Best hand blender for purée preparation?

[ParkerRocks]

Hi, could anyone recommend a hand blender they've used as the choice is so vast! I intend to do BLW where possible, but my little one has a condition meaning her diet is severely restricted so it's not at all possible to just give her what we are eating! I just want to start experimenting and stocking the freezer as she is heading for 6 months. It will not be possible to use ready made baby jars, so I need to get on with it! Any recommendations?

[midoriway]

I have a Braun 600 Watt blender that is coming up to its first decade with no complaints from me. My parents have a Braun hand blender probably 20 years old that is still used a couple of times a week. Based on this very unscientific study with a sample of 2, I would say you can't go wrong with Braun.

[ParkerRocks]

Well at least now I have a starting point! There are so many different ones, ranging in price from £5-£100! I mean how different can they be? I just need to purée fruit and veg.

[midoriway]

What you are actually buying when you buy a blender, is a simple electric motor with a few bits tacked on. The quality of the motor is what you need to think about. All the other bits of plastic are a distraction. You want something that will purée stuff and not burn out the motor. Because it is a simple appliance, if you buy one with a good motor it will keep on going for years, but buy something because it has some extra plastic bits, the plastic stuff will always break. A good motor is not going to be cheap. If you can afford, go for something £50+ range.

In summary, buy the biggest motor you are happy to budget for, everything else is a distraction. If you don't know how to compare the size of motors, ask a decent department store.

[horribledinners]

midoriway - I'm using a Braun hand blender that is (was!) DP's. He's had it for more than 10 years and its what i use to puree or 'wazz' DS3's dinners.

The simpler the better IMO. Any attachments end up in the depths of the kitchen cupboard anyway.

[midoriway]

Our now increasingly accurate scientific study of 3 blenders says Braun is best.

[lilham]

I have a Braun too and it's nearly 7 years old. I use it to make pastes, sauces and soup. However if you are going to just make purees for a few months, I'm sure even the cheapest no brand will do.

[vj32]

I have a braun thing too. An old version of the Multiquick 3 according to their website. Might be good to have a cordless one if you can afford it as the cord always seems to get in the way. (That may just be that I don't have much work top space in my kitchen though)

[xyzandabc]

Mine was £3 Tesco value stick blender. That was 9 years ago, it's done 3 children, a lot of soup and is still going strong. Not really sure what a more expensive one could do that this one couldn't. Even is it had broken (which it hasn't) it would have been cheap to replace.

[Watto1]

I'd get one where the chopper bit comes off. Mine is one solid unit and it is a pita to clean.

[AppleMagic]

We used this cheap one from Philips for years including making baby food.

But depending on your babies condition, fork mashing rather than pureeing should be fine from six months.