Commercial Stick Blender

[adoptapitbull]

I'm on the lookout for a commercial grade stick blender. Preferably one that's not several hundred dollars. Business is booming and my little Hamilton Beach has been kicking for 2 years, but it's not long or strong enough for my 50 bar salt bar batches. Any recommendations?

 

[Birdie Wife]

How about an electric drill with a paint stirrer attachment?

 

[Nevada]

Perhaps your SB needs some cleaning. Does the blade spin freely? Disconnect the blade end from the motor and give it a spin, (careful not to whack off a digit!). If the blade seems to have resistance, the shaft is probably gooped up with ... well goop. Stand it upright (business end down on) and pour some some finger nail polish remover down the shaft. let it work for a few minutes, and then shake it out and rinse with boiling water. Vinegar would work too.
YMMV
Nevada

 

[VanessaP]

I've never used my SB to integrate the salt into my soap batter for my salt bars. I always stir it in by hand and never had an issue. Unfortunately, to buy a decent commercial stick blender with the power you need is going to cost 200-300 bucks, at least. It sounds like your production has ramped up enough that buying a reliable commercial SB will make it worth the price.

 

[rodeogal]

How about an electric drill with a paint stirrer attachment?

You can buy a nice electric drill at Lowe's or HD for under $40, a 5-gallon bucket for $3, and a long paint stirrer for $5!

I just bought all of the above a couple of weeks ago. I made a double batch of CP soap that had something serious going on, so it took 2 HOURS to trace! However, the drill took it like a champ. btw - no more double batches for me!

 

[TeriDk]

Have you looked at soapequipment.com? They have a light commercial SB for a $100. My Cuisinart works just fine. I prefer A SB with a removable blade.

 

[adoptapitbull]

Perhaps your SB needs some cleaning. Does the blade spin freely? Disconnect the blade end from the motor and give it a spin, (careful not to whack off a digit!). If the blade seems to have resistance, the shaft is probably gooped up with ... well goop. Stand it upright (business end down on) and pour some some finger nail polish remover down the shaft. let it work for a few minutes, and then shake it out and rinse with boiling water. Vinegar would work too.
YMMV
Nevada

It works just fine. It's just not long enough to go into a double batch. For 25 bar batches, it's perfect. For larger, it needs to be longer to reach the bottom.

I'm tempted to try the drill. It's worth a shot for the price. And if it doesn't work, I haven't lost much!