An immersion blender, stick blender, wand blender, hand blender, or Bermixer (after the brand name of professional models made by Dito-Electrolux) is a kitchen blade grinder used to blend ingredients or purée food in the container in which they are being prepared. Larger immersion blenders for commercial use are sometimes nicknamed boat motors (popularized by Emeril Lagasse and Alton Brown). Uses include puréeing soups and emulsifying sauces.
A stick blender comprises an electric motor driving rotating cutting blades at the end of a shaft which can be immersed in the food being blended, inside a housing which can be held by hand. Some can be used while a pan is on the stove. Immersion blenders are distinguished from worktop blenders and food processors that require food to be placed in a special vessel for processing. They are distinguished from hand mixers, which mix but do not chop.
The immersion blender was invented in Switzerland by Roger Perrinjaquet, who patented the idea on March 6, 1950. He called the new appliance "bamix", 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.
Models for home and light commercial use typically have an immersible shaft length of about 16 centimetres (6.3 in), but heavy-duty commercial models are available with a shaft up to 53 centimetres (21 in) or more. Home models are available in corded or cordless versions. Motor power rating ranges from about 120 W to over 600 W for a heavy-duty model. Domestic models may be supplied with a goblet or other accessories.