Pureeing and Blending

• Immersion blenders are ideal for pureeing soup directly in the pot. This saves you the hassle of transferring small batches of hot soup to a blender container and then back to the soup pot. The immersion blender is capable of blending an entire pot of soup. The design of the immersion blender allows for more air incorporation into the substance being blended, creating a frothy foam on blended soups.

  The ability of the immersion blender to work in any container also makes it ideal for making blended drinks. From milkshakes to margaritas, an immersion blender allows you to make exactly the amount of a beverage you want without dirtying and washing an entire blender jar. The immersion blender is strong enough to chop ice for smoothies.

Whipping and Emulsifying

• Many recipes call for emulsifying, or combining ingredients slowly so they are completely incorporated. Mayonnaise is one recipe that requires this. Immersion blenders can be used for this purpose; because they require only one hand for use, the other hand is free to pour in the secondary ingredient. Immersion blenders that come with a whisk attachment also can make quick work of whipping cream.

Chopping

• Most immersion blenders come with a container that is designed to be used with the blender. This is usually a tall, narrow container that holds the contents close to the blades of the immersion blender. These containers can be used for chopping nuts or dried fruit, mincing garlic or nearly any other function you might use a conventional blender for. Immersion blenders allow you to control where and how finely you want to chop items, so you don't end up pureeing some of the food while leaving other parts whole.