An immersion blender or stick blender is a hand-held wand-shaped machine with small blades on the end.  It can complement a well-equipped kitchen or, in my case, replace a countertop blender.  It is a convenient alternative to bulky kitchen tools and a great tool for smaller blending jobs.  Do you need an immersion blender?  Maybe not, but it just might become one of your most used tools in the kitchen.  Here are a few reasons why.

It allows you to blend/puree in the same vessel you’re using to prepare your recipe.  Think about blending hot foods like soups on the stovetop.  No need to transfer hot soup, a little at a time, to a blender risking burning yourself with hot liquid.  Simply immerse the wand directly into the soup pot and blend away.

You can blend small amounts.  Smaller amounts of food don’t always combine as easily in a regular blender or food processor.  I love using the immersion blender to make pesto or salsa verde and it’s great for emulsifying small batches of salad dressing.

Clean-up can be quick and easy, and you can stash it away in a drawer when not in use, saving valuable counter space.

An added bonus, your husband can use it to make his own smoothies!  AND he can easily clean up after he is done😊.

I have an All-Clad KZ750D model, which is very heavy duty since we use it almost daily – smoothies, soups, sauces, salad dressings, veggie purees, etc.  I do not own a countertop blender, which is probably surprising to you.  This particular model is available on sale at Amazon currently for $119.00.   But there are many different brands with a range of prices.  Many come with several attachments, which I found are not necessary.  I have included a link that should help you find the right one for you.