For those of you have have never had one, these immersion blenders are quite handy. They are easy to clean, and convenient to use. They also don't take up much space; I keep my KitchenAid unit on the counter, and store the beaker in the cupboard where I keep glasses, with the blender attachment inside. It's no fuss at all if you want to mix just a single drink. While a traditional blender is more versatile, if I had a choice of only one I'd go with the hand blender as being the most useful on a day to day basis.
This is the second immersion blender I have owned. I like this one quite a bit; it is powerful, but quiet. I'm not sure whether having 9 speeds is so important, I find I either use speed setting 1 or 9. Maybe they should make custom units that go all the way to 11. ;-)
One concern with a device like this is marrying a powerful motor to a removeable attachment. My first device (an Oster) chewed itself to bits, leaving metal shavings in my food (good thing I checked). The KitchenAid unit's attachment has a good positive lock design which makes this improbable. A safety interock would have been better. The metal shaft of the blending attachment is driven by a hard plastic socket with slim splines. This means in the unlikely event of anything ending up in your food, you'll have tiny bits of fractured plastic, not desirable of course, but preferable to long, razor sharp metal shavings. The socket looks like it could be replaced if necessary, but given the price most people would opt for replacing the entire unit over having it serviced.
One thing would be nice is if the guard around the actual blades was plastic instead of metal. Then it could be used directly inside nonstick saucepans for pureeing soup.
Conclusion: a safety interlock and plastic blender shield would improve this product, but overall it is well made, quiet and safe. Few things are made to last these days, but given how useful this device is, its a safe bet you will get your money's worth.
