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Cuisinart CSB-175 vs UTALENT 5-In-1 Immersion Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)5.9/10
- Design (20%)7.0/10
- Usability (30%)7.2/10
- Performance (50%)7.4/10
- Design (20%)8.5/10
- Usability (30%)7.8/10
The Cuisinart CSB-175 offers better value than some of its rivals in the same price range and its affordability makes it a good starting point if you’re new to the blending world.
Compared with the UTALENT, it has fewer speed options, but this doesn’t influence its overall efficiency.
Of all its tests, it was only challenged by the beaten egg whites recipe due to the lack of a whisk attachment. The other remaining tests, including soup-making, smoothie-blending, nut-grinding, and mayonnaise-emulsifying, were finished pretty impressively.
The UTALENT, on the other hand, churned out less efficient results, and we also found it quite uncomfortable to use. The only advantage of this blender over the Cuisinart is its accessory package.
Utalent Hand Blender Performance
- Hot Soup Purée (35%)5.0/10
- Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)5.8/10
- Mayonnaise (15%)8.0/10
- Almond Milk (15%)5.8/10
- Whipped Egg-Whites (5%)7.0/10
- Hot Soup Purée (35%)7.0/10
- Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)7.5/10
- Mayonnaise (15%)9.3/10
- Almond Milk (15%)9.0/10
- Whipped Egg-Whites (5%)0/10
Hot Soup Purée
- Pureeing Time: 30 seconds
- Result: Chunky
- Suction: Slightly
None of the low-range blenders we tested churned out the silkiest puree in 30 seconds, but the UTALENT’s soup was so chunky that we couldn’t consider it a pass. Most of the unprocessed chunks, including carrots and celery, are large enough to be visible after straining. Some couldn’t even be blended because they got lodged in the blade guard’s holes.
Making hot soup puree is the easiest and most basic task of an immersion blender so it really doesn’t make sense to buy this one.
- Pureeing Time: 30 seconds
- Result: Silky chunky
- Suction: Slightly
Despite being among the least expensive mid-range blenders on our testing list, this Cuisinart is plenty quick, taking only 30 seconds to give us a pot of soup. Still, we were just moderately satisfied with its performance. The soup was not well pureed enough to look entirely smooth. After we drained it through a strainer, we noticed many foods still remained unprocessed. For the best pureés maker, we recommend the Vitamix 5-speed.
Frozen Fruit Smoothie
- Blending Time: 2 minutes
- Result: Leafy
- Suction: Slightly
The UTALENT is definitely not for you if you like your smoothies packed with frozen fruit or green veggies. Apart from being too weak to blend through tough ingredients, it’s also unable to liquify leafy veggies effectively.
Our smoothie was churned out with a grainy, leafy texture even after up to 2 minutes of processing. Upon stirring it to check its smoothness, we noticed that there were some grains of unprocessed kale still left in the mixture.
Furthermore, the machine required our intervention to draw all the ingredients toward the blades: We had to constantly stir with the blending wand to ensure everything was incorporated. What a frustrating blending process!
- Blending Time: 1 min 20 secs
- Result: Slightly Coarse
- Suction: Slightly
Although the Cuisinart CSB-175 Smart Stick could pass this test in 1 minute and 20 seconds, it had a very hard time grinding frozen fruits. By comparison, its counterparts — the Vitamix 5-speed and the Braun MultiQuick-5 — could turn all the ingredients into a green silky smoothie without a struggle.
The Cuisinart’s smoothie was acceptable but didn’t have the smoothest texture. It came out rather lumpy due to kale chunks. Our straw got clogged now and then with bits that were still too big.
Mayonnaise
- Emulsifying Time: 1 min 35 secs
- Result: Thick
- Suction: No
Our mayo sauce was a very simple one: an emulsion of oil blended with egg yolk. We made it in about 1 minute and a half using the blender’s whisk attachment. Regarding its consistency, we wished that it could have been creamier. Although this machine made short work of incorporating all the ingredients, our emulsification came out relatively thick—albeit stable.
- Emulsifying Time: 1 min 10 secs
- Result: Smooth
- Suction: Yes
Coming off the other tests, we didn’t expect much out of our Cuisinart when it came to making mayonnaise. For the most part, we agreed that a whisk attachment would emulsify sauce far better than any ordinary blending shaft. But as it turned out, of all the blenders we tested, the Cuisinart was the fastest to yield a creamy, mouthwatering sauce. It even beat the Braun’s whisk attachment by about 30 seconds, though in both cases, the mayonnaise’s texture was essentially the same.
Still, there was a minor drawback. When the mayonnaise began to thicken, our blender suctioned itself tightly to the beaker’s bottom, making it a bit trickier for us to move the blending wand around. Nevertheless, given this blender’s outstanding performance, this issue wasn’t a true dealbreaker and should be tolerated.
Almond Milk
- Grinding Time: 2 minutes
- Result: Coarse
- Suction: Tightly
Of all the blenders we tested, the UTALENT was the slowest performer. It took up to two minutes to complete this task — twice as slow as the winner, the Cuisinart Smart Stick. And even still, the nuts weren’t evenly ground. As a result, our milk couldn’t pack the full flavor of almond. It was drinkable but quite watery and not as creamy as it should have been.
- Grinding Time: 40 secs
- Result: Fine
- Suction: Tightly
This Cuisinart performed fairly well in this test. Besides being the fastest contender, it also blended quite uniformly. While it did create suction and cause a humble mess when we lifted the blending wand upward, it sustained a nice vortex, so our liquid didn’t overflow. In contrast, some models, such as the Hamilton Beach 2-speed and the Mueller Ultra-Stick couldn’t produce the consistent vortex. This caused the liquid to overflow excessively when we turned them up to higher speeds.
Whipped Egg-Whites
- Beating Time: 2 mins 50 secs
- Result: Stiff
- Suction: No
The low power rating made this blender lag behind its rivals. We had to spend a great deal of time to achieve a stiff peak. Of course, it wasn't a big deal to simply blend for a few more minutes but the prolonged operation caused the motor to overheat, thus impairing its durability. Still, this is a pretty common occurrence for most low-grade blenders. To name a few, the Mueller Ultra-Stick, Hamilton Beach 2-Speed, and the BELLA 10-Speed.
- Beating Time: N/A
- Result: N/A
- Suction: N/A
Of all the blenders we tested, only machines with whisk attachments could draw enough air into the egg-whites to create a stiff peak. The Cuisinart's ordinary blending shaft, on the other hand, just gave us a cloudy liquid made of two layers: bubbly film and eggy water. We awarded this blender no points for this test.
Utalent Immersion Blender Design
- Blending Shaft (30%)7.0/10
- Build Quality (60%)6.5/10
- Power Cord (5%)10/10
- Beaker (5%)10/10
- Blending Shaft (30%)8.0/10
- Build Quality (60%)8.5/10
- Power Cord (5%)10/10
- Beaker (5%)10/10
In the Box of the Utalent 5-in-1 Hand Blender
- Motor body
- Blending shaft
- Whisk attachment
- Food processor
- Milk frother
- Beaker
- User manual
Despite being a low-range machine, the UTALENT comes with everything you need to support your culinary creativity. With this generous accessory package, it should be a the new benchmark for immersion blenders.
- Motor body
- Blending shaft
- 24-oz beaker
- User manual
The Cuisinart CSB-175 Smart Stick set includes 4 items: a blender motor body, a blending shaft, a 20-ounce beaker, and a user manual. Before using your blender for the first time, make sure to clean it thoroughly following the user manual’s instructions. For safe operations, you should also comply with all the basic safety precautions issued by the Cuisinart manufacturers.
Dimensions
- Height:15.0" (38.1 cm)
- Width:2.0" (5.1 cm)
- Weight:1.7 lbs (0.8 kg)
- Shaft Length:7.8" (19.8 cm)
Our UTALENT is shipped as a very compact package. Sleek and portable, the machine itself is 15-inches long and with a blending shaft that is almost half the length, you can easily immerse it into any soup pot. At only 1.6 pounds, it's also lightweight and feels well balanced.
- Height:15.6" (39.6 cm)
- Width:2.3" (5.8 cm)
- Weight:1.6 lbs (0.7 kg)
- Shaft Length:8.4" (21.3 cm)
Stylish and portable, the Cuisinart CSB-175 Smart Stick offers a delicate balance of weight, size, and aesthetics. With a reasonably sized blending shaft, it doesn’t have any difficulty operating even in deep pots. Plus, it is compact enough that it fits easily into a drawer for storage.
Build Quality
Low-range blenders like this UTALENT are often of a medium quality with a few shortcomings in the design. For the most part, their exteriors are averagely built with a shiny look, but the inner core that connects the blending wand to the main body feels flimsy and lacks durability. This is a serious point with wider implications — if the core breaks, it will render the blender useless. The gasket that helps tighten the main body and the attachments is also substandard. We noticed it became discolored after just five times of use.
Although this blender is mostly made of plastic, its motor body looks and feels as solid as the stainless steel wand component. Even so, it may become discolored with use.
The stainless steel blending wand is built well enough to endure regular use. So far, our blades have shown no signs of rusting or dulling, but we have found a user’s complaint about her blade that snapped in half after just two months of use.
The controls are of decent quality. They are easier to press than those of the Braun MultiQuick-5 and seem to be much more durable than the Mueller Ultra-Stick. Other than an awkward power button (to be discussed later) we were quite pleased with this unique design.
Speed and Controls of the Utalent 5-in-1 Immersion Blender
- Control Type:Press-button & speed dial
- Min Speed:9,440 RPM
- Max Speed:13,330 RPM
- Presets:No
- Noise Level:94 dB
- Digital Display:No
- Pulse Mode:Yes
The UTALENT works much like other hand-held blenders sporting multiple speed settings. It allows you to speed up smoothly through the top dial, which doesn't, however, seem to make any apparent difference when it comes to the blended result. That’s why we rarely used this control in our hands-on testing.
Instead, we often use the Turbo mode located on the front interface— a function that instantly sends the blender into its highest speed. That said, this control, like the power button, demands quite a bit of force from the user.
- Control Type:Press
- Min Speed:11,670 RPM
- Max Speed:12,660 RPM
- Presets:No
- Noise Level:80 dB
- Digital Display:No
- Pulse Mode:No
At first sight, we thought this blender would be very easy to use since its two-button interface looks really intuitive.
Unexpectedly enough, we couldn’t figure out how to activate the device until we consulted the user manual. Not only that, but we also needed quite a lot of practice to operate it smoothly. Unlike others, this blender has an additional locking button which acts as a safety mechanism.
The locking button must be held down along with the operational button. That paired-button operation forced us to use two hands in some cases — certainly not what we’d call user-friendly.
The Cuisinart Smart Stick also allows us to switch between the two speed options (Low and High) with the slide control. We’d prefer more than two settings since multiple speeds give us more control over the food’s texture.
That being said, the slider also makes this blender more complicated to use, especially when the dial’s location is entirely separated from the On/Off button. It’s tough for one person to use the blender, adjust its speed, and hold the beaker at the same time, so we had to stop blending to speed up or slow down.
Blending Shaft
- Material:Stainless steel
- Type:Sharp Blade
- Guard Material:Stainless steel
- Blade Count:4
- Removable:Yes
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
In terms of shape and size, the UTALENT’s blending shaft differs in two ways from other immersion blenders. So far, we haven’t noticed any benefit from this unusual design. Worse still, the shorter length 4-prong blade reduces contact with the blending food, thus leading to an increment of blending time.
Not only that, but it also cannot tackle heavy-duty tasks. It is too fragile to blend through solid foods like ice cubes or raw root veggies without being damaged or deformed.
Together with the smaller blades is a narrower blade guard. If food gets lodged, this makes it trickier to scrape the sides to dislodge the food without the blade getting in the way. Entirely made of stainless steel, the blade guard is also a potential risk for your nonstick cookware surface.
- Material:Stainless steel
- Type:Sharp Blade
- Guard Material:Metal
- Blade Count:2
- Removable:No
- Dishwasher Safe:No
The Cuisinart’s blade has two prongs: one sharp and the other blunt. Although it isn’t as high quality as the Vitamix, it can withstand consistent use. It even defeated its higher-priced counterpart in our mayonnaise test despite being the underdog.
A metal housing partially covers the fixed stainless steel blade to keep splashing to a minimum. This blade guard, however, left much to be desired in our test due to its awkward design. Rather than being a solid piece like others, it has several small holes which significantly degrade the shielding’s effectiveness.
Not only that, but the metal blade guard also caused scratches on the blender’s original beaker in its smoothie task. This is too awful even to be imagined.
Beaker
- Material:Plastic
- Capacity:20 oz
- Measurements:Yes
- Weight:0.22 lb
- Height:6.8" (17.3 cm)
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
- Tamper Included:No
The included beaker is suitable for a variety of low-volume applications. It shows measurements in both milliliters and fluid ounces and comes with a flared base for stability.
- Material:Plastic
- Capacity:NaN fl oz (NaN ml)
- Measurements:Yes
- Weight:0.2 oz (7 g)
- Height:6.5" (16.5 cm)
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
- Tamper Included:No
Made of eco-friendly food-grade plastic, the beaker is entirely safe for use with any ingredients. It’s top-rack dishwasher-safe but doesn’t resist shattering, so we still recommend washing it manually to avoid any possible damage. Since it isn’t designed to withstand high temperatures, you also shouldn’t use it to blend hot liquid.
Besides the measurement marks, a wide pour spout is also a nice feature of Cuisinart’s beaker. When we used it to pour out the smoothie, we experienced less spillage than with other blender jars.
Power Cord
- Cord Length:4.9 ft (1.5 m)
- Type:2-prong plug
- Detachable:No
The power cord is long enough that we didn’t feel constrained. We like that it has a small loop allowing us to hang the blender and keep it organized.
- Cord Length:6.0 ft (1.8 m)
- Type:2-prong plug
- Detachable:No
The power cord has a reasonable length. Its plug is polarized so it will only be inserted one way into your outlet. For ultimate cable management, Cuisinart also included a nylon zip tie.
Extra Accessories
- Material:Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
- Removable:Yes
This whisk attachment is capable of whipping cream, beating egg whites, and making emulsified sauces. As a nice bonus, it can go straight into the dishwasher for quick and easy cleanup.
- Material:N/A
- Dishwasher Safe:N/A
- Removable:N/A
The Cuisinart doesn’t come with any accessories other than the 24-oz pitcher.
Extra Accessories
- Material:Plastic and Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
- Removable:Yes
We haven't had a chance to test the food processor so we can't comment on its real-world efficiency. However, during our research, we have found several criticisms of its low durability.
Extra Accessories
- Material:Plastic and Stainless steel
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
- Removable:Yes
We haven’t tested the milk frother, either. Nevertheless, we do not expect it to work as well as a specialized tool.
Utalent Hand Blender Usability Review
- Ease of Use (60%)7.2/10
- Blade Assembly (10%)7.0/10
- Handling (20%)7.5/10
- Cleanability (10%)6.5/10
- Ease Of Use (60%)7.6/10
- Blade Assembly (10%)9.0/10
- Handling (20%)8.0/10
- Cleanability (10%)7.5/10
Ease of Use
The intuitive interface makes it easy to figure out how this machine works, but it still doesn’t make the blending a pleasant enough experience. Since the blender itself often vacuums to the beaker’s bottom, it may cause excessive splatters when you move your hands.
In addition, due to the motor’s violent vibration, we couldn’t maneuver the blender comfortably. Our hand muscles had became tired after just two tests, and as a result, we encountered some difficulty in speeding up or moving the blending wand in the subsequent tests.
At first sight, we thought this blender would be very easy to use due to its simple-designed interface.Unexpectedly enough, however, we couldn’t figure out how to activate the device until we consulted the user manual. Not only that, but we also needed quite a lot of practice to operate it smoothly.
Unlike others, this blender has an additional locking button which acts as a safety mechanism. The locking button must be held down along with the operational button. That paired-button operation forced us to use two hands in some cases — certainly not what we’d call user-friendly.
Given that the dial’s location is entirely separated from the On/Off button, it’s also quite tough for use to use the blender, adjust its speed, and hold the beaker at the same time. More often than not, we felt very annoyed when having to stop blending if we wanted to speed up or slow down.
Another drawback was that all sorts of our blending motions, from stirring to drawing up, weren’t performed with ease. In particular, when the mayonnaise began to thicken, the blender suctioned itself tightly to the beaker’s bottom, making it a bit trickier for us to move its blending wand around.
Likewise, in the hot soup test, the suction force created by the blender was so excessive that it entirely threw off our momentum when we were struggling to pull it out. Together with the absurdly-designed blade guard, this caused us lots of splatter every single time we moved our hand. Indeed, no other blenders we tested created as much mess as the Cuisinart.
There was also a problem in the smoothie test. At some points, this blender demanded we temporarily stop to dislodge the food trapped in its blade guard’s holes. And since blending frozen fruit was a prolonged procedure, it took a toll on the motor. Therefore, we had to let it rest every 60 seconds, and this was so inconvenient.
Blade Assembly
Setting up the blender is a straightforward process. Simply align the attachment with the main housing and make a quarter turn counterclockwise until you hear it click into place.
That said, if your hands are wet or oily, the whole body’s polished-plastic exterior can be too slippery for a secure grasp. This challenges the detachment process, especially when this machine lacks an accessory ejection button.
To set up our blender, we attached the blending wand to the motor body until they clicked. When blending was complete, we removed the wand by pressing the release button and pulling it out. The pulling force is relatively large compared to other blenders we’ve had our hands on, so this one was tough to disassemble when our hands were oily.
Handling
The handle is comfortable and its ergonomic design helps to maintain a secure grip, but the blender's violent shaking still made it difficult to avoid hand fatigue throughout our tests.
The Cuisinart’s handle has nothing particularly special. It doesn’t have a rubber layer (like the Vitamix or the Braun MultiQuick-5) to help you maintain a grip. On the bright side, it is ergonomically designed to protect your hand from fatigue.
Cleanability
After each test, we noticed that the blade’s backsides were home to a large amount of residuals that couldn’t be simply rinsed off under the running water tap. And due to the restricted space between the blade and its guard, we couldn’t get our fingers in to remove them. If you want to get a thorough clean, you must use a straw-cleaning brush.
Since the blending wand isn’t dishwasher-safe, it demands manual scrubbing after use.
Following each test, most of the food residue rinsed off effortlessly under our running tap. We removed more stubborn remnants using a soapy sponge. Along the way, we didn’t have as much difficulty scrubbing the backs of the blades as we experienced with the Vitamix.