Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome
Customer Review: Love it!
Summary: 5 Stars
I used to think of immersion blenders as silly and unnecessary... until I got one, which happened to be this one.
As a new mother I wanted to make my baby's food and found the pitcher blender and the food processor to be *okay* but not terrific for making food into the consistency of puree that I was looking for. (This is for an older infant who is able to handle stuff that hasn't been through a food mill.) On a whim I decided to give this smart stick a shot because I have other Cuisinart appliances that I've had for ages & been really happy with, plus - at least at the time of my purchase - the price was low enough that even if I didn't like it it wouldn't have been a huge loss to just pass it along to someone else.
I loved it immediately. In under a minute, the bowl of steamed fruit (with a bit of water added) was consistently and smoothly pureed. There's only 1 button that you have to hold in to run it and then it shuts off once pressure is removed from it - very easy to operate. I moved on to other fruits and vegetables and have not yet been disappointed. I had worried that making my own baby food at home would be too much of a pain, but this hand blender makes it a snap to do a large batch at once which I then portion out and freeze. It paid for itself in the first month of use in what it saved on buying jars of baby food at the store (especially because I buy only organic stuff for the kiddo).
Then, as long as I already had it, I tried it in a few batches of soup that I made... and wondered how I had gone so long without ever getting one of these before! No more fiddling around with pouring scalding hot soup into the blender in batches (I make a big pot so there are leftovers - quite a juggling act when smoothing it out bit by bit). My mom, who had used a different kind of immersion blender in the past said that this one changed her mind (for the positive) about them - apparently it's much easier to use than others which don't have a guard around the blade, which totally makes sense to me.
Cleanup and storage are also totally easy. The end that touches food pops off with an easy press of a button and it goes right into the dishwasher. It's also small enough so storage isn't a hassle. My husband and I have a verrrrrry small urban apartment with very limited cupboard space, so we really are conscious about each thing that we bring into our home because we don't like clutter and there's therefore no room for extras. Even though that's the case, the appliance part is about as big as my hand so it tucks neatly between larger appliances in our cupboard. The blade fits easily into our cutlery drawer. We already had measuring cups so gave away the one that came with this, but it's a great thing to have too if you need it.
Customer Review: BELIEVE ALL THE GREAT REVIEWS
Summary: 5 Stars
I watch the show (Oprah), saw the episodes (You...), measured my waist in the proper place (not the natural waist but at the belly button) and learned the truth, bought the book (You: On A Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management), and now wanted to make Dr. Oz's Magical Breakfast Blaster. So I came to Amazon to pick out an immersion blender. I read all the reviews and it was pretty clear that this was everyone's favorite and bought it based on the reviews and secondarily the reasonable price. I had other things in my cart and so got free shipping. (SIDE NOTE: Kudos to Amazon for having carts that seemingly do not empty. When I see something in the paper or hear about something, I go to Amazon and put it in my cart. Maybe I'll buy it later; maybe not. But at least I didn't forget about it.)
This blender is fabulous. Easy to use. I use the nice cup that comes with the blender to make the drink and it's so thick that I drink it right from that cup, too. A typical shake is water, soy protein, frozen blueberries, frozen bananna, frozen whole cranberries, frozen raspberries, NF milk powder, psyllium seed husks, flaxseed oil. This blender BLASTS THROUGH all the frozen chunks. I might have to work it for a few seconds but it pulverizes the hell out of all of it. Maybe the lower wattage immersion blenders wouldn't work as good but I don't know. For 30 bucks, trust me, people, get this delightful little blender. The only thing I have made with it is the Magical Breakfast Blaster on page 265 of the YOU diet book, but I would think that blending a lot of frozen chunks of fruit would be the most challenging job for this blender. If it does this great, surely it has to work great for any other type of blending.
Edited on 5-17-08: I still love the blender. I use it a lot for making cappuchino-feeling coffee. In a large mug of coffee, I add a lot of non-fat skim milk powder and sometimes 1 packet of sugar in the raw and sometimes a teaspoon or two of cocoa powder. The immersion blender does a great job of blending and creating terrific foam. Another thing it's great for is mincing garlic. Peel the garlic and put them in the container the blender comes with, a couple of pulses, and voila, in 2 seconds it's perfect to throw into the pan.
Customer Review: As good as it gets!!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Cuisinart SmartStick is truly as good as it gets. I've used a number of hand blenders before and none of them compare. I've had those that cost considerably more and some that cost less and the SmartStick puts them all to shame. I've read some complaints about the unit not being entirely stainless steel and that is true. The description is misleading in that regard and should be changed. However, that being said, the main handle is made in a very sturdy manner and the fact that it isn't all stainless is not worth mentioning further. This product is outstanding all the way around. It's very well made, it's powerful, and it does exactly what it was designed to do and more. I like the fact that the blade and protective cover aren't overly large, so the blender will work in almost any glass/plastic mixing cup. As to the complaints about spills, all it takes is getting used to the product, which is a snap. If anyone is having trouble with splashing etc., they're simply not using the SmartStick properly. I've also read the complaints about the SmartStick not having the ability to handle larger size ice cubes. I normally use crushed ice, which solves that problem easily, but even with full sized cubes, it's all in how you use the blender. You'll find that when you start to use the SmartStick, it will be drawn toward the bottom of the "glass", which to me is a good think. I never have a problem with any residue that the SmartStick wasn't able to get to. It's also very easy to lift the blender from the bottom of the "glass" you're using and move it in a up and down motion, allowing for a thorough mix. If you are using regular size ice cubes, the up and down motion will allow you to handle them easily. Should you get any spilling, it will be because you lifted the blade area too high. As to clean up, this thing is a dream. When I finish blending, I unplug the cord while the mixing section is still in the "glass". I then push the convenient button to release the main handle from the mixing stem, remove the stem and clean/dry it in less then a minute. I'm very picky about what I buy and anyone that complains about this product, either is using it improperly, or they're using it for something the product was not designed for. BUY THE PRODUCT. YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!Customer Review: Very dangerous except under the most careful use
Summary: 1 Stars
Please see "A Customer" review on Dec 27, 2010 saying this product cut her 22 year old daughter's finger which had to be amputated. Thank you "A Customer" for the warning and I'm so sorry for your daughter's injury. The raving reviews need to balanced against how unsafe this product can be. I read that review after I had already ordered the product so I kept it but have adapted my use to ensure I never plug it in until it is completely immersed in the cup and being held tightly and then unplug immediately before removing from the cup. Even so this blender is easy to lose control of. If the blade is even slightly higher than the bottom of a cup, the liquid or food will splatter out of control which makes one instinctively react to prevent the resulting mess. I think that is a safety hazard because one can get distracted by the splatter and it only takes a second for this machine to seriously injure you if it makes contact with hands or body.
That reviewer mentioned how easily the on switch goes on if even lightly touched and that caused her daughter's accident. That is in fact true, the switch is too sensitive which is why its important not to plug it in before immersing and to unplug before removing. For that I would never allow children near the blender, never use it in a tight space where people might be bumping into one another, never plug it in before it's held firmly in place at the bottom of the cup, and never remove before unplugging it.
Other than those cautions, this blender is a wonder! I love it. I've had it 3 months. I don't know if this brand is more or less dangerous than others, but Even though I love it, I give it 1 star because I'm genuinely afraid of the blender since reading about the young woman losing her finger, because I've experienced how easily this blender can get out of control while spinning so fast, and to balance the raving reviews that don't consider its dangers. I do love how it works though. If you can use it cautiously, it is wonderful. But if you're a little spacey or inattentive please know this machine is extremely dangerous.
Customer Review: Cleanup is sooooo easy!
Summary: 5 Stars
Weight Watchers recently freed us in the fruit and veggie world! As a Maintenance member I continually seek ways to stay health-motivated -- and, this 2010 modification was one of WW's best over the years! So, this is as much a comment on WW as it is for SmartStick.
I have a juicer that I use just a few months out of the year. So, I pulled that out alongside the introduction of this new WW program. However, after a little research, I found that WW doesn't count juice in the same way that it does the full edible product. The fiber, it turns out, is as important as the juice. There's certainly nothing wrong with juicing -- it's just not the "cheapest" method (in terms of points) of consuming fruit and veggies.
So, I started to consider smoothies. Checking out the Magic Bullet only got me frustrated, knowing that it would come with a multitude of accessories that would probably just get put away somewhere in the garage -- where other accessories go to their graveyard. Fortunately, the SmartStick rose to the top in my Amazon search. And, so here I am!
The reviews for SmartStick were sensational and, of course, I'm following suit. It will take me awhile to get the exact ratios as I don't use measuring utensils other than the cup provided. Adding a little milk here or lessening the amount of yogurt there will soon come second nature. The SmartStick lets you know if it cannot blend the mix within just a few seconds. When you have the right amounts, it's blended in no time. Cleanup is a cinch. I just run the beater (disconnected from the motor) under hot water and set it in the drainer.
This blender is not for children or people who have neurological issues that would interfere with its safe handling.