiency of the blender.

This depends how you’ll be using your stick mixer and how often. Regardless of which, you’d want a model that’s comfortable to grip and easy to manoeuvre single-handedly. Thankfully, many models come with either rubber grips or ergonomic handles to help with this, and with buttons rather than dials for easy control. You can also find models today that are cordless, like some of the KitchenAid stick mixers or the ones by Cuisinart.
 
A stick blender should have ‘low’ and ‘high’ speed settings. A pulse function is great for short, controlled bursts when you don’t want a completely smooth texture. Keep an eye out for included accessories - many come with a food chopper, a jug and even a masher tool for effortless creamy mash potato like with some of the Kenwood stick mixers. Some models come with attachments for whipping and beating, however if your focus is on whipping, beating, mixing and kneading you may want to consider a hand mixer or stand mixer.
 
If both style and performance matters to you, you can find Smeg stick mixers in the popular 1950s retro aesthetic to suit the rest of their retro small kitchen appliances.