Hand Blender MX-S302 | Panasonic
A hand blender is a cooking appliance for mashing and mixing food, and can be used to make vegetable paste and baby food as well as regular food. However, there are many different types of attachments and functions, and the number of combinations is countless. Let's do a thorough research to buy the product you really need!
- How to use a hand blender
- Differences from food processors, mixers, and juicers
- How to choose a hand blender
- Product Comparison Chart
How to use a hand blender
First, attach the attachment to the hand blender body. Press the hand blender against the attached bottle containing the ingredients and press the button, and the blades will rotate to mix the ingredients. The blades rotate only while the button is pressed, so it is safe to use.
After use, most of them only require water and detergent in a special cup and spinning the blade. Compact and hassle-free, these appliances are extremely easy to use.
Depending on the manufacturer, there are various shapes of attachments, which greatly increases the number of recipes that can be made.
Differences from food processors, mixers, and juicers
Similar cooking appliances include food processors, blenders, and juicers.
Food processors are used primarily for chopping ingredients.
Hand blenders and mixers, on the other hand, are mainly used for mashing and blending ingredients to make smoothies and baby food. One serving of soup or smoothie is usually about 200 ml, and the capacity of a blender starts at about 400 ml, so a hand blender is recommended if you are cooking for one or two people, and a blender is recommended for three or more people.
A blender or hand blender blends the ingredients, including the fibers, so it produces a smooth texture. Juicers, on the other hand, remove such fibers and squeeze the juice, resulting in a lighter juice.
How to choose a hand blender
1: Attachment type
The following three types of attachments are typical.
Blender attachment (mixing and mashing)
Juice, soup, and baby food can be made.
Chopper attachment (chopped)
Can cut vegetables and mince meat.
Whisk attachment (whisk)
Can whip cream and make meringue.
Some manufacturers may have other attachments that allow you to shred, slice, knead, and grate. Some products may not come with any of the first three types mentioned above, and conversely, even if there are many types, they are useless if you do not use them.
In most cases, a special long, narrow bottle is provided, but you can also use your own bowls at home. However, the special bottles are more resistant to splattering, so if the amount of food fits in the bottle, it is recommended to cook it in the bottle.
2: Number of blades/movement
The main blender attachment often has two blades. However, a product with two more blades will blend more thoroughly. Some manufacturers move the blades up and down so that the mixture is blended more thoroughly.
Hand Blender MX-S302 | Panasonic
3: Speed adjustment
The explanation will be brief, but we believe that the speed adjustment function is essential for moderate mixing.
4: Other
Some may be set to not rotate with a single button press and have a safety device to prevent accidental button presses that could result in injury.
Other products may have a function that detects overheating due to overfilling or overuse of materials and stops the machine. Most products have a function to stop after a certain amount of time of use, not temperature.
Finally, as explained in detail in the mobile battery article, we do not recommend cordless (rechargeable) batteries because lithium-ion batteries degrade.
Product Comparison Chart
Based on the above, the following table compares the following hand blenders.
- Above 3 attachments available
- Speed adjustment available
- corded
(You can scroll to the right.)
| Manufacturer | Panasonic | Iris Oyama | brown | Vitantonio | Cuisinart | T-FAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| model number | MX-S302 | IHB-SC502-W | MQ 9145XS | VHB-20 | HB-504WJ | baby multi |
| Maximum power consumption | 200W | 200W | 500W | 150W | 200W | 400W |
| Weight (with blender attachment) | 900g | 800g | 1,030g | 530g | 550g | 820g |
| note | ・4 blades ・safety device ・Overheat detection |
・safety device | ・Blade moves up and down ・safety device |
|||
| Price*1 | 9,000 yen | 6,700 yen | 20,727 yen | - | - | - |
*1...Price on Amazon as of August 31, 2023.
First of all, although the Braun is dominant in terms of maximum power consumption, it is expected to use about 1 to 2 minutes at a time, so there is not a significant difference in the time required for cooking.
In addition, even the 200W Panasonic has a limiter for fear of overheating, and 500W is calculated to be 2.5 times more prone to overheating. Some nutrients, such as vitamin C, are easily destroyed by heat, so it is important not only to increase the speed but also the temperature.
Second, it is slightly inconvenient that the Panasonic can crush ice with the chopper attachment, whereas the Braun requires a special attachment.
Based on the above, we recommend the Panasonic MX-S302 overall, and the Iris Oyama IHB-SC502-W if cheapness is a priority.
