Stick blender vs other blenders

[desiredcreations]

My understanding is soap batter mixing can be very hard on a meager stick blender. Is there a standard countertop blender that is good for blending soap batter? Can a standard countertop blender be modified for mixing soap batter. Standard blenders come with speed variations and have a stronger motor which would be ideal for soap batter. Thoughts?

 

[DeeAnna]

You can use a countertop blender, but you're limited on the size of the batch you can make. But it works -- there's a gal in south-east Minnesota who has a thriving soap making business and uses countertop blenders to make all her soap.

On the other hand, I have to say if a person is stick blending their soap batter long enough to overheat or burn out the motor, they're using a stick blender incorrectly. So I'm not sure your thought to use a countertop blender is based on a valid issue. Learn to use a SB with more finesse, and the problem becomes a non-problem.

For NaOH soap, I typically stick blend for a total of maybe 30 seconds, often less, in bursts of a few seconds at a time. I use a stick blender more with KOH soap, but it's also in relatively short bursts with some minutes in between uses. So the motor never overheats.

 

[TheGecko]

I started making soap in 2019 with a stick blender I bought off Amazon for $14.99 and it is still going strong. And I'm making 5lb batches these days.

As noted by @DeeAnna, you need to learn how to use your SB. I use short bursts and stirring to bring my oils and lye solution to emulsion. If it needs to be thicker than that, I just let it sit for a bit and use the opportunity to clean up or through another load in the washing machine or grab some coffee or whatever.

 

[desiredcreations]

Thanks for your responses. I understand the SB technique is to use it in short bursts and combine that with manual stirring. I have tried that. I've had my old Braun SB for 25 years and it's still going strong.

You can use a countertop blender, but you're limited on the size of the batch you can make. But it works -- there's a gal in south-east Minnesota who has a thriving soap making business and uses countertop blenders to make all her soap.

On the other hand, I have to say if a person is stick blending their soap batter long enough to overheat or burn out the motor, they're using a stick blender incorrectly. So I'm not sure your thought to use a countertop blender is based on a valid issue. Learn to use a SB with more finesse, and the problem becomes a non-problem.

For NaOH soap, I typically stick blend for a total of maybe 30 seconds, often less, in bursts of a few seconds at a time. I use a stick blender more with KOH soap, but it's also in relatively short bursts with some minutes in between uses. So the motor never overheats.

Perhaps I viewed the wrong liquid soap videos? There is a stage where I've seen makers try to blend the NaOH batter when it was like taffy! And some have stated soap making was a known stick blender killer.

Sounds like I may be overly concerned?

 

[DeeAnna]

Liquid soap is made with KOH, not NaOH. There are some soap makers who do their best to "kill" their stick blender when making KOH soap, and I suppose it would be easy to get the wrong impression that this is what has to be done if you've only watched people who make KOH soap with that mindset. I stick blend more often when making KOH soap because this type of soap does take more time to come to a stable trace than NaOH soap, but I've never come close to killing a stick blender.

Those who stick blend their soap batter when it is as thick as taffy really need to get a clue -- they need to set the stick blender down and grab a sturdy spatula and put their arm muscles to work! There's no point to that -- stick blenders aren't made for that kind of thing. Nor are countertop blenders for that matter.

NaOH soap emulsifies fairly easily (at least in my experience), so there's really no need to SB for a long time, no matter whether you're using a hot process or cold process method. I'll concede there are exceptions to this general rule -- sometimes NaOH soap batter is slow to thicken up enough for my design plans.

What I've learned over time is simply to be patient and wait until the soap batter reaches the right consistency. Maybe stick blend for 5-10 seconds, tidy the kitchen for 5 minutes, check the batter, give it a hand stir or a bit of a stick blend, go back to tidying, etc. If I stick blended the batter for the whole time, I've noticed that the batter doesn't necessarily thicken much faster than if I watch and wait.

 

[DeeAnna]

Please I need more light about this blender i.m a beginner to soapmaking please is this necessary to be used and if yes wre will I get it.

There's no one magical stick blender to get. People use Cusinart, Hamilton Beach, KitchenAid, and all sorts of cheap off-brand stick blenders with generally good results. You don't say in what country you are located, so where you can buy a stick blender and what brands are available to you will depend on your location.

Here are threads on this topic --

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/your-favorite-stick-blender.87802/#post-939731
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/stick-blender-recommendation.81955/
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/stick-blender-hell.86747/
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/stick-blender-recommendations.79554/
Still more threads: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/search/1198117/?q=stick+blender+recommendation&o=relevance

 

[TheGecko]

Please I need more light about this blender i.m a beginner to soapmaking please is this necessary to be used and if yes wre will I get it.

It's not anything special...it was inexpensive and it was red (my favorite color).

Pretty much any stick blender will do...mine had two speeds: fast and faster; which is why I only do 3-second bursts and hand stir. I do recommend getting one that has a detachable 'wand' for easier cleaning.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

You don't say in what country you are located,

Nigeria. It's in @myummeen 's Introduction here.

Please I need more light about this blender i.m a beginner to soapmaking please is this necessary to be used and if yes wre will I get it.

As long as you make small batches, you can use a wire whip as shown in this video.



A wire whip requires PATIENCE! She later uses a stick blender to speed things up. NOTE: If she had heated the olive oil to to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F) as directed in the recipe, she would have reached trace more quickly.