Immersion Blender w on/off switch?

[TeresaE]

Hello All, Thank you for allowing me to join this forum,..my name is Teresa

About 14 years ago I had a successful handmade soap and skin care business and made TONS of handmade cold process soap. I loved it but had to give it up and go back out into the workforce when my daughter went off to college. Now all these years later I'm itching to start making a few things again.....but, I've since acquired some very serious arthritis .....especially in my hands. I really really want to make soap again but I KNOW I cannot use an immersion blender that will require me to keep holding down on a button to run it. Does anyone know if there is an immersion blender with a fairly long shaft that has an actual on/off switch that you do not have to apply constant pressure to.....one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Does anyone NOT use a blender to make cold process? If so, any clever "rigs" for the stirring aspect?

 

[cmzaha]

You really do not need to hold the button down since the SB only needs to be used for pulsing a few seconds at a time. My recipes are quick movers and I pulse about 5 seconds to bring to an emulsion. Now to answer your question, I do not know of one with an actual stay on switch. Even my light commercial SB has to be held on, no stay on switch.

 

[Kamahido]

You really do not need to hold the button down since the SB only needs to be used for pulsing a few seconds at a time. My recipes are quick movers and I pulse about 5 seconds to bring to an emulsion. Now to answer your question, I do not know of one with an actual stay on switch. Even my light commercial SB has to be held on, no stay on switch.

Do you suppose that is for safety? Or perhaps because the motor is not designed for constant load?

 

[dibbles]

Good question @Kamahido . Probably for a little of both reasons. There was one manufacturer that had a button that had to be depressed and held in order to use the separate on/off button. Seems like an awkward situation, but it was marketed as a safety feature.

 

[dibbles]

@TeresaE cmzaha is right, you don't need to keep the stick blender going for more than a couple of seconds at a time. I probably run the stick blender for 2-3 seconds and stir for 20-30 seconds before turning it on again. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[TheGecko]

Does anyone NOT use a blender to make cold process? If so, any clever "rigs" for the stirring aspect?

I am currently making one and two pound batches of soap and don’t use my stick blender all that much. I mean, people did successfully make soap before they were invented.

You could use your hand mixer, just get a second set of beaters that you only use for soaping.

 

[TeresaE]

Thank you all for your replies, I appreciate it.

 

[earlene]

TeresaE, welcome to the Forum! Another thing about using an immersion blender with arthritis (or any disease of the hands making gripping difficult - I have Dupuytren's & arthritis) - if your thumb or one of the your other fingers causes you more trouble, try to find a grip on the SB wherein you can depress the button with another digit. When I have more trouble with my hands (it comes & goes) I find that my thumb hurts too much for that function, so I turn the blender in such a way that I depress the button with my middle finger (it's stronger & doesn't give me so much pain.) And one other tip: I time my hand pain meds to be at a pain-free level prior to working with my hands whenever possible.

I hope you find your soap making groove again without too much discomfort!

 

[DeeAnna]

A regular kitchen countertop blender works well for smaller batches. Many people are skeptical, but I know one full-time soap maker who uses inexpensive stand blenders for all of her soap making. -- https://soapformulas.com/making-cold-process-lye-soap-in-a-blender/

 

[Jennifer Horne]

Katie carson HAD one that had the speed buttons and a button on top that was the "lock" type button that kept it on i think it was a cuisineart (spelling?) But i dont see that helping as you only have to pulse for a few seconds at a time

 

[Zany_in_CO]

just get a second set of beaters that you only use for soaping.

Stainless Steel.^^^ Also, you can make "Blender Soap" with a large blender and small 1 pound batch. I did that. Once.

I've since acquired some very serious arthritis .....especially in my hands.

What are you doing for it? I had a yard man with terrible arthritis in his gnarly hands. I gave him some of my MSM Emu Oil Cream and the next time I saw him he could touch each of his fingers to his thumb. Happy to send you some if you like. PM me. We can talk. I have arthritis in my knees and shoulders... for 10 years. Almost no pain ever and almost full mobility.

 

[TeresaE]

TeresaE, welcome to the Forum! Another thing about using an immersion blender with arthritis (or any disease of the hands making gripping difficult - I have Dupuytren's & arthritis) - if your thumb or one of the your other fingers causes you more trouble, try to find a grip on the SB wherein you can depress the button with another digit. When I have more trouble with my hands (it comes & goes) I find that my thumb hurts too much for that function, so I turn the blender in such a way that I depress the button with my middle finger (it's stronger & doesn't give me so much pain.) And one other tip: I time my hand pain meds to be at a pain-free level prior to working with my hands whenever possible.

I hope you find your soap making groove again without too much discomfort!

Thank you for sharing your tips and technique Earlene....I appreciate it.

 

[Anstarx]

There is a local soap maker I knew that who makes massive amount of soap by themselves. They posted a video of their streamline workshop: a full line of food mixers!
Something like this↓ We call them chef machines here.

These are a bit expensive but if you could find second-hand ones they can free up you hand completely lol. As someone who also have arthritis (albeit quite minor) in my wrists, I've considering getting one when on sale.

 

[TheGecko]

We call them chef machines here. These are a bit expensive but if you could find second-hand ones they can free up you hand completely lol. As someone who also have arthritis (albeit quite minor) in my wrists, I've considering getting one when on sale.

In the US, they are known as 'stand mixers'...I think Sunbeam was the first company to come out with them.

On of my clients has an old Kitchen Aid that I need to go pick up some time. I thought it would be great for making larger batches of lye solution...I use frozen distilled water. And for my goat milk, I could freeze the bowl and use those chemical ice packs in place of an ice bath.