A review of the Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender

The Cuisinart CSB-77 Smart Stick Hand Blender is one of my “go to” kitchen appliances. It’s so versatile and easy to use that I'd swear it was designed by a working mom! With this one tool, you can chop, grind, mix or blend right in the cooking pot while the food is still hot.  This is a huge deal — because it reduces recipe prep time and cuts down on dirty dishes. In the short time I’ve had it, I’ve used it to puree soup, whip up homemade mayonnaise and chop nuts. The results have been great, and it’s nice not having to drag out a food processor, blender or stand mixer for smaller jobs.



My first test of the Smart Stick Blender was with one of my favorite soup recipes: roasted carrot ginger soup. (I plan on sharing this recipe in an upcoming post — you won’t want to miss it!) Upon inserting the blender into the pot of hot soup, it took a few seconds for me to figure out that a circular, stirring type motion is the best way to go. But after about 30 seconds, the soup was beautifully pureed — carrots, parsnips, onions and all. No need to transfer the hot soup to a blender and then into a serving dish. It was ready to serve right out of the pot! Sweet!

The Smart Stick Blender comes with an attachment for chopping or grinding hard cheese, nuts, chocolate, carrots and more. There’s also a whisk attachment, which lets you whip up dressings and toppings. That’s a lot of functionality for a kitchen tool that sells for around $40. Best of all, the Smart Stick Blender is easy to clean: the blending shaft, whisk head, chopper/grinder bowl and mixing cup are all dishwasher safe and everything else wipes clean with a damp cloth. It’s a little bit of culinary magick!