# question about a specific SB



## reflection (Jul 18, 2016)

so, i'm a little nervous about making my first batch of soap with a SB because i've never used one before. after doing a fair bit of research i thought maybe i came across the perfect SB, albeit rather pricey, but now im wondering if a couple features might be great for food but not for lye. 

the SB is the Oxo stick blender. 

the reasons i thought it'd be great: 
• metal motor rather than plastic as plastic motors notoriously burn out (i'd rather pay more up front for quality than have a less expensive one burn out or have to have more than one on hand)
• really slow splatter free start speed & variable speeds

reasons i'm now worried this one might not be good to use with lye:
• nylon head which is great for not scratching my new crock pot but will the lye make the nylon break down?
• the  SB shaft is coated in silicone so i have the same concern about the lye reacting to the silicone and breaking it down

do any of you soapy people have any idea if these would be problems? i did see one person on this forum uses this SB but there really wasn't any info about it. if this one is out, i'd probably get the waring i see recommended a lot. since i have no electric blender or mixer of any type in my kitchen it will get put to use even if for some crazy reason i hated soap making. so, price isn't a huge concern here since i'm a margarita & smoothie free kitchen atm which really needs to change.thanks for all your help!


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## earlene (Jul 18, 2016)

I have no experience with this make or model.  My caution for you is to use it SPARINGLY.  And I do mean only PULSE.  No matter what SB you purchase, IF the handle ever becomes hot, TURN it OFF IMMEDIATELY.  Once the motor burns out, it is useless.

I have burned out 2 SBS and both times the handle became quite hot and yet I kept on going. The first time, I didn't know any better, but the second time I just ignored my brain telling me to turn it off.  my fault for overusing the SB.

I would strongly recommend buying one that has PULSE as an option,whether they call it a speed or have an extra button for it.


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## TeresaT (Jul 18, 2016)

I highly recommend having several cheap ($20) stick blenders on hand rather than one expensive one.  Many people on the forum have mentioned that their cheap stick blenders have outlasted their expensive name-brand ones.  I bought my SB at the local Dollar General for $15.  I've only got the one, and use it sparingly.  I fully intend to buy a couple of more.  I just want to find them on sale because I'm a cheapskate.    Another reason (and a good one, too!) to have multiple inexpensive blenders and not a single expensive one is they fall.  If you accidentally drop a $100 SB and it breaks, you are not going to be too happy about that.  If you drop a $20 SB and it breaks, you're going to say "Oh, well.  It was only $20," and grab the spare out of the drawer.    I have dropped mine a couple of times already.  Frankly, I'm surprised the thing still works.  But, honestly, if it had been an expensive name brand one, it would have been toast by now.  Because that's the story of my life.  

Save your money and get four cheap blenders for the price of this one blender.

ETA:  Oh, I just noticed your reasons for being hesitant about buying it.  Nylon head - not sure about that reacting with lye (I don't like nylon cooking utensils, they tend to melt); however, the lye is going to eventually etch your crock pot, so a metal stick blender isn't going to be an issue in my opinion.  I have a crock pot I use for my occasional batch of HP or re-batching and I beat the crud out of that thing with my stick blender.   The silicone wearing down on the handle of the blender shouldn't be an issue since we use silicone spatulas and molds for both hot and cold process soap.  I've seen videos on YouTube where the silicone molds have been used for years and it shows.


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## Arimara (Jul 18, 2016)

TeresaT said:


> I highly recommend having several cheap ($20) stick blenders on hand rather than one expensive one.  Many people on the forum have mentioned that their cheap stick blenders have outlasted their expensive name-brand ones.  I bought my SB at the local Dollar General for $15.  I've only got the one, and use it sparingly.  I fully intend to buy a couple of more.  I just want to find them on sale because I'm a cheapskate.    Another reason (and a good one, too!) to have multiple inexpensive blenders and not a single expensive one is they fall.  If you accidentally drop a $100 SB and it breaks, you are not going to be too happy about that.  If you drop a $20 SB and it breaks, you're going to say "Oh, well.  It was only $20," and grab the spare out of the drawer.    I have dropped mine a couple of times already.  Frankly, I'm surprised the thing still works.  But, honestly, if it had been an expensive name brand one, it would have been toast by now.  Because that's the story of my life.
> 
> Save your money and get four cheap blenders for the price of this one blender.
> 
> ETA:  Oh, I just noticed your reasons for being hesitant about buying it.  Nylon head - not sure about that reacting with lye (I don't like nylon cooking utensils, they tend to melt); however, the lye is going to eventually etch your crock pot, so a metal stick blender isn't going to be an issue in my opinion.  I have a crock pot I use for my occasional batch of HP or re-batching and I beat the crud out of that thing with my stick blender.   The silicone wearing down on the handle of the blender shouldn't be an issue since we use silicone spatulas and molds for both hot and cold process soap.  I've seen videos on YouTube where the silicone molds have been used for years and it shows.



I think that's reason enough NOT to buy that stick blender. I'd be acting like a ornery, cantankerous donkey if I had that stick blender and the head warped during my making liquid soap. My Hamilton Beach had a close call but it's still going strong. If I did have to replace it, it would be because I dropped it for the last time.


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## topofmurrayhill (Jul 18, 2016)

reflection said:


> so, i'm a little nervous about making my first batch of soap with a SB because i've never used one before. after doing a fair bit of research i thought maybe i came across the perfect SB, albeit rather pricey, but now im wondering if a couple features might be great for food but not for lye.
> 
> the SB is the Oxo stick blender.
> 
> ...



There aren't any temperatures in soaping high enough to melt that nylon bell, and the lye won't hurt it. Lye won't touch the silicone either.

Some go with cheaper equipment that holds up and can be easily replaced. I tend to buy the high end stuff and I have yet to replace one of those pieces. Ultimately it's personal preference and judgment.

I like the feature that it speeds up gradually instead of abruptly going to full speed. That could be a safety feature.

Another brand to look at for high end consumer-level equipment is Kitchenaid. Beyond that, Waring starts at high-end consumer level and extends into commercial quality.


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## snappyllama (Jul 18, 2016)

I'm going to be in the market for a new stickblender... I dropped my Cuisinart about a foot onto a wooden floor and it sometimes shoots bubbles now. :x I LOVED it, but I'm pretty annoyed at how easily it broke and will not be buying another one. If you do go with the blender, please give me a review!

I checked nylon reactions on this chart and it looks like it will be fine against sodium hydroxide, but is only rated as fair against potassium hydroxide: http://www.calpaclab.com/nylon-chemical-compatibility-chart/  Maybe one of our resident scientists can give us a layperson-understandable reason why that would be... wink wink.

That looks like a nice model if you don't plan on using potassium hydroxide.


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## topofmurrayhill (Jul 19, 2016)

snappyllama said:


> I checked nylon reactions on this chart and it looks like it will be fine against sodium hydroxide, but is only rated as fair against potassium hydroxide: http://www.calpaclab.com/nylon-chemical-compatibility-chart/  Maybe one of our resident scientists can give us a layperson-understandable reason why that would be... wink wink.



I don't know what to conclude. Different sources are contradictory on the matter of sodium versus potassium hydroxide. I'm actually surprised that nylon resin is reactive with either of them. I have nylon whisks that I've been using a long time and they seem to be pristine.

Maybe steel is better, but even nickel steels get mixed ratings when it comes to strong alkali, depending on the concentration and temperature. Another reason to never dissolve caustic in glycerin.


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## cmzaha (Jul 19, 2016)

topofmurrayhill said:


> There aren't any temperatures in soaping high enough to melt that nylon bell, and the lye won't hurt it. Lye won't touch the silicone either.
> 
> Some go with cheaper equipment that holds up and can be easily replaced. I tend to buy the high end stuff and I have yet to replace one of those pieces. Ultimately it's personal preference and judgment.
> 
> ...


I have a light commercial quality Waring and I love it. One thing I really like about it is the shaft is longer than the average SB so when I make lotion it is great


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## reflection (Jul 19, 2016)

love all the great help you guys are giving me. this forum is awesome 



topofmurrayhill said:


> There aren't any temperatures in soaping high enough to melt that nylon bell, and the lye won't hurt it. Lye won't touch the silicone either.



this is great to hear. i don't want nylon soap.  i'm hoping to find a bed, bath & beyond coupon & buy it there for a discount as they carry it too. i have to say your posts are so helpful as i read these boards. 



snappyllama said:


> I'm going to be in the market for a new stickblender... I dropped my Cuisinart about a foot onto a wooden floor and it sometimes shoots bubbles now. :x I LOVED it, but I'm pretty annoyed at how easily it broke and will not be buying another one. If you do go with the blender, please give me a review!
> 
> I checked nylon reactions on this chart and it looks like it will be fine against sodium hydroxide, but is only rated as fair against potassium hydroxide: http://www.calpaclab.com/nylon-chemical-compatibility-chart/  Maybe one of our resident scientists can give us a layperson-understandable reason why that would be... wink wink.
> 
> That looks like a nice model if you don't plan on using potassium hydroxide.



bummer about your SB. i'll give you all a review if i do buy this one. i'd love to get a less expensive one, but i figure if they just die easily i might as well get a metal motor. thanks for the info about the potassium hydroxide. that would be a long way off if i ever did liquid soaping & it would probably only be to make homemade dish soap which i haven't been able to crack yet. 



cmzaha said:


> I have a light commercial quality Waring and I love it. One thing I really like about it is the shaft is longer than the average SB so when I make lotion it is great


they do sound like good ones, even the consumer model which is $70 on amazon. they sound rather slow which i gather is best for soaping.


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## topofmurrayhill (Jul 19, 2016)

reflection said:


> this is great to hear. i don't want nylon soap.  i'm hoping to find a bed, bath & beyond coupon & buy it there for a discount as they carry it too. i have to say your posts are so helpful as i read these boards.



I hate to say it -- it's a nice item and clearly you like it -- but you shouldn't buy this one. Maybe shop for a Kitchenaid or something with a steel bell. Apparently my judgment about the chemical resistance of the nylon was premature. We don't have a good understanding yet of the resistance of that material to lye, but there could be a problem with both NaOH and KOH. That piece could deteriorate and you certainly don't want it to break in use.


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## reflection (Jul 19, 2016)

topofmurrayhill said:


> I hate to say it -- it's a nice item and clearly you like it -- but you shouldn't buy this one. Maybe shop for a Kitchenaid or something with a steel bell. Apparently my judgment about the chemical resistance of the nylon was premature. We don't have a good understanding yet of the resistance of that material to lye, but there could be a problem with both NaOH and KOH. That piece could deteriorate and you certainly don't want it to break in use.



ok, thanks. i'll probably go with the waring then as it is a little less expensive than the metal kitchen aid ones i saw.


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## shunt2011 (Jul 19, 2016)

I have a cuisinart and it has been very good to me.  I purchased it at Costco for 20.00 about 6 years ago and it's still going strong.  I do have a Hamilton Beach one stored away just in case it ever decides to quit.   I got that one at Salvation Army for 3.00.  I've used it a couple times just to test it out. 

If I ever needed a new one I would get a Waring.


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## Dahila (Jul 19, 2016)

I got 2 KA stick blenders and one Cusinart, which I use exclusively for lotions.  KA I use for soap, after maybe 3 or 4 years of using still going strong  Of course i bought them on sale


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## cmzaha (Jul 19, 2016)

reflection said:


> love all the great help you guys are giving me. this forum is awesome
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That is probably the one I have. It is still considered a light commercial. The only drawback is, do not drop it because the housing can come loose. I have had mine tie wrapped for 2 yrs now, and have been using it for 5 yrs. It has a high and low speed with an easy accessible buttons. The only other annoyance with my Waring is the heavy duty cord, but it is a nice long cord so I can go from the counter to the sink to use my sb if I need to.

I do keep 2 less expensive sb's in case I hit a batch that decides to want a lot of stick blending. They really all only have small motors in the housing even though some run at high rpm's. There just is not a lot of cooling off room in a stick blender. They are not designed for long continues running. They are designed to quickly blend up soups, sauces, cooked veggies. Even then you usually pulse over continuous running of the sb


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## Susie (Jul 19, 2016)

Definitely do not get one with a nylon bell.  If you ever start making liquid soap, you will melt that bell (ask me how I know!).  Get a stainless steel bell, and be sure that the shaft can be removed from the motor part.  This makes life so much easier.  I have a Hamilton Beach I bought at Walmart that is my "main" SB, but I have a couple of thrift shop (Sunbeam and I have no idea what) finds.  Those are my "back up" stickblenders, as well as "I am too impatient to wait for this liquid soap to trace." alternating stickblenders.


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## HowieRoll (Jul 19, 2016)

If you ever transact on eBay, that's a great place to look for a stick blender, too.  I was able to purchase a never-used Cuisinart model for less than half the cost of a new one, and it arrived still completely wrapped in the box and pristine.  I think it had been a wedding gift that sat unused to the couple.  Maybe they didn't realize they had a soaping machine on their hands...


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## Arimara (Jul 19, 2016)

Susie said:


> Definitely do not get one with a nylon bell.  If you ever start making liquid soap, you will melt that bell (ask me how I know!).  Get a stainless steel bell, and be sure that the shaft can be removed from the motor part.  This makes life so much easier.  I have a Hamilton Beach I bought at Walmart that is my "main" SB, but I have a couple of thrift shop (Sunbeam and I have no idea what) finds.  Those are my "back up" stickblenders, as well as "I am too impatient to wait for this liquid soap to trace." alternating stickblenders.



I'm still not convinced about continuously stick blending my liquid soap. I think I will try my hand at a castile soap and see if my soaping methods need work. I did stickblend my soap during dilution and what a world of difference that made. :mrgreen:


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