America's Test Kitchen published a review of eight models in the April 2010 issue of Cook's Country.
Their test covered several common tasks for an immersion blender:
- Mayonnaise emulsification
- Making soup
- Whipping cream
- Making smoothies with frozen ingredients
- Making pesto
They evaluated the blenders on three criteria: performance, usability, and ease of cleaning. The only blender to perform at the highest level across all three, and the only to win their top honors of "highly recommended" is the Kalorik Sunny Morning Stick Mixer.
The model that I use is the KitchenAid Hand Blender. I have never had a problem with it, and it was the only other model reviewed to be recommended. It was dinged a few points in the soup & whipped cream tests.
The remaining models were either recommended "with reservations", or outright not recommended. The reasons for these included:
- No cup included. The cup is important for ensuring optimal mixing.
- Battery powered
- Having to hold two buttons to use
- Ridiculously loud
- Excessive vibrations
- General discomfort & fatigue
- Poor performance with one or more of the food tasks. This was typically attributed to either a weak motor, or a poor blade cage design. A poorly designed cage can restrict the circulation of food resulting in portions being over blended.
None of the models reviewed included a Sunbeam or Braun. However, the Cuisinart model was, and received the lowest marks of all.
That price is absolutely ridiculous, and there is no way the frying pans are worth it. To Americans: that's $250 for 2 frying pans! Even All-Clad retails for $100 for a frying pan, and it is among the most expensive cookware. Now, in this case, many people can justify that price for All-Clad, because they heat fast and evenly and will last for several lifetimes with proper care.
While the Fissler pans may be well-made, I would have a very hard time justifying that kind of money. In particular, the Protect model is nonstick, and nonstick surfaces wear out. There is no way around this. The better ones will last longer, but still you get a couple years of good use before the surface degrades. You're far better off buying a series of cheap restaurant-supply nonstick pans, and replacing them regularly. I can find decent ones for about $20-25, which means you can get one for probably €20. See my answer to What is a good brand for teflon pans? for where to get the best value... and why you shouldn't be spending big money on teflon-coated stuff.
I do not feel the "crispy" model is a safe buy, because it emphasizes a gimmicky crisping surface over versatile everyday use. It also does not describe what, if any, sort of copper/aluminum core it uses to ensure fast, even heating. For a pan at this price range, I would expect a multi-ply construction, with aluminum or copper core. To my mind, this does not bespeak money well spent. At a lower price, it might be an entertaining gimmick, but for that much money you will want a solid, versatile all-around pan.
In fact, with good deals, you could fully equip a kitchen with cookware for that price. I have a 7-piece multi-ply set that I'm quite happy with, and it only cost about $160. Throw in a cheap nonstick pan and a cast-iron skillet, and you're set.
Best Answer
Like any other product, price and quality don't always relate. However, here are some notes and features to help you:
What food stuffs you can blend in your blender and expect good results, how often, and for how many years depends on the following:
Quality of the motor: When the material you're blending gets hard to blend (say oil separated peanut butter mixed with dry almonds), you can easily send the blender up in smoke. A better blender might hit its maximum-current/temperature switch, shut-down, and protect itself. An even better blender might happily blend (saw a giant one with the motor made by Harley Davidson, it didn't care what it was mixing). See the notes on power/wattage.
Speed of the blade (RPM): Cheaper blenders tend to only reach a couple of thousand rpm. The Brand you're (not)mentioning can go near 30,000rpm. At that spin-rate, frozen fruit starts looking like Gelato (smooth and shiny). In a $20 blender, they look like frozen fruit slushy with ice crystals remaining relatively large.
Wattage of Blender: Generally the higher wattage blenders are more powerful, although not in every case. This is again one of those features that leads to being able to make apple/carrot/beat juice in your blender or make a contribution to your local appliance landfill. Top Gear tried to make a Beef, Bovril and Brick smoothie with a V8 Engine.
Intended use: Commercial blenders are designed to be running practically all the time (like the ones at StarBucks), hence the $2000. The 'Prosumer' ones, might heat up if under heavy and long duration use and shut-down for a few minutes at a time. The low-ends can last you a lifetime if what you're blending is not very thick/viscus and you don't keep it running for long sessions.
Quality of the Jar, Blade, and Gears: In the low-end of blenders, the ones with glass jar might be better since they're easier to clean and don't get foggy. The high-end blender manufacturers (sort of) treat the jar as a consumable that you'll have to buy once in a couple of years. Fresh blade, and clear jar.
Pro-Tip: Sometimes it costs you an extra $250 to get the model with the adjustable speed dial. While there normally is a perfect blending speed for any given 'input', you're looking at diminishing returns since the two-speed type will blend just as well given minimally more effort.