Kitchen Kit
A stick blender, a jug blender and a processor are not rivals
They are sold as alternatives and they do different jobs. Buying the wrong one means owning an appliance that never leaves the cupboard.
Comparisons of blenders and processors usually pick a winner. This one picks the circumstances, which is more useful.
The difference in one place
- A stick blender works in the pot, which removes transferring hot liquid.
- A jug blender produces a genuinely smooth result that other tools cannot match.
- A food processor chops and mixes rather than liquidising.
Three different jobs
A stick blender purees whatever it is put into, working directly in the pot or the jug where the food already is. A jug blender circulates ingredients through a fast blade in a shaped container, which produces a much finer result. A food processor uses a wider blade in a bowl and is designed for chopping, slicing and combining rather than liquidising.
Each is genuinely better than the others at its own job and clearly worse at theirs. The confusion arises because all three have a motor and a blade, which makes them look interchangeable on a shelf.
Where the stick blender wins
It works in the pan, which removes the awkward and hazardous business of transferring hot liquid to another container. It is quick to use and quick to wash, which means it actually gets used rather than being avoided. It gives control over how far you blend, since you can leave some texture by stopping early.
At the stove, it takes very little storage space, which matters in a kitchen where cupboard space is the real constraint. Its limitation is that it cannot make anything genuinely smooth, since it lacks the circulation a jug provides.
Where the jug blender wins
The shape of the jug forces ingredients repeatedly through the blade, which is what produces a genuinely fine texture. For smooth soups, purees and anything that should have no perceptible grain, nothing else comes close. It also handles hard items and ice in a way that a stick blender cannot manage safely.
At the stove, the costs are washing a large container, storing a bulky appliance and transferring hot liquid into it. Blending hot liquid needs care, since steam expands in a sealed jug, and the manufacturer instructions cover this specifically.
Where the processor wins
It chops large quantities of vegetables far faster than a knife, which matters when preparing a batch rather than a meal. The attachments for slicing and grating are the part most people underuse and the part that saves the most time.
Nine times out of ten, it handles doughs and pastry well, since it combines fat and flour quickly without warming them with your hands. It does not liquidise, and a soup blended in a processor will be textured rather than smooth.
It is also the bulkiest of the three and has the most parts to wash, which is why it gets left in the cupboard.
Which one to own if you own one
For most home kitchens a stick blender is the highest-value single purchase, because it is used constantly and stores easily. A jug blender earns its place in a household that makes smooth soups or blended drinks regularly.
In practice, a processor earns its place in a household that batch cooks or bakes, where the volume justifies the setup and washing. Buying all three at once usually results in two of them being unused within a year. The better approach is to buy the first, use it until its limitations are genuinely annoying, and buy the second then.
Substitute freely; the method matters more than the shopping list.
Getting more from what you have
Blending in batches rather than filling the container gives a better result in every one of the three. Adding liquid gradually gives control, since a mixture that is too thin cannot be thickened by more blending.
At the stove, letting hot food cool slightly before blending reduces both the pressure and the risk of splashing. Washing immediately, before anything dries onto the blade, is the difference between a tool that gets used and one that does not. Reading the manual once reveals attachments and functions that most owners never discover.
Side by side
| Consideration | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Three different jobs | A stick blender works in the pot, which removes transferring hot liquid. |
| Where the stick blender wins | A jug blender produces a genuinely smooth result that other tools cannot match. |
| Where the jug blender wins | A food processor chops and mixes rather than liquidising. |
The takeaway
Buy the one that matches the job you actually do, and wait until its limits annoy you before buying another.
Taste it before it leaves the pan. That is most of cooking.
Questions readers ask
Which should I buy first?
A stick blender, for most people. It works in the pan, washes in seconds, stores in a drawer and covers the majority of everyday blending.
Can I make smooth soup with a stick blender?
Nearly smooth, not completely. A jug blender circulates the food through the blade repeatedly, which is what removes the last of the texture.
