Buying a blender used to be easy. They were all more-or-less the same: a tall metal, glass or plastic jug with small rotating blades at the bottom. These days, immersion blenders are also popular.
What are they? Both types of blenders have sharp rotating metal blades that blend, puree or liquify ingredients. With standard blenders, the ingredients are liquified in a tall jug that sits on a base containing the motor. An immersion blender has blades at the end of a wand, which can be immersed in the ingredients in a container of your choice.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? A standard blender can puree ingredients faster but it's harder to clean - it must be taken apart, cleaned, dried then reassembled. The immersion blender is more portable and easier to clean: simply submerge the wand in soapy water, turn it on and it cleans itself; rinse off the detergent under running water. The immersion blender is the tool-of-choice for chefs making the 'foams', 'froths' and 'airs' on fashionable menus.
What else? If you use either type incorrectly you could spray your kitchen with puree. When using a standard blender, make sure the top is on firmly - it's best to hold it on - before starting the machine. When using an immersion blender, submerge the tip completely in the liquid before turning it on. If you're careful, you can achieve the foam and air effects without spraying the liquid everywhere, but it takes a little practice.
What to look for? It's important to remember a blender with a greater number of speeds isn't necessarily more powerful; instead, look for a higher wattage. Unlike mixers, which have different speeds to achieve different results, it is the length of time an ingredient is processed that is important with blenders. Some of the most powerful professional blenders have only an on/off switch, with no speed levels.
Where to buy? At Fortress (tel: 2555 5788) and the kitchenware sections of Wing On (tel: 2852 1888) and Sogo (tel: 2833 8338).