An immersion blender, or 'stick blender' is a kitchen appliance to blend ingredients or puree food in the container in which they are being prepared. They are sometimes called stick blenders, wand blenders, hand blenders, Bermixers (after the brand name of professional models made by Dito-Electrolux), or boat motors (a nickname for larger commercial-grade immersion blenders, popularized by Emeril Lagasse

Emeril Lagasse

'Emeril John Lagasse is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. A regional James Beard Award winner, he is perhaps most notable for his Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril as well as catchphrases such as “Kick it up a notch!” and...

 and Alton Brown

Alton Brown

Alton Crawford Brown is an American television personality, author, actor, and cinematographer. He is the creator and host of the Food Network television show Good Eats and the mini-series Feasting on Asphalt and Feasting on Waves, and he is the host and main commentator on Iron Chef America...

). They may be used for pureeing soups and emulsifying sauces. Some can be used while a pan is on the stove. Immersion blenders are distinguished from blenders and food processor

Food processor

A food processor is a kitchen appliance used to facilitate various repetitive tasks in the process of preparation of food. Today, the term almost always refers to an electric-motor-driven appliance, although there are some manual devices also referred to as "food processors".Food processors are...

s that require food be placed in a special vessel for processing. They are distinguished from hand mixer

Mixer (cooking)

A mixer is a kitchen appliance intended for mixing, folding, beating, and whipping food ingredients. Mixers come in two major variations, hand mixers and stand mixers....

s which do not chop the food as it is blended.

The immersion blender was invented in Switzerland by Roger Perrinjaquet, who patented the idea on March 6, 1950. He called the new appliance "bamix

Bamix

Bamix, ESGE AG Bamix of Switzerland, is a Swiss consumer products company known for the introduction of the first immersion blender, beginning in 1954. The name Bamix is a combination of the French words "battre" and "mixer" . The headquarters and production facilities are located in Mettlen, a...

", a portmanteau of the French "bat et mixe" (beats and mixes). The immersion blender has been in use in European professional kitchens since the 1960s, and was adopted for home use in the United States market in the 1980s.

Models for home use usually have a shaft of ten to twelve inches, but models are available for professionals with a shaft up to two feet. Home models are available in corded or cordless versions.