DeLonghi Hand Blender

I bought this for one task - making homemade raw sesame tahini from unhulled brown sesame seeds. I've been using a Family Grain Mill to grind the seeds, but it doesn't get them fine enough to release enough oil to make a spreadable mixture. I'd end up adding extra sesame oil and commercial tahini to bind the crushed seeds into a paste. So far, I haven't found the stick blender very effective on whole seeds. It slices up some of them, but most of them end up sprayed all over the kitchen, or slipping between the blades unharmed. Once they have been through the Grain Mill though, the DeLonghi blender quite effectively turns "crunchy" into "creamy". You can tell it is working hard, it gets quite warm quickly. I'm really glad I chose the 380 Watt model over the typical under-200W brands. That's where the surprise comes up. The instructions specify a duty cycle of 50 seconds per four-minute period, or 20%. The feel (and fragrance) of the blender fighting sesame seed paste confirms that recommendation! Luckily I was able to process about a pint of seeds into a luxurious creaminess on each 50 second run. The stick blender is perfect for the job because you can chase the sesame glob around the bowl until it is done, no need to stop and scrape the food back toward the action. Cleanup is also super easy, especially compared to cleaning the mill, or a juicer with a "homogenizing" plate. So I'm happy, and who knows, I may find other uses for the blender and its gadgets.

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? fine
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. Seems well designed and executed so far...
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? Only surprise was the 20% duty cycle limit.

Bought this as a replacement of my cuisinart that kicked it after only 3 uses. What a difference! Haven't had it long but the feel of it is much more sturdy/secure. Love all the extra attachments although I'm not sure what to do with all of them. It was between this one and the breville. So far so good!

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? Matched
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. Solid/Sturdy
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? Very

This is a very handy blender to have! Works great as an immersion blender, as well as a small chopper.

Bought this because of other excellent reviews from others. This product did not disappoint. Very powerful. Nice accessory package. Big Foot is awesome for pureeing soups. Only disappointment was that it cannot be used to crush ice. Maybe there will be an attachment for that in the future?

• How did the color on site compare with the actual product? Exactly the same.
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. Excellent.
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? Very Accurate.