A Review of the KitchenAid KHB100 Variable-Speed Handheld Blender

I'm sure traditional blenders have their place in a true chef's kitchen, but for this lazy bachelor, my trusty, but clunky Cuisinart has been gathering dust ever since I purchased the sleek and slender KitchenAid handheld immersion blender.

I love to make soups, purees and healthy yogurt fruit smoothies for my morning breakfast. However, the idea of breaking out my blender only to create a single serving didn't make the clean up worth the hassle. I don't have a dishwasher, so to clean the blade attachment, set aside the rubber ring, wipe down the motor, then clean the blending carafe and lid always seemed like a pain in the proverbial glutes.

Handheld blenders have been around for a while, but I really didn't entertain buying one until I got serious about cooking and my health a couple of years back. But the main selling point for this appliance was its ease of use, portability and easy clean up and storage. I bought the KHB100WH model which comes with the stainless steel blending attachment and a 3 cup-capacity beaker and lid.

As specs go, the blender is 17 inches high, weighs about 3 pounds, and I admit a little bulkier and larger than the Cuisinart stick that my sister owns. Still, it's not unwieldy and with the blending attachment sporting an immersion depth of 8 inches, the ingredients rarely come in contact with the motor body. When I cook a thick vat of Moroccan Spiced Chick Pea soup, the immersion blender works perfectly to chop and incorporate some of the chick peas into a creamier consistency. Held at a slight angle and with a rhythmic up and down motion, it handles easily and with none of the production that comes with a traditional blender. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate the convenience of blending soup - or any other food for that matter - as it cooks in the pot. It's like discovering sliced bread, or the EZ Pass.

The splashguard that sheaths the twin blades keeps from scratching the bottom of pots and as long as it's submerged in the mixture, there's very little to no splashing. Splashing only really occurs when you keep the blending attachment powered as you lift it out of the mixture. You should always release the one-touch power button before you lift it out of anything. The splashguard also features air slots for quicker, homogeneous blending, and a speed control dial located at the top offers blending speeds ranging from 1 (low) to 9 (high).

The stainless steel attachment comes on and off with a quick, easy snap of two ejector buttons located on either side of the motor body. This speaks to the easy cleaning and storage that I mentioned earlier. Everything just needs a wipe down with a damp cloth, some time to fully dry and it's ready to be stored away.

Though the motor is quiet and powerful as the specs boast, I'm a little leery about crushing ice with it. The instruction and recipe booklet that comes along with the blender provides some common sense care, operation and instruction tips. One recommendation was to cut solid foods into smaller pieces before blending. This would lead me to believe that blending ice would probably not be a good idea. However, the second half of the manual is dedicated to various recipes, one of which is for a Mocha Frappe. The ingredients call for ice which the instructions recommend to chop at a 9 speed. I'm not confident with these contradictory instructions, so I've erred on the side of caution and chosen not to blend anything with ice.

The KitchenAid Immersion Blender comes with a full one year warranty from date of purchase. The KHB200 and 300 models offer whisk attachments and a chopper adaptor. Along with the beaker, the 100 model comes just with the twin steel blade attachment; it's proven to be quite versatile and all you really need, unless you want to get fancier. I've had this product for close to a year and my experience so far has been an overwhelmingly positive one. I've made everything from tomato purees, yogurt smoothies, whipped cream, gravies and salad dressings, to blending soups as they simmer in the pot. It's a solid, streamlined and facile appliance that does a fine job for its $49.99 price point.