Dubbed under the term “True Triblade”, the first hand blenders to use Triblade technology were probably under the HB680 series range. It was a revolutionary idea at the time, particularly as the simplicity of having a single button to use the device was what set the hand mixer apart from other food processors. Not only that, these hand mixers were relatively efficient, where the requirements of blending 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 ease of use also comes a thoughtful design for comfortable use. Not just the HB680 series, but just about every other Kenwood hand mixer was built with this in mind. Ensuring a firm grip is a must for any user, and all hand mixers from this brand have a silicone handle (called a SureGrip handle). So even slippery fingers will have no problem gripping it.
As is desirable for functionality, this range of appliances are also easy to clean. Any accompanying plastic and metal fittings can be unplugged, rinsed with water, and then plugged back in once more without much trouble. However, if you don’t like to clean 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 mixers is the storage space. With a height of just 34.5 cm (or just over 1′ 1″), you can wrap the cord around it and place it virtually anywhere in the kitchen, whether it’s 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 pay off relatively long term. So instead of buying, lugging around and having to find space to store a heavy food processor that can only do a couple of functions, why not get a Kenwood hand mixer that can do all of the above and more? Of course, as with all Kenwood products these days, you can always get your basic one year warranty.
Although there are only a couple of hand mixers in this series, they are more than capable of getting the job done no matter which one you choose. Is it so:
HB 680
The most basic of the lot, this is the hand mixer that spearheaded the uniqueness of Kenwood products in current times. Don’t be fooled by the plastic frame of the whisk attachment, there are stainless steel blades underneath. Considerably more powerful than most similar-looking hand mixers, it uses a 450-watt motor that can handle 5 separate tasks. Along with it is usually a 0.5 L slotted plastic beaker. It is considered to be 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 upon its initial design and introduced its successor (pardon the pun), the HB682. Instead of the usual plastic wand attachment, consumers were wowed by the metal plating on the wand, giving the HB682 a more polished and professional look. With the metal brace, the number of functions on this model doubled to 10. Of course, in this case, a 0.5L slotted chopper attachment (albeit made of plastic) was included instead. The added amount of metal increases the overall weight to 1.18kg, though this hasn’t hampered users, rather it has improved the stability of the device when in use.
