I didn't realize any had a plastic shaft. Mine is a corded KitchenAid about 8 years old. I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

Yeah, I have the older kitchen aid, too, and it's just great. The new ones, maybe not so much, but I think they're still your best bet.

ETA A friend has a Braun, and I can't believe how wimpy that thing is. Plastic shaft, too.

Oh, lindac, you are missing out. Six minutes with the Braun doesn't give as smooth a purée as one minute with the KA, besides having to cool everything first.

I have an old Bamix, over 12years old. When it conchs out, I will replace it with another Bamix. Pricy but they perform flawlessly.

I stick the braun into bubbling gravy....
And no not a really smooth puree in a pot of soup...but smooth enough...I use it for my chilled cucumber soup...potato puree...pumpkin soup...as well as for "chunking up" things like tomato sauce.

I was looking at Bamix --> Looks solid but the models seem overwhelming! I wish I could just repair mine too.

Jerry picked up a Kitchen Aid whole whole set of stuff on a stick at an estate sale. What I like about the immersion blender is that the immersible part comes off the motor for easy cleaning. I don't remember what brand I had before, but it was one whole piece, so I had to be careful in cleaning. It came with a whisk attachment and a small food processor attachment, both of which I almost never use, but hey, it was from an estate sale, so cheap.

Sally

Cuisinart makes a very fine two speed stick blender with attachments that I use often - Smart Stick model. The mini food processor is perfect for that half an onion or to shred one carrot, the whisk is for making one egg into a wash for pastry or fruit puree into yogurt, and the blender end gets dunked into a lot of stuff. Found mine discounted at Tuesday Morning and saw that Amazon has same ones refurbished for 1/2 the price ($40) of new ($90)., compared to Bramix ($180).

My Cuisinart has a design flaw. It's model BG154WSA. I posted here earlier when it just seized up and wouldn't work at all, and couldn't be budged manually. Here's what I posted after I found out what the problem was:

"I searched for a replacement "blade stick" online and once I knew the
number of the part, looked it up on Amazon. There I found a very helpful
comment. It said these blenders seize up because the seals are a bad
design and food gets in. If you carefully pry up the tabs on the top
part of the blade stick and soak the thing in hot water, then blast it
with more water, the blade will turn again! And it worked!"

So... You might want to think about that. I will not buy another blender with the same kind of seal design.

I've used a Braun for so many years I can't count. When my 15 yr. old one died, I looked at multiple Craig'sList items for sale for the same one, I loved it so much. Finally found one 300 miles away and they were willing to mail it to me. It works perfectly, comes apart from the motor so it's so easy to clean and I use it (and yes, it's plastic) in boiling hot soups, etc., without any problems. It's fully heat-proof. If I had to criticize it, the only feature I don't like is I have to hold in the button continuously when using, as opposed to clicking it "on and off" as needed ... but perhaps they all do that for safety concerns??? And oh yes, it has a large whisk attachment that works beautifully for wh. cream and egg whites. Love this tool.

I've only had plastic shaft immersion blenders and have always used them in soup and gravy bubbling on the stove.

My first one, way back when, was a Braun and it didn't last very long. Since then, I just use whatever I find a garage sale for a couple of dollars...and always have at least one spare stored down in the basement.

And I always have one designated for stirring paint that has settled and gotten kinda clumpy. (Short on & off bursts so you don't overtask the little motor.)

I got a KA on Amazon for mother's day. I like it very much but I notice, if my pot is not very full, I have to wash down the TV on my counter after I puree my soup!!

stir_fryi, try tilting the pot a bit or using a slower speed.

I have a KA immersion blender, which Kevin got as a gift from work a few years ago, and it has ten speeds instead of the now two or three that seem to be available. I like having variable speeds. I use the chopper attachment frequently, which is good for making pickle or olive relishes, and will also chop nuts, but I have a hand-crank nut chopper that I use for that.

Check the wattage or power for what you buy - more powerful is better, providing you can control the speed. I had a Cuisinart rechargeable at one time, and in a short time, it would no longer hold a charge and was not very powerful. I would never get a cordless one again, but the one I have is holding up very well.

I have my old trusty Deiter Ram designed Braun. A classic but no longer made. I have a back-up from a yard sale.

It has been showering my kitchen with soup and sauce but i refuse to give it up. (like watching old Julia videos where she is cooking on a coil electric stove, lol). Hard to give up trusted stick benders but often best to embrace the new.

I often make a quick foil baffle lid over a soup that needs a quick blend. (and then curse it, : )

I did but a 'smart stick' months ago to replace it but have been using my Blendtec blender more often since it cleans so easily. Very powerful for puree.

Bamix is worth the cost for convenience and easy use. If it will be used often.

I'm a 4-5 times a year need. Mostly Fall months, holiday times.

Never buy a Caloric brand. Mine broke by the 2nd use pureeing soup.

I have an old Braun 4166. This is the variable speed model, which is not very common, being outnumbered 30 to 1 by the older single speed models on eBay. One day SWMBO bought me a shiny new Cuisinart immersion blender and took my trusty Braun to her pottery studio. I pitched a hissy fit, retrieved my Braun, cleaned off the clay, and gave her the Chinese Cuisinart. I hope to use this Braun for the rest of my life. The variable speed is useful, I love the industrial design, and I like old things.

The better industrial design of the 1980s, especially the German stuff, really speaks to me. Braun small appliances were among the best designs. Clean lines, simple controls, clear markings, ergonomic but smooth. Colors that still look modern today, not the harvest colors of the preceding decade or the pastels of the following decade. Functionally, the products had the necessary features but no more, and the components were generally simple and robust, both electrical and mechanical. They were made in Germany or Spain, and are usually quite inexpensive on eBay.

Other 1980s German products are also among my favorites. My two cars are 1980s models, both German (VW, Porsche). I'm looking for a third, also a 1980s German (BMW).

Oh, the reason I still use the stick blender for soup, instead of the Vitamix, is because the former allows you to reach an in between state of soup that still has some chunks but is mostly puree. If I want a completely smooth soup, I use the Vitamix.

I've been living on vegetable soup lately, don't ask, and if it's fully smooth I feel like I'm feeding myself baby food. So out comes the Braun.

I'll use an immersion blender for pureeing hot soup all day before I'll use my Vitamix again, which I did just one time. It's a big pain transferring soup to the Vitamix, having to do multiple batches, and then the clean up after. Plus need a second soup pot for the pureed soup. The immersion blender gets if smooth enough vs the hassle of using the Vitamix.

I've had only single speed and two speed immersion blenders and wondering how useful the variable speed one is by comparison, John? How long have you had the Braun 4166? Do you use it a lot? I'm wondering about durability since I've managed to blow up several hand-helds. The cheapo garage sale Rival that I have now has had a lot longer run than I normally get out of them...maybe I outlived my Bad Luck with 'em??

I've had it since the late 1980s. I'd guess it gets used once a week. Having a choice of speeds is handy, although I would guess the difference between variable speed and two speed isn't as big as between variable speed and single speed.

Buying old stuff is always a bit of a gamble, but they aren't terribly expensive. E.g. this one (and that's actually kind of pricey):

http://m.ebay.com/itm/BRAUN-Variable-Speed-4166-Hand-Held-Blender-Handheld-Blending-Mixer-6-Speed-/131876124410?nav=SEARCH

Thank you for the additional info, John. I'm going to keep an eye out for one at rummage sales. Really impressed that yours has lasted that long. I don't use one much, maybe once a month. More often in the winter when I do more cooking and make more soups.

I hear ya' on some of those vintage appliances. I have a few from the 50's, 60's and 70's that I covet.

Most soups i don't want a fine puree like most have mentioned. A quick zip with the Braun and i get just enough to thicken a bit. We like a brothy soup also without a blending. Rare but good i use the BlentecBlender for a super smooth soup/sauce. A really good tool to have a good stick blender and so quick. Easy clean.

Braun went off to China for most product production in the early 90's so not as reliable as early design and manufacturing. Do look for them at yard sales!