Product Review: KitchenAid KHB 1000B Hand Blender

Since a lot of people love KitchenAid, I thought I'd put a product review of one of their hand blenders up today. Meet the KitchenAid KHB100OB Hand Blender in classy onyx black! If you look at yesterday's post, you'll find a review on Cuisinart's Smart Stick. I love Cuisinart, but this little beast has really caught my eye. We're talking an immersion hand blender with 9 variable speeds!

Let's check out the specs:

Product Features

* Immersion hand blender with powerful, quiet motor for blending, mixing, whipping, and more

* Durable snap-in attachment with stainless-steel blade and protective stainless-steel splashguard

* 8-inch immersion (impressive!); variable speed-control dial; one-touch "on/off" power button; ergonomic, non-slip grip

* Dishwasher-safe attachments and accessories; 3-cup blending beaker and sealing lid included

* Measures 17 by 3 by 6 inches; 1-year, hassle-free, replacement warranty

The biggie, apart from I love the thought of having 9 speeds - it has a 5' cord! Ok, some of you may not like long cords, but if you have a kitchen like mine where there's little space and outlets in the wrong places - a long cord is a cooks dream come true. : )

For those of us who are a bit on the klutzy side in the kitchen, the non-slip grip was made for us. : )

Let's take a look at the customer reviews. 131 customers gave a review on this little marvel and gave it a 4.5 stars. I noticed there are some people who didn't like the weight of the blender. They thought it was too heavy. Some didn't like the size, they thought it was too tall. Some thought the 5' cord was too short. And then there were the others who thought it was just right.

A couple other items worth mentioning that some didn't like is you have to hold the power button down while using it. But there's a good reason for that - it's called safety. The other item has to do with the plastic piece above the blades. A few people found bits of plastic in their food when the piece broke.

All in all, the majority love how fast it cleans up, the power, the weight, the price, the fact you can blend chumous and it actually turns out smooth, and the fact that KitchenAid has superior customer service if something should go wrong.

All in all, I think it's a great buy! It sales for $69.99 retail, but you can get it for 33% off, $46.88 from Amazon, and it qualifies for FREE super saver shipping.

Product Review: Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick

I love hand blenders. It's like one of those tools that belong in every kitchen. Aside from cooking, they are excellent for making a quick smoothie. Yeah sure you can pull out your Magic Bullet, but with a hand blender you do a quick rinse and wha la! You're done!

So, let's take a look at one of Amazon's top sellers.

Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome
Out of 396 customer reviews, this one gets 4.5 stars. Of course it's a Cuisinart, a brand that's been one of the leaders in small kitchen appliances since the 70's, if it scored less I'd worry.

Here's the facts:

Product Features

* Immersion hand blender equipped with powerful 200-watt motor
* Blade provides smooth blending; protective guard helps prevent splattering
* Simple push-button controls and lightweight design for one-handed operation
* Dishwasher-safe stainless-steel blending shaft; 2-cup plastic beaker included
* Measures approximately 3 by 3 by 14-1/8 inches; 3-year limited warranty

Blends drinks, purees soup, mixes pancake and crepe batters in seconds!

A brief overview of the pro's and con's of this awesome tool:

I found something really rare in customer reviews. I'm used to when a customer gives a low rating, they follow it with a scathing review. Not so with the Smart Stick, even the customers who gave it a low rating had to admit that the product was really good. Some didn't like the small size head, but then admitted that if it were any larger it'd be hard to control. Others said theirs didn't last long.

Some were disappointed by the "brushed chrome" thinking that the Smart Stick was made of chrome, and admitted they didn't really read the print that says it's actually made of ABS plastic, and the colour itself is brushed chrome.

The other 200+ reviewers loved the ease of cleaning, that the base is detachable, smooth handling and smooth motor, and one guy got me laughing when he called it the "Audi V8 of the hand blender world."

If you're looking to replace your current hand blender or buy one for your first time, this little guy is a great investment for your kitchen - after all, you can't go wrong with a Cuisinart.