Cuisinart Smart Stick Variable Speed Hand Blender Review

Immersion blenders have a multitude of uses in the kitchen, so we were ready to put the Cuisinart Smart Stick Variable Speed Hand Blender to the test as soon as it arrived. Along with the usual blending tasks, we also readied foods to test the chopper and the whisk attachments this model came with. Read on to see if it passed our tests.

Design: Sleek but difficult to store

The majority of this blender is made from brushed stainless-steel. There’s also a section on top that’s made of a hard black plastic, which provides an ergonomic grip for your hands. A thin plastic ring indicates where the two pieces connect. Overall, this hand-held blender looks durable and ready to work.

This blender only has two buttons on its front; an on button and a lock button. The lock button needs to be depressed before the blender will turn on, but then it can be released. While that might be a safety feature, we found it awkward to use.

At the top of the body is an adjustable knob that controls the different speed settings. We usually set it on high and left it at that speed. This blender lacks a turbo or speed boost button that is often found on similar stick blenders.

When it comes to storage, the body, shaft, and whisk attachment can fit in a drawer, while the chopper attachment and blender jar would need to be stored separately on a shelf. We’d suggest keeping the box this set came in so the parts can be stored together.

Setup Process: Click to attach

Setup is quick and easy with this blender. There’s an audible click that let us know when the shaft was pressed into the body correctly, and the whisk and chopper attachment attached in the same way. A button on the back of the body released the chosen attachment easily.

Features: Plenty of extras

The main feature of the Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender is the variable speed control, which was easy to use. We found that we generally set it at the highest speed and left it there. However, it’s great to have the option for slower speed so that the blender can start on low to avoid splashing. When we made an avocado puree, the lowest speed was all that was required.

This immersion blender also comes with several accessories. First is the three-cup mixing cup that can be used for blending drinks, dressings, and emulsions. While we don’t mind an extra measuring cup, this wasn’t really necessary since the blender fits perfectly into wide-mouth canning jars.

The included whisk can be used for whipping, blending, and aerating thin batters and other liquids. And there’s a chopper attachment, which works like a mini food processor and has a reversible blade. We thought the reversible blade was an interesting feature, but users are likely to forget about it quickly.

Performance: Blends it all

We started testing the Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender with the attachments to see if they were worth the awkward storage of this complete set. First, we tried out the whisk. It successfully whipped egg whites and cream. This attachment also did a fine job whipping eggs for a fluffy omelet.

Next, we tried chopping half an onion with the chopper attachment, but we needed to cut the onion into four pieces first so it could fit into the Cuisinart bowl. Some of the onion got chopped up fairly well, but there were also some large pieces left. We removed the large pieces, dumped out the chopped onions, and gave the large pieces another run through the chopper. Then we tried chopping a tomato. It worked better than the onion, but the chopping still wasn’t as even as we had hoped. Given that we had to cut the onion and tomato beforehand to make it fit into the chopping bowl, it might have been faster if we used a knife instead.

We decided to give the chopper attachment another try with some nuts and got a more consistent result. Still, the attachment is relatively small, so it’s not going to be useful for large batches of anything. Overall, this was our least favorite accessory, but it’s easy enough to set aside since the main attraction is the immersion blender and some cooks might love it for prepping small amounts of nuts or garlic.

To test the blender by itself, we tried pulsing some salsa in a small saucepot. It worked well and left us with a nice texture. We also used this stick blender in a short canning jar to make a creamy salad dressing. The jar we chose was too short, but the experiment worked. Making an emulsified salad dressing in a taller jar was a complete success. When we made applesauce, the blender handled the heat on the stove and gave us a sauce with the perfect texture.

Cuisinart says the blender shouldn’t be used continuously for more than 60 seconds, but that wasn’t a problem for us because we mostly used it in short pulses so that we could regularly check the results.

Cleaning: Mostly hand wash

The chopper accessory bowl and blade are dishwasher safe on the top rack. And while the instructions don’t state it explicitly, we washed the mixing cup in the dishwasher too with no ill effects. The body of the blender should be wiped clean with a damp cloth and all other parts should be hand washed.

Price: Affordable

Retailing around $60, this is a very affordable immersion blender. Plus, when you take into consideration the brand’s reputation, the three-year warranty, and the included accessories, Cuisinart’s Smart Stick Hand Blender is even more of a steal. While we didn’t love the chopper attachment, some users may have multiple uses for it, making this blender a worth-while buy.

Cuisinart Smart Stick Variable Speed Hand Blender vs. All-Clad Immersion Blender

The All-Clad Immersion Blender is no doubt a powerful hand blender, but it doesn’t come with accessories like the Cuisinart blender we tested. While we didn’t love all of the extra parts that were included with the Cuisinart Smart Stick blender, there are plenty of cooks who will find them useful. We’d give our personal nod to the All-Clad because of its power, but we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Cuisinart to cooks who prefer appliances with a wider range of uses.