Testing out the Cuisinart Smart-Stick Hand Blender

Guest food blogger Kristy Gardner of Gastronomical Sovereignty recently received a Cuisinart Smart-Stick Hand Blender and was kind enough to share her experiences having fun as she tests it out:

Out of all the kitchen tools I use, I love my food processor the most. But that undying love was put to the test recently when I received a Cuisinart Smart-Stick Hand Blender as a gift from my significant other.

Over the past week, I put the new hand blender to the test blending, whipping and pureeing and here are the results:

The pros:

• The Cuisinart Smart-Stick Hand Blender feels good in my hand and solid to handle. Not too heavy, not too light. Comfortable yet powerful.
• The stainless steel blade purees chunky vegetables like cauliflower and chopped tomatoes to make a silky sauce very well.
• The pop-off mechanism allows for easy cleaning of the conjoined blade and arm, which can be fully submerged into water whereas my food processor has many more moving parts = more cleaning.
• It’s small, easy to store and equally easy to pull out and use at a moment’s notice.
• You can use the hand blender right in the bowl or pot to eliminate extra dishes and fuss.

The drawback:

• The blade does not remove. Years down the road if it dulls or I want to use a different attachment, I have to purchase an entirely different arm.

The other feature of note is that the hand blender comes with a two-cup plastic beaker. This is great for making smoothies, salad dressings or small batches of anything that needs a quick blending. It’s a little tricky to hang on to – perhaps a future edition will come with a handled beaker.

After all was said, done and blended, I was definitely satisfied. The hand blender does the job it needs to do, is enjoyable to use and well priced. While my food processor isn’t going anywhere - I’ve cleared out a space in my bottom drawer for this little handy little guy. In fact, I whipped it out for show and tell at my last dinner party - and if you can brag to your friends about it, that’s really saying something.

Other products available at Cook Culture: Bamix Immersion Blender (check out the video here) and the Cuisinart Elite 14-Cup Food Processor