Tuesday's Food Tip: The Hand-Held Blender – Another "Gotta Have" Kitchen Gadget!

A few years ago, my brother bought me a hand-held blender (sometimes called an immersion blender) for Christmas. It quickly became one of my favorite kitchen gadgets because it’s so handy. When I wanted to puree or chop something, I no longer had to drag out the cumbersome food processor or the large, regular blender. I’d just plug in the hand-held blender and puree a can of chopped tomatoes for chili or a special sauce, for example, right in the pot.



My younger son (who was still living at home at the time) found it invaluable when it came to preparing his favorite lunch of Campbell’s Tomato Soup. The condensed red blob in the can blended perfectly with milk to produce a smooth and silky, rich tomato soup every single time.



The hand-held blender was also a snap to clean. And since it came with a little mounting rack, I stuck it in a convenient corner of the kitchen and never had to go rummaging around in a cabinet or drawer, trying to find it.

Then one day, my son moved to his own place.

My hand-held blender suddenly disappeared.

I wasn’t surprised.

As my son explained when I asked him about the blender, "You don’t really expect me to eat clumpy tomato soup, do you? Of course I took the hand-held blender."

Then, last Christmas, that same son bought me a new hand-held blender (okay, so I nagged him until he took the hint, but I just couldn’t function without my favorite kitchen gadget).

Suddenly, all was right with the world once again.

If you don’t have one of these handy gadgets, you need to get one ASAP. You’ll find several models to choose from at Amazon.com. You can also find hand-held blenders at most department stores or kitchenware stores.

A hand-held blender is a kitchen gadget you simply "gotta have" – whether you're an experienced cook, or just someone who enjoys clump-free tomato soup from a can now and then.