HOME > Products > Hand Blenders > CSB-33 ADD TO MY PRODUCTS Great for the whole family, the Quick Prep® Hand Blender whips, blends, mixes, purées, and more! The powerful motor has two speed settings to reduce splash back and tackle dense ingredients. Comes with a 16-oz. beaker for blending right in the measuring container. Powerful 135 watt motor with 2-speed control LWH: 2.75" x 2.75" x 14.00" UC Cubic Feet: 0.18 UC LWH: 4.45" x 4.45" x 15.43" MC Cubic Feet: 1.31 MC LWH: 16.06" x 9.56" x 14.31"Add Your Own Review Industrial-chic design, a powerful motor, and a food processor attachment that actually works. The whisk attachment is seriously flimsy. For just under $60, you get the function of a good blender and a decent food processor. This is a great space-saver for the single cook or two-person household. The original Smart Stick came out in 2002, and Cuisinart’s been introducing more and more feature-rich variations on the hand blender ever since.

The latest model launched last year, but the CSB-79 Variable Speed Hand Blender reviewed here costs around 20 bucks less. Our question: Can a moderately priced immersion blender with lots of included add-ons do more than just purée soup? Cuisinart says the Smart Stick does at least some of the tasks of three appliances: blender, hand mixer, and food processor. The CSB-79 breaks down into five primary pieces: the main body (and motor housing), a detachable blending shaft, a chopper/grinder attachment (consisting of a work bowl, reversible blade, and domelike cover), a whisk attachment (with detachable gearbox), and a 16-ounce (500-milliliter) mixing/measuring beaker.kitchenaid stand mixer 575w Like a lot of Cuisinart appliances, the look here is low-key industrial. hamilton beach wave crusher 14 speed blender

The motor housing and blending shaft are brushed stainless steel; the former has an embossed Cuisinart logo that looks both expensive and understated. The motor is 200 watts; the handle plastic with two soft-touch buttons (“High” and “Low”) that allow for some pretty responsive pulsing. At 1 pound 11 ounces with the blending shaft attached it’s slightly heavy (3 ounces heavier than an earlier version of the Smart Stick in the CHOW Test Kitchen). vitamix 32 oz dry blade blending container w/ lid & cookbookWe measured the power cord to be 68 inches (just under 6 feet), which is useful for reaching both pans on your cooktop and the sink for immersion washing.waring blender in dubai The food processor–like work bowl has a 2-cup capacity, with a blade that has both sharp and blunt edges;

you can switch from one to the other by sliding the blade ring off the blade sheath, turning it upside down, and sliding it back on. The whisk attachment twists and slides out of the gearbox for cleaning. The metal whisk, as well as the work bowl, blade assembly, and mixing/measuring beaker, can all go into the dishwasher. The blending shaft can be immersed in soapy water, but everything else has to be wiped with a damp, soapy cloth. There’s a three-year warranty against factory defects, and the instruction booklet comes with 21 recipes. We tested the CSB-79 with three common tasks that engaged its three functions: puréeing a fruit and yogurt smoothie, chopping ingredients for a chunky tomato bruschetta topping, and whipping cream. Puréeing: We followed the Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie recipe from the CSB-79 booklet—frozen strawberries, a fresh kiwi, yogurt, milk, and honey, puréed in the mixing beaker using the blending shaft. We definitely had to steady the beaker with our free hand, but after 35 seconds on high, and with minimal up-and-down blender movement, we had a beautifully smooth and silky drink.

Chopping: Again, we followed a recipe from the Cuisinart booklet, the Tomato and Basil Topping for Bruschetta. Using the chopper/grinder attachment, we fitted the sheath with the sharp side of the blades. We minced a clove of garlic in the bowl for 30 seconds on high, then added fresh basil leaves and pulsed five times on high. So far, so good. Then we added a pint of grape tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt and gave it 15 pulses on low. The results were pretty satisfying, once we dumped the contents into a mixing bowl and stirred to distribute everything: a mass of finely chopped tomatoes, interspersed with medium-sized hunks (see the photos at the top of the page). This was much more consistent than the results we’ve gotten when trying to chop in a variety of standard blenders, and pretty much what we would have gotten from a dedicated food processor. Whipping: Following Cuisinart’s instructions and using a stainless steel bowl, we combined 1 1/4 cups chilled heavy cream, some sugar, and vanilla extract.

We slid the metal whisk into the gearbox-fitted motor housing and went to work on low speed. This was the least successful of our tests, with slow results that challenged our patience. Dipping the flimsy whisk in and out, it took a full two minutes to achieve soft peaks, even after switching to high: twice as long as the time given in the instructions. General stuff: A hand blender has certain built-in limitations. That said, we liked this one a lot. You get a lot of function for the price (though we’d probably rarely, if ever, use the whisk attachment). Another plus, shockingly rare with small appliances: The recipes in the accompanying booklet seem to have been tested, and the yields look correct. Washing an immersion blender is always a bit of a pain—the best solution for the blending shaft (the attachment you’ll use most) is letting it whir in soapy water. For what the CSB-79 offers in return, we can deal with that.SOMEONE who hates washing dishes must have conceived the idea for the immersion blender.

Bringing the blender to the pot rather than transferring the pot's contents into the blender saves a lot of dishes. No wonder immersion blenders have been a hit with home cooks over the last 10 years -- once we discovered that pumpkin soup could be thinned to a silky puree right in the pot there was no going back.The immersion blender has actually been used in professional kitchens since the 1960's. When it is immersed partway into the liquid, the action of the blade draws in the contents of the pot, creating a sort of whirlpool as the food is smoothly blended. The immersion blender can also be used to make thicker vegetable purees and milkshakes and to emulsify sauces.It does not perform all the functions that a blender or food processor can -- like grating and slicing -- and it does not aerate drinks and shakes as well as a blender, but the immersion blender, or hand blender, can be a very useful tool.Over the last year, manufacturers have greatly improved the power and convenience of their home models.

Cuisinart recently introduced two designs, the Cordless Rechargeable Hand Blender (CSB-44) and the Smartstick Extendable Shaft Hand Blender (CSB-55). Braun also came out with a new model, the Multiquick Handblender with Chopper and Whisk (MR430HC). I tested them against Cuisinart's tried-and-true model, the Quick Prep Hand Blender (CSB-33). When put to action on a watercress soup, a banana cardamom milkshake and whipped cream, the differences among the four blenders were astonishing. The Quick Prep blender, the five-year-old senior in the group, performed well on all three. The 135-watt blender, with high and low speeds, was not the highest charged, but it worked consistently and evenly, pureeing the soup and whipping up a fine milkshake. But the blade shaft does not detach from the handle, which makes it difficult to clean, and it doesn't look nearly as sleek and modern as the newer models. It is $45.99 at Vinegar Factory, 431 East 91st Street (York Avenue), (212) 987-0885.The Braun blender, the slimmest and lightest of the four, is 200 watts.

Though it is equipped with a hand blender's typically small blade, this blender is like the Tasmanian Devil. In the watercress soup, it created an instant whirlpool. But because the top is light and the action is concentrated at the blade end of the blender, it is difficult to control and tips easily in the hand -- as I learned the hard way. I had watercress soup all over my kitchen walls. In the milkshake, it plowed through the bananas like a lawn mower.The blender shaft is detachable and is interchangeable with a whisk attachment and a mini-chopper. The whisk whipped cream well -- and quickly -- but the chopper reduced a cup of walnuts to mere crumbs in about three seconds. It would be difficult to get an even rough chop. It is $34.99 at Bed, Bath and Beyond, 620 Sixth Avenue (19th Street), (212) 255-3550.With no cords to deal with and a detachable blade shaft, the Cuisinart cordless hand blender is the best of the lot in terms of pure convenience. But the nonslip handle, which has been redesigned with the on/off button at the top of the handle like a joystick, was actually not very comfortable -- in my hand, at least.

I found it thick and heavy, like a tennis racket grip that was too large.Working with its single speed, it pureed the soup efficiently and made a smooth shake. It comes with a plastic disk attachment for whipping cream and blending batter, which works fairly well. But it whips so quickly that the cream can easily turn to butter. Its list price is $82.Cuisinart's Smartstick was, by far, the best all around. It has four speeds, a detachable shaft and comes with a chopper and a disk for whipping cream. I am usually skeptical of equipment designed to do so many tasks. But this one performed well on all levels. It pureed the soup and sliced through the bananas in the shake with no effort. And with the slow speed option, it whipped cream properly.The chopper, a fat, round container designed like a food processor, worked like a dream, cutting through the walnuts evenly. Its cord extends away from you, which makes it easier to keep the cord out of the pot. You will probably never use the extendable shaft, unless you are making soup for an army.