KitchenAid KHB100 Hand Blender Product Review    

I want to brag a little about one of my favorite kitchen tools, the KitchenAid KHB100 hand blender, Empire Red with 9 Speeds. *grunt, grunt, grunt*

When I need to...

• puree large batches of soup
• whip cream into a finger-dippin' fluffy heap
• beat eggs until their fluffy
• make a fresh batch of mayonnaise
• blend cooked beans into a smooth burrito filling
• make hummus with chickpeas
• make hummus with spicy beans
• partially puree soups for a creamy & chunky texture
• turn soften onions and garlic in cream sauce into a silky smooth pasta sauce
• puree canned plum tomatoes right in the can

and

• puree Italian tomato sauce,

I whip out Big Red to get the job done.  It's easy to handle, easy to clean and performs just as well as my heavy, traditional food processor and my one-cup food processor.

I've owned Big Red since Christmas 2007 and she hasn't let me down, not once.  I routinely use the 3-cup container (show in photo) for measuring water for all those Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day recipes, as well as for blending foods and drinks. The container is thick and stands up well to microwaving liquids.  The lid is very nice with a great, soft rubber seal. I always hand wash it just to keep it in good shape.

Oh yea, Big Red makes wonderful fruit smoothies and blended ice drinks, too.  She can crush ice so well, you'll start daydreaming of mixing up single serving Margaritas just for the cook. ;D

• Banana Smoothie Breakfast
• Pink Strawberry Smoothie
• Strawberry Smoothie
• Pineapple Banana Smoothie
• Simple Peach Smoothies

I've read other reviews and some folks think all you can do with hand blenders is make smoothies.  But as I made my initial list of Big Red chores, you can see she's more than a drink maker.  Here's a few meals made using the KitchenAid hand blender.

• Simple and Spicy Bean Soup
• Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup
• Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
• Creamy Carrot Soup
• Cream of Zucchini Soup
• Homemade Tomato Sauce for Italian meals.
• Roasted Garlic Hummus
• Hummus is Yummus
• Anazaki Bean Dip
• Simple Spicy Salsa Recipe

That's enough recipes to get my point across, don't you think?

Cook's Illustrated & America's Test Kitchen has re-featured their product reviews on hand blenders and still HIGHLY RECOMMENDED this very same immersion blender.   And I quote,

This was our favorite hand blender. Minimal extras, but as good as many traditional blenders.

Now I ask you, who would argue with them?

Of course, every smart consumer likes to read product reviews before making their purchase. So after reading several smart reviews from Amazon's customers, I wish to throw in my two cents.

Amazon Reviewer that said: "There's no "ON" button..."

• The hand blender is built with a Pulse Power Button instead of a traditional On Button.  I say that's great.  More control and it's a safety feature not a drawback.  Most of the tasks the blender handles are accomplished in under a minute, two minutes maximum.

Amazon Reviewer that said: "Handy, But Not Perfect"

• I completely agree; Clean up around and under the blade is best with a faucet spray nozzle.  The gray rubber seal under the blade does collect food particles, so I use a wooden toothpick to safely clean the edges.  The blade attachment is dishwasher safe, but it is just as easy to hand wash it and move on.
• The 9 power levels sounds wonderful as far as having options.  But in reality, I have rarely gone above the #3 level.   I tried #9 once, but I've yet to find the purpose for it.

Amazon Reviewer that said: "excellent hand blender, just one concern"

• Attaching the blade attachment to the motor incorrectly is hard to do.  Yes, I have to line up the "teeth" to make the two meet and lock into place. However, it won't "click" together until it is attached together.  I don't know how someone could "strip the plastic gears on the motor part."  They would have to be in quite a hurry and just not paying attention.

Three pages deep into the Amazon reviews and everyone else is pleased as punch to own theirs.  I couldn't agree more.  I keep Big Red handy in the knife drawer to the right of my stove-top.  She's always ready for action and makes cooking so much more fun.

Support SDR and Equip Yourself with this Great Kitchen Tool

Buy the Kitchen Aid KHB100 hand blender with 9 Speeds from this Amazon link.

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