I am the dishwasher. LOL
I do rinse everything right after use. Especially whisks and graters. I just avoid most gadgets because they add to my pile of dishes to wash.
I have an IB, but as @Phoenikia does, for most chores I take the manual route. For me the thing at which the IB excels is soups. Blenders are not able to handle the volume of most soups. Filling a blender quite full with hot cream of mushroom soup is a terrible idea. The IB does the very fun instant mayonnaise trick, but I far prefer the fork and bowl in my lap approach while I nurse a glass of wine. IBs are super easy to clean.
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i’ve had a mueller for 5+ years, which replaced a kitchen aid that died after i can’t remember how long.
use it several times a week, so yes — essential.
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I used to have a Braun that was used so much the white plastic got stained. Had it for years. A couple years ago I upgraded to the cordless Kitchenaid. No cord is great, travels well but for whatever reason I don’t use it very often. Probably not making soup as often. As others have mention, not essential but handy when you need it. If make a lot of soup or sauces, I’d say it’s worth it. Also makes fast hollandaise sauce.
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I absolutely LOVE that the blender attachment detaches so easily, which makes cleaning it a piece o’ cake.
I have a Braun immersion blender that I use to make Kenji’s (Serious Eats) Caesar Dressing. I prefer using my regular blender to puree soups because the IB will damage my Berndes pot. Here’s an article from Serious Eats comparing IB.
Here is Kenji’s recipe:
I eliminate the anchovies (you can add on top of salad if you wish), increase garlic, use grapeseed oil and olive oil and I only sprinkle parm on top of salad, not in the dressing. I always double the ingredients … says it lasts a week in refrigerator but mine last longer in a very cold fridge.
2 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
4 medium garlic cloves, use garlic press
2/3 cup Grapeseed Oil
½ cup Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
S & P
With Little Gems lettuce.
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Thank you for giving such good advice.
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My Caesar recipe is similar, but it does include smashed up anchovies (a bunch), garlic (ditto), black pepper, lemon juice, one egg, olive oil, parm.
I often sub safflower oil or another neutral oil for about 2/3 of the dressing, bc I find olive oil can turn a bit bitter when emulsifying with the other ingredients.
I have a decent full size blender, but the stick is so easy to use and clean, it gets much more action than tha big boy. Had a Mueller for years and it died. My Hamilton beach is going 7 years strong, and it was $10. Irreplaceable for me.
When I make beans, I like to turn them into “cowpie” beans with the stick.
When I clean out the vegetable drawer, I boil it all up and make a puree/soup with dah stick.
Apple sauce, Sriracha mayo, spicy ketchup, beer dip, I’m sure I could think of many more. It’s just so much more convenient than the blend for so many purposes. Stick it under the faucet, blast it off, dry. Good for another battle.
Buy a cheapie, see how you like it. Prolly last you ten years.
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All of mine have been bells. No complaints.
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Yes… I think it was America’s Test Kitchen that did a bunch of testing and yes – you purchased the better immersion blender with the “bell” shaped head.
I was trying to be “brand loyal” as my KitchenAid mixer does a great job at every task I throw at it – I assumed their immersion blender would be similar.
I didn’t do my research before I purchased it.
Well, I didn’t pick the blender because of the shape of the head. The $10 was kinda my motivation. You know how I think, Dan. 
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One thing I love about the immersion blender is how quickly it can be cleaned but also how well it handles hot product which can be troublesome in vertical blenders. I have a Ninja Blender for jobs like making homemade mustard or large batches. The immersion blender is one of my most used kitchen tools. In the restaurant it was in such constant demand because you could make 5 gallon batches of sauces and dressings in a breeze. I love them so much.
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Yes, but don’t make the mistake of not rinsing it right away after use.
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True that. Beans get stuck to it and dry. SOB to clean. Learned the hard way. Never blend beans at 2:00am with Guinness in ya.
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