Nicknamed under the term “True Triblade”, the first hand blenders to use Triblade technology were likely under the HB680 series range. It was a revolutionary idea at the time, particularly since the simplicity of having a single button to operate the device was what set the hand blender apart from other food processors. Not only that, these hand blenders were relatively efficient, where the requirements of mixing and blending ingredients were met with little to no effort. Except for a turbo button, Kenwood’s HB680 series range made virtually any liquid-based food processing a breeze.
With the ease of use, also comes a design designed for comfortable use. Not just the HB680 series, but almost every other Kenwood hand blender was made with this in mind. Ensuring a firm grip is a must for any user, and all hand blenders from this brand have a silicone handle (called the SureGrip handle). So even slippery fingers will have no problem gripping it.
As desirable for functionality, this range of appliances are also easy to clean. Any accompanying plastic and metal accessories can be disconnected, rinsed with water, and then reconnected once more without much trouble. However, if you don’t fancy cleaning it that way, you can also run them through the dishwasher (apart from the device itself, of course).
One more thing about this series of Kenwood hand blenders is the storage space. Standing just 34.5 cm (or just over 1’1″) tall, you can wrap the cord around it and place it just about anywhere in the kitchen, be it a drawer, cabinet or table for easy access. It goes without saying that you will have more space in your kitchen compared to having to store a conventional food processor.
With a price range of £25-£45 (or $40-$70), making a small investment in such a simple device will yield relatively long-term results. So instead of buying, lugging around, and having to find storage space for a heavy food processor that can only do a couple of things, why not get a Kenwood hand blender that can do all of the above and more? Of course, as with all Kenwood products these days, you can always get their basic one-year warranty.
Although there are only a couple of hand blenders in this series, they are more than capable of getting the job done no matter which one you choose. They are:
HB 680
The most basic of the lot, this is the hand blender that spearheaded the uniqueness of Kenwood products in modern times. Don’t be fooled by the plastic frame of the blender attachment, as there are stainless steel blades underneath. Considerably more powerful than most similar-looking hand blenders, it uses a 450-watt motor that can perform 5 separate tasks. Along with it is usually a 0.5 L slotted plastic beaker. It is considered one of the lightest hand blenders, weighing less than a quarter of a kilo (0.74 kg, to be exact).
HB 682
Seeing the success of the HB680, Kenwood decided to improve on its initial design and introduced its successor (pardon the pun), the HB682. Instead of the usual plastic wand attachment, consumers were surprised by the wand’s metal coating, giving the HB682 a more polished and professional look. With the metal reinforcement, the number of functions on this model doubled to 10. Of course, in this case, a slotted 0.5L chopper attachment (albeit made of plastic) was included instead. The added amount of metal brings the overall weight up to 1.18kg, though this hasn’t hindered users, rather it has improved the stability of the device when in use.
