A couple of years ago, I was given an immersion blender as a gift. While it was a tool that was missing from my collection, I hadn’t really missed having one up to that point. Is an immersion blender worth it? Today I’m going to review the Cuisinart Smart Stick and answer that question.
What Does An Immersion Blender Do?
An immersion blender basically does the same thing as a normal blender. The difference is that an immersion blender is handheld. It allows you to blend or emulsify ingredients into soups and stews.
The benefit of an immersion blender is you don’t have to dirty an extra mixing bowl. You can dip the immersion blender right into your cooking pot. All you have to clean is the mixing blade.
Looking for more kitchen cleaning tips? Check out my article on how to keep your kitchen clean!
What dishes are an immersion blender good for? As mentioned earlier, it’s great for soups and stews. I like to use mine for potato soup. On top of the usual chunks of potato, I like to emulsify some potato into the actual soup. I’ll have a recipe for that come fall!
You can also use an immersion blender to emulsify flavoring vegetables into sauces and gravies. For example, if you wanted to make an excellent brown gravy from the drippings of your Sunday roast, you could blend the mirepoix into the liquid to help deepen the flavor.
An immersion blender is also an excellent tool for making Hollandaise. Check out this video from Serious Eats for an amazing 1-minute Hollandaise!
Cuisinart Smart Stick Review
Now that we’ve established what an immersion blender can do, its time to find out how well the Cuisinart Smart Stick handles the job. Right off the bat, the $45 price is fairly affordable. Most normal blenders are going to cost you over $50, so there are savings to be had.
The Smart Stick is very easy to use. It plugs into a standard wall outlet for power. There are two buttons near the top of the device you push to activate it, one for high speed and one for low speed. A plastic divider between the two buttons helps prevent your fingers from sliding and hitting the wrong button.
The Smart Stick has two components, the motor, and the blade. The blade easily detaches from the motor base via a button on the back. This makes for easy cleanup, which is a big plus.
The device is fairly lightweight. You can easily control it with one hand. This is very helpful when cooking as you are often busy and trying to multitask.
This Cuisinart model came with a 200-watt motor. I have yet to run into any problems blending up ingredients. It had no problem blending baked potatoes into my soups.
The biggest downside I have come across with this model is the cord. There is nothing particularly wrong with the Smart Stick’s cord, just cords in general. I’m so used to using cordless power tools in other applications, it can be a pain dealing with one in the kitchen.
Cuisinart does have a cordless model Smart Stick, but it costs $99. While the cord does annoy me, it’s not bad enough for me personally to shell out a hundred bucks for a new one. If you are buying your first blender and have the money, it may be worth considering.
Is An Immersion Blender Worth It?
Here comes the verdict. The usefulness you get out of an immersion blender is going to depend on what you cook. If you make a lot of soups, stews, and sauces, you will get a lot of use out of it.
If you already have a normal blender, this really isn’t going to add anything new to your toolset. What an immersion blender adds is convenience. If you hate cleaning your blender, this tool will ease your suffering.
If you decide an immersion blender is something you want, the Cuisinart Smart Stick is a solid choice. It is affordable, durable, and simple to clean and operate. I think you will be happy with it.
