Is It Okay To Substitute A Regular Blender For An Immersion Blender?

It's always important to have the right tools for the job, but when it comes to kitchen appliances, storage can be a huge barrier. Yes, having a tortilla press would make the perfect corn tortillas every time. But how often are you really going to use this single purpose — and quite big and heavy — tool?

Even when it comes to seemingly essential appliances like blenders, compromises need to be made. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, blenders have been a part of American kitchens since their initial release in 1937. As much as blenders are perfect for making soups, smoothies, sauces, dressings, and a dozen other things, the typical stand blender takes up a decent amount of kitchen real estate. Kitchen Kapers notes that while many personal-sized blenders have emerged onto the market in recent years, the standard jar size is about 48 ounces. That's a good bit of shelf space when you include the base as well. And if you already have an immersion blender, doubling up your blending power can seem downright wasteful in a smaller kitchen.

So, are these two tools interchangeable, or does one blender rule them all?

For the most part, these two will accomplish many of the same tasks, but each has a few strengths that it can hold over the other. According to Vitamix, immersion blenders aren't great at creating smooth textures. Because most immersion blenders have limited speed and power options, they do a good job of blending small amounts at a single speed, and moving around to reach every inch of your soup or dressing. And as KitchenAid notes, they are also much easier to clean.

The Kitchn points out that countertop blenders crush immersion blenders when it comes to power. The larger motor housed in the appliance's base allows for variable blending speeds, and overall higher blending power. If you're someone who needs to crush a lot of ice or frozen items a standing blender is going to come in handy a lot more often than a weaker immersion blender. Taste of Home also recommends them because they have a smaller chance of splattering your beloved soup all over the walls of your kitchen thanks to their convenient lid.

While they can't blend everything, if you're looking for power, you'll likely need to make room for that stand blender. If you care more about convenience and small portions, the immersion blender will make the cut in most situations.