On facebook yesterday, someone had posted the link to this article from the Costco “Immersion Blends Can Be Danger in Disguise”. Oh no! I just bought one on Sunday from Costco at a great price of a mere $19.99 (with rebate). Being a danger phobe, I had to stop everything and read this article. Not only am I fully afraid of my new Costco, it also made me think about cross contamination of allergens and how well can my kitchen appliances be cleaned?
My newest purchase!
My dad just had minor surgery (he is home recovering) and I planned on making a lots of soups from one of my most favorite Soup books of all times! Soup, A Way of Life, by Barbara Kafka–which was a bequeathed to me years ago by a dear friend and is still treasured. I saw the blender and thought wahoo, this would be great to help me blend some of the soups right in the pot. The article highlighted folks who suffered damage to their body while trying to remove stuck pieces of food. Apparently, the unit must be unplugged since the on/off switch seems to be highly sensitive and can easily knocked on.
My worn and well loved Barbara Kafka cookbook!
This article did a nice job of reminding me to pause and consider cross contamination issues too! How well could I clean handy dandy little tool? I don’t use dairy in any soups but what about wheat products and my gluten allergic friends? Could I clean this device well enough? None of my family’s allergens have ever or will ever come in contact with my beloved Cuisanart Food Processor. But…I often make soups that I share with friends as I have the tendency to cook up too much!
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
I have that same immersion blender and I absolutely love it. I have used it regularly for years, and I don’t understand why anyone would try to remove food with it still plugged in. To be honest, it really surprised me that it would even be an issue! That’s just common sense. If you’ve ever used an immersion blender, you’ll know how fast it spins and how dangerous it can be.. I only ever touch the blade when I have it in two pieces. And, I also stick the bottom half in the dishwasher. I don’t know if you’re supposed to do that, but, again, I never gave it a second thought. And it still works great.. So use it well!!
Thanks Marla! I don’t want to give my blender up but I am the over cautious type. I truly appreciate your comment and I will use it in good health and good soup! Last night I made chicken soup and I left the chicken sit over night in the stock I made for it, so the chicken was basically shredded–the kids loved it. Tomorrow I will break out my blender to make Potage (from Kafka’s book)! The family loves the potage recipes! Thanks again!!!
mmMMMmmm!! I am a huge soup lover, and your comment got me thinking of blending up my chicken soup to use as a base for other soups; as opposed to just using the stock, that is. Thank you for the inspiration!!
I actually just returned from the emergency room from mangling my index finger with my immersion blender.
I was VERY stupid, and tried to clean it while plugged in, and it cut my finger through the nail bed SIX times, requiring several stitches.
PLEASE, PLEASE be careful, and always unplug before cleaning and when not in use, the start button is super sensitive and a light press will start it firing up very fast!
OH NO Steven, say it isn’t so! I finally braved it and started using my blender, which I love but I won’t let my kids near it unless I unplug it. I hope you heal quickly and I’m sooooo sorry to hear this!
I’ve used an immersion blender for years. I think I just got careless and just this weekend stupidly tried to clear the blades without unplugging the unit. Doh! Only four stitches later in the emergency room I’m good to go. Doh! The button on the Cuisinart is much touchier than my other model.
OH NO! I have been using mine and have been super careful to unplug it right away. Actually, I’m almost paranoid. Sorry about your stitches and thanks for educating the rest of us!
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Regards