How to Use

• With a regular blender, you simply pour your ingredients inside the carafe and press a button. Most blenders have settings that will allow you to do a variety of different tasks, such as puree or whip. A stick blender, on the other hand, is inserted inside a bowl or a pot and moved around to blend or whip by hand.
  
  

Ease of Use

• While a blender is fairly easy to use, since you simply press a button, it often takes some time, especially if you are pureeing something like a soup. You have to transfer the soup to the carafe, typically in several batches, puree the soup, then transfer it back to a pot. The stick blender does not require you to transfer the item to another vessel, such as the blender carafe, which cancels out a step. On the other hand, you have to hold both the stick blender and press a button while blending your food by hand. That can be awkward, and it also can be difficult to make sure you've pureed all of the food, especially in a large pot of soup.
  
  

Cleaning

• Stick blenders are typically easier to clean than traditional standing blenders. Most of them can be taken apart, with the blade section removed from the motor section, and placed in the dishwasher. Blenders, on the other hand, are often not dishwasher-safe, and washing the sharp blades at the base of the carafe can be difficult. Getting water in the blender's motor is also a risk when washing a standing blender.
  
  

Size

• A person with plenty of counter space likely does not have to worry about the size of a blender. If you have enough space to leave your blender on a countertop or in a cabinet, then you may want to choose both blenders and use them for different tasks. If you don't have enough space for a standing blender, a smaller stick blender might make more sense.