I keep going back and forth on if I should make this purchase and which one. I have an immersion blender but I am wondering if I will want something that blends up ice with my Protein drinks? My nutritionist wants me to steer clear of liquid calories after my recovery period so maybe I should just make do with an immersion blender? What do you guys think - surgery is 6/30 so in summer the ice might be nice...

I just used an immersion blender and I did great. Don't go out and buy another blender when you don't even know if you'll be able to tolerate icy cold drinks after surgery -- some people can't! My surgery was in June and so my recovery was through the hottest part of the year, and I never felt I needed my drinks to be colder. Also, a possible downside to using a standard canister blender is that often the protein drink becomes extremely thick and foamy, filled with air bubbles. It can be tricky to avoid that, and the foaminess is absolutely horrible after surgery.

If, after surgery, you find you are desperately craving a protein shake made with ice, then generally Amazon can have one at your doorstep the next day. So, I say wait and see if you really need it.

I already had a shaker bottle and a magic bullet and I have never needed/wanted anything else. Honestly, I don't even use the shaker, I use Syntrax Nectars and it mixes easily with a spoon. I tend to do what is easiest and least messy, and I just mix my Protein drinks in an insulated tumbler and then fill with ice. I did use the bullet during the puree phase.

I only had an immersion blender until a week or so before surgery, and then I went and got one of the less expensive Ninja blenders that comes with three bowls - two food processors and a blender and the Ninja "top" that you put on them and then press the button to mix, and I'm so glad I got it. It's way easier, during the pureed stage, to toss things in there that aren't Soup than it is to use an immersion blender for it.

For instance, making a single, tiny portion of refried Beans pureed with salsa? It would be impossible for my immersion blender to do - 90% of the food would just be stuck under it's little thing where the blades are! I also couldn't make my frozen banana/PB2 powder puree/ice cream with an immersion blender. Hummus is also so easy, quick, and comes out perfect in an actual food processor/blender.

Long story short? I'm glad I bought something other than my immersion blender for all the non-soupy type applications, especially during the pureed stage. But I'm sure, with a little more work, I could have gotten by with my immersion blender.

I never once blended anything. The idea of pureed food seemed gross to me, so I just ate the approved soft foods on my list for that phase.

I can just use a food processor for puree right? I am thinking I will hold off. Aren't refried Beans ok without pureeing?

I can just use a food processor for puree right? I am thinking I will hold off. Aren't refried Beans ok without pureeing?

You might want to thin them out with a little broth in the beginning, but you shouldn't have to puree them.

My plan allowed refried beans, yogurt, cottage cheese, peanut butter, and scrambled or poached eggs to be eaten without pureeing first on the "puree" phase. Pretty much everything else had to be pureed. I didn't have any trouble with any of these foods without pureeing.

I did use my little food processor for pureeing rather than the immersion blender, which I don't think would have worked well at all! And I did puree lots of foods, and they were delicious! The trick is to puree meats with a really tasty sauce -- NOT something gross like broth or water -- then heat it up in the microwave with a little cheese melted on top. It tastes and feels pretty much like any other casserole. So, for example:

--roast chicken breast + low carb bbq sauce + cheddar cheese

--shrimp + remoulade + peccorino cheese

--shredded turkey + peanut satay sauce + jack cheese

--salmon + lemon dill sauce (no cheese!)

--ground beef + steak sauce + bleu cheese

--mackerel filet + curry sauce + swiss cheese

--roast chicken breast + garlic marinara sauce + mozzarella cheese

The other part of the trick is to have a medical plan requiring four weeks of post-op full liquids -- and liquid means liquid, no yogurt or "thinned out" oatmeal or anything like that. After four weeks of liquids, pureed chicken with marinara sauce & mozzarella cheese tastes like heaven.

I can just use a food processor for puree right? I am thinking I will hold off. Aren't refried Beans ok without pureeing?

Food processor will definitely work. My NUT said to puree the refried beans, but I had originally thought they were OK without pureeing too. Depends on your NUT.

Bufflehead, I love your recipes! I will try those when I get to that stage. My Vitamix has changed my life. I love it.