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Cuisinart Smart Stick vs. Chefman Cordless Side-by-Side Comparison
Our Verdict
- Performance (50%)7.4/10
- Design (20%)8.5/10
- Usability (30%)7.8/10
- Performance (50%)7.7/10
- Design (20%)7.4/10
- Usability (30%)8.8/10
These two immersion blenders provided acceptable performance for making smoothies, soups, mayonnaises, and nut milk. Due to the lack of the whisk attachment, they both were unable to beat egg whites, but this is common for such a type of blender.
During the blending process, we found the Chefman Cordless ran very smoothly and seldom created troublesome suction. The Cuisinart Smart Stick, on the other hand, tended to create too much suction causing it to stick tightly to the beaker, making it difficult to draw up the blending wand without causing a mess.
Overall, the Chefman Cordless was only slightly comparable to the Cuisinart Smart Stick in our testing performance, but it represents a better choice if you’re looking for a perfect user-friendly design.
Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender Performance
- 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 (35%)7.0/10
- Frozen Fruit Smoothie (30%)9.0/10
- Mayonnaise (15%)8.8/10
- Almond Milk (15%)8.5/10
- Whipped Egg-Whites (10%)0/10
Hot Soup Purée
- 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.
- Pureeing Time: 30 seconds
- Result: Smooth
- Suction: Slightly
The Chefman managed to create a serving of hot soup in 30 seconds. The soup wasn’t puréed to perfection since there was still a considerable amount of food flakes left behind, but for the most part, we were pleased with its smoothness. If you prefer your purée to be smoother, blend longer. (Or consider other models like the Vitamix 5-speed, the Braun MultiQuick-5, and the KitchenAid cordless hand blender.)
Frozen Fruit Smoothie
- 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.
- Blending Time: 1 min 10 secs
- Result: Smooth
- Suction: No
At the highest speed setting, our Chefman broke down all the ingredients quite easily — better and faster, in fact, than we expected from a blender in this segment. The test smoothie came out with a satisfying texture, combining smooth, pulverized fruits with the green of kale for a nice, chilled mouthfeel.
Mayonnaise
- 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.
- Emulsifying Time: 1 min 30 secs
- Result: Smooth
- Suction: No
Emulsifying with the blending shaft, this Chefman cordless blender passed the mayonnaise test within a minute and a half, which was slightly faster than average. The final mayonnaise looked smooth and was well emulsified, sharing a similar texture with those produced by a whisk attachment, such as the Cuisinart’s.
Almond Milk
- 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.
- Grinding Time: 1 min 10 secs
- Result: Very Fine
- Suction: Yes
The Chefman cordless device may not be a bad option when you’re making nut milk. Just make sure to use a blending beaker with sufficient capacity.
Our drink was creamy and packed with characteristic almond flavor so we think you will love it as much as we do. During our test, the blender did, unfortunately, suction itself to the beaker's bottom, causing the mixture to splatter every time we moved the blending wand. However, this wasn’t only about the suction — things would work better if we used a larger beaker.
Whipped Egg-Whites
- 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.
- Beating Time: N/A
- Result: N/A
- Suction: N/A
This machine’s blending shaft was unable to beat the eggs, but it shares this shortcoming with most blending shafts. If you want your machine to properly whip the eggs, we recommend choosing one that comes with a whisk attachment, such as the KOIOS 4-in-1. A whisk’s many thin wires will uncurl the protein strands of the egg whites and incorporate air into them. That way, stiff eggy peaks are able to form and stay stable.
Cuisinart Smart Stick 2-Speed Design
- Blending Shaft (30%)8.0/10
- Build Quality (60%)8.5/10
- Power Cord (5%)10/10
- Beaker (5%)10/10
- Blending Shaft (30%)7.0/10
- Build Quality (60%)8.0/10
- Battery (5%)10/10
- Beaker (5%)0/10
Speed and Controls of the Cuisinart Smart Stick 2-Speed
- 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.
- Control Type:Press-button
- Min Speed:10,500 RPM
- Max Speed:14,333 RPM
- Presets:No
- Noise Level:72 dB
- Digital Display:No
- Pulse Mode:No
You control this blender’s multiple speeds by varying the pressure on the trigger switch in front. The harder you press, the faster the blade will spin. There is also the safety lock button on the device’s rear. Both buttons must be engaged before the motor will turn. Fortunately, both of them are very sensitive, so you won’t need much pressure to get the job done.
Your Chefman doesn’t have a pulse function, but you can still chop food evenly by pressing and releasing the buttons in short intervals.
Blending Shaft
- 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.
- Material:Stainless steel
- Type:Sharp blade
- Guard Material:Stainless steel
- Blade Count:2
- Removable:No
- Dishwasher Safe:Yes
The whole blending shaft is made of standard stainless steel, but after several uses, we nevertheless found a small rust spot on the blade guard. We’ve tested a myriad of immersion blenders and noticed that rust is rare. We can’t say for sure whether the rust will spread, but if it does, the machine’s integrity and appearance will be severely impaired.
The level of craftsmanship of the blade guard is okay overall but it could stand some improvements. The holes in the guard, for instance, look non-uniform and slightly misshapen.
The blade has two prongs: one is sharp and the other is dull. It’s sturdy enough to puree nearly all kinds of soft foods. It can even make quick work of emulsifying, so you can prepare mayonnaise or any other sauce that needs a creamy, stable base.
In the Box Cuisinart Smart Stick
- 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.
- Motor body
- Blending shaft
- Blade guard
- Blade edge guard
- Charger adapter & USB cord
- User manual
Beyonds the two main components, the Chefman also comes with a pot & pan guard to prevent scratches on your cookware and a blade guard so you can cover the blade entirely while your blender is not in use.
Dimensions
- 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.
- Height:16.4" (41.7 cm)
- Width:2.3" (5.8 cm)
- Weight:1.4 lbs (0.6 kg)
- Shaft Length:8.2" (20.8 cm)
This Chefman is the right size to fit comfortably in your palm. At 1.4 pounds, it is a bit on the light side, but so are most immersion blenders that are made of standard plastic.
Build Quality
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.
The Chefman provides a medium level of quality at a very reasonable price. With a black-clad exterior all around, the motor looks charming and notably elegant. After a course of testing, we found a smattering of tiny scratches around this part, but they’re not too noticeable unless you look closely.
Beaker
- 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.
- Material:N/A
- Capacity:NaN fl oz (NaN ml)
- Measurements:N/A
- Weight:NaN oz (NaN g)
- Height:NaN" (NaN cm)
- Dishwasher Safe:N/A
- Tamper Included:N/A
The set doesn’t include a blending beaker, but you can purchase this add-on from any retailer.
Power Cord
- 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:N/A
- Dishwasher Safe:N/A
- Removable:N/A
The Cuisinart doesn’t come with any accessories other than the 24-oz pitcher.
- Material:N/A
- Dishwasher Safe:N/A
- Removable:N/A
No extra blending attachments are included.
Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender Usability
- 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 (60%)8.8/10
- Blade Assembly (10%)9.5/10
- Handling (20%)9.0/10
- Cleanability (10%)8.0/10
Ease Of Use
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.
Maneuvering the Chefman is particularly easy and usually doesn’t splatter ingredients around. With the exception of the almond milk test, we didn’t have much trouble with our blending motions; this blender suctioned itself only lightly to the beaker’s bottom.
Most of our testers also praised its pressure-sensitive speed controller, though a few got frustrated trying to switch between mid-range speeds. Either way, it does take some time to get a feel for the speed controls.
The removable plastic guard covers the metal blade housing to minimize scratches on your pots and pans. With it in place, you can be less timid with your motions.
Blade Assembly
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.
The shaft-release button not only helps reinforce the connection between the motor housing and the blending wand, but it also allows for easier disassembly. Simply press this button and pull the blending wand to separate the two parts. Setting up the blender is straightforward as well; align the motor body housing with the blending shaft and push them together until you hear them click.
Handling
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.
Our Chefman let us blend in comfort thanks to the ergonomically designed handle. It didn’t get slippery even when our hands were oily during the mayonnaise test. The stable grip it provides is meaningful, especially if your hands fatigue quickly.
Cleanability
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.
All removable parts are top-rack dishwasher safe, but we prefer to clean them by hand since it’s faster and practically effortless. Following each test, we scrubbed away the food tailings with a soapy sponge. Most of the residue rinsed off easily, including the bits stuffed up behind the blades.